Spartanburg, South Carolina

A delegation of Spartanburg County, South Carolina officials traveled to Loudoun County, Virginia — home to the nation's highest concentration of data centers — to study how that region regulates the industry. The group, which included County Council members Monier Abusaft and Paul Abbott, County Administrator Cole Alverson, assistant administrator Kevin Stiens, Planning Director Todd Okolichany and OneSpartanburg representatives, toured facilities and met with local supervisors, economic development officials, an Amazon data center representative and a state delegate between October 4 and 6.

Loudoun County currently has 233 data center buildings completed or under construction, totaling 56.5 million square feet. Discussions covered land use, water and energy demands, noise, air quality and community impact. Abbott said local officials did not "sugarcoat" residents' concerns and emphasized the importance of proper siting near neighborhoods.

The trip comes as Spartanburg County faces criticism over tax incentives used to attract the NorthMark and Valara data center project, which includes a 457-megawatt natural gas power plant near residential areas, raising concerns about emissions and health effects.

Authorities in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, have charged 35-year-old Taylor Gosnell with two counts of attempted murder after her two young children, ages 3 and 6, were found with roughly 50 combined stab wounds, some down to the bone. Deputies were called to the family's home on Bud Arthur Bridge Road on Sept. 26 after the children's grandmother said the six-year-old called saying his mother was not home and the siblings were hungry. The grandmother and a family friend went to the house, found the children with severe injuries, and called 911.

Investigators said the children were attacked overnight with a kitchen knife and a blunt object, and the home was found in disarray. Gosnell returned while deputies were on scene, was taken for a mental health evaluation after attempting to flee, and later requested an attorney when questioned. She faces additional weapons charges and is being held without bond. Both children remain hospitalized and are in protective custody.

A Spartanburg County, South Carolina, woman is facing two counts of attempted murder after deputies said she stabbed her two young children more than 50 times combined. Deputies responded to a home on Bud Arthur Drive on a Saturday afternoon and found a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old severely injured and covered in blood; officials said some wounds were deep enough to cut to the bone. The 6-year-old's injuries were especially severe, with officials warning he could face amputation of fingers or an arm.

Authorities said the children's mother, 35-year-old Taylor Gosnell, carried out the attack early that morning before the children were found alone after the 6-year-old called his grandmother saying he was hungry. Gosnell was later taken for a mental health evaluation and attempted to flee before being handcuffed. She was denied bond and also faces pending child endangerment charges from 2024. Both children are hospitalized in stable condition and expected to recover.

Spartanburg County Council approved an amended 12-month moratorium on new data centers on Sept. 25, softening an earlier blanket ban proposed after citizen backlash over a potential project on Jones Road and the existing NorthMark data center. The amended version carved out exemptions for former industrial sites and industrial parks, and excluded data centers under 65 megawatts.

After the meeting adjourned and attendees left, council reportedly reconvened to "reconsider" elements of the ordinance without public notice. The next day, the county posted a summary on Facebook reflecting a more restrictive version than what had actually passed, which a county spokeswoman attributed to a "scrivener's error," saying council would formally re-adopt the online version in October. A veteran press attorney called the reconvening an illegal meeting requiring advance notice, arguing the original vote remains legally in effect. Council members largely declined to comment, and a local resident who witnessed the meeting's end said any second gathering would have happened within minutes of adjournment.

A police officer with the Pacolet Police Department in South Carolina has been arrested on multiple charges, including prostitution, a crime against a federally chartered financial institution, and obstruction of justice. Fredrick Trent Payne, 43, was taken into custody after the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division determined he paid $203 via debit card for sexual acts at a Spartanburg massage parlor in early May 2026.

Investigators also found Payne filed a false fraud claim with his credit union days later, claiming unauthorized use of funds he had in fact spent himself, resulting in an account overdraft. He is further accused of making false statements to state investigators later that month. Payne was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center. He previously worked for the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, which fired him in 2024, before joining the Pacolet department. The South Carolina Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case.

South Carolina Republicans returned to the polls Tuesday to pick a nominee for the Senate seat long held by the late Lindsey Graham, who died in July after winning renomination in June. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to fill her brother's term and backed by President Trump and Sen. Tim Scott, faced Rep. Ralph Norman in a runoff after neither cleared a majority in the Aug. 11 primary; third-place finisher Rep. Russell Fry endorsed Graham. The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews in the fall.

In Georgia's 13th Congressional District near Atlanta, Democrats Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, daughter of late Rep. David Scott, competed in a runoff to serve the remainder of Scott's term after topping a five-candidate field in July. Neither is seeking the full term beginning in 2027; that contest will pit Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark against Republican Jonathan Chavez in November. Both races drew attention as tests of turnout and party strength ahead of the 2026 midterms, now 70 days off.