Nikki Gaskins Campbell

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCIV) -- It's an alarming statistic. One out of every eight Americans suffers from some type of drug or alcohol addiction.{}A little known organization tucked away in Berkeley County is doing its part to help lower that number.
"I struggled with drugs and alcohol for about 15 to 16 years, and I found myself in jail, broken," said Neil Raney.
Raney came to Changed Lives Ministries in Moncks Corner in 2007. Five years later, Raney says he is a new man, serving as a mentor f...

South Carolina is one of the most visited states in the United States, attracting millions of tourists to the area every year. For locals, this comes as no surprise. After all, the Palmetto State is home to beautiful beaches, golf courses, breathtaking mountains, rich history and, most importantly, delicious cuisine.

From classic southern comfort food to fresh seafood and barbecue, there’s no shortage of tasty dishes to try in South Carolina.

The state’s food has been heavenly influenced by a...

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – Delores Whack, 67, is on a mission to prove that it’s never too late to reach your goals. For her, that dream was to obtain a college degree for the very first time. She did just that last month, earning a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. She graduated with a 3.5 average.
“At my Dec. 12 graduation, when I heard my name called, I was so emotional, but I kept smiling. I still go back and observe it [the ceremony] online ev...

FLORIDA — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Friday that now starts the process of wiping out Disney's 55-year-old government structure, the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
During a news conference, he said no company, including Disney, should be given preferential treatment.
"We really need to get away from this type of treatment that was really unlike what we've ever seen," DeSantis said during a news conference.
In 1967 the Florida State legislature, working with Walt Disney World C...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN—An independent autopsy conducted by doctors hired by the legal team representing George Floyd's family found he died from asphyxia due to sustained forceful pressure. Attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci, who represent Floyd's family, announced the findings of the second autopsy Monday afternoon.
According to Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, sustained pressure on the right side of Floyd’s carotid artery impeded blood flow to the brain, and weight on his...

Saying goodbye to a year we'd like to forget doesn't have to be boring. Here's how to celebrate New Year's safely in the United States.
ACROSS AMERICA — The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed how we celebrate special occasions in this country. From birthdays to holidays, we’ve all had to adapt to a “new normal.” As 2020 comes to close, ringing in the new year will be no different.
Unfortunately, as we get ready to celebrate 2021, the spread of the coronavirus is surging in the Unit...

MONROVIA, CA — The "holy grail" of vintage tech will be auctioned off Tuesday in Monrovia, and the highest bidder can expect to pay a pretty penny for it.
Why? Because this isn't your average, run-of-the-mill electronic. Nope! This gadget is pretty special. You might say it even helped pave the way for how our world now functions in the digital era.
John Moran Auctioneer will auction off a 45-year-old, original Apple-1 computer hand built by Apple founders Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs and severa...

JC La Verde was seriously injured in an alligator attack while swimming in Lake Thonotosassa on Aug. 3. The attack was captured on video.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — A Florida man is recovering from serious injuries sustained in a recent alligator attack.
JC La Verde of Tampa suffered bite severe wounds to his head, face and chest while shooting an instructional video in Lake Thonotosassa on Aug. 3 for his company, DefeatX, according to his family.
"All I felt was scales, teeth and then right t...

Despite facing criminal charges and a trial in September, Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby officially launched her re-election campaign.
BALTIMORE, MD — Despite facing criminal charges and a trial in September, Baltimore's top prosecutor officially launched her re-election campaign Tuesday.
After vanishing from social media for several months, Marilyn Mosby returned to announce plans to seek a third term as Baltimore city state's attorney.
"Over the past few years, we have seen both good an...

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Disney has "crossed the line" as several groups file a lawsuit to challenge the "Don't Say Gay" law aimed at schools.
ORLANDO, FL — After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1557 — commonly called the "Don't Say Gay" bill — into law Monday, Walt Disney Co. wasted no time issuing its strongest response yet opposing it.
According to the entertainment company, the bill should have never passed, and Disney now vows to help repeal it.
The controversial Parental Rights in Edu...

Florida deputies said the toddler told them that Amber Chapman, 35, put him in a dryer, closed the door, and he "went round and round."
LAKE COUNTY, FL — A Florida woman is accused of putting a 4-year-old toddler in a dryer filled with towels, closing the door and turning on the machine.
Amber Christine Chapman, 35, of Eustis has been charged with felony aggravated child abuse.
Deputies said Chapman babysat for the toddler often while his parents worked.
According to an arrest affidavit, on F...

In an email to Patch, Maryland's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that David Riston, 49, died of "snake envenomation."
MARYLAND — Maryland's top medical examiner officially confirmed Wednesday the cause of death of a man found dead inside his home earlier this year with more than 100 snakes.
In an email to Patch, Maryland's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said that David Riston, 49, died of "snake envenomation," which is the exposure to a poison or toxin resulting from a bi...

Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday signed a law that allows Georgians to carry handguns without a license.
ATLANTA, GA — Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday afternoon signed a law that allows Georgians to carry handguns without a license.
Senate Bill 319, commonly called the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act, became law in a signing ceremony held at Gable's Sporting Goods in Douglasville. Kemp said he chose that location because it was where he bought one of his daughter's first handguns.
Supporters, including...

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – At 83-years-old, not a whole lot surprises Rudolph “Hoot” Gibson of Moncks Corner. However, that all changed when he took a simple at-home DNA test last year from 23andMe and got the shock of a lifetime: he had a 56-year-old biological son named Zane Stokes living in Maryland.
“I can’t explain the feeling that I had, but it was absolutely the thing that came into my life that I never expected,” Gibson, a U.S. Navy veteran and retired trooper with the South Carolina Hig...

David Bennett died two months after receiving the first pig heart transplant. The hospital confirms the heart had a porcine virus.
BALTIMORE, MD — The genetically modified heart transplanted into a Maryland man earlier this year was infected with a porcine virus, the University of Maryland Medical Center confirmed to Patch.
As a result, transplant specialists said it may have played a contributing factor in the death of David Bennett, the patient who received the world's first pig heart trans...