Tag Archive

Sparkle City Headlines: Ninja Justice

By Steve Shanafelt

This is quite possibly the best Spartanburg-related story I’ve read in weeks. From the Greenville News … A Spartanburg man was taken to the hospital after sheriff’s deputies found him trapped under a car when they responded to a domestic dispute this morning. The man was arrested and charged with criminal domestic violence of a... »

Sparkle City Headlines: Insider Trading At Advance America?

By Steve Shanafelt

Ripped from the headlines of today’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal … Ken Compton, president and CEO of Spartanburg-based payday lender Advance America Inc., is the subject of an ongoing insider trading investigation by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In a filing with the regulatory agency on Wednesday, the company said it was informed on July 22 that its... »

Slow News Day: Tire Slashers, Shredding

By Steve Shanafelt

It’s another slowish local news day here in Spartanburg, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about. For instance, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal is reporting that someone is slashing tires on Asheville Highway … A Spartanburg EMS employee and auto parts store reported to sheriff’s deputies Wednesday morning that tires on a total of... »

Update: Sanford Signs Rep. Martin’s Gun Bill

By Steve Shanafelt

Back in February, Christopher George wrote a Flying Oskar column about the less-than-urgent bill sponsored by State Senator Shane Martin (R-Spartanburg) which would allow loaded, ready-to-rock firearms on school property. There was heated discussion here on the Spark about the topic, largely in ideological grounds about whether people “should” be able to carry concealed... »

Follow-Up: Craigslist pwns SC AG McMaster

By Steve Shanafelt

A few weeks ago, Chris from Flying Oskar wrote a column heavily criticizing the recent threat of criminal charges against craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster by South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster. If you’re not familiar with the conflict, McMaster is claiming that “craigslist has knowingly allowed the site to be used for illegal and... »

Flying Oskar: Looking Down The Barrel of Shane Martin’s Gun Bill

By Christopher George

South Carolina is facing one of the worst budget crises anyone can seem to remember. The legislature is considering a bill that would allow local school districts to furlough teachers and increase class sizes. The state’s unemployment rate is around 9.5% and climbing, and the employment security commission is handing out unemployment checks with... »

Sparkle City Headlines: The Sheriff of Spin

By Steve Shanafelt

Remember when Sheriff Chuck Wright decided a few weeks ago to buck the County’s across-the-board “furlough” (read: temporary layoff) cost-cutting plan because, even though his department is consistently over budget, as an elected official he and his department weren’t legally required to chip in? (Never mind that he was the only person on the... »

Sparkle City Headlines: About that arson thing …

By Steve Shanafelt

On Friday, I posted about the latest crime statistics from the Spartanburg Public Safety Department, and noted the curious rise in arsons — up some 40 percent from 2007, with a total of 38 in the city of Spartanburg. I wondered what was behind the rise. Insurance crimes? Vandalism? In today’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal police blotter,... »

Sparkle City Headlines: Spartanburg Crime Stats

By Steve Shanafelt

Headline: Crimes against people fell 8.3 percent in city in 2008 Source: Spartanburg Herald-Journal Story: Click here In a nutshell: Violent crime is down in Spartanburg, but what’s up with rise in arsons? Thoughts: According to the Spartanburg Public Safety Department, crimes against people in the city limits feel well over 8 percent in 2008, from 1,853 to... »