Saving historic schools tops the weekend wrap

By Jessica Holdman | Reporter

Sunday marks the last day to see an original 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence on display at The Charleston Museum.

Printed in Charleston by Huguenot descendant Peter Timothy, the document is the only known surviving copy of the Declaration printed by Timothy. The broadside helped bring the news of independence to South Carolina in 1776.

The document has been loan from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History as part of The Charleston Museum’s America 250 programming.

“There were so many kids who would never have gotten to college if it were not for the nurturing they received at these Black schools.” - Earnestine Holden, on efforts to preserve historic schools that once educated South Carolina’s Black children.

Wilfred Pace, who is helping lead an effort to save Bull Swamp Colored School and Community Center in Orangeburg, describes the school’s history at Central Carolina Community Foundation’s office in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (Photo by Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette)

To save SC’s historic Black schools, nonprofit launches statewide coalition

By Skylar Laird

Recognizing the difficulty many alumni associations face in navigating complicated barriers to saving the state’s historic Black schools, the Central Carolina Community Foundation launched the South Carolina Historic Black Schools Preservation Network.

SC estate with ties to slavery, circus and governors could next become a state preserve| Skylar Laird

This photo shows a power supply cabinet and server racks in a data center. (Stock photo from Getty Images)

Spartanburg data center not subject to public power plant rules, SC regulators rule

By Jessica Holdman

South Carolina utility regulators ruled a Spartanburg data center that wants to generate its own power is not subject to the same regulatory process as power plants.

SC to receive upwards of $247M in Meta settlement over child safety on social media | Jessica Holdman

U.S. Sen. Darline Graham speaks to supporters at her election watch party Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Columbia, South Carolina, after she’s declared the GOP nominee for the next six-year Senate term. (Photo by John A. Carlos II/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)

A by-the-numbers look at Darline Graham’s runoff win

By Seanna Adcox

U.S. Sen. Darline Graham won the GOP nomination for the next six-year Senate term. The younger sister of the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham led in 34 of the state’s 46 counties, covering all but the deeply red northwest corner.

Darline Graham wins GOP nomination for next US Senate term following her brother’s death | Seanna Adcox
No issues reported as DOJ conducts monitoring of GOP Senate runoff in Charleston County | Jessica Holdman

OTHER NEWS FROM THIS WEEK...

Removal of sugary snacks and drinks from SC grocery benefits delayed after court order | Skylar Laird
As $2.7B interchange project advances, federal officials praise SC for clearing up congestion | Skylar Laird
SC legislators approve $350M in earmarks, agree to changes next year | Skylar Laird
31 charged with drug smuggling after SC nightclub investigations | Skylar Laird
USC governing board elects first chairwoman | Jessica Holdman

IN COMMENTARY THIS WEEK...

The wages are crying out: Asking mothers to defy gravity | Jessica Kaneft, director of the Sumter Nonprofit Network
Dolly Parton showed us a different kind of Southern politics | columnist Paul Hyde
What really happens in murder investigations? Here’s a fictional take from my experience in SC. | Trey Gowdy, a former state and federal prosecutor and former congressman for South Carolina's 4th Congressional District
Why rush the NextEra-Dominion merger? Quick legislative action needed. | Frank Knapp Jr, president, CEO and co-founder of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

MORE FROM OUR AFFILIATES...

Canadian tariffs take effect as voters worry about rising prices | Washington, D.C. bureau
As states tighten oversight, private equity’s healthcare deals decline | Stateline
Trump, McMahon promote school voucher program as students return to class | Washington, D.C. bureau

Thanks for reading Gazette Weekly. Did you know our daily morning newsletter is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.