![Craig Stivender, a Republican candidate for Colleton County sheriff in South Carolina, released a photo of himself in blackface in a recent campaign video. He says he was dressed as Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the Black Mafia family. "[If] I'm going to run on honesty and integrity, I'm willing to put out things bad about me," he said.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/323271a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/346x461+174+0/resize/300x400!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2019%2F10%2F10%2Fsheriff-composite_custom-28829e4472c7bf28113c73ecface77934ce26d8d.jpg)
Victoria Hansen
Victoria Hansen is our Lowcountry connection covering the Charleston community, a city she knows well. She grew up in newspaper newsrooms and has worked as a broadcast journalist for more than 20 years. Her first reporting job brought her to Charleston where she covered local and national stories like the Susan Smith murder trial and the arrival of the Citadel’s first female cadet.
An opportunity to anchor the news for an ABC affiliate took her to Nashville, Tennessee. But summer vacations were always spent in Charleston. She moved back in 2006 to the city she calls home to anchor and report again at the tv station where she began.
Victoria has volunteered and served as a spokesperson for numerous nonprofits. She has been honored with multiple Emmys as well as a Community Service Award from the South Carolina Broadcasters Association. It is her passion for community service that brings her to South Carolina Public Radio.
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![Craig Stivender, a Republican candidate for Colleton County sheriff in South Carolina, released a photo of himself in blackface in a recent campaign video. He says he was dressed as Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the Black Mafia family. "[If] I'm going to run on honesty and integrity, I'm willing to put out things bad about me," he said.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7f6d51f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/693x386+0+37/resize/280x156!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2019%2F10%2F10%2Fsheriff-composite_custom-28829e4472c7bf28113c73ecface77934ce26d8d.jpg)
In a political ad, Craig Stivender, a Republican candidate for sheriff in Colleton County, S.C., says he wanted to share his past mistakes before opponents tried to use them to disparage him. -
A chemical in common paint removal products is implicated in more than 50 deaths. Even though a federal ban has been delayed, some major retailers are voluntarily taking the products off shelves. -
Dylann Roof was able to buy a gun two months before the Charleston church massacre because of a background check error. A new plan by the FBI aims to fix what critics call the "Charleston Loophole." -
A white former South Carolina police officer received a 20-year prison sentence for the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Michael Slager shot Walter Scott from behind after he fled during a traffic stop.
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Michael Slager, a white former police officer filmed shooting a fleeing black suspect, returns to a courtroom in South Carolina on Monday for sentencing. He pleaded to reduced federal charges.
![Craig Stivender, a Republican candidate for Colleton County sheriff in South Carolina, released a photo of himself in blackface in a recent campaign video. He says he was dressed as Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the Black Mafia family. "[If] I'm going to run on honesty and integrity, I'm willing to put out things bad about me," he said.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/906ff21/2147483647/strip/true/crop/693x386+0+37/resize/560x312!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2019%2F10%2F10%2Fsheriff-composite_custom-28829e4472c7bf28113c73ecface77934ce26d8d.jpg)
