The Crayton Middle School greeting echoed through the school auditorium and across the galaxy as students and faculty welcomed some special guest speakers to their campus Wednesday.

“Houston Space Station, this is Crayton Middle School. Can you hear me?” seventh-grade teacher Ann Carbone called out to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

“This is the space station. We can hear you loud and clear,” the reply came – from thousands of miles away.

The Richland 1 school is one of three nationwide selected to take part in a downlink video with the space station. During an often lively question-and-answer session, students inquired about a range of subjects related to space travel including the obstacles to becoming an astronaut, how crew members stay in contact with their families and the special exercise regiments astronauts have to undergo.

In recent months students in Crayton’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme have participated in a comprehensive study of space. Those lessons were conducted in various subject areas and included such things as the biographies of astronauts, the use of math in problem-solving in space and the science of space exercise.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154802/lesson-is-out-of-this-world.html#RSS=local

A bill introduced in the S.C. House would give police, prosecutors and sheriffs broad freedom to keep secret any and all crimes and arrests from the public, critics say.

“This goes a long way in creating a secret police operation in South Carolina,” said Jay Bender, a Columbia lawyer and USC media law professor who has for decades argued open government cases in courts. He represents numerous media organizations, including The State Media Company.

Supporters of the bill, including sponsor Rep. Chris Murphy, R-Dorchester, say Bender exaggerates the impact of the measure, which if passed would amend the state’s existing Freedom of Information law.

“For him to say this will cause a police state, that is a stretch,” Murphy said. He described his bill as “narrowly tailored” to allow law enforcement to more easily deny an FOI request to make public sensitive pretrial information about crime victims, witnesses and ongoing investigations.

The specific language in Murphy’s bill says law officials would be able to withhold any “information to be used in a prospective law enforcement action or criminal prosecution.”

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154788/should-crime-details-be-kept-from.html#RSS=local

A coalition of sports and environmental groups wants Batesburg-Leesville to stop looking at increased sewage disposal in the Edisto River.

Their demand comes as town leaders stick with the river as one option under consideration.

Leaders of the Sierra Club and Palmetto Paddlers say the idea jeopardizes recreation on a river that is one of the most pristine in South Carolina.

David Hutchens of Lexington, a leader of both groups, said their position is “nothing else dumped in the river,” no matter how well town leaders say anti-pollution efforts work.

The demand comes as town leaders search for ways to satisfy groups skeptical of its plan to expand wastewater disposal.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154799/groups-oppose-batesburg-leesville.html#RSS=local

A second juvenile wanted in connection with the string of pit bull thefts from the Columbia Animal Shelter was taken into custody today.

The 13-year-old male turned himself in to investigators at police headquarters, according to the Columbia Police Department.

The teen and three others have been charged in connection with the investigation.

Two of the four charged are adults.

Acting on information provided by the suspects, police found 17 dogs at a rural residence in Bamberg County, about 50 miles south of Columbia. Not all of the dogs were those missing from the shelter. The dogs were tied to trees with heavy chains, but police reported only minor injuries to most.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2155967/4th-suspect-charged-in-thefts.html#RSS=local

A coalition of sports and environmental groups wants Batesburg-Leesville to stop looking at increased sewage disposal in the Edisto River.

Their demand comes as town leaders stick with the river as one option under consideration.

Leaders of the Sierra Club and Palmetto Paddlers say the idea jeopardizes recreation on a river that is one of the most pristine in South Carolina.

David Hutchens of Lexington, a leader of both groups, said their position is “nothing else dumped in the river,” no matter how well town leaders say anti-pollution efforts work.

The demand comes as town leaders search for ways to satisfy groups skeptical of its plan to expand wastewater disposal.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154799/groups-oppose-batesburg-leesville.html#RSS=local

The West Columbia Police Department has arrested two women for defrauding unsuspecting victims of money under the guise of subleasing the victims’ apartments.

Investigators on Tuesday arrested Cynthia Louise Allen, 23, of West Columbia and Coreshia Malasia Henry, age 25, of Sumter. They were charged with obtaining goods by false pretense and have been released on bond from the Lexington County Detention Center, the department said.

Chief Dennis Tyndall said the victims of the scam were college students who placed ads on Craigslist seeking people to take over their student housing leases. The suspects would contact the victim and take money from them in exchange for assuming the lease contract. Once they had the victim’s money, the suspects would end communication with the victim but not assume the lease, leaving the victims responsible.

Tyndall reminded residents they should never pay someone to take over a lease and should instead have anyone who is subletting fill out the necessary contracts with the rental property staff.

From Staff Reports

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2155988/west-columbia-arrest-2-for-scamming.html#RSS=local

In life, Wayne Cook, Sharon Ward and Jacquelyn Hall shared no friendship or family ties.

In death, their remains rest side by side in the Richland County Cemetery, forever linked by lives controlled by addictions that left them estranged from family or with no money for a funeral.

On Wednesday, they were buried in the public cemetery with seven other people during a 30-minute ceremony led by a Baptist minister.

Jean Westmoreland, Sue Dockery and Jody Dockery arrived early to place three photographs in a white box containing Cook’s ashes. The three cared for Cook during his final years, patiently dealing with his drinking binges and growing to love his sense of humor and storytelling.

They held no family obligations. Westmoreland had met Cook more than 20 years ago when he was a student at Midlands Tech. Sue Dockery was his home health aide, and her husband, Jody Dockery, sometimes visited Cook just so the two could have “man talk.”

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154795/troubled-in-life-dignified-in.html#RSS=local

The West Columbia Police Department has arrested two women for defrauding unsuspecting victims of money under the guise of subleasing the victims’ apartments.

Investigators on Tuesday arrested Cynthia Louise Allen, 23, of West Columbia and Coreshia Malasia Henry, age 25, of Sumter. They were charged with obtaining goods by false pretense and have been released on bond from the Lexington County Detention Center, the department said.

Chief Dennis Tyndall said the victims of the scam were college students who placed ads on Craigslist seeking people to take over their student housing leases. The suspects would contact the victim and take money from them in exchange for assuming the lease contract. Once they had the victim’s money, the suspects would end communication with the victim but not assume the lease, leaving the victims responsible.

Tyndall reminded residents they should never pay someone to take over a lease and should instead have anyone who is subletting fill out the necessary contracts with the rental property staff.

From Staff Reports

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2155988/west-columbia-arrest-2-for-scamming.html#RSS=local

A coalition of sports and environmental groups wants Batesburg-Leesville to stop looking at increased sewage disposal in the Edisto River.

Their demand comes as town leaders stick with the river as one option under consideration.

Leaders of the Sierra Club and Palmetto Paddlers say the idea jeopardizes recreation on a river that is one of the most pristine in South Carolina.

David Hutchens of Lexington, a leader of both groups, said their position is “nothing else dumped in the river,” no matter how well town leaders say anti-pollution efforts work.

The demand comes as town leaders search for ways to satisfy groups skeptical of its plan to expand wastewater disposal.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154799/groups-oppose-batesburg-leesville.html#RSS=local

Columbia police announced Monday the arrests of two teens in the ongoing pit bull thefts from the city’s animal shelter, with more arrests expected.

Chief Randy Scott also said 17 pit bulls had been recovered from a rural site in Bamberg County, about 50 miles south of Columbia. Though the dogs were tied to trees with heavy chains, police reported only minor injuries to some of them.

Not all of the recovered dogs are from the Columbia shelter, city officials said Monday night, and efforts to find the others are continuing.

Taken into custody at the shelter’s fence Sunday were a 13-year-old, unidentified because of his age, and Raven Perry, 17, of Blackville.

They are charged with three counts of second-degree burglary and petit larceny, as well as one count of unlawful entry into a building. At least two others, including a juvenile, are being sought, Scott said.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/13/2150735/more-pit-bulls-stolen-from-columbia.html#RSS=local