12/26 NEWSBREAK: Area Democrats propose higher minimum teacher salaries

Two Lowcountry Democratic lawmakers have prefiled separate bills to set a minimum salary for teachers, according to published reports.

S.C. Rep. Joe Jefferson, D-Berkeley, is proposing a bill that would require new teachers to get at least $52,000 a year, the amount new industries are paying for employees. “Teachers have really been responsible for training and educating our youth of today and tomorrow, in order to do that we need the best quality teachers we can find, in order to do that, they need to be compensated,” he told WCSC TV.

S.C. Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, is proposing new teachers to get at least $70,000 a year as a way to deal with increasing teaching vacancies. “People are seeing a temptation to say, ‘Hey, look, why am I putting up with this, when I can go to a much better-paying job, a better environment? I don’t need to be here.’ That’s the reality of it all,” Gilliard said.

In other recent headlines:

CP NEWS: New Redux director plans outreach, education. The new director of the Redux Contemporary Art Center in Charleston brings a diverse resume to the table.

CP NEWS: Charleston Co. shares some holiday recycling tips. A look at what to do with the Christmas tree, more.

CP OPINION, Brack: Democratic presidential primary has layers. “While most South Carolinians are filling the holiday season with thoughts of sugar plums and Santa Claus, there are more people than you think who have presidential politics on their minds. South Carolina will host the Democratic Party’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Feb. 3, while the state Republican Party’s first-in-the-South primary will be Feb. 24.”

CP OPINION, Sutton: We’ve had a week of infrastructure woes. “To state the obvious, we are far behind on flood prevention and we’re falling further behind the curve due to unnecessary political squabbling.”

GUN VIOLENCE: Two due in Christmas Eve shootings in North Charleston. North Charleston police found a man dead in his car from a gunshot wound on Sunday night. About four hours later a half a mile away in Dorchester County, deputies found a man dead at a Parker’s Kitchen store. They say they don’t believe the shootings are related.

HOLIDAY: Spending increased during season. While the pace of U.S. economic growth slowed, holiday retail spending stayed strong because of robust job growth and strong wage gains, analysts say. In local news, the Charleston Animal Society delivered some pets on Christmas morning. And area groups gave meals, gifts and more to those in need.

Gas prices jump 8 cents, wiping out last week’s drop. Gas prices in South Carolina rose 8 cents — the amount they stopped last week on average per gallon — to $2.84 per gallon during the holiday travel time.

Boeing’s permit request hints of bigger plans. The giant has filed a request that would allow it to build 14 Dreamliners a month.

Home sales slipped again in November in S.C. A two-year decline continues.

Berkeley Co. studies how to save more from overdoses. Overdoses in Berkeley County kill more people than any other cause of death — and people want to slow it down.

Plan would change Charleston’s public housing. A look at a plan that would renovate, demolish or rebuild all of downtown Charleston’s public housing properties — replacing 286 public housing units with a block of 1,116 apartments.