S.C. briefs: June 30, 2019

Posted

State lawmakers reject veto, agree to sink surplus submarine

COLUMBIA - South Carolina legislators have reaffirmed their decision to sink the USS Clamagore, a submarine that's been floating in Charleston Harbor for 40 years.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reports lawmakers on Tuesday overturned Gov. Henry McMaster's veto of measure.

Built in 1945 and decommissioned in 1975, the Clamagore is part of the fleet at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. Leaders say it'll cost $2.7 million to sink the sub to make an artificial reef, but that's the best of three bad options. State Rep. Murrell Smith , R-Sumter, says restoring it could cost $9 million. And leaving it where it is could cost the state later. Some lawmakers say a hurricane might sink it in a way that disrupts port traffic.

Some submarine veterans have sued the state to stop the sinking.

Autopsy on woman's remains first found by dog inconclusive

SENECA - A South Carolina coroner says an autopsy performed on a woman's remains first found by a pet dog days ago were inconclusive and her identity is still unknown.

News outlets report that the Oconee County Coroner's Office performed the autopsy Thursday and confirmed all the remains belong to the same person. But more studies are needed to investigate the woman's death and could take months.

The first remains were found last week by a pet dog less than 10 miles outside Clemson. A broader search of the area discovered the head and torso of a woman's body.

Coroner Karl Addis said the deceased didn't have teeth and was wearing an athletic-type multicolored sports bra.

Addis says no information has been shared on results from DNA testing yet.

North Myrtle Beach sees theft of $20K-30K in street signs

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH - A South Carolina city is investigating why 148 street signs have been stolen from its roads.

WBTW-TV reports between $20,000 and $30,000 worth of signs have been stolen in North Myrtle Beach this summer so far, most taken from streets in Cherry Grove.

City spokesman Patrick Dowling says most of the signs were taken in one weekend. He says it's probably kids who are causing the trouble.

He says there's no word on how the city plans to stop the practice in the future, but he adds whoever took them had a plan.

Dowling says it appears the thieves went through neighborhoods with power tools, primarily saws that cut through aluminum or that cut through brackets.

The city plans to have the signs back up after July 4.

From The Associated Press