Jerry McWee glanced at the witnesses to his execution for only a moment — just long enough to blow two kisses to his mother.

Then he gazed back up at the ceiling Friday and mumbled as he was put to death for killing an Aiken County convenience store clerk in July 1991.

Authorities say McWee, 51, was looking for money for drugs when he took John Perry to the back of the country store and shot him twice in the head before stealing $350 from the cash register.

In his final statement read by his lawyer, McWee asked both his own family and Perry’s family to forgive him.

McWee is the 30th inmate put to death in South Carolina since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

• Panthers’ Davis named fitness ambassador

Just months after his strong legs helped propel the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl, running back Stephen Davis faces an even more daunting challenge — whipping South Carolina’s residents into shape.

Gov. Mark Sanford named Davis his ambassador of physical fitness on Friday. With the state ranking in the top 10 in the incidences of stroke, diabetes and heart disease, Sanford looked for somebody to drive home the need to get in better shape.

Davis, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, was an easy choice. He grew up in Spartanburg, spends his off-season in Columbia and was willing to volunteer his time to encourage people to live healthier. Davis, 30, plans to join Sanford on the Midlands section of his cross-state bike ride May 15.

Sanford said Davis should be particularly effective in preaching the message of exercise to children who look up to professional athletes. Several classes of third-graders from Crestview Elementary School in Greer, who happened to be on a field trip to the State House, crowded around Davis after the news conference announcing his new role.

• Counties to receive anti-terrorism funds

Richland County is expected to receive more than $640,000 in federal grant money for homeland security, state officials said Friday.

Much of the $35.1 million the state received will go toward preventing and responding to incidents of terrorism. State officials also plan to use it for new initiatives such as intelligence gathering and analysis, agro-terrorism and cyberterrorism issues.

About $10 million will go to county governments.

Lexington County will receive more than $452,000, and Kershaw County will get about $154,000, officials said.

• Eastover candidate protests ballots

Geraldene Robinson, an unsuccessful candidate for Eastover mayor, is protesting absentee ballots cast in Tuesday’s election.

The town’s election commission met Friday, with chairwoman Ella Suber saying officials were following state law in rejecting Robinson’s challenge of 22 of 58 absentee ballots. Suber said the objection should have been made before the absentee ballots were opened and recorded.

Robinson said later she plans to take the dispute to court.

Regardless, the absentee ballots would not change the outcome. The final count was 204 for incumbent Chris Campbell and 150 for Robinson.

More than 50 people attended the hourlong meeting, where Robinson was allowed to review the voter sign-in book.

• Pine Grove is latest Smart Matters school

Pine Grove Elementary has been named the newest Smart Matters school by the Junior League of Columbia.

As a Smart Matters school, Pine Grove will have monthly meetings where parents and their preschool age children will join teachers and League members for a meal, a parenting program and children’s activities. Students also can borrow books and educational toys from the league’s lending library.

The goal is to prepare children ages 0-6 for school and to educate and involve parents in their child’s school readiness.

From Staff and Wire Reports