'Human trafficking scheme' involving minor busted; 3 South Carolina men arrested, officials say (2024)

IT’S TIME FOR NEWS TO GO. WE HAVE A LOOK AT TODAY’S TOP NEWS STORIES. TRAFFIC AND WEATHER ALL BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR. WE START WITH FURMAN UNIVERSITY, WHERE THEY FIRED ONE OF THEIR PROFESSORS WHO ATTENDED THE UNITE THE RIGHT RALLY IN 2017. IT COMES AMID A LAWSUIT AFTER YEARS OF CONTROVERSY, AS WELL. JAMYA JAMYA IS JOINING US LIVE WITH THE DETAILS. JAMIA. DESTINY AARON, WE LEARNED LAST NIGHT THAT PROFESSOR CHRIS HEALY IS NO LONGER WITH THE UNIVERSITY. UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS RELEASED A STATEMENT THAT SAYS, AS THIS IS A PERSONAL MATTER AND THE SUBJECT OF ONGOING LITIGATION, FURMAN IS NOT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DETAILS OR COMMENTING FURTHER. THIS COMES YEARS AFTER HEALY, A TENURED COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR, ATTENDED THE UNITE THE RIGHT RALLY IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA. BACK IN 2017. HEALY FILED A CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY IN 2022, SAYING THAT AT THE TIME, HE WAS SUSPENDED WITH PAY WITHOUT NOTICE OR EXPLANATION, ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS. LAST JUNE, HEALY GOT A NOTICE THAT THE UNIVERSITY INTENDED TO TERMINATE HIS EMPLOYMENT. DOCUMENTS. STATE UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS MET BACK IN NOVEMBER TO HEAR HEALY’S CASE, AND THAT THE COMMITTEE ISSUED A WRITTEN DECISION IN JANUARY SAYING THAT THE UNIVERSITY, QUOTE, FAILED TO PRESENT EVIDENCE OF ADEQUATE CAUSE, END QUOTE, TO SUPPORT FIRING HEALY, AND RECOMMENDED NOT LETTING HIM GO. COURT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE UNIVERSITY FIRED HEALY BACK ON APRIL FOURTH, AND THAT UNIVERSITY. UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS HAVE NOT SAID WHETHER OR NOT THEY FIRED HEALY, BASED ON THE FACT THAT HE WENT TO THE UNITE THE RIGHT RALLY. WE REACHED OUT TO HEALY’S ATTORNEY, WHO SAYS HE’S SPEAKING WITH HIS CLIENT ON A STATEMENT IN HEALY’S NEXT HEARING IS SET FOR EARLY AUGUST ON HIS CIVIL LAWSUIT. LIVE IN GREENVILLE, JAMIA JAMYA WYFF NEWS FOUR. JAMIA. THANK YOU. A PORTION OF I-385 IS BACK OPEN THIS MORNING AFTER IT WAS TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOLLOWING A COLLISION BETWEEN AN SUV AND A PEDESTRIAN. GREENVILLE POLICE SAY IT HAPPENED AROUND NINE LAST NIGHT AT THE SECTION OF I-385 LEADING INTO GREENVILLE, NEAR THE STONE AVENUE EXIT. GREENVILLE POLICE SAY THE VICTIM WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CORONER CONFIRMS THEY RESPONDED TO THIS INVESTIGATION. MEANWHILE, IN LAWRENCE COUNTY, THE CORONER HAS IDENTIFIED A PEDESTRIAN KILLED EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING, TROOPERS SAY IT HAPPENED AROUND 2 A.M. ON I-385, NEAR MILE MARKER 12. THEY SAY AN SUV WAS DISABLED ALONG THE INTERSTATE. TROOPERS SAY FOUR PEDESTRIANS WERE IN THE MEDIAN WHEN THE PEDESTRIANS AND A CAR COLLIDED. THE CORONER SAYS 23 YEAR OLD MILAN JETER DIED AT THE SCENE. ONE PEDESTRIAN WAS AIRLIFTED AND ANOTHER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THEY SAY THE DRIVER OF THE CAR WAS NOT INJURED. A SPARTANBURG MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR A 1997 BURGLARY AND RAPE. GREGORY FRY WAS FOUND GUILTY ON SEVERAL CHARGES, AUTHORITIES SAY BACK IN APRIL OF 1997, FRY BROKE INTO AN APARTMENT ON BRYANT ROAD IN SPARTANBURG AND ASSAULTED A WOMAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, A DNA PROFILE WAS CREATED AND FRY WAS IDENTIFIED AS A MATCH. MEANWHILE, NEW NEW DETAILS THIS MORNING ABOUT THE CRIMINAL HISTORY OF ROBERT VOORHEES. HE STANDS ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A WOMAN IN GREENVILLE, GREENVILLE. POLICE SAY VOORHEES LEFT THE WOMAN CRITICALLY INJURED AFTER AN ASSAULT THIS PAST WEEKEND. HE’S FACING SEVERAL CHARGES, INCLUDING CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT AND KIDNAPING. WE REACHED OUT TO THE SOLICITOR’S OFFICE, WHO SAYS HE WAS CHARGED IN A SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE BACK IN 2015, BUT THEY SAY SOME OF THE CHARGES WERE DISMISSED. THAT’S BECAUSE PROSECUTORS SAY THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM. THEN IN 2017, VOORHEES PLEADED GUILTY TO ASSAULT AND BATTERY. IN THE CASE YOU CAN READ MORE ON THE SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATION ON WYFF 4.COM AT 649. SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT IS IN LINE TO BECOME ALL WHITE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS. THE LEGISLATURE ELECTS JUDGES FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT LEVEL TO THE HIGHEST COURT, DESPITE AFRICAN AMERICAN JUDGES QUALIFYING AND BEING IN THE CANDIDATE POOL, THEY FELL SHORT IN NAACP SECOND VICE PRESIDENT JIM FLEMING SAYS HE’S CALLING ON MINORITIES TO WORK TO CHANGE THE SELECTION PROCESS. YES, I MUST SAY TO MY PEOPLE AND BLACK COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THAT COMMUNITY, WE MUST STAND UP AND VOICE OUR OPINION, OUR LIKES AND OUR DISLIKES ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SYSTEM. I SAY AGAIN, WHEN YOU’RE IN A MULTICULTURAL SYSTEM, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE A MULTICULTURAL GOVERNMENT. WHITE FOLKS SHOULDN’T BE THE ONLY REPRESENTATIVE TRYING TO REPRESENT EVERYBODY. WELL, THERE IS NOW ONE AFRICAN AMERICAN JUDGE ON THE STATE COURT OF APPEALS, WHICH IS OFTEN SEEN AS THE STEPPING STONE TO THE SUPREME COURT. THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION FAILED TO PASS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING FEMALE PASTORS ON WEDNESDAY. ABOUT 61% OF DELEGATES AT THE CONVENTION’S ANNUAL MEETING VOTED FOR THE BAN, BUT THAT AMENDMENT NEEDED TWO THIRDS TO BE ADOPTED. THE VOTE IS A REVERSAL OF A PROVISIONAL BAN PASSED LAST YEAR, THE CONVENTION’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OPPOSED THE MEASURE, SAYING THE CHURCH’S STATEMENT OF FAITH ALREADY ESTABLISHES THE EXCLUSIVELY MALE NATURE OF THE PASTORAL ROLE. WELL, RIGHT NOW, A BOIL WATER ADVISORY STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF PENDLETON. IT AFFECTS THOMPSON AND RIVERSIDE STREETS, AS WELL AS HILLSIDE DRIVE, PENDLETON WATER WORKS SAYS A WATER LINE LOST PRESSURE WHILE CREWS WERE WORKING ON IT. OFFICIALS SAY PEOPLE SHOULD BOIL WATER FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE BEFORE DRINKING OR COOKING WITH IT. OKAY, WELL, IT IS A WARM START TO THE DAY. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. HAPPY THURSDAY, 650. WE’LL TAKE YOU LIVE OUT TO HENDERSONVILLE. TALK ABOUT BEAUTIFUL LOVE SEEING THE MOUNTAINS PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AS WE TAKE A LOOK IN HENDERSONVILLE AND THE SAME THING ON LAKE HARTWELL HERE IN THE UPSTATE. LOOK AT THAT THOUGH. A VERY NICE START TO THE DAY, BUT VERY WARM, VERY MUGGY. THAT IS GOING TO BE THE FORECAST FOR THIS MORNING. JUST HOT AND HUMID HEADING INTO THIS AFTERNOON AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TEMPERATURES. 89 DEGREES IS WHERE WE ARE GOING TO END UP. FOR MANY OF US ACROSS THE UPSTATE TODAY, A COUPLE COULD HIT 90, BUT I THINK THERE’S A BETTER CHANCES OF THAT TOMORROW. AND CERTAINLY BY SATURDAY. WE’RE ALSO LOOKING AT MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS. COUPLE STRAY SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS AS WE GET INTO THE MID 80S TODAY, BUT AGAIN, MOST STAY DRY. WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT WHEN AND IF THIS HOT, DRY WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES. THE LATEST ON THAT WITH YOUR FOUR DAY PLUS COMING UP IN 6 OR 7 MINUTES FROM RIGHT NOW. RIGHT, RIGHT NOW. LET’S GET YOU OUTSIDE. GET A CHECK ON THOSE ROADS. HOW’S IT LOOKING, ERIN PARELLA? WE’RE STILL FOLLOWING THAT SLOWDOWN ON I-85 NEAR HIGHWAY 14 IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY. WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE 6:00 HOUR. AND NOW AS MORE PEOPLE HIT THE ROAD, IT’S GETTING EVEN SLOWER. WE’RE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS. BUT AGAIN, IF YOU’RE TAKING ID FIVE SOUTHBOUND RIGHT NOW, I RECOMMEND LEAVING 510 OR SO MINUTES EARLY. WE’LL LET YOU KNOW IF THAT CHANGES AND TRAVEL TIMES REFLECT THAT TO 85. SOUTHBOUND AIRPORT TO WOODRUFF ROAD. IT’S IN THE YELLOW RIGHT NOW. IT’S GONE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN YELLOW AND RED OVER THE PAST FEW MINUTES. RIGHT NOW AT TEN MINUTES. THE OTHER TWO LOOK GREAT THOUGH. I-240 NASHVILLE HIGHWAY 12 MINUTES. FAIRVIEW ROAD TO DOWNTOWN ON 385 NORTHBOUND 13 MINUTES AS WELL. SHE’S BEEN NICKNAMED THE QUEEN OF BROADWAY AND NOW SHE’S COMING TO GREENVILLE AS PART OF HER LATEST TOUR. IDINA MENZEL IS A TONY AWARD WINNING SINGER, ACTRESS, SONGWRITER, BROADWAY STAR AND PHILANTHROPIST. YOU MAY KNOW HER AS ELPHABA FROM WICKED, OR THE VOICE OF ELSA FROM FROZEN. SHE SAYS. THE TITLE OF THIS TOUR IS A THROWBACK TO HER FIRST PROFESSIONAL JOB AS MAUREEN IN THE MUSICAL RENT. IT’S CALLED THE TAKE ME OR LEAVE ME TOUR. I LOVE THE TITLE BECAUSE IT JUST IT SORT OF SAYS WHAT I WANT. THIS PERFORMANCE TO BE. IT’S A WAY OF REALLY REVEALING MYSELF, EXPOSING MYSELF FOR SCARS AND ALL JUST TAKING YOU THROUGH MY LIFE AND THE SONGS THAT HAVE ACCOMPANIED THEM AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING VULNERABLE AND TRUTHFUL, YOU CAN SEE IDINA MENZEL ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7TH AT 730 AT THE PEACE CENTER. TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW. YOU CAN VISI