Latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Midlands

Yesterday at 5:15 PM  The South Carolina Legislature has passed a compromise on how to spend $6.7 billion in state taxes.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013  A church-affiliated retirement community in Orangeburg is seeking approval to serve beer and wine after its bid to serve liquor was rejected by state officials.

Friday, June 14, 2013  Candidates and third party groups spent about $7.3 million in the race for South Carolina's 1st District congressional seat earlier this year.

Friday, June 14, 2013  A legislative panel working on a budget compromise has agreed to keep South Carolina's two state planes but not let colleges use them for athletic recruiting.

Thursday, June 06, 2013  The 2013 legislative session may be characterized more for what lawmakers did not accomplish than the laws they passed.

Wednesday, June 05, 2013  A Democratic senator has asked Gov. Nikki Haley whether South Carolina paid a ransom to the computer hacker who stole millions of taxpayers' personal information last fall.

Tuesday, June 04, 2013  A committee of House and Senate members has reached agreement on a bill intended to prevent another ballot-tossing election mess

Friday, May 31, 2013  The Senate Ethics Committee has forwarded the ethics case against Sen. Robert Ford to the attorney general's office.

Friday, May 31, 2013  Sen. Robert Ford's attorney says the Charleston Democrat will not attend the second day of his ethics hearing due to health problems.

Friday, May 31, 2013  State Sen. Robert Ford may be fighting for his political career as his fellow senators decide if he violated ethics laws.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013  The likely Democratic opponent for Gov. Nikki Haley released his 2010 through 2012 tax returns and again challenged Haley to release more of hers.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013  A bill aimed at strengthening cyber-security across state government may be dead for the year, but legislators expect to incorporate the essentials into the state budget.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013  Sen. Robert Ford's attorney argues ethics allegations against the Charleston Democrat should be thrown out because he didn't realize he was under investigation.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013  Gov. Nikki Haley is calling on legislators to get a bill strengthening the state's weak ethics laws to her desk.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013  The budget debate in the South Carolina Senate enters week two.