The manifesto that wasn

The story of Gifted Disabilities, the Columbia-based novel the government never wanted you to read

Blonde Ambition

Metro Beat Publisher James Shannon published this blonde bombshell prior to the state race for Superintendent in which Jim Rex beat her by only a few hundred votes.

The REAL Karen Kanes Rogers Armor Floyd

By James Shannon

The DMV & The Draft

Unknowingly filling out Form 447-SEL at the DMV is prematurely registering your 13 to 17-year-old for Selective Service in order to “save you time.”

College Survival Guide

it’s not about getting good grades and graduating on time. it’s about having the time of your life and actually learning something in the process

By Paul Blake, Corey Hutchins, Todd Morehead & Sean Rayford

The Scarborough Affair

State representatives muck up family values

Court papers paint state Rep. Wallace Scarborough, R-James Island, as a not-so-family oriented guy

The Dirt on City Hall

A months-old stain remains on the first row seat in the council chambers at City Hall. City Paper reporter Corey Hutchins investigates the cause of it, illustrating the economic mess of city government on the smallest level

Ghost Hunters

The non-profit S.C. Paranormal Activity Research Association (SCPARA) has been in operation in one form or another since 1989. In that time, their team of volunteers has investigated scores of paranormal incidents across the state, adding incident reports, photos and audio recordings of the unexplained to their growing database. When City Paper met with the lead investigators of SCPARA, who go by the call signs “Gryphon” and “Mystic,” honestly, we weren’t sure what to expect. But, after talking with them for over an hour, we found that they represent a group of hardworking, grounded and genuinely kind people who simply share a passion to explain the inexplicable and whose ultimate goal is to help people understand paranormal activity and how to deal with it.

Monkey Island

Fire

The arson was widely reported on by many legitimate journalists and news sources. As you can see by the police report it was reported as arson and confirmed by field investigators. Columbia arson investigators took additional photos of damage through out the house and his mattress, which was also set ablaze in the upstairs bedroom. Everything the editor owned was covered in soot and the shock of the incident led to an under estimation of cost of the damages by police in the initial report. Needless to say, Hutchins stayed with friends for weeks and initially resigned for his own safety. The stove, mattress, and ruined clothes have since been replaced and he was grateful for the outpour of community support.

Like this email from Judge Womble:

Dear Mr. Blake,

While it is easy for those of us whose house did not burn to say stay and stand your ground I do sincerely hope Corey Hutchins will reconsider and continue his noble profession.The day before Christmas 1981 my house burned to the ground. My wife, two children, poodle and I got out with nothing but the bed clothes we had on and I know from that experience how he must feel. Our fire was considered a possible arson and we still don't know for sure what the cause of the blaze was. I wanted to just disappear and therefore be completely sure of the safety of my family and myself. We didn't, however, and I now know we would have never felt safe even if we had been. My family stayed and faced that demon..........and we whole heartedly recommend he do the same. I know he really needs to do this for his own peace of mind.

Been there!

Judge William H. Womble, Jr.

We are glad Hutchins ultimately listened to Judge Womble and returned to work months later.

After WLTX covered the story, you'll see from of the links below that the media attention spiraled out of control. Only a sick, pathetic individual would be jealous of the attention for such a traumatizing incident and we only regret that it has not helped catch the individual responsible. The overwhelming human interest and community support helped Hutchins & CCP get through it all. We can't say thank you enough!


Tips: Call The Columbia Police Department: (803) 545-3500
City Paper Editor Quits, House Set Ablaze:
Association of Alternative Newsweeklies reports
WLTX news coverage with video
WIS
and Editor&Publisher magazine
Michael Moore.com
and Ted Rall
Trouble downloading WLTX video? Try this direct link.
The State Newspaper report appeared on metro cover 1/04/06 and the story hit the AP making it go national.