Criminal Defense Attorney inGreenville, SC

The president has chosen a Greenville-based attorney to fill a vacancy in South Carolina's federal district court.

Sheria Clarke, a partner at the Nelson Mullins firm in Greenville, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy left by former U.S. District Judge Bryan Harwell. According to Bloomberg Law, Clarke is the first Black woman to be nominated to the federal court bench by the president since he took office for a second term.

Both senators from South Carolina applauded the president's decision to nominate Clarke. Sen. Tim Scott said in a post on X he is thrilled for Clarke's nomination to the U.S. District Court.

"Her career reflects integrity, excellence, and a deep commitment to the Constitution," Scott wrote. "South Carolina will be well served."

Sen. Lindsey Graham also issued a statement on Trump's nomination, stating Clarke is one of the most qualified candidates he's ever seen.

"Sheria is academically gifted and has the depth of knowledge and real-world experience to be exceptional in this role," Graham said. "She has the right demeanor to be a fair judge."

Clarke joined the litigation team at Nelson Mullins in Greenville in July 2024. According to a press release from the law firm at the time, Clarke had previously worked at the firm but left to serve three years with the U.S. Department of Justice, where she was an assistant U.S. attorney.

She has also worked as counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives' Ethics Committee and was the staff director for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Clarke must be confirmed by a majority vote in the U.S. Senate.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump commended Clarke's experience and stated that she has a "strong record of success."

"The Great People of South Carolina can trust Sheria to protect the integrity of our Legal System, and defend our Constitution at all costs," Trump wrote.

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at [email protected]

Greenville, SC – Residents across Greenville and surrounding areas are facing another round of freezing temperatures as a cold air mass settles over the Upstate Saturday night into early Sunday morning.

According to the National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg, overnight lows are expected to fall into the mid-20s across much of the city, with the coldest temperatures occurring between midnight and 8 a.m. Sunday. Forecasters say this could be one of the coldest nights the region sees until next winter.

The cold snap follows a chilly start to Saturday and comes with potential impacts for early-morning travelers, especially on bridges and elevated roadways where black ice can form. Drivers heading out late Saturday night or early Sunday are urged to use caution and allow extra time.

Weather officials note that while temperatures will remain below freezing for several hours overnight, a warming trend is expected to begin early next week. After Monday night into Tuesday morning, most locations in the Upstate are not expected to drop below 32 degrees again until at least late next week.

Saturday’s daytime highs are forecast to remain cool, but sunshine should help moderate conditions before temperatures fall rapidly again after sunset. Residents are advised to protect pets, plants, and exposed pipes from freezing conditions overnight.

Sunday afternoon is expected to be milder, with temperatures rebounding into more seasonable levels. The National Weather Service says no winter precipitation is expected with this system, but lingering cold early Sunday could still create localized travel issues.

Forecast updates will continue to be monitored as conditions develop overnight.

This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.Follow us on Instagram & Facebook for more relevant news stories and SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS! Have a tip? Message us!

ANDERSON — This summer’s “Rock The County” multiday concert, part of a nationwide MAGA-friendly series headed by country-rock music star Kid Rock, has been canceled as high-profile artists once part of the tour have dropped out — with at least one citing political division.

Anderson County, which stood to benefit financially from the event’s multimillion-dollar economic impact, was informed the night of Feb. 5 that the two-day concert had been canceled, Administrator Rusty Burns told The Post and Courier Feb. 6.

The county wasn’t given an explicit reason why, Burns said, though he said he was aware of online chatter about artists dropping out of the politically charged festival. He declined to elaborate and instead said the county is focused on securing artists for concerts in April.

One major act that was booked to perform as part of the eight-date series — Shinedown, a rock band of particular early 2000s fame — announced online Feb. 6 that they were dropping out to avoid “further division.”

“SHINEDOWN is everyone’s band,” the group posted on their X profile. “We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song. We have one BOSS, and it is everyone in the audience. Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide.”

“With that in mind,” the post continued, “we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock The Country Festival. We know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.”

The band’s departure follows three other artists who last month dropped from the festival lineup without explicitly stating why though they faced online backlash for their participation: country musicians Morgan Wade and Carter Faith, and Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris.

Likewise, early 2000s Christian-inspired rock band Creed — which along with Ludacris was to be a premier headliner in Anderson — has been quietly removed from the event’s website as of Feb. 6.

The website also removed the stop in Anderson, leaving only Bellville, Texas; Bloomingdale, Ga.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Ashland, Ky.; Hastings, Mich.; Ocala, Fla.; and Hamburg, N.Y.

The festival features dozens of artists who appear in select cities, and a host of popular artists remain listed, including Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, and Brooks and Dunn.

The two-day Upstate event was to be held July 25-26 at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center and was billed as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

In its first year in 2024, “Rock The Country” drew about 25,000 people and generated about $17 million for the state, Anderson County reported.

“Rock The Country” was primarily founded by Kid Rock (real name Robert James Ritchie), and while it wasn’t overtly billed as a political event, it served as a counter-cultural haven for MAGA-leaning ideology, with outspoken criticism of former President Joe Biden and progressive political policies.

Kid Rock campaigned for President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election, has visited the White House in flamboyant patriotic regalia, and to kick off a 2022 concert tour had the president introduce him via a pre-recorded video.

On Feb. 8, Kid Rock will headline a televised concert — sponsored by the late Charlie Kirk’s conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA — during halftime of the Super Bowl to serve as a counter-performance to the game’s halftime performer, Bad Bunny.

The Puerto Rico-born artist — real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio and credited with bringing Latin rap to international fame — first drew the consternation of MAGA voices last October, when during hosting “Saturday Night Live” he spoke in Spanish and told the audience that if they didn’t understand what he was saying, they “had four months to learn.”

The latest kindling came Feb. 1, when during his acceptance speech the Grammy Awards he denounced recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns.

Anderson County will take an economic hit from the cancellation, Burns said, but the county hopes to recoup that with future shows. He said the past two “Rock The Country” events proved the county can successfully host large concert events.

“It happens in the business,” Burns said. “We had a good two-year run.”

Greenville's premier art festival kicked off early with great fashion, professional creatives in attendance, and an exclusive reveal of the next class of participants for the upcoming 22nd annual Artisphere, presented by Prisma Health.

On Feb. 5, a "First Look" event at Zen Greenville served as the opening party and formal announcement of the 140 total artists participating in the Mother's Day weekend event taking place May 8 - 10 along downtown's Main Street.

The 2026 edition of Artisphere will feature creatives from 34 states, including 47 first-time contributors, spanning 17 mixed-media genres, including digital, metalwork, painting, drawing, and more.

"Our 2026 lineup brings a vibrant combination of outstanding craftsmanship and creative energy that promises to make the festival weekend unforgettable," said Kerry Murphy, CEO and president of Artisphere.

"Connecting people with great art and the artists who create it has always been at the heart of Artisphere, and that remains true this year," she added.

According to Murphy, the applicant pool reached its second-highest total in history (1,061), with one in eight artists handpicked for this year's outdoor arts celebration in downtown Greenville.

"It's one of the most competitive shows in the country," she added.

Here is more about the upcoming springtime festival, known as Artisphere:

Which South Carolina artists will participate in Artisphere 2026?

In an event that attracted around 80,000 patrons last year, the three-day art exhibition in 2026 is expected to be even larger.

According to a recent Artisphere impact history report, in 2025, the event generated more than $16 million in local economic impact and reinvested approximately $100,000 in the local community.

Over the past two years, Artisphere has been nominated for USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Contest and has been nominated again for the reader-voted list in 2026.

"This is one of the best events in the country and festivals for art," said Joseph Bradley of Joseph Bradley Studio, who has been an Artisphere contributor since 2021, and also attended the Feb. 5 "First Look" event.

"A lot of us like to come to show our support, to get a glimpse of the upcoming artists as well... and Artisphere being in my own hometown, it's just a privilege to be a part of it all," he added.

A fellow West Greenville-based artist shared a similar sentiment during the inaugural artist reveal event.

"It's important to meet the local artists to see what's happening," said Darin Gehrke of Darin R. Gehrke Ceramics, who has also contributed to Artisphere for the past five years.

"There's always great new artwork they unveil and new artists that join the show, I like supporting the arts here," he added.

Both Bradley and Gehrke will also participate as two of 140 individuals on "Artist Row" who are based out of Greenville; more South Carolina-based artists confirmed for 2026 Artisphere are:

To explore all of the 140 artists of Artisphere 2026, visit: www.artisphere.org/artist-row and www.artisphere.com

– A.J. Jackson covers business, the food & dining scene, and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at [email protected], and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. .

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - On Jan. 30, the Department of Justice published millions of new pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Records linking Jeffrey Epstein to Greenville, South Carolina come up dozens of times in the newly released documents.

FOX Carolina Investigates combed through hundreds of pages with references to South Carolina. Emails show the U.S. Attorneys Office referred some possible Epstein victims to the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network.

We don’t know specifically why all of the documents with Greenville mentions are part of the file, but the DOJ said the records were collected from sources including: Florida and New York cases against Epstein, the New York case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the New York cases investigating Epstein’s death, the Florida case investigating a former butler of Epstein, multiple FBI investigations, and the Office of Inspector General investigation into Epstein’s death.

This is a developing story, but here is a breakdown of what we do know so far.

JET MAINTENANCE

Records in the Epstein Files show maintenance was performed on Epstein’s Gulfstream IV jet by a company headquartered in Greenville. The company owns service centers in multiple states.

In March 2019, just a few months before Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking minors, a pilot emailed the billionaire with a quote from the Greenville-based company to install upgrades and perform inspections on the Gulfstream jet. The email about the maintenance quote says “$358k is total for CPDLC and 36 month inspection.”

In 2021, two years after Epstein’s death, an accounting manager for the Greenville company filed a claim stating they were still owed $2,233.20 for work on the jet.

Epstein reportedly used the Gulfstream to fly between his homes in Palm Beach, New York, Paris and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

HELICOPTER AND YACHTS

In August 2016, Epstein’s accountant forwarded him an email with an invoice from a merchant bank headquartered in Greenville for use of a helicopter.

An invoice from the Greenville company said the cost for 1.80 flight hours and other fees was $13,719.64.

An executive for a yacht company based in Greenville emailed Epstein’s accountant in November 2017 about replacing the roofs on multiple boats damaged during a hurricane.

The email says in part:

Epstein’s attorney forwarded the email to him with the message: “please advise on roof color.”

PERSONAL CONTACT

In May 2009, Epstein exchanged emails with a contact who identified herself as a resident of Greenville, South Carolina and was purportedly connected to the modeling and beauty pageant industries.

Below are excerpts of the reply to [email protected], which we have redacted to remove identifying information–

Although the correspondence was included in the initial batch of Epstein Files uploaded on Jan. 30, the document appears to have since been pulled from the Department of Justice’s searchable website as of Feb. 6.

WHY THE EPSTEIN FILES MATTER TO GREENVILLE

In an unrelated newsletter issued on Tuesday, The Julie Valentine Center, a local nonprofit that helps survivors of sexual assault, said the Epstein Files and the discourse surrounding them are important to the Greenville community.

FOX Carolina spoke with Julie Valentine Center CEO Shauna Galloway-Williams about why.

“There is a lot of attention being paid to the Epstein files and the release of the Epstein files,” Galloway-Williams said. “You can’t turn on the news or look at social media without being bombarded with messages about that. And it’s important not only to our country, it’s literally important to Greenville, South Carolina. Survivors here in Greenville are seeing those messages just like everyone else is.”

Galloway-Williams says the way survivors are treated when allegations like those in the Epstein files become part of the national conversation is important.

“One of the important takeaways from the Epstein files is that survivors deserve to be believed, no matter who’s involved. No matter whether the person that’s being accused of this is someone in a position of power,” she said. “It takes incredible courage for survivors to come forward and speak about their experiences. When they have the courage to do that, we need to have the courage to believe them.”

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with FOX Carolina. For more free content like this, .