Man serving life sentences for 3 murders in Pelzer dies
GREENWOOD - Authorities said a man sentenced to life in prison in a Pelzer triple homicide and the high-speed chase that followed has died while in the custody of the state department of Corrections.
Multiple media outlets report that 35-year-old Jared Michael Williams was being held at McCormick Correctional Institution and was taken to a medical facility on March 2. Authorities say he died Friday night at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood.
DOC spokeswoman Stephanie Givens said Williams' death was under investigation.
Williams pleaded guilty in November to three counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. Authorities said the shooting followed an argument over a pair of shoes.
Clemson leader describes building name debate as encouraging
(Information in the following story is from: The Greenville News, http://www.greenvillenews.com)
CLEMSON - The chairman of the Clemson University Board of Trustees said he's encouraged by the debate about whether to change the name of a building of a white supremacist who served as governor.
The Greenville News reported board chairman David Wilkins didn't indicate whether the board would participate in the discussion about Tillman Hall, named after Gov. Benjamin Tillman, who served from 1890 to 1894.
Last week, students criticized Clemson, saying the school could have been a leader in race relations. In February, Wilkins said the board didn't plan to rename any historical buildings.
Also in February, leaders at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, voted to remove the name of Gov. Charles B. Aycock from a residence hall. Aycock advocated for segregated public education while espousing white supremacy.
Spartanburg man dies when personal watercraft hits dock
INMAN - A Spartanburg man has died after the personal watercraft he was operating crashed into a dock on Lake Bowen.
The Spartanburg County coroner's office said 43-year-old James Prescott Hartell died at the scene around 5 p.m. Sunday.
The Department of Natural Resources and the coroner's office are investigating the crash near Interstate 26.
Capt. Robert McCullough said a man and a 10-year-old boy were on the personal watercraft when it hit the dock. The boy was flown to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. There was no word on his condition.
McCullough said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Fiorina added to speakers lineup at S.C. Citizens United event
COLUMBIA - The organizers of an upcoming South Carolina gathering that features a number of potential Republican presidential contenders have added another name to the guest list.
Organizers of the May 9 summit organized by Citizens United and U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan said Monday that former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina will attend. Fiorina joins other speakers including Texas Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Fiorina is the only woman known to be considering a GOP presidential bid.
She ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in California in 2010 and was among featured speakers on the first day of this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC. The annual conference features more than a dozen potential Republican presidential contenders hoping to win over conservative activists.