SUMMARY: The City of Columbia recently honored the winners of the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Keepers Scholarships and the Honor the Dream Food Drive at the 37th annual MLK Jr. Commemoration Service. Scholarships were awarded to students from Richland School District One, recognizing their service to Dr. King’s ideals. Winners ranged from elementary to high school levels, with amounts ranging from $25 to $1,000. The Honor the Dream Food Drive, which ran from November to December 2024, raised donations for Harvest Hope Food Bank, with the top contributions coming from Burton Pack Elementary, Southeast Middle, and Richland One Middle College.

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SUMMARY: Billy Hutto, Jr.’s pardon request was denied after he was convicted of causing the death of six-year-old Emma Longstreet in a DUI crash on New Year’s Day 2012. Hutto, with a blood alcohol level of .208, received a 10-year prison sentence but was released after six years for good behavior. During the hearing, Hutto expressed regret, while Emma’s parents, David and Karen Longstreet, fiercely opposed the pardon, describing their ongoing grief. The board unanimously denied Hutto’s request, acknowledging the emotional impact on Emma’s family. Her death prompted the enactment of “Emma’s Law” to enforce stricter DUI regulations.

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SUMMARY: Governor Henry McMaster’s Executive Budget continues a proviso preventing taxpayer dollars from funding abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, asserting that such organizations do not reflect South Carolinian values. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic counters that their funding primarily comes from Medicaid reimbursements for services provided, which do not include abortions. Director Vicki Ringer emphasizes the importance of understanding this distinction, noting that these cuts could harm Medicaid patients who already face a shortage of available providers. She highlights growing healthcare challenges in South Carolina, including high maternal and infant mortality rates, exacerbated by the state’s abortion ban.

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