CAROLYN. NIGEL, UP NEXT, WYFF NEWS FOUR AT SIX STARTS RIGHT NOW. DECIDING THE FUTURE OF LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY I’M NATE STANLEY ON CAMPUS AS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DECIDES WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE COLLEGE TO BRING IMPACT. AND PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THE TRICKLE EFFECT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE ON THIS COMMUNITY. AS CHEROKEE COUNTY WAITS FOR A FINAL DECISION FROM LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY, THE COMMUNITY IS DISCUSSING THE IMPACT IT HAS ON THEIR ECONOMY. WE FOUND OVER 50G OF COCAINE. WE FOUND A LOADED FIREARM THAT WAS WITHIN THE REACH OF THE CHILDREN. A FOURTH ARREST AFTER A SHOOTOUT KILLED A FIVE YEAR OLD. NOW, THE INVESTIGATION HAS LED TO CHARGES AGAINST A FAMILY MEMBER OF THE VICTIM. THE MUGGINESS IS BACK, AND THAT MEANS THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARE ON THE RISE. ALL TIME THEM OUT FOR YOU, TOWN BY TOWN RIGHT NOW. THE FUTURE OF LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY REMAINS UNCERTAIN. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING TO DECIDE IF THE SCHOOL WILL REMAIN OPEN, HAVE TO MOVE ONLINE OR CLOSE ENTIRELY. THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN RAISING MONEY TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN AMID A FINANCIAL CRISIS. TONIGHT WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE AS WE WAIT TO HEAR A DECISION FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. WE BEGIN WITH NATE STANLEY, WHO IS ON CAMPUS TONIGHT. NATE. CAROL. NIGEL. AND JUST THE LAST HOUR, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT LIMESTONE HAS RECEIVED ANOTHER $1 MILLION PLEDGE TO KEEP THE UNIVERSITY AFLOAT. JANE ROBELOT WILL HAVE MORE ON THAT IN JUST A COUPLE MINUTES. HERE ON CAMPUS. WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE MEETING TO START. WE ARE WAITING ON WORD FOR WHEN IT WOULD START OR HOW LONG THAT MEETING WOULD LAST. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO LIMESTONE, THE NEED FOR THAT $6 MILLION IS IMMEDIATE. THAT MONEY WOULD ALLOW THE INSTITUTION TO OPERATE UNTIL NEXT SEMESTER, WHEN TUITION MONEY WOULD COME IN. LIMESTONE PRESIDENT TELLS US. THE ORIGINAL GOAL WAS TO GARNER MONEY THROUGH FUNDRAISERS AND PARTNERSHIPS, BUT THAT ULTIMATELY DIDN’T WORK. IF THE UNIVERSITY WERE TO CLOSE, IT WOULD AFFECT AROUND 1600 STUDENTS AND MORE THAN 300 EMPLOYEES. AGAIN, HERE ON CAMPUS, JUST WAITING TO SEE WHEN THIS MEETING WOULD START AND WHAT WILL COME OF THAT DECISION. REPORTING FROM LIMESTONE, NATE STANLEY, WYFF NEWS FOUR. THANK YOU NATE. LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS SAY THE SCHOOL INJECTS ABOUT $150 MILLION INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY’S ECONOMY EVERY YEAR. BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SAY A CLOSURE WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE COUNTY’S FUTURE. OUR REY LLERENA JOINS US LIVE IN DOWNTOWN GAFFNEY WITH MORE ON THAT IMPACT. TREY. OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THAT IMPACT COMES FROM LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WHO LIVE AND WORK IN PLACES SUCH AS GAFFNEY, AS WELL AS THEIR LOVED ONES WHO SPEND MONEY WHILE VISITING. THEY SAY THAT LOSING THE SCHOOL WOULD BE A GUT PUNCH. GAFFNEY BUSINESS OWNERS LIKE ANNIE YELTSIN SAY IF LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY CLOSES, IT WILL HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. THIS IS A TRICKLE EFFECT THAT PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE. THEY’RE LIKE, OH, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET THAT MUCH BUSINESS. YEAH, NO, THE WHOLE TOWN IS NOT YELTSIN SAYS HALF OF HER BUSINESS COMES FROM LIMESTONE. THE MAJORITY OF HER EMPLOYEES ARE LIMESTONE STUDENTS. AND NOW THEY’RE SAYING, WELL, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STAY OPEN. WELL, THAT DOESN’T WORK BECAUSE THE STUDENTS ARE FINDING OTHER SCHOOLS TO GO TO. THEY’RE PACKING UP THEIR HOUSES AND APARTMENTS. THEIR PARENTS ARE COMING IN TO HELP THEM MOVE, AND THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO GO YET. THE CHEROKEE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SAYS A POTENTIAL CLOSURE COULD BE A BIG HIT TO ITS WORKFORCE, ESPECIALLY WITH ITS PROFESSORS. THEY ALL HAVE THESE DEGREES AND CERTIFICATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION. SO IN ORDER IN CHEROKEE COUNTY, WE WILL BE LOSING EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYEES HERE BECAUSE THERE’S NOT ENOUGH JOBS HERE. THAT’S FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION AND COULD IMPACT FUTURE GROWTH. WE DO HAVE HOUSING THAT IS PLANNED IN COMING TO CHEROKEE COUNTY. LIMESTONE BEING ONE OF THE BIG FACTORS HERE IN CHEROKEE COUNTY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY CAN HURT THE UNIVERSITY’S FATE. ALSO WEIGHING HEAVILY ON YELTON. I DON’T EVEN KNOW. DO I WANT TO STAY IN THIS TOWN NOW? WHAT KIND OF A I CAN’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. WHAT ELSE IS THE COMMUNITY SAYING AS THEY WAIT TO HEAR FROM LIMESTONE? THEY SAY LOSING THE SCHOOL WILL BE HARD. IF THAT DOES HAPPEN, AND THEY ARE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT THE SCHOOL CAN REMAIN OPEN. SAYING OTHERWISE, LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THIS AREA WILL HAVE TO LEAVE CHEROKEE COUNTY IF THEIR DEGREE IS NOT OFFERED BY A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. REPORTING LIVE IN GAFFNEY, REY LLERENA, WYFF NEWS FOUR. THANK YOU RAY. AS NATE STANLEY MENTIONED, DONATIONS TO LIMESTONE CONTINUE TO COME IN EVEN AS THE BOARD MEETS. AND JUST AN HOUR AGO, THE TOGETHER FOR LIMESTONE CAMPAIGN RECEIVED TWO PLEDGES FROM LOCAL DONORS TOTALING $1 MILLION. THIS FOLLOWS THE $1 MILLION GIFT MADE LAST THURSDAY. OUR JANE ROBELOT HAS MORE IN. JANE, THIS MONEY IS COMING IN SLOWLY, BUT IT’S COMING IN. COMING. NIGEL AND GABRIELLE AND THAT’S WHAT REALLY COUNTS. THE UNIVERSITY’S VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT TELLS ME THESE CONTRIBUTIONS POURING IN FROM ALUMNI AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, ARE MAKING AN IMPACT. YESTERDAY, WE ALSO ANNOUNCED A GIFT FROM SOSSAMAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR $100,000. SO THERE ARE OTHER GIFTS COMING IN. WE HAVE OVER 160 RECEIVED. THE PHONES HAVE BEEN RINGING OFF THE HOOK, WHICH IS REALLY AMAZING TO HEAR. SO MANY STORIES FROM DONORS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND STACEY ALDRIDGE SAYS THIS SPECIAL FUND TOGETHER FOR LIMESTONE IS SET UP TO RETURN ALL DONATIONS SHOULD THE BOARD DECIDE TO CEASE OPERATIONS. NOW, RIGHT NOW, ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO HELP SAVE THE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY ARE APPRECIATED, AND YOU CAN FIND A LINK ON WYFF4.COM AND ON OUR MOBILE APP. NIGEL. JANE. THANK YOU. AND AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING AND THE FUTURE OF LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY, WE WILL UPDATE YOU ON AIR AND ON WYFF4.COM. ALL RIGHT, LET’S TURN TO OUR WEATHER NOW AS WE GIVE YOU A LIVE LOOK FROM OUR LAURENS SKYCAM A VERY, VERY, VERY NICE DAY OUT THERE TODAY. YEAH, NICE AND WARM. YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE CLOUDS COMING IN? CHIEF METEOROLOGIST CHRIS JUSTUS JOINS US WITH THE AREA’S CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. CHRIS, HOW WAS THE EVENING LOOKING? OH, JUST FINE. WE’VE GOT NICE CLEAR SKIES OUTSIDE. THE CLOUDS HAVE MOVED OUT. THAT MEANS WE’VE GOT SOME SUNSHINE THAT’S WARMED US UP TO OUR WARMEST LEVELS YET. AND YET NO STORMS YET. AS WE EXPECTED. THEY’LL HOLD OFF UNTIL TOMORROW. AND EVEN THEN, THEY’RE ISOLATED. A BEAUTY OF AN EVENING TAKING SHAPE. IT’S BEEN ON THE TOASTY SIDE. 76 DEGREES SOUTHWEST WINDS AT ABOUT TEN MILES PER HOUR. OTHER TEMPERATURES AROUND TOWN 77, IN ANDERSON AND IN SPARTANBURG, 75 IN ASHEVILLE AND 76 IN GREENVILLE. OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS, NOT COOLING DOWN AS MUCH. WE’LL BE IN THE LOW 60S WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A SPRINKLE OR A RUMBLE OF THUNDER TOMORROW. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THOUGH, THOSE CHANCES FOR STORMS ARE A BIT HIGHER. I’LL TIME THOSE OUT FOR YOU STRAIGHT AHEAD, CHRIS. THANK YOU. A FOURTH PERSON IS IN CUSTODY AFTER FRIDAY’S APARTMENT SHOOTOUT KILLED A KINDERGARTNER. DEPUTIES NOW SAYING SEVERAL CHILDREN WERE AT RISK BEFORE THIS GUNFIGHT EVER HAPPENED. OUR PEYTON FURTADO IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE GREENVILLE COUNTY DETENTION CENTER WITH WHY PEYTON? YEAH, CAROL AND DENISE IS JUST BEHIND ME BEHIND BARS AT THE GREENVILLE COUNTY DETENTION CENTER. SHE’S BEEN CHARGED WITH SEVERAL THINGS THAT WILL GO OVER IN JUST A SECOND. NIGEL, YOU MENTIONED THAT KINDERGARTNER. THAT’S DENISE COY’S NIECE WHO WAS WITH HER AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING. SHE WAS KILLED WHEN THAT GUNFIRE BROKE OUT AT THE BELLEMEADE APARTMENT COMPLEX. SO HERE’S EVERYTHING WE KNOW SO FAR. COY IS CHARGED WITH FIVE COUNTS OF UNLAWFULLY PLACING A CHILD AT RISK, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM, TRAFFICKING COCAINE, POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE MARIJUANA, AND POSSESSION OF A WEAPON DURING A VIOLENT CRIME. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY DISCOVERED THIS WHILE INVESTIGATING THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. SOON AFTER. SO DURING THE COURSE OF EXECUTING SEARCH WARRANTS PERTAINING TO THE SHOOTING, WE FOUND THAT THE APARTMENT THAT THE CHILDREN WERE LIVING IN WITH MR. WAS ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE FILTH AND TRASH EVERYWHERE. AND THAT’S NOT ALL. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, DEPUTIES FOUND SIX CHILDREN LIVING WITH OKOYE IN THAT APARTMENT, INCLUDING THOSE TWINS, ONE OF THEM IN CRITICAL CONDITION. FROM THAT SHOOTING, ONE OF THEM DEAD. AFTER THAT SHOOTING, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED FOR ALL SIX OF THOSE KIDS. THEY FOUND A LOADED GUN WHERE CHILDREN COULD REACH IT JUST OUT IN THE OPEN. 50G OF COCAINE, MARIJUANA. BEFORE OKOYE, TWO TEENS. DEPUTIES SAY TWO TEENS STARTED THE SHOOTING, AS WELL AS 31 YEAR-OLD SHANTAYSIA SHERMAN. THEY ALL THREE WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH MURDER. DEPUTIES TELL US THAT ONE FIVE YEAR-OLD IS DEAD. HER TWIN IS IN CRITICAL, BUT NOW A MORE STABLE CONDITION. SO THAT’S GOOD TO HEAR. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND UPDATED INFORMATION FOR YOU THROUGHOUT OUR SHOWS AND OUR ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT FOR NOW, LIVE IN GREENVILLE COUNTY. I’M PEYTON FURTADO WIFE. NEWS FOUR PEYTON. THANK YOU. IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, NEW DETAILS ARE EMERGING AFTER A SHOOTING IN A PARKING LOT LEFT A MAN INJURED. DEPUTIES WERE CALLED TO BALDWIN ROAD NEAR SOUTH SIDE PARK IN SIMPSONVILLE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THEY SAY A MAN THEN SHOWED UP AT HILLCREST HOSPITAL WITH AT LEAST ONE GUNSHOT WOUND. NO WORD ON HOW HE IS DOING. WE ARE TOLD THE SHOOTING HAPPENED DURING A SENIOR SKIP DAY GATHERING. SO, YOU KNOW, IF SO MANY TIMES THESE PARENTS DON’T KNOW WHERE THEIR KIDS ARE GOING, THEY THINK THEY MIGHT BE GOING OUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS SOMEWHERE WHO THEY KNOW. BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHO ALL IS GOING TO BE THERE. AND IN THIS CASE, THESE YOUNG KIDS ARE BRINGING GUNS AND OPENING FIRE. IT’S JUST IT’S IT’S ABSOLUTELY IT’S HEARTBREAKING. DEPUTIES HAVE NOT MADE ANY ARRESTS. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL CRIME STOPPERS OF GREENVILLE AT 864 23 CRIME. A PICKENS COUNTY WOMAN IS ACCUSED OF ALTERING MEDICAL BILLS TO TRY TO GET INSURANCE MONEY. SLED SAYS JOHN CORNYN BARKER IS CHARGED WITH FORGERY AND PRESENTING A FALSE CLAIM FOR INSURANCE PAYMENT. AN ARREST WARRANT SAYS LAST AUGUST, BARTON SUBMITTED A FALSE CLAIM FOR AN INSURANCE PAYMENT TO PROGRESSIVE DIRECT INSURANCE COMPANY. IT SAYS BARTON SUBMITTED ALTERED MEDICAL BILLS THROUGH A TEXT MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF HERSELF FOR MO