GOVERNOR MCMASTER HAS ACTIVATED A STATEWIDE CHARITABLE FUND AND THE STATE GUARD AHEAD OF THE LIKELY FUNDING FREEZE THAT WILL ELIMINATE SNAP BENEFITS TO OVER A HALF-MILLION SOUTH CAROLINIANS THIS WEEKEND BUT STOPPED SHORT OF ADVOCATING FOR STATE LEGISLATIVE ACTION. THE FUND THAT’S PREVIOUSLY BEEN USED TO RESPOND TO NATURAL DISASTERS AND LAST YEAR BROUGHT IN ABOUT 6-MILLION DOLLARS FOR VICTIMS OF HURRICANE HELENE. IT WILL COORDINATE CHARITABLE GIVING TO REGIONAL FOOD BANKS. THERE ARE MORE THAN 900 OF THEM AROUND THE STATE THAT DO NOT RECEIVE ANY STATE ASSISTANCE. OF THE 560-THOUSAND SNAP RECIPIENTS, ABOUT HALF ARE CHILDREN AND NEARLY 20 PERCENT ARE OVER 50 YEARS OLD. THE STATE’S RAINY-DAY FUND HAS MORE THAN 800-MILLION DOLLARS IN IT AND THE GOVERNOR SAYS IT COULD BE TAPPED EVENTUALLY BUT THAT HE CANNOT CALL A SPECIAL SESSION EVEN IF HE WANTED TO. THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM LEGISLATIVE LEADERS. MCMASTER SAYS HE’S ALSO LIMITED IN THE NUMBER OF REASONS HE COULD USE TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS ANY STATE MONEY USED FOR SNAP BENEFITS WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED. THE 400-MEMBER STATE GUARD WOULD BE USED TO UNLOAD FOOD AT THE PANTRIES IF ACTIVATED. YOU’RE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO DONATE TO LOCAL FOOD BANKS LIKE BLUFFTON SELF-HELP, DEEP WELL AND HELP OF BEAUFORT.
THE FORMER BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY WHO PULLED A GUN AND THREATENED A GROUP OF TEENAGE BOYS AND WAS FIRED JUST DAYS LATER HAS NOW BEEN ARRESTED ON FOUR COUNTS OF POINTING AND PRESENTING FIREARMS AT A PERSON AND AGGRIVATEE BREACH OF THE PEACE. BILLY SQUIRES IS FREE ON BOND BUT FACES UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED. A NEIGHBOR OF SQUIRES, BRIAN STAHLHEBER, HAS ALSO BEEN ARRESED FOR BREACH OF THE PEACE AND GIVING FALSE INFORMATION TO LAW OFFICERS. HE ORIGINALLY TOLD OFFICERS ONE OF THE TEENAGERS HAD SHOWN A GUN. SQUIRES ALSO FACES THREE CIVIL LAWSUITS FILED BY THE PARENTS OF ONE OF THE TEENAGERS.
A DEMOCRAT HAS NOT WON A STATEWIDE ELECTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN NEARLY TWO DECADES, BUT COLUMBIA STATE HOUSE DEMOCRAT JERMAINE JOHNSON IS TRYING TO CHANGE THAT, ANNOUNCING HIS BID FOR GOVERNOR, SAYING HE DOES NOT VIEW HIMSELF AS A SACRIFICIAL LAMB AGAINST A BIG-NAME SLATE OF REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. THE 40-YEAR-OLD THREE-TERM STATE HOUSE MEMBER SAYS HE’S UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT LEADING AND SPEAKING OUT. ALREADY DURING HIS LIFE, HE’S EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS, LOST A BROTHER TO GUN VIOLENCE, LOS ANOHER BROTHER IN A CAR CRASH AND WENT TO SEVEN DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS BEFORE STARRING IN BASKETBALL AT THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON. HE’S THE SECOND DEMOCRAT TO ANNOUNCE A RUN FOR GOVERNOR, JOINING CHARLESTON LAWYER MULLINS MCLEOD.