“It doesn’t look like I’m going to get better,” the Greer Republican said Wednesday. “I thought it was my duty to resign so somebody could get out and get around” to represent the district.

Smith, 81, had gall bladder surgery last year and has struggled to fully recover.

Smith was the second-oldest member of the Senate. He had held his seat since 1973 and ranked second in Senate seniority.

After the 2000 elections, the Senate was evenly split with 23 Democrats and 23 Republicans. Smith, with the urging of President Bush, bolted from the Democratic Party and gave Republicans control of the Senate and the Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction.

The election to fill the balance of Smith’s term will likely take place Nov. 7 during the general election.

• Staph infection prompts jail inspection

A federal judge has ordered a doctor to inspect the Greenville County jail after a staph infection caused more than 30 prisoners and officers to develop sores.

The order was issued at the request of two lawyers who are investigating conditions at the jail. The attorneys expect the doctor’s report soon.

GRANITEVILLE

• Avondale Mills workers can get benefits

Avondale Mills employees affected by the company’s plant closings in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina can qualify for federal benefits, the U.S Department of Labor announced Wednesday.

The benefits include retraining, partial wage replacement, possible wage subsidies for workers older than 50 and health insurance premium credits up to 65 percent, according to the statement. The states will determine the benefits for which workers are qualified.

The benefits are a result of the company qualifying for Trade Adjustment Certification.

More than 1,500 workers may qualify for the benefits in South Carolina, according to the state’s congressional delegation.

The Monroe, Ga.-based textile manufacturer announced its closing plan in May, attributing the decision to increased foreign competition and a train wreck more than a year ago outside its Graniteville, plant that killed nine people.

• CHARLESTONNew radar to monitor waters off coast

A new radar program scanning the ocean off South Carolina’s Lowcountry could help find lost boaters, predict rip currents and help pinpoint forecasts for wave heights and storm surge during hurricanes.

An array of antennas has been placed on the beach at remote Pritchards Island near Beaufort. They beam high frequency signals out to the continental shelf more than 130 miles offshore, covering the coast from Savannah to Charleston.

The system is the second in the Southeast and first in South Carolina. It cost $180,000 and was paid for by a federal Naval Research office grant.

Contributing: The Associated Press