Latest South Carolina news, sports, business and entertainment

SC BUDGET

SC Senate approves $6.6B spending plan for 2012-13

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The South Carolina Senate has approved a $6.6 billion spending plan that gives most state workers a 3 percent raise, distributes more money to public schools and hires more than 100 law enforcement officers.

The Senate gave the budget final approval Thursday evening on a 27-10 vote, sending its plan back to the House.

Approval came after senators defeated attempts by some Republicans to remove roughly $4 million for private nonprofits and local public projects. Items included $300,000 for a North Myrtle Beach museum and $100,000 for a fire station in Andrews.

Democratic senators trumped the amendment by adding dozens of items. The Senate then killed the whole thing.

The Senate also approved by 27-9 a separate measure distributing $105 million from this year's rainy-day fund.

CLEMSON BOARD

Wilkins: Clemson has no proposal on any league

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The chairman of Clemson University's board of trustees says the panel has no viable proposal before it to move to another league, but he says it would consider one if one comes.

David Wilkins spoke Thursday after the board held a lengthy meeting behind closed doors. He said the session was needed to clear up speculation about the school's future in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Wilkins told reporters that if Clemson has what he called a viable option before it, the board would consider it. He stressed Clemson has not received any such proposal and that he doesn't anticipate any school official developing such a proposal.

The board met in Columbia and also had tuition on its agenda, but ended its executive session without taking a vote on the matter.

FUGITIVE SEARCH

Drug suspect who fled W.Va. enters guilty pleas

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) An Ohio man who triggered a nationwide search last fall has pleaded guilty to money laundering, drug-conspiracy and contempt of court charges in West Virginia.

Forty-three-year-old David Kidd of Martins Ferry could get more than 40 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine when sentenced in U.S. District Court in Wheeling.

In his plea appearance Thursday, he agreed to forfeit nearly $70,000, a firearm, and vehicles and computers.

Kidd was on home confinement in October when he fled to avoid trial. Officers in Arkansas spotted him and tried to stop a car he was driving. He led them on a chase into Oklahoma, where authorities ultimately arrested him.

Kidd admitted bringing about 150,000 oxycodone pills from Florida and South Carolina into the Ohio Valley for illegal distribution.

RUBIO-BOOK TOUR

GOP's Rubio plans to sell books in swing states

WASHINGTON (AP) Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is planning a swing-state summer bus tour that will also roll through South Carolina, the early presidential primary battleground.

The bus tour, set for the week of the Fourth of July holiday, is aimed at promoting Rubio's autobiography, "An American Son."

Officially, Rubio's tour is aimed at selling books, but the freshman senator and possible vice presidential pick is set to make multiple stops not just in his home state of Florida but also in North Carolina and Virginia, critical presidential battlegrounds this fall.

On the way, he'll make several appearances in South Carolina, where Republicans hold their first-in-the-South presidential primary.

Rubio has been informally auditioning for the traditional vice presidential role as attack dog, leveling biting criticism at Democratic President Barack Obama.

BOATING SAFETY

Coast Guard helping SC kids learn boating safety

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) The Coast Guard is scheduled to demonstrate boating safety to youngsters on the South Carolina coast.

Coast Guard Station Charleston and other agencies are holding a safe boating event on Friday at Cario Middle School in Mount Pleasant. It's part of National Safe Boating Week.

The event is intended to teach children and parents about being safe in the water. Rescue boats and vehicles will be on display.

In addition to the Coast Guard, officers from the state Department of Natural Resources, the Charleston County Sheriff's Department and the police and fire departments from Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant, Charleston and North Charleston are slated to attend.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA

New Spoleto season opening in Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Another season of the Spoleto Festival USA is ready to open in Charleston.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled to begin at noon Friday. Festivities for the first day include speeches, ringing church bells, brass fanfare and confetti.

During the 17-day performing arts festival, there will be more than 140 performances on stages throughout Charleston.

This year, the internationally known festival stages the opera "Kepler" by American composer Philip Glass. It's the American premiere of the opera and commemorates both Glass' 75th birthday and his long relationship with Spoleto.

Spoleto was brought to Charleston back in 1977 by the late composer Gian Carlo Menotti. It was established as a companion to his Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

FRENCH SETTLEMENT-ANNIVERSARY

Event marks anniversary of French colony in SC

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) A ceremony on Parris Island marks the 450th anniversary of the founding of a French colony on the South Carolina coast.

Charlesfort was established in 1562 on Parris Island, which is now the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Ceremonies on Friday include officials from both the United States and France.

Charlesfort lasted less than two years and suffered a grisly end.

Jean Ribaut landed with 159 settlers, but within a few months returned to Europe to get more men and supplies.

He was detained in Europe and those left behind thought they had been abandoned. So they built a ship to return home. They made it, but on the way ran out of food and ate one of their own party to survive.