The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating a case of what Kershaw County Treasurer Steve Vincent called “a significant amount” of money missing from the county treasurer’s office.

Employees first noticed a discrepancy with a check May 24. The sheriff’s office, notified June 10 after an internal investigation by the treasurer’s office, turned the matter over to SLED the same day.

SLED spokeswoman Kathryn Richardson said the agency started its investigation this month. She would not comment on the case, which is still under investigation.

No arrests have been made, Vincent said, but added that he expected an arrest, “probably within the next week or two weeks.”

• High court reprimands West Columbia lawyer

The state Supreme Court Monday publicly reprimanded a West Columbia lawyer for failing to prepare a family court order and not responding to an official complaint about the matter.

The justices said although the failure by William Rast to prepare the order ordinarily would be considered minor misconduct, a public reprimand was necessary in part because of his “significant disciplinary history.” Rast received a private reprimand in 1977 and two public reprimands in 1990 and 1999 for various ethical violations, the court said.

The justices said the latest reprimand also was warranted because Rast didn’t meet a deadline to respond to a complaint by the state Office of Disciplinary Counsel about his failure to prepare the family court order.

Efforts to reach Rast on Monday were unsuccessful.

• Off-duty officer killed in motorcycle crash

CHARLESTON — A police officer here has died after he crashed riding his motorcycle in the early morning hours, and the state Highway Patrol is looking for a driver they say caused the accident.

Charleston City Police Sgt. Scott Holmes was off duty when he crashed Saturday about 1:40 a.m. He swerved to the left and fell with his motorcycle, Highway Patrol spokesman Lance Cpl. Paul Brouthers said. Holmes, who was not wearing a helmet, died Saturday afternoon.

Troopers said the car that pulled out in front of Holmes was silver and might have been a Cadillac.

Anyone with information about a car matching that description in the area during that time should contact the South Carolina Highway Patrol at (843) 953-6005.

• New grant to assist black colleges

HILTON HEAD ISLAND — U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced a new $1 million grant to help historically black colleges.

Paige, who addressed a seminar of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education on Sunday night, said the federal grant will help the colleges enhance operations, better train senior executives and improve institutional governance.

Paige said President Bush is a strong supporter of the financial development of historically black colleges and universities.

“Education is one of the president’s most powerful domestic issues,” he said.

Paige said more minority teachers are desperately needed. Only 10 percent of the nation’s 3 million teachers are from minority communities, he said. That is unacceptable, he said, considering that more than 40 percent of students are from minority communities.

• USC teams up with Charleston school

USC and the Lowcountry Graduate Center in Charleston have formed a partnership to offer graduate courses in electrical engineering.

USC faculty members will teach at the center.

A 2002 Needs Assessment conducted by MGT of America for the Lowcountry Graduate Center identified electrical engineering as the top graduate study priority by employers and potential students.

To pursue this program, the graduate center, which comprises the College of Charleston, The Citadel and the Medical University of South Carolina, received an appropriation of $465,000 for the 2004-05 year from the Legislature.

The Lowcountry Graduate Center, formed in 2001, is a collaborative effort to enhance graduate opportunities in the Lowcountry. It is located on International Boulevard near the Charleston International Airport.

In spring 2004, 150 graduate students were enrolled in courses at the center.

• White House adviser to speak at USC

Kathie L. Olsen, associate director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, will speak at the University of South Carolina commencement exercises at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 7 in the Colonial Center.

Commencement for doctoral candidates will be at 8:30 a.m. at the Koger Center. USC Provost Jerry Odom will speak.

Olsen joined the Office of Science and Technology Policy in 2002 after working at NASA, where she was chief scientist and the senior-ranking woman for the agency since 1999. As associate director of the OSTP, Olsen oversees national science and education policy.

From Staff and Wire Reports