20
The number of downtown manhole covers that were stolen over two nights late last month. One anonymous witness claimed to have seen a man in a pick-up truck taking one cover.
Reward Offered for Missing Woman
Friends looking for help in the search for Katherine Waring made a fresh call for information last week, including a $25,000 reward for information on her whereabouts. Waring was last seen at her home late on June 12. On the day she disappeared, she was wearing a brown T-shirt, jean shorts, and white Adidas tennis shoes. She is white, 28 years old, 5’10” and 128 pounds, with red hair and blue eyes.
The case has included at least two leads. Ethan Mack, a friend of Waring’s, attempted to cash a $4,500 check from her account three days after she was last seen. Mack told The Post and Courier he is innocent and has been cooperating with authorities. Officers also searched an Anderson County rivershore last month for Waring’s body on a tip, but didn’t turn up anything. The original missing person poster issued by police suggests Waring may have been traveling to Greenville.
Anyone with information can contact CrimeStoppers at (843) 554-1111 or 5541111.com. —Greg Hambrick
Jenny moves, AP probes plane use
Gov. Mark Sanford came back from his two-week European vacation saying that he was ready to get back to work.
Observers learned Friday that his wife was ready to move out of their Columbia mansion, returning with her four boys to their Sullivan’s Island home.
In the week’s after Sanford’s five-day disappearance in June to spend time with his mistress, political supporters suggested it was Jenny Sanford’s forgiveness that assured them Sanford should remain in office.
On Sunday, an Associated Press investigation revealed that Sanford has been using a state plane for private events, including his kids’ sports games and one particular trip from Myrtle Beach to Columbia for a hair appointment. —Greg Hambrick
P&C Riles SLED Chief Over Records
The State Law Enforcement Division made an unusual attempt to publicly humiliate The Post and Courier last week over the paper’s dogged attempts to get detailed budget records. In a recent article, the paper quoted current Chief Reggie Lloyd as saying the previous executive, Robert Stewart, had kept shoddy budget documents. “It was a joke,” Lloyd told the paper.
The response from SLED went beyond a rebuttal, accusing the paper of intimidation and lies.
“The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will not tolerate blatant lies and other disparaging remarks made about and against this agency by members of the media,” the statement read. “SLED is setting the record straight about a recent article that unprofessionally and unethically misrepresented Director Reggie Lloyd during an impromptu meeting yesterday with The Post and Courier newspaper.”
The paper responded by releasing the relevant portion of the taped interview on its website. The entire exchange led the governor’s office to intervene and for legislative leaders to publicly implore the division to provide the requested budget information.
The SLED release also claimed that a P&C reporter had threatened to tail Lloyd until he agreed to an interview. The paper responded that the reporter had been refused an interview directly following interviews with two TV reporters.
The division release went on to say that SLED would continue to work with “ethical” media outlets. Coincidentally, those outlets apparently have not been asking the specific questions posed by The Post and Courier.
As for what the paper is looking for, a story on the drama noted that the documents that Lloyd hasn’t provided include “vehicle purchases, out-of-state travel, itemized breakdowns of expenditures for SLED departments or money spent on operating forensic labs.”
The story went on to note the paper made another request for “a breakdown of agency expenditures, equipment purchases, travel and bonuses and salary information, among other documents.”
Time will tell if this is a fishing expedition or related to another anonymous tip from Argentina. —Greg Hambrick
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