News from around The Carolinas

South Carolina

Myrtle Beach

Gunman robs pair of Boulevard hotels

Myrtle Beach police continue to search for the man they say used a gun to rob two Ocean Boulevard hotels early Saturday morning.

Cpl. Michael Bland, with the Myrtle Beach Police Department, said the first robbery happened around 5:45 a.m. at the Patricia Grand Hotel at 2710 N. Ocean Blvd. The second happened a little more than an hour later, at the Caravelle Hotel at 6990 N. Ocean Blvd.

In both cases, the robber walked into the hotel’s office, pulled a handgun and demanded money, Bland said.

“In each one of them, it was only a few hundred dollars,” Bland said.

The robber is described as a black male around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. He is clean shaven and was wearing a hoodie-type sweatshirt underneath a jacket. Anyone with information should contact the police at 918-1088.

Columbia

Study: Most inmates have mental issues

A new study has found the majority of women in jail are facing mental health issues.

University of South Carolina researcher Dana DeHart says her study shows women in jails show rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance dependence are at least five times higher than women in the general population.

Fifty-five percent of the 219 incarcerated women DeHart and other researchers interviewed met criteria for lifetime PTSD.

DeHart says it’s likely more funding from community-based mental health services could help the women get needed support.

Greenville

New judge sought in redistricting suit

A South Carolina attorney representing a state lawmaker in a U.S. House redistricting lawsuit alleging racial discrimination wants a federal judge removed from the case.

Billy Wilkins says the judge represented plaintiffs in a similar case a decade ago. Wilkins is the former chief judge for the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. He says in court papers filed Friday he wants U.S. District Judge Mark Gergel to recuse himself from presiding over a lawsuit filed last month on behalf of six voters who claim the state’s realignment of House voting districts creates “voting apartheid.”

Wilkins wrote that Gergel as a private practice lawyer in 2000 served as lead counsel for former Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges in the state’s last redistricting court battle.

North Carolina

Rockingham

Businesses relocated due to Interstate 73

North Carolina Department of Transportation officials say they are working in cooperation with Richmond County business owners to relocate them in order to begin development of a future Highway 73/74 bypass.

According to state officials, some parcels of land need to be acquired before others because utilities must be moved or established to accommodate the new highway.

“NCDOT does not force people from their property without adequate compensation,” said NCDOT Division Engineer Tim Johnson. “It’s not like these folks are just pushed out. It’s not like there’s going to be a bulldozer there tomorrow.”

FAYETTEVILLE

Refused ride prompts gasoline attack

A Fayetteville man has been arrested after authorities say he tried to set his brother on fire.

Police say 39-year-old Roderick Mardell Whitted has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

Police say Roderick Whitted woke his brother and asked for a ride to the store to buy more alcohol at around 2 a.m. Friday, after a night of drinking. When he said no, police say Whitted threw gasoline on his brother and tried to set him on fire.

Raleigh

Students attack graduation rate

Ten student teams from across North Carolina are working to develop innovative ways to increase the state’s high school graduation rate, and there’s a cash prize in it for the teams that come up with the best idea.

Out of 70 teams, the Institute for Emerging Issues recognized five high school and five college teams for using their creativity in helping friends and classmates earn their high school diplomas. A panel of state leaders in education, government and business picked the winners.

The projects developed several tactics to increase graduation rates, including incorporating technology into the classroom at an early age, and reducing stigmas around remedial classes.

Asheville

Worker demoted for mocking protesters

A civilian employee of the Asheville police department is back at work but has been demoted for posting profane Facebook comments about Occupy Asheville protesters.

Lynn Fraser returned to work Dec. 7 as a dispatcher. She had been a forensics specialist. Police say Fraser complained about the protesters in profane terms on her personal Facebook page and dismissed their suggestions that videotaping them was violating their constitutional rights.

From wire reports