4/17 NEWSBREAK: Trooper shot in face during Bamberg Co. traffic stop

A S.C. Highway Patrol officer was taken to a hospital early Sunday with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the face during a Bamberg County traffic stop for speeding. The suspect then fled, leading to a chase by another trooper. It ended when the suspect’s car crashed into a house.

The Orangeburg Times and Democrat reported S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. B.A. Frazier is recovering and receiving medical treatment. Officials reportedly didn’t offer more information on his condition. But a nonprofit reported he was “seriously injured,” according to The State.

Frazier is said to have started a traffic stop early Sunday after seeing a car allegedly driving more than 20 mph over the speed limit on U.S. Highway 78. At some point during the stop, the driver reportedly began firing at Frazier and fled. Another trooper who heard what was going on via a radio call later tried to stop the vehicle, which crashed into a house in Branchville. A suspect was taken into custody, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, gun violence continued over the weekend in South Carolina as one person died and at least six people were shot across the state. In Alabama, four died and 28 were injured during a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party.

CP OPINION: Brack: A dozen opinions for S.C. in one column. Among the opinions: “Expand Medicaid. South Carolina lawmakers have resisted expanding Medicaid for years because it’s something former President Barack Obama came up with. North Carolina just became the 30th state to expand the program — a move that will provide health coverage for hundreds of thousands and bring billions to the state. Time for South Carolina to wake up and do the same.”

In other headlines:

CP NEWS: Big Charleston-area mayors’ races getting jammed with candidates. “November’s nonpartisan contests for mayors of Charleston and North Charleston are getting crowded. Five candidates say they’re running against incumbent Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. Seven say they’re running to fill the seat occupied by longtime but retiring North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey.”

CP ARTS: Gibbes Museum in Charleston to offer 5-day arts festival. “The five-day festival is organized by the Gibbes Museum of Art and offers an exciting lineup of events with artists, curators, collectors and more. The lineup will engage diverse artistic interests, including painting, digital art and public art.”

CP ARTS: PURE Theatre show is an untold side of Anne Frank’s story. “Playwright Rinne Groff’s thought-provoking production Compulsion: or the House Behind delves into a story concerning perhaps the world’s most famous diary. PURE Theatre brings this somewhat fictionalized account of The Diary of a Young Girl, also known as The Diary of Anne Frank, to the stage this spring.”

State gas prices go up again. Gas prices in the Palmetto State rose to an average of $3.37 a gallon last week — 26 cents higher than a month ago, but 33 cents lower than this time a year ago.

SC-1: Mace blasts fellow GOP members on gun violence, abortion. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., blasted her Republican colleagues over silence about gun violence on a Sunday talk show and said they needed to find middle ground on extreme abortion stances.

2024: S.C.’s presidential candidates in news. Former S.C. Gov. NIkki Haley’s campaign overstated initial fund-raising, according to CNN. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a North Charleston Republican exploring a presidential campaign, gave conflicting views on how pro-life he is, according to The Washington Post.

Fentanyl overdose deaths rise 35+% in S.C. (Updated) Illicit fentanyl is taking lives at a startling rate across South Carolina, energizing local public health professionals to say raising awareness that the narcotic can be present in recreational drugs is key to protecting people from a tragic end.

MUSC makes land swaps to aid growth. The medical university in Charleston made several land swaps and sales to clear up financial relationships and more. It also approved a $70 million budget — $20 million more than earlier estimated — for a new College of Health Professions building and $200 million for a new College of Medicine building

USS Yorktown celebrates anniversary. The warship on Saturday celebrated its 80th anniversary during a Mount Pleasant ceremony.

Revamped N. Charleston library has ribbon-cutting. More than 10 years after county voters approved a library bond referendum for new libraries, a revamped library had a ribbon cutting recently.