Morning Answer Daily

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Greenville's newest park is set to open Thursday.

Unity Park features four state-of-the-art playgrounds, including a 4,100-square-foot splash pad, two expansive green spaces, covered picnic tables and a 10,000-square-foot welcome center with restrooms, a first-aid station and flexible event space.

The 60-acre park also features basketball courts and a historic baseball field located on the site of the former Mayberry Park, which was built in 1925.

Three pedestrian bridges span the Reedy River, which flows through the middle of the park...

RALEIGH, N.C. — Voters in North Carolina head to the polls Tuesday in just one of five midterm elections to be held this week.

Former President Donald Trump is trying to sway races for U.S. Senate and House in a state he won twice, but narrowly.

Trump endorsed U.S. Rep Ted Budd for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Richard Burr, surprising many at last year’s state GOP convention. Budd’s top competitors in the 11-way primary are former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, who had actively sought Trump’s support, and former Gov. Pat McCrory, who is considered a moderate in the race but is best known nationally for signing a “bathroom bill” targeting transgender people in 2016 that cost the state billions...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Simpsonville woman accused of killing her three-year-old foster child has been convicted and sentenced to life behind bars.

Ariel Robinson was accused of killing her 3-year-old foster child, Tori Smith, in January 2021.

She was charged with homicide by child abuse.

A jury convicted her of the charge after less than an hour-and-a-half of deliberation Thursday afternoon.

Robinson was the winner of "Worst Cooks in America" on Food Network...

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — If you noticed a plume of smoke near the Walmart in Spartanburg on Wednesday afternoon, you are not alone.

WYFF News 4 was sent several videos of the smoke with folks asking if the Walmart on East Main Street was on fire.

Dispatchers tell us that a pile of trash behind the store was on fire.

No injuries have been reported....

ELGIN, S.C. — Five earthquakes were reported Monday in or near Elgin, South Carolina.

The first was reported at about 1:30 a.m. in Elgin. According to the USGS, the quake was 3.29 magnitude.

The U.S. Geological Survey called the quake "notable" on its Facebook page.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, more than 4,300 people responded to the "Did you feel it?" question on the USGS website.

The second one was reported at 4:39 a.m. in Elgin and was a 1.6 magnitude.

The third quake was reported at about 5:10 a.m., also in Elgin...

SALEM, S.C. — Residents in one Upstate neighborhood voiced their concerns about a nearby gun range that they feel is causing more harm than good.

The noise from the range not only has neighbors frustrated but also a nearby farm owner concerned for her livestock.

Octavia Childress has lived on her farm for more than 30 years.

She said the noise has already impacted her horses.

"What's happening from the sound of the guns being fired over there. It frightens my horses. I would expect any day for them to charge through the fence," Childress said.

Or even worse...

If you missed our Evening on Education Freedom with Dr Ben Carson, Sen Jim DeMint, and Ellen Weaver, just click here for the full broadcast. WGTK, along with our friends from WYFF were pleased to be a part of such an important conversation. There are so many issues surrounding education facing today's parents, and our community at large. It is more important than ever that we come together to make sure our children stay safe and free from undue influences. That's why we are so pleased to have been a part of such an important event. So take some time and join 94.5 The Answer's Joey Hudson and WYFF's Jane Robelot as they host An Evening on Education Freedom.

LAURENS, S.C. — The Laurens Police Department is warning about a sighting of a black bear in the city.

In a Facebook post, LPD said it's aware of the bear, and to not approach the animal or attempt to capture it. 

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has been made aware of the bear and said the best course of action is to leave the animal alone in hopes it will return to the wild.

According to the post, the only way SCDNR will intervene is if the bear becomes hostile. The bear would then be relocated.

LPD said if the bear gets too close to your residence, or becomes hostile to call 911 immediately.

(WYFF) Best Buy has announced a recall of thousands of air fryers and air fryer ovens following reports of the devices catching fire, melting or burning.

A news release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall includes 770,000 Insignia digital air fryers, Insignia analog air fryers and Insignia digital air fryer ovens sold online and at Best Buy stores throughout the U.S. and Canada from November 2018 through February 2022 for between $30 and $150...

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. — A teaching assistant and her young child were among three killed in a crash Tuesday in South Carolina.

The two-vehicle crash happened on U.S. Highway 29 at Tucapau Road in Wellford, according to Chief David Green, with Wellford Police Department.

Megan Jackson Barnett, 30, Briley Diann Barnett, 6, both of Wellford, and Jackolane Mattison, 43, of Lyman, were killed in the crash, according to Coroner Rusty Clevenger with Spartanburg County Coroner's Office.

Barnett was a teacher's assistant at Wellford Academy of Science and Technology and her daughter Briley was a first grade student, according to Melissa Robinette with Spartanburg District Five Schools of Spartanburg County...

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. — Wildlife officials are warning South Carolina anglers after a fish disease that threatens trout was detected in Upstate streams.

The Department of Natural Resources, working with the Southeastern Fish Disease Cooperative at Auburn University, said in a release it has documented the presence of whirling disease for the first time in four streams sampled recently in Pickens and Greenville counties.

Officials called it the first positive diagnosis of the whirling disease pathogen in South Carolina trout streams...

CLEMSON, S.C. — An annual student event has caused controversy at Clemson University.

The TigerLive organization held its ninth annual drag show Saturday. The event sparked an outcry from another student organization.

The Clemson College Republicans shared a statement on Twitter condemning the drag show, saying in part, "...this event was chock-full of sexual degeneracy that spits in the face of the Christian population that currently attends Clemson University."

The organization later followed up that statement with another statement reaffirming its stance, writing in part, “We will never apologize for taking a stand against anything that we believe to be immoral or perverse..."

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Former Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis is out of prison after serving his full sentence for misconduct in office.

Public records from the South Carolina Department of Corrections show Lewis was released on April 1.

A jury convicted Lewis in October 2019 and Judge G. Thomas Cooper Jr. sentenced him to the maximum sentence of one year in prison.

Lewis was charged after the then-sheriff took a 2017 budget trip to Charlotte, during which he had sex with his assistant at the time, Savanah Nabors. Lewis testified the sex was consensual. Nabors testified that after a night of drinking, the two went back to her hotel room and she woke up with Lewis having sex with her. Nabors filed a civil lawsuit against Lewis in October 2017. A settlement was reached in October 2018. Nabors was paid nearly $100,000 from a state insurance fund in May 2019...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A famous University of South Carolina graduate is coming back to town, with a free concert.

USC will host a free concert later this month featuring Darius Rucker in celebration of the Gamecocks women's basketball team's recent national championship victory.

The event will take place Sunday, April 24 at the Colonial Life Arena. The event is free to all University of South Carolina system students, and tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

Rucker attended USC in the 1980s and met several of his future Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates while a student there....

The Greenville Drive held it's season opener at Fluor Field on Friday, at full capacity against Hudson Valley, and witnessed an Opening Day victory as the Drive scored twice in the seven and twice more in the eighth to rally for a 7-6 win over the Renegades.

Despite being cold and windy, fans still filled the seats to cheer on the Greenville Drive.

"There's something always special about opening day," said Eric Jarinko, Greenville Drive General Manager. "It was great to have baseball back last year, but there were a lot of protocols in place with social distancing and capacity restrictions. We obviously didn't have a minor league season in 2020, so this is the first true opening day that we've had since 2019."...

MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) - Dawn Staley and South Carolina buttoned up on defense and won their second national championship, stifling UConn for a 64-49 victory Sunday night that ended the Huskies' undefeated streak in title games.

Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 points, Aliyah Boston added 11 points and 16 rebounds, and the Gamecocks handed Geno Auriemma's Huskies their first loss in 12 NCAA title games.

With Staley calling the shots in a $5,000 letterman jacket, South Carolina took UConn to school on the boards and capped a wire-to-wire run as the No. 1 team in the country in The Associated Press poll. The Gamecocks also won the championship in 2017 with A'ja Wilson leading the way...

HONEA PATH, S.C. — A dog owner was in court Thursday morning after an Upstate woman was injured during a 'vicious' dog attack in Abbeville County, South Carolina, deputies say.

Kyleen Waltman, a 38-year-old mother of three, was attacked by the dogs about 10:30 a.m. Monday in Honea Path, her sister, Sheena Green, told WYFF News 4.

The owner of the three dogs was identified as Justin L. Minor, according to the Abbeville County Sheriff's Office...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The city of Greenville has finished a "road diet" on Augusta Street in Greenville.

This is part of the Augusta Street Traffic Safety Improvement project.

City leaders said the "road diet" reduced Augusta Street from four lanes of traffic to three. The changes have been made between Augusta Place and Crystal Avenue.

Crews started work Sunday at 7 p.m. and finished around 6 a.m. Monday. Workers could be seen repainting the roadway to create one lane of travel in each direction...

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. — Just as gas prices hit new highs, Greenville County Schools now has its first electric school bus.

District officials is receiving the bus Friday morning at Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School, calling the donation from the Ava Lane Meyer Foundation in Columbia a welcomed gift.

District media relations director Tim Waller said the batteries and powertrain are from Proterra whose East Coast office is located in Greenville. The chassis is manufactured by Freightliner of Gaffney, and the bus itself—the Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley—is from Thomas Built Buses (a Daimler subsidiary) in High Point, North Carolina...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Gas prices in South Carolina have increased 41 cents per gallon from last week alone, making them the highest in the state since 2012.

It comes amid conflict in Ukraine, which experts say, is predominately fueling the increase.

"I would originally pay, like, $40 to fill up and now I'm paying more than $60 to $70," said McKennan Ward, who lives in Greenville.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham also shared his thoughts on prices Monday morning.

"That was a wake-up call. I think it was 40 bucks for half a tank of gas," said Graham, who has been calling for increased domestic production of oil and gas and fuel dependence from Russia.

AAA of the Carolinas said Monday that the average price per gallon of gas in South Carolina is $3.88. It is $3.92 in North Carolina and $3.96 in Georgia...