Welcome to a Wednesday edition of FITSFeed, our recently launched format which focuses on news briefs, reader feedback and other stuff I probably would have posted to Twitter had that platform not decided to piss me off.
We’ve got some pretty exciting coverage headed down the pike today – including an incredibly emotional video segment we filmed earlier this week with two members of the Kiser family, who were victims of a horrific boat crash in September 2019.
Be on the lookout for that soon …
In the meantime, got something for the feed? Please email me.
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THE FEED …
4:09 pm. EDT – CRAZY RICHLAND COUNTY STORY …
I cover a lot of craziness from government entities in the Midlands region of South Carolina, but this is the craziest story I have covered in a long, long time …
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3:40 p.m. EDT – CANDIDATE FILES FOR SPEAKER JAY LUCAS’ SEAT
(Via: Facebook)
S.C. House speaker Jay Lucas’ law partner has filed to run for the seat Lucas is vacating later this year.
Attorney Cody T. Mitchell sent out a press release on Wednesday afternoon signaling his intentions to campaign for S.C. House District 65 in the June 2022 GOP primary.
“I am running to give our district a strong, conservative voice in Columbia,” Mitchell said. “I am a proud conservative Christian who believes in lowering your taxes, enforcing and protecting our Second Amendment rights, improving infrastructure around our state to accommodate our growing population, and bringing economic development to South Carolina to create new jobs and opportunities.”
Readers will recall Mitchell was at the heart of a controversy last summer after driving under the influence (DUI) charges filed against him were controversially dropped …
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12:59 p.m. EDT – RICHLAND COUNTY DETENTION CENTER SHAKEUP
Our executive editor Liz Farrell has a report up on the impending resignation of interim Richland County detention center director Shane Kitchens …
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12:01 p.m. EDT – OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING UPDATE
I just published an update on the drama involving Richland County sheriff Leon Lott and chief Mark Keel of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
To read that post, click here …
Much more coming on this story, people. Much more.
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8:48 a.m. EDT – ALAN MORGAN WINS STATE HOUSE SEAT
(Via: Facebook)
Upstate businessman and staunch social conservative Alan Morgan cruised to victory in a special primary election for the S.C. House of Representatives on Tuesday evening.
Morgan handily won the Greer, S.C.-based seat vacated back in January by former state representative Tommy Stringer, who stepped down last year for health reasons.
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Morgan received 1,002 votes – or 59.82 percent of all ballots cast in this special election. Because he won a majority of ballots, Morgan does not have to face second-place finisher Keith Jones in a runoff election in two weeks time. And because no Democrat filed to run in this heavily GOP district, Morgan will be unopposed in the special election on May 24, 2022.
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8:19 a.m. EDT – RICHLAND COUNTY COUNCILMAN WON’T RUN AGAIN
(Via: Facebook)
One of the few honest elected officials in Richland County, South Carolina is county councilman Joe Walker. Over the last few years, I have been incredibly impressed watching Walker work on behalf of citizens and taxpayers to bring sorely needed transparency to a government that had quite simply lost the trust of the people it purports to represent.
Just last week, in fact, Walker was leading the charge against a troubling move by the county against private property rights.
Unfortunately, Walker has decided against seeking another four-year term on county council. In a letter to voters released this week, the 40-year-old Columbia, S.C. native announced he would not “run again … and will complete my term of service that expires in December.”
An Iraq War veteran who won both the bronze star and purple heart, Walker said it was important to him “to bring ethical reform to county council at a time when trust in that body was low.” He also referenced his work with local law enforcement, media and other government officials to “expose criminal fraud” within county government – and to “bring critical oversight and new policies” which helped eliminate “future fraud, waste and abuse.”
Walker said he would “continue to pursue opportunities to serve this city, county and state in whatever capacity I can.”
Here is his letter …
(Via: Joe Walker III)
I, for one, am grateful to Walker for his service to citizens and taxpayers. And while disappointed by his decision to step down at the end of his current term, I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Via: FITSNews)
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. Oh, he also has LOTS of hats … but has given them up for Lent this year.
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