Wedding & Event Venue Near Lexington, SC.

A woman is in jail after taping a kindergarten student to a chair, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.

Olivia Michelle Murray, a 25-year-old Columbia resident, was charged with cruelty to children, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. Murray is no longer employed by Lexington-Richland 5, a spokeswoman told The State.

The incident happened Wednesday at Seven Oaks Elementary School, where Murray worked as a teacher’s aide, according to the release. The Lexington-Richland 5 school is on Ashland Road, near the intersection with St. Andrews Road and about half a mile from Exit 106 on Interstate 26.

Murray used duct tape to confine the 4K student’s legs to a chair, Sheriff Jay Koon said. The incident happened while the teacher was out of the classroom, according to Koon.

“Murray told detectives the student had been moved to the back of the classroom for being disruptive and not listening,” Koon said in the release.

Information on the student’s condition was not available.

Murray was arrested at her home on Wednesday night and was taken to the Lexington County Detention Center, according to the release.

She remained behind bars Thursday, and no bond had been set at of 11:15 a.m., jail records show.

Lexington-Richland 5 said it works “hard to ensure a safe learning environment at our schools and work closely with law enforcement to make safety our top priority.”

The school district said it’s working with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation and had no further comment.

If convicted on the misdemeanor charge, Murray faces a maximum punishment of 30 days in jail, according to South Carolina law.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published March 2, 2023, 11:23 AM.

Cam Scott didn’t know a lot about Shaq Roland when he arrived at Lexington, but he has done his research on the former Wildcat great.

Scott is close to passing Roland in the school’s record books after his 29-point performance to help the Wildcats past Rock Hill, 81-49, on Saturday in the Class 5A playoffs.

Lexington will host TL Hanna on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the third round.

Scott has 1,765 career points, seven back of Roland’s mark of 1,772. Roland was a four-year starter on the basketball team and one of the area’s most decorated two-sport athletes. He won 2011 SC Mr. Football and helped the Wildcats to a pair of state championship appearances in 2010 and 2012.

Roland signed with South Carolina to play football out of high school and finished his career at Winston-Salem State.

“I learned a lot about him. He was a superstar in football and basketball. So just following in his footsteps is something big,” Scott said of Roland.

Scott, who started as an eighth-grader, is one of the school’s most high-profile basketball players since Roland. He is a four-star prospect and ranked No. 27 by 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2024.

Scott is being heavily recruited by Power 5 programs, including South Carolina, and not close to making his college choice yet.

And he hopes to join Roland by getting to a title game. Lexington was preseason No. 1 and is in the third round for second straight year. This time, the game will be at home.

“It is going to be pretty special. We have been here before, but last year it was on the road,” Scott said. “Having the game at home, it is going to be something special.”

Lexington trailed early on against Rock Hill, but Coulter Bell got the Wildcats going with 10 of his 14 points in the first quarter to give Lexington a 15-14 lead after one.

Scott and Caleb Evans got things going after that. Scott had 19 of his 29 in the second half including a thunderous dunk down the middle of the lane as Lexington took control if the game.

Evans finished with 16 points.

Saturday

Class 5A

Lexington 81, Rock Hill 49

L: Cam Scott 29, Kaleb Evans 16, Coulter Bell 14, Figueroa 2, Prunty 8, Campbell 8, Byrd 2, Bowers 2.

River Bluff 50, St. James 46

RB: Omari Caldwell 15, Cromer 3, Renner 5, Chapman 9, Powell 9, Wright 5, Pitts 2, Bearden 2.

Class 2A

Gray Collegiate 95, Abbeville 45

GC: Avantae Parker 18, Treyvon Maddox 14, Braylhan Thomas 12

Eau Claire 65, Greer Middle College 52

EC: Sean Quick-Streeter 28, John Drake 11, Schofield 8, Hicks 7, Murray 3

Keenan 65, Saluda 47

SC: Watson 8, T. Mathis 4, Zion Wright 14, Amareyin Mathis 18, JT Lott 3. K: Brian Sumpter 12, King 9, Elam 8, Chrisean Oree 18, Anderson 4, McCullough 2, Jaylen Golston 10

Columbia 57, Landrum 54

C: Swinson 9, Aymir Caldwell 10, Buckley 9, Dashawn Smith 22, Wilson 5

Class A

CA Johnson at Christ Church

SCISA

Class 4A

Ben Lippen 78, Trinity Collegiate 53

BL: Braysen Stockman 20, Buzz Buxton 12, Helmadollar 6, M. Stockman 8, Samari Van Horn 15, Jones 9, Zetz 6, Little 2.

Porter-Gaud 53, Heathwood Hall 24

Class 3A

Oakbrook Prep 56, Northside Christian 53

NCA: Dane Sundell 15. OP: Chris Wilkins 21

Class A

Newberry Academy 40, Holly Hill Academy 34

SCHSL

Class 4A

Westwood 68, Hartsville 38

H: Jasmine Frierson 20, Fisher 3, Segars 2, Mitchell 5, Scott 6. W: Jessica Woods 16, Raven Johnson 12, Makiah Thompson 11, Destiny Omeire 10, Korletta Daniels 10, Branch 5, Graham-Brown 2

Ridge View 46, South Florence 43 (OT)

RV: Bailey 6, Banks 6, Destiny Drakeford 4, Waters 2, Jenkins 5, Anasia Harvey 10, Simone Johnson 15. SF: Cameron 8, Montgomery 8, Johnson 4, Jaz Lyde 16, Coleman 2, Baker 5

AC Flora 50, Bluffton 36

ACF: Terriana Gray 22, Trinity Delany 10, Wright-Thompson 9, Tam. Delaney 7, McCray 4.

Class 3A

Camden 84, Battery Creek 33

C: Joyce Edwards 27, Braylin Mungo 16, Tateyoina Harris 10, Carter 9, Jefferson 9, Champion 8, Jeffcoat 5. BC: Sophia Felix 10, Hutchinson 8, Daise 2,Wilson 2, Griffin 2, Wilson 1, Jefferson 1

Lower Richland 67, Marlboro County 42

MC: Peguero 6, Tysonia Lowe 20, Hairston 8, Barfield 4, Isaac 2, Miller 2. LR: Green 2, Chi’Nya Isaac 30, Tyra Floyd 10, Jhnai Sumter 15, Curry 3, Hiller 1

SCHSL

Monday

Class 4A Boys

Lucy Beckham at Irmo

Class 3A Boys

Lower Richland at Crestwood

Tuesday

Class 4A Girls

James Island at Westwood

Ridge View at AC Flora

Class 3A Girls

Loris at Camden

Crestwood at Lower Richland

Class 2A Girls

Fairfield Central at Gray Collegiate

Keenan at Silver Bluff

Wednesday

Class 5A Boys

TL Hanna at Lexington

River Bluff at Conway

Class 2A Boys

Eau Claire at Gray Collegiate

Columbia at Keenan

Class 5A Girls

Lexington at Mauldin

Dorman at Spring Valley

SCISA

Monday

Class 4A Girls

Augusta Christian vs. Heathwood Hall at Sumter Civic Center, 5 p.m.

Hammond vs. Northwood at Sumter Civic Center, 8 p.m.

Class A Girls

Cambridge vs. WW King at Ben Lippen, 5 p.m.

Tuesday

Class 4A Boys

Porter-Gaud vs. Hammond at Sumter Civic Center, 5 p.m.

Wilson Hall vs. Cardinal Newman at Sumter Civic Center, 8 p.m.

Ben Lippen vs. First Baptist at Sumter Civic Center, 6:30 p.m.

Class A Boys

Newberry Academy vs. Charleston Collegiate at TBD

Ragin Prep vs. Richard Winn at TBD

This story was originally published February 18, 2023, 10:30 PM.

Louisville City FC huddles(Louisville City FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

Louisville City FC will kick off its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup home game against neighboring Lexington SC at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 5.

The date and time were newly set this week following the recent Second Round draw for U.S. Soccer's annual knockout tournament.

Tickets to Lynn Family Stadium will go on sale to the public on Tuesday morning along with LouCity's other 2023 matches. Season ticket members have been emailed about opting into their regular seats for City versus Lexington.

This will mark the first meeting between USL Championship power LouCity and Lexington SC, a newcomer this year to USL League One. It's one of 30 Second Round matchups to be contested from April 4-6 as non-Major League Soccer professional clubs join the Open Cup.

MLS teams enter for the Third Round on April 25-26. The Open Cup continues to whittle down throughout the summer to a Sept. 27 Final.

Now in its 108th edition, the U.S. Open Cup - U.S. Soccer's national championship - has crowned a champion since 1914 in every year except 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The history-filled tournament is open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer.

LouCity has advanced as far as the Open Cup's Quarterfinals back in 2018. Last year, the boys in purple won three games in the tournament.

Home teams for each round are determined by random selection among those who apply to host. Clubs whose venue meets minimum tournament standards are given priority.

The 2023 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions League. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

The furloughs are expected to last about 90 days but that timeframe could change.

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — A major pharmaceutical company in Lexington County has announced furloughs for a portion of its workforce.

Nephron Pharmaceuticals hasn't said how many employees will face the cost-saving measure but did say the furloughs could last 90 days - though that timeframe could change.

“Nephron is a company that regards each employee as a member of its family and is grateful for the contributions they make," the company said in a provided statement. "As a result of business need, management has made the difficult decision to temporarily furlough a number of employees."

Nephron, which employs roughly 4,000 people, stressed that these furloughs were not terminations and added that the employees would remain eligible for benefits subject to the plans they have with the company.

A spokesperson from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) said that it is currently waiting for Nephron to file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice that specifies additional details about the closure.

While South Carolina's SCWorks.org website states that notices are typically required at least 60 days before any type of significant "layoff" for companies of 100 people or more, there are circumstances where they can be filed later if the company cites unforeseeable circumstances.

With limited information available and the letter not yet filed, it's unclear what category the Nephron furlough falls under.

However, the company has faced headwinds following recent recalls impacting its products. The latest of those struggles came in an announcement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs which issued an internal recall of all products made by the company. This was preceded by scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding possible bacterial contamination of equipment and cross-contamination of drugs.

In the summer of 2022, Nephron announced a voluntary recall of 20 products - several thousand doses - including pre-filled syringes of various drugs. A month later, in July, that recall was expanded to additional products.

In its statement, Nephron made no mention of the reasoning for its furlough decision aside from a "business need."

The company did say that it plans to keep its impacted employees informed of the latest information throughout the furlough process.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster today nominated William H. Floyd to be the next executive director of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW). Previously the agency's chief of staff, Floyd has served as acting executive director since March 1, following the retirement of Executive Director Dan Ellzey.

"With tens of thousands of jobs created in just the last few years, it is paramount we have a leader at DEW who can help strengthen our workforce and fill these jobs," said Governor Henry McMaster. "With his experience as chief of staff and 35-year career as a certified labor and employment specialist, William Floyd is the right person to lead the agency forward and build upon the strong foundation already in place at DEW."

Prior to joining DEW, Floyd practiced law for 35 years as a certified labor and employment law specialist and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. He has served on the S.C. Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors as well as the Chamber’s Human Resource and Manufacturing Committees. He also served on the S.C. Bar Employment and Labor Law Section and Military Law Section. For a copy of Floyd's biography, click here.

“Great things are happening in South Carolina, and I am privileged to be part of this growth and activity as the Acting Executive Director,” said William Floyd. “I have spent my career as a lawyer learning the workforce needs and challenges of employers and employees. I am excited about approaching these challenges through full-time public service. As Acting Executive Director, I hope to continue the momentum of this great workforce agency and work to help coordinate an efficient and effective workforce development system on behalf of jobseekers, employers and the state.”

Floyd was screened by the South Carolina Senate's Committee to Investigate Candidates for DEW Tuesday morning.

Floyd received his undergraduate degree from Wofford College and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

The governor’s appointment is subject to senate approval.

Floyd, 60, and his wife Ellen are residents of Lexington and have three adult children. A copy of his headshot can be found here.