those charges emerged after the of revenue began investigating administration of the richland county penny tax. administration of the richland breaking news into the wis newsroom... richland county councilman kelvin washington is expected to plead ilty this afternoon to charges of failing to file tax returns. washington is accused of failing to file returns for three years in a row, starting in 2012. those charges emerged after the state department of revenue began investigating administration of the richland county penny tax. washington was charged last month after a department of revenue investigation into the penny tax program found evidence he failed to file state tax returns. he's out of jail on a $15,000 p-r bond. lake wind advisory until wednesday at 11pm - expect wind gust up to 35mph wednesday will be sunny to partly cloudy, and breezy with highs in the

against richland county's penny tax program today - the south carolina department of revenue is accusing the program of wasting away millions of dollars. sam bleiweis has more. sam? the dor claims it has uncovered millions of dollars in potential fraud, waste and abuse - and it's giving the county 30 days to bring the program into compliance. the agency is accusing the program of misusing penny tax dollars for programs that have nothing to do with transportation tax projects, failing to conduct audits that are required by the county's own ordinances, as well as excessive payments to pr firms that were involved in efforts to pass the penny tax in the first place. in it's report to the county - the dor says that the penny tax program as it exists today, quote: "...fails to comply with state law and is full of wasteful expenditures and conflicts of interest created by inadequate procurement safeguards. as a result, millions of dollars of penny tax revenue is being spent improperly." a portion of the statement just released from the says quote: "the public trust is tantamount, and every effo

>>> a letter from the state revenue department is showing that there are issues with the richland county penny tax program. the letter says that everything from failure to perform required audits and excessive public relations expenditures and administrative expenses are prohibited by law. however, the richland county hard to address these problems. a councilman is hoping the kibble will take another look at the options he brought to the table in january. >> i sponsored reforms several weeks ago that address the vast majority of the issues raised in the latest department of representative letter. if it had been passed by council, there would be no need for the letter. that is one of the frustrations i have. once i receive the results of the audit, i sponsor the reforms and they have been bogged down by council and its processes. >> one of the reforms including funding small local business enterprise programs with money from the county's general fund instead of the penny program. the state revenue department is giving county council 30 days to begin making changes to that program. >>> we now know t

councilman late last year -- during a state department of revenue investigation into the richland county penny tax program. newman was also charged and sentenced on two counts of failure to file a return. he also had to pay a fine. neither newman or washington has been charged in connection with any 'questionable spending' being alleged in the penny tax program. since last year washington's attorney say he has filed his back returns. in the newsroom, mike desumma, wis news 10. firefighters say no one was hurt when a small fire broke out at airport high school this morning. the fire happened in a heating and cooling unit above one of the wings of the high school. firefighters say that caused smoke to creep into that section of the building. as a precaution, electricity to the school had to be turned off. all 12-hundred students inside were evacuated and taken to fulmer middle school. the school was dismissed early at 11 a-m. officials with lexington school district 2 are still assessing if classes will be held tomorrow. the weather story this afternoon continues to be the cold temperatures and wind

these charges stem from an investstation into richland county's penny tax program. attorneys for the men say the charges are not related to that investigation. >>> talking politics, a day the republican field is thinning out. today, both chris christie and carly fiorina dropped out of the presidential race. >> other candidates who did well in new hampshire are looking ead to the next big vote. dianne gallagher has the latest from washington. >> we are going to make america so great again, maybe greater than ever before. >> reporter: donald trump scored a big-time win in new hampshire with twice as many votes as the next closest candidate, a surprisingly strong second-place finish from john kasich who wasted no time getting to south carolina. >> i need your support. i need your help here. >> reporter: now question if kasich has the support in the southern state. his team has not focused as much on it like other candidates like jeb bush after coming in behind ted cruz is enlisting the help of his big brother. >> this is president george w. bush. >> reporter: the ad is

. >> now, the multi-million dollar project would funded by the richland county transportation penny tax. that was another concern addressed tonight. richland county leaders say the penny tax money cannot be used for flood recovery. >> ben: i spoke with richland county council member greg pierce tonight. he says this is just the beginning of the public vetting process. any plans would need to be well received by the public and be approved by richland county council. so this is still very early on in this process. the public is encouraged to reach out to their county council members with questions and concerns. tonight a lot of people thought they would be able to ask questions. they had to do a lot of damage control first. they might have another public hearing later on to hear directly from homeowners. >> hopefully this clears up the situation, but from what i understand, this is the initial brainstorming idea, right? >> ben: here's the idea. >> alicia: the city of columbia is continuing to get its parks into working order. >> ben: 11 of the city parar sustained severe damage during oct

washington was charged during an investigation into the richland county penny tax program...however he has not been tied to any alleged 'questionable spending' within the program. a columbia city project - halted after two portions were completed in 2010 and 2012 - is now fully funded and ready for construction again. improvements to the north main were done between 2008-2012 with federal funding. the portion between anthony avenue and fuller avenue has not been completed. the project includes upgrading the pavement, putting in sidewalks and lights - as well as landscaping. "there's a lot of interest in the north main area. we just want to make sure it continues to be inviting for new businesses, and at the same time , make it more attractive to the businesses that are already there." city officials say they now have new federal grant dollars and penny tax funds to finish the remaining phases. top south carolina educators are changing the rules to make high school displomas easier to get. the south carolina department of education is lowering the passing score for the general education

. >>> -- >> that is being paid for from the richland county penny tax. people wonder if it is the right time for the project to get going. our reporter will share the very latest. >> reporter: so many emotions going through the room tonight is richland county government went over plans for what they are calling the gills creek greenway. these plans are not set in stone but it would include boardwalks, trails, and many other features. residents think that the county needs to put their focus elsewhere.>> things have moved slowly. people are still trying to figure out what they are going to do.>> reporter: this gentleman lives in the katherine community. he is helping his in-laws in still cleaning up after october's flood.>> we have high to get the house and are slowly trying to put it back together to get them back in here.>> reporter: like some of his neighbors, he is worried about the gills creek gateway that was addressing a public meeting on wednesday night. >> citizens tell us what they like, what they don't like, where they wanted, whether they want v

those issues were found during an investigation tied to the controversial richland county penny tax program. washington was arrested on those charges. the transit overseas penny tax money. there is with the county council is saying tonight. at the beginning of each year, the richland county chairman selects members of council to serve on 50 council committees and liaison positions. this takes place each year. as a chairman, it -- it is important to rotate chair positions, and joyce dickerson steps into washington's role on the transit authority. authorities have arrested a man in connection with the murder of adrian silva. vincent me was arrested. is bond is set at $20,000 and he must wear a gps monitor. silva was found dead on the side of the road on january 3 nearest motorcycle at long green parkway and george -- churchland drive. anyone with information, call crimestoppers at 1888, crime sc.>>> columbia police say they have solved ibin patterson shot and killed timothy gentry in late july. several days after the murder, patterson shot a place with the same gun he used to kill the 32- yea

charged washington late last year during a state department of revenue investigation into the richland county penny tax program. the councilman has not been tied to any alleged 'questionable spending' in the program. today washington addressed the court --- saying a career transition period was why he got behind in his tax work. "just didn't take care of my personal assets in with regards to transitioning from public work...working work...just got behind." washington's attorneys expect he will have civil penalties coming in addition to his sentence in court today. they say since the charges came down last year --- he has filed his back tax returns. in the newsroom, mike desumma, wis news 10. republicans and democrats turn their attention to south carolina---knowing they have to alter their approaches for a much different political landscape. we spoke to both state party chairmen about how the campaigns will adapt to the palmetto state. in south carolina we have about four times as many voters as new hampshire. upwards of six or seven hundred thousand voters in south carolina. it's not just an air war o

the charges stem from an investigation into richland county's penny tax program. attorneys for both newman and washington say the charges are not directly related to that >>> rochelle: a camden man is in custody accused of trafficking heroine. >> eric: kershaw county sheriff jim matthews says last week deputies arrested ronald boone. with two unces of heroine, pot, and pills. matthews says heroine abuse has been on the rise across the country and his deputies are determined to not let it get out of control in kershaw county. >>> eric: columbia police's organized crime and narcotics unit has uncovered thousands of dollars rth of marijuana inside a homemade grow house. justin helps has been charged with manufacturing marijuana after officers say they found 45 marijuana plants inside a home on the 1400 block of carolina drive. officers say the plants have an estimated street value of more than $164,000. in addition to the plants, officers also discovered rooms set up with equipment used to grow the plants indoors. people with any information about narcotics activity

richland county cause a spike in surrounding neighborhoods? that's the question some are asking -- as richland county unveils its plan for the penny-tax-funded greenway. tonight, our chad mills is looking at some research. ad-lib these woods along gills creek in richland county county engineers have drawn up plans for a four-mille greenway that runs the length of the creek from kilbourne road to bluff road. it's a plan that's drawn a lot of attention. at a thursday night meeting, some showed up in support. but many, like marshall stuckey, are not so welcoming of the $2.2 million dollar project that would be funded by the penny tax. "foot traffic, crime, increased car traffic, all of the above, and trying to figure out how we police the area as well." the possibility that crime will go up in the neighborhoods bordering the trail is such a concern -- even an online petition has popped up against the "greenways can be a tremendous asset to the community, and we just need to make sure that a lot of the misconceptions and rumors are dispelled." erich miarka, the coordinator of the gills creek watershed association, has a very different take. after a lot o

washington was charged during an investigation into the richland county penny tax program...however he has not been tied to any alleged 'questionable spending' within the program. a columbia city project - halted after two portions were completed in 2010 and 2012 - is now fully funded and ready for construction again. improvements to the north main street corridor were done between 2008-2012 with federal funding. the portion between anthony avenue and fuller avenue has not been completed. the project includes upgrading the pavement, putting in sidewalks and lights - as well as landscaping. the north main area. we just want to make sure it continues to be inviting for new businesses, and at the same time , make it more attractive to the businesses that are already there." city officials say they now have new federal grant dollars and penny tax funds to finish the remaining phases. the u.s. justice department is heading to court with its crackdown against the city of ferguson missouri, announcing yesterday it's suing the city. the decision comes after city mary maloney reports. : "we int

the project would be paid for with money from the richland county transportation penny tax meeting, from the 6:30 to 8:00. it will be going on at brennan elementary school which is located on devereaux road. >>> leads are held a press conference today to discuss the importance of social security for people living in our state. they say social security impacts south carolina's economy with more than $13 billion on an annual basis. our state also has the high of the number of people living in poverty would are on social security. the group does not endorse local candidates but they are urging all presidential candidates to share their plans for social security. >> why do we care about this in south carolina? because in south carolina, we have the 50th worst rate of savings, 401(k) savings, the lowest rate of savings of any state in the country. our folks would be hurt the most if there was a cut some social security. we are look at $10,000 being cut out of people's benefits per year in 17 or 1 years. south carolina. >> aarp surveyed over a thousand south carolinians. they found that nine o

richland county today in regards to its penny tax program: the dor claims it has uncovered millions of dollars in potential fraud, waste and abuse - and it's giving the county 30 days to ing the program i io compliance. the agency is accusing the program of misusing penny tax dollars for programs that have nothing to do with transportation tax projects, failing to conduct audits that are required by the county's own ordinances, as well as excessive payments to pr firms that were involved in efforts to pass the penny tax in the first place. in it's report to the county - the dor says that the penny tax program as it exists today, quote: "...fails to comply with state law and is full of wasteful expenditures and conflicts of interest created by inadequate procurement safeguards. as a result, millions of dollars of penny tax revenue is being spent improperly." a portion of the statement just released from the county in response to the letter says quote: "the public trust is tantamount, and every effort must be taken to safeguard that trust. commitment to the integrity of the program is th

richland county today in regards to its penny tax program: the dor claims it has uncovered millions of dollars in potential fraud, waste and abuse - and it's giving the county 30 days to ing the program i io compliance. the agency is accusing the program of misusing penny tax dollars for programs that have nothing to do with transportation tax projects, failing to conduct audits that are required by the county's own ordinances, as well as excessive payments to pr firms that were involved in efforts to pass the penny tax in the first place. in it's report to the county - the dor says that the penny tax program as it exists today, quote: "...fails to comply with state law and is full of wasteful expenditures and conflicts of interest created by inadequate procurement safeguards. as a result, millions of dollars of penny tax revenue is being spent improperly." a portion of the statement just released from the county in response to the letter says quote: "the public trust is tantamount, and every effort must be taken to safeguard that trust. commitment to the integrity of the program is th

national politics tab on the left hand side of the page. 3 the richland county council has less than a month to start making changes to the penny tax program. this comes after a letter from the state revenue department shows there are major issues with the program. that includes failure to perform required audits ...and excessive public relations expenditures and administrative expenses that are prohibited by law. but the richland county council says they are working hard to address the problems. councilman seth rose says he is hoping council will take another look at a few of the options he brought to the table back in january. 3 have sponsored reforms the vast majority of the issues raised in the latest it were passed by council letter. that's the frustration i have because once i received sponsored the reforms and they have been by council and its processes.,3 one of those reforms includes business enterprise program' with money from the county general fund, instead of from the penny program. 3 a u-s-c student is suing the university ... saying his free speech rights have been violated.ross abbott is a senior at u-s-c.he filed a

department released a letter today that was sent to the richland county council that letter do that specific issues that need to be addressed within the penny tax program. the revenue department once counseled to hire an independent accounting firm to audit the penny tax program every year. any of the pay back money spent to create the small local business enterprise program, and the penny tax public the councilman seth rose say he has brought forth records that could have just the issues in event. however, he says counsel to not approve those reforms in january's meeting. >> i have a motion that i sponsored at the last penny committee meeting that would address the public relations piece of the program elements team's contract. rhaps even take that out of the scope of the penny program altogether and bring it in-house. >> in addition to those areas he presented i think we need to look at the entire program and make decisions that we feel are in the best interest of the county and that is what it is all about. hadley paved roads in an efficient manner with the taxpayer dollars? >> the council city will take all of the revenue departments concer

reporter: the letter sent to the richland administrator the director of r department breaks down for actions they are requesting yn'`0the county take to fix the penny tax program. include paying for the fund small lo2business enterprise program =1"@`0and portion of the public relations fund that were not directly related to transportation. they asked the p independent accounting firm to conduct audits from previous years and thm1.0 immediate action to make sure all funds used in the city transportation i<_: the county is working to make the improvements rate>> we are a couple years in and this is where qm_sn7swe are and take that the ors commentsxb= assessments as needed.u`v5sn7 >>reporter: pieces back in january he developed several reforms that would have helped@n^n'2 the issues raised by th(`0 revenue department. >> if they had been passed by council there would be no need for the letter. that is a frustration i have =t: that there -- was i received the audit i sponsor the reforms and they ]>xt: by council(gt:>k`0 >>reporter: one of the reforms included restructuring the d public relation portion of the penny program. >> perhaps take it out of the s

those charges emerged after the of revenue began investigating administration of the richland county penny tax.