Morning Answer Daily

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville County School District says the student who posted a threat about a shooting at a high school has been charged.

The post, which appears to be a screenshot from Snapchat, has a black background with text reading that someone will "shoot up" JL Mann High School Monday at 8:30 a.m.

Police said a 15-year-old is charged with student threats. Officers said the teen was taken into custody Monday morning.

They said the teen was a JL Mann student.

A statement from the district released Monday morning said:

"We can confirm that the source who made the original threatening post on social media regarding JL Mann High School has been identified and is being charged by law enforcement. In keeping with the protocols of our emergency plan, we will have additional law enforcement and district personnel on campus today to provide an extra layer of security and to reassure students and staff. Parents are asked to remind their children that making threats against other students and the school has serious consequences."...

GREENVILLE, S.C. —  After a wild two years of severe weather and hurricanes WYFF News 4 chief meteorologist Chris Justus is looking ahead to the winter season and what you can expect.

Justus says seasonal forecasting is about looking closely at the big picture patterns and looking for trends that will impact us locally.

One of the main patterns Justus looks at shows us entering a La Niña winter. Justus says those winters are typically dry and warm across the southeast.

Justus looked back at the last 21 years and out of all the La Niña winters locally, only two featured above-average snowfall.

A normal year would bring 5.1 inches of snow to the Upstate at GSP International Airport with just under 12 inches in the mountains at Asheville Regional Airport...

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) — A South Carolina says his Christmas decorations have to come down after the HOA’s property management company said the display violated the by-laws.

Douglas Dwyer told WMBF-TV that it's been a labor of love decorating his condo, located in the Myrtle Beach Golf & Yacht Club.

His home is covered with what he estimates to be about 10,000 lights, but it's work he said was well-worth his time in order to brighten his neighbors' faces.

“It came together like a Tetris puzzle, so-to-speak — one piece at a time — and it just turned out to be magical,” Dwyer said.

After sharing the light show on Nextdoor, those in the surrounding residential community responded enthusiastically, with many passing by in person to get a look...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — An Upstate hospital system announced Tuesday it will change its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees.

The announcement came just hours after a federal judge blocked the vaccine requirement for federal contractors.

Bon Secours Health System said in a statement it was relaxing its previous requirement for all employees to be fully vaccinated.

"Bon Secours continues to monitor and evaluate the rapidly changing information regarding the CMS COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

"We continue to strongly recommend that our employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but will not require it, in our Greenville market.

"This decision doesn’t change how we feel about the COVID-19 vaccine – it is safe, highly-effective and how we will move beyond this pandemic..." (Click the story to read the full statement)

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Beginning Tuesday, the city of Greenville will roll out its newest initiative to keep noise from traffic along Main Street at a minimum.

City leaders will place a new series of signs, serving as a reminder of the city’s noise ordinance. The ordinance can carry a maximum fine of $100.

“One of the wonderful things about living in Greenville is having wonderful weather all year long, being able to find outdoors and when that is constantly disrupted, it’s a frustration that we hear about a lot,” said Beth Brotherton, spokesperson for the city of Greenville.

Brotherton said the signs will be placed along Main Street. In some cases, she said, they will appear in various portions of the roadway...

GREENWOOD, S.C. — A South Carolina prosecutor is again giving people a chance to get out of a little trouble this Christmas season by donating a new toy to needy children.

The program by the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office knocks off some community service time for people in programs mostly designed for first-time offenders, Solicitor David Stumbo told The Index-Journal of Greenwood.

“When we have these folks in our diversion programs, part of it is learning how to be a giver and not a taker,” Stumbo said...

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — An employee of a South Carolina skilled nursing and rehabilitation center has pleaded not guilty after she was indicted on federal charges of creating false COVID-19 vaccination cards, according to a release from the Acting U. S. Attorney's Office.

The indictment says Tammy McDonald, a registered nurse and director of nursing at a center in Columbia, lied to agents with the FBI and U.S. Health and Human Services Department when confronted about the false cards.

The rehabilitation center and the person who received the fake cards were not identified in the indictment, which was issued Nov. 23 and unsealed Thursday.

McDonald pleaded not guilty Thursday during an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shiva Hodges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara asked for a $25,000 bond for McDonald, and Hodges set it at $10,000...

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. —  A school bus taking students home was involved in a crash Wednesday after school, according to Greenville County Schools.

Tim Waller, with the district, said the crash was reported about 3:15 p.m. on Highway 25 and Garrison Road.

Waller said the bus was carrying students home from Ellen Woodside Elementary School.

Mitchell Ridgeway, with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said the driver of a box truck ran a red light and hit a Ford Econoline van. Ridgeway said the van then hit the school bus.

Ridgeway said the driver of the box truck was cited for disregarding a traffic signal..

SLATER-MARIETTA, S.C. — A proposal to change Geer Highway in Slater-Marietta faced steep opposition Tuesday night from people in that area.

SCDOT will soon resurface a more than four mile stretch of Geer Highway from Old White Horse Road to Highway 11.

Coordinating with county developments plans for the future, the agency said, engineers were also asked to design two alternate proposals to the current four-lane highway.

Engineers held a public input session Tuesday night at Slater Hall Community Center, sharing those three options.

In option one, SCDOT would resurface the road and keep the original four lanes. Option two would bring four lanes down to two lanes, add a turning lane and a bike path and option three would have three lanes, a turning lane and a bike path...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Parker Webster has always had a knack for creativity.

"I've always been interested in engineering and building," he said.

But even a few weeks ago, the Greenville native couldn't have known those skills would lead him to be a national gingerbread house champion.

Last week, judges awarded him first place in the five-to eight-year-old category for the National Gingerbread House Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

He and his family visited the gingerbread masterpieces in previous years.

This year, he decided he wanted to give it a shot and so his mom and dad signed him up...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) Will Shipley ran for 128 yards and a touchdown and Clemson’s defense smothered South Carolina for its seventh-straight win in the Palmetto State rivalry 30-0 on Saturday night.

The Tigers (9-3; No. 23 CFP) won their fifth straight this season and matched the longest win streak in the series that they set from 1934-40.

Clemson’s defense limited South Carolina (6-6) to 206 yards, its second lowest output this season. It was the Tigers’ first rivalry shutout since a 45-0 win in 1989 and its first time holding an opponent scoreless since a 49-0 win over The Citadel in 2020.

The Tigers outrushed the Gamecocks 265 to 43. “There’s nothing more demoralizing than to have the ball run on you,” Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said...

LIBERTY, S.C. — Troopers have released a description of the vehicle they are looking for after a deadly hit-and-run Wednesday morning in Pickens County

A moped driver was traveling east on Highway 178 near Knoll St. around 1 a.m. when it was rear-ended by a vehicle, troopers said.

The moped driver died at the scene, troopers said. The driver's name has not been released.

Troopers said the vehicle they are looking for is a 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The color is unknown. Troopers said the vehicle should have possible damage to the right front near the area of the headlight...

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Three separate armed robberies in one Upstate city over the last three nights were cause for police to warn the public Monday about how to stay safe while shopping during the holidays.

Maj. Art Littlejohn, with the Spartanburg Police Department, said the first robbery happened about 9:15 p.m. Friday.

Littlejohn said two armed men forced someone at the Spinx Gas Station, located at 1605 John B White Sr Boulevard, to drive to an ATM and withdraw money.

He said the man left the scene after getting the cash from the victim, who was not harmed.

The next incident happened about 11:30 p.m. Saturday when three people were approached by two armed men in the parking lot of the Olive Garden, located at 1498 W. O. Ezell Boulevard, Littlejohn said...

GREENVILLE, S.C. — There is a new "wild" holiday tradition in Greenville.

The Greenville Zoo announced Monday it will host "Holiday at the Zoo" in December.

The event will take place Dec. 17-23 then again Dec. 26 and Dec. 30.

You can enjoy the event from 1 to 9 p.m. on those days.

The zoo welcomes everyone to "immerse yourself into a winter wonderland of twinkling lights, music, and holiday cheer."...

ANDERSON, S.C. — Leaders with the Anderson County Democratic Party said their office was vandalized a couple of weeks ago.

They said it was the third time this year they have felt threatened.

“It’s criminal and we won’t stand for it,” Chair Tonya Winbush said.

Winbush said she believes someone threw a brick at the glass window of the front door.

“We’re all human right? We all have our point of views and nobody wants their property destroyed or vandalized and it’s not right. It’s not fair,” Winbush said.

She said it could be someone upset with the party at the national level...

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Three people have been charged in a series of barn fires that happened all in the same day, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office.

Anthony Boyd, 20, Blake Williams, 21, and Ashley Neal, 26 have been charged with setting barns on fire in the Leicester and Sandy Mush areas on Nov. 3, deputies said.

All three suspects were arrested early Tuesday, the sheriff's office said. They are all from the Leicester area of Buncombe County.

They are each charged with five counts of burning personal property, burning certain buildings and felony conspiracy....

(via WYFF) This fall is the perfect time to head to the theaters. Whether you're looking for a spooky flick, a story based on real life or a feel-good animated film, you're in luck.

Its the perfect time of year to settle in with cozy blanket and some apple cider to stream the latest, or since the theaters are reopened... Date Night is back on!

Click Here for a peak at the blockbusters hitting the big screen in the next few weeks...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — State Sen. Hugh Leatherman, South Carolina’s oldest and most powerful state lawmaker, died Friday at the age of 90.

Leatherman died at his home in Florence, where he was in hospice care with what colleagues described as an inoperable cancer, his office announced.

Days before his death, Leatherman’s staff began notifying lawmakers that the nonagenarian Republican had been hospitalized with severe abdominal pain, and that doctors discovered the cancer while removing parts of his intestine.

Leatherman was in his 11th term and among the longest-serving lawmakers in South Carolina’s Legislature. First elected to the Senate in 1980 as a Democrat, he later ran unsuccessfully for governor before switching parties in the 1990s, one of a number of lawmakers who did so as Republicans gained dozens of seats in Congress...

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) — Gov. Henry McMaster has requested South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman immediately begin an investigation into the presence of obscene and pornographic materials in public schools in South Carolina.

The governor made the request in a letter to Spearman after he received examples of pornographic materials found in schools from concerned parents in Fort Mill.

The letter in its entirety can be read here.

The governor has notified SLED to evaluate whether any state laws have been broken as a result.

“... It is my understanding that concerned parents were recently required to petition the Fort Mill School District to remove a book from a school’s physical or digital library, titled Gender Queer: A Memoir, by Maia Kobabe,” McMaster wrote in the letter. “If school personnel had performed even a cursory review in this particular instance, it would have revealed that the book contains sexually explicit and pornographic depictions, which easily meet or exceed the statutory definition of obscenity...”

LAURENS, S.C. — An Upstate plant is closing after nearly 30 years in business, according to several employees who reached out to WYFF News 4.

Muffin Mam on Hunter Industrial Park Road in Laurens County closed Tuesday, employees said.

An employee says two letters were handed out to the more than 200 employees.

They said the first letter said the plant would close on Jan. 7.

However, they got another letter on Tuesday that said the company assets have been frozen and the plant was closed immediately...