The most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report from the CDC includes the first county-by-county survey of obesity nationwide, and it found that South Carolina has some of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes. WJBF News Channel 6’s SC Capitol reporter, Robert Kittle, has more.

The Aiken County South Carolina coroner has ruled the death of 68-year old John Barrs is suspicious.  Barrs was found in his Warrenville South Carolina home Friday morning.  Coroner Tim Carlton says that Mr. Barrs died from severe head trauma, but could not determine the type of weapon used.  Carlton says Barrs died sometime between 8pm last night and early this morning.

Authorities say a huge generator being hauled across South Carolina to a North Carolina utility plant will be spending the next several days making it through one county.

Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton tells WJBF News Channel 6 a 68-year-old Warrenville, SC man was pronounced dead Friday morning at his home after being discovered by a caretaker. Circumstances surrounding the scene are being considered suspicious, at this time.

North Augusta Public Safety Officers have found a missing 10-year-old boy on Friday morning who was reported missing Thursday night. Tyson Avery Curry was found at his father’s house.

She is a mother, on a mission. 28 months ago, Sean Kennedy was killed outside a bar, in Greenville, South Carolina. His mother now travels the country, spreading the message about hate crimes, and Thursday, she stopped in Aiken. WJBF News Channel 6’s Joy Howe has the story.

Columbia, SC—One day after the South Carolina Ethics Commission announced it’s moving forward with ethics charges against Gov. Mark Sanford, the governor said he wants to amend his ethics disclosure form to report private plane flights he had not reported before.

Ethics Commission executive director Herb Hayden says the governor asked Thursday to report the previously unreported flights.

The commission has not released the details of the allegations it’s pursuing against Sanford, but we know it’s been investigating four areas: the governor’s use of state airplanes and whether he used them for family and personal reasons; his acceptance of private plane flights from friends and donors without reporting them on his ethics disclosure forms; his flying in business class on commercial flights taken on state business, when state law requires the use of the cheapest seats available; and his unexplained reimbursement to himself of more than $1,800 from his campaign account.

Butch Bowers, Sanford’s attorney, released a written statement Wednesday night saying, “We feel vindicated that the Ethics Commission’s finding of probable cause is limited to minor, technical matters that do not include any allegations of criminal conduct.“

But media attorney and open government expert Jay Bender says, “I think it’s unlikely that we’re talking about really minor violations. Did you take a plane ride and not report it? Well, the failure to report that is not a minor violation, and if that’s the probable cause, that seems hardly minor to me.“

On Thursday, Bowers issued another written statement on behalf of the governor, saying, “"The Ethics Commission reviewed 772 flights taken by Governor Sanford, and no questions were raised regarding 97% of these flights.  Similarly, the Commission examined 622 of the Governor’s campaign expenditures, and 98% of them were found to be in complete compliance with the law.  We will continue to work with the Commission, and we look forward to the opportunity to finally present our arguments and evidence to the Commission to address the few remaining questions they have.  The results of the Commission’s exhaustive investigation confirm what we have said all along – that Governor Sanford has been a good steward of public resources and has worked hard to ensure his administration adheres to both the letter and the spirit of the law.  In the meantime, in a good faith effort to move forward, Governor Sanford has decided to provide a copy of the Commission’s investigative report to Speaker Harrell next week following the Commission’s release of its notice of hearing.“

But Speaker Harrell criticized the governor Thursday for not releasing the investigative report before next week.

In a written statement, he said, “We are disappointed that Governor Sanford has broken his transparency promise by keeping this court-ordered public document secret.  After claiming to be a leader in the transparency movement and heavily criticizing others on this issue, the Governor’s insistence on secrecy goes against all his past actions on this issue.“

There’s disagreement on when the Ethics Commission’s investigative report can and should be released to the public. The commission gave a copy of the report to the governor’s attorney Wednesday night. Bender says, “If there is a waiver, once the document is released to the governor, it seems to me it has to be released to the public.“ Ethics Commission proceedings are secret unless the subject waives confidentiality, which the state Supreme Court ruled Gov. Sanford did.

The Ethics Commission says it will release details about the allegations against the governor on Monday, when it publishes a notice of hearing in the case. The first hearing will be sometime in January.

During that hearing, three of the commissioners will hear the governor and the Ethics Commission’s lawyer present evidence and call witnesses. If those three commissioners decide Sanford broke the law, he can appeal to the full nine-member commission. It will be up to Sanford to decide whether the hearing will be held in public.

It’s not even Thanksgiving, but they’re gearing up for Christmas at Bel-Ridge Baptist Church in Belvedere, South Carolina. The church is a collection spot for “Operation Christmas Child.“ The project collects shoeboxes packed with gifts for children in more than 100 impoverished countries.

An ethics panel says South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford should face a hearing into potential violations of state law found during a probe into his travel and campaign finances.

Some Aiken residents are fired up about a proposed shooting range that might be headed to their neighborhood. And, the area targeted for the project, is right down the road from an elementary school. WJBF News Channel 6’s Joy Howe has more.

The South Carolina state Christmas tree is up now in front of the Statehouse, and once again, it appears there are problems with the tree. People walking by the tree on Monday complained that it’s much shorter than previous trees, and it also has big bare spots around the base. But, the volunteers who bought the tree and decorate it say, not to worry. WJBF News Channel 6’s SC Capitol reporter, Robert Kittle tells us what happened…and how it’ll be fixed.

DHEC H1N1 clinics have been scheduled in some Aiken County schools, for November and December. This list does not include all Aiken County schools, as the Aiken County Board of Education has not received available dates from DHEC for January, but all Aiken County schools will be holding H1N1 vaccine clinics.

A passenger train hit a vehicle late Monday night near Hardeeville, South Carolina, killing several people.  Ted Felder, interim city manager for the city of Hardeeville says a vehicle was apparently trying to go around the arms of a crossing gate that was down and did not make it.  He says the vehicle was then dragged around a mile down the track.  At a press conference Hardeeville Fire Chief Dan Morgan confirmed that 4 people were killed in the accident.

Aiken County is one step closer to getting a new County Complex building. It’s a project that’s more than a decade in the making, and now, the Aiken County Council is narrowing down designs for the new building. WJBF News Channel 6’s Joy Howe has more.

Aiken, SC—Take a look….it’s a brand-new view of our solar system just released by NASA this week. And it was unveiled right here in the CSRA, at USC Aiken.

North Augusta Department of Public Safety (NADPS) Chief John Thomas tells WJBF News Channel 6 that Club Fusion has been closed down.

Some Aiken County parents and teachers voiced their concerns at a local restaurant amongst each other, Thursday night. This comes after two Aiken County teachers were charged with sexual misconduct at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School this fall. WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud has more.

South Carolina’s jilted first lady is endorsing a candidate to succeed her husband when the term-limited politician leaves office. Jenny Sanford issued a letter in support of Republican state Rep. Nikki Haley that was made public Wednesday. The first lady is a former Wall Street executive credited with helping her husband’s political rise.

South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford will be recognized as one of this year’s 10 most fascinating people on an upcoming network television special.

The first steps to the possible impeachment of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford are expected next week. The SC House of representatives Judiciary Committee’s chairman plans to use a special committee to handle the work.

Police in South Carolina have charged a man in connection with a drive-by shooting in which three people, including a 20-month old toddler, were killed. ‘The Post and Courier of Charleston’ reported Wednesday that 19-year-old Danziel Chapman of Walterboro is charged with murder and being held in the Colleton County jail.

One of the people who sued to stop the state from issuing the “I Believe” Christian license plate says he has no problem with a private group going through the process to get the DMV to make the plates. A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the plates were unconstitutional because they were created by the state legislature, which meant the state was endorsing one religion. Now, the Palmetto Family Council has announced plans to have them produced. WJBF News Channel 6’s SC Capitol reporter, Robert Kittle, has more.

Nuclear materials are not new at SRS, but the idea that high-level waste could be housed there, permanently, is now getting the attention of a group of local activists. This group is concerned, because the place this waste, was to be shipped, might be shutting down? The government is looking to halt construction at Yucca Mountain, in the Nevada desert. WJBF News Channel 6’s Joy Howe has more.

A run for the money…New Ellenton Mayor Pro-Tem Terrence Williams set out to give just that to community schools.

A group of students in New Ellenton, SC took time to honor their veterans on Wednesday. New Ellenton Middle School got a chance to see the Silver Bluff High School Junior ROTC post the colors.

According to Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton, a body was found floating in the Savannah River near Beech Island, SC around noon on Wednesday. The body has been identified as 52-year-old Gregory Brabham, of Beech Island SC. Carlton says circumstances surrounding the discovery of Brabham’s body appear suspicious. Autopsy is scheduled for Thursday morning in Newberry, SC.

South Carolina’s State Board of Education, on Tuesday, supported changing state law to require school districts to do state criminal background checks on substitute teachers.

Authorities in South Carolina say a mother and her son have been shot and injured in a fight between family members over a video game. ‘Anderson Independent-Mail’ reported that 46-year-old Lynette Alexander and her 23-year-old son, Anthony Alexander, were taken to a hospital Monday night. Anthony Alexander was shot in the stomach and his mother was shot in the hand.

Police in Conway, SC say a missing two-week-old baby boy was found safe, Tuesday afternoon. Public Information office Catina Hipp says one woman has been arrested in connection with the incident and another person is being questioned.

Governor Mark Sanford has $1.7 million left in campaign money… and he plans to use some of it to pay his legal bills. He’s being investigated by the South Carolina Ethics Commission for his travel and use of state planes. Some of his contributors are upset, but WJBF News Channel 6’s SC Capitol reporter, Robert Kittle, tells us why Governor Sanford, and any other candidate, can use campaign money for legal fees.