BRIEFLY

Man hit by van while walking across Rivers

A pedestrian was injured Wednesday night when he was hit by a van on Rivers Avenue.

The man was crossing Rivers Avenue near Northwoods Boulevard at 9:40 p.m. when he was hit by a southbound Plymouth Voyager van, North Charleston Police Maj. Coyle Kinard said.

The unidentified pedestrian was taken to Medical University Hospital with severe head injuries. The crash was under investigation Wednesday night.

Orange-wigged robber hits KFC

A man wearing a wig of straight, orange hair robbed a KFC restaurant at gunpoint Wednesday afternoon, North Charleston police said.

The man entered the business at 5237 Dorchester Road around 2:30 p.m. He showed a cashier a handgun and demanded money, then left with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

Witnesses described the robber as a light-skinned black man in his 20s wearing a black-and-white polo shirt, tan pants and sunglasses, police said. Investigators combed the area but did not find the suspect.

Anyone with information should call North Charleston police at 554-5700 or Crime Stoppers at 554-1111.

Charleston Dems to be treated to picnic

Charleston County Democrats have been busy during the past 10 months helping assorted presidential candidates campaign across the state, and the local party has decided to reward them with a picnic during tonight's Riverdogs game.

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley will be present, county Democratic chairman Waring Howe said. Those attending will be charged $8, with the party picking up the rest of the cost, he said.

3 people escape fire in North Charleston

A Wednesday morning fire on Gumwood Avenue heavily damaged a building that has been used as a restaurant and a nightclub, the North Charleston Fire Department said.

Three people inside the business at Gumwood and Althea avenues escaped unhurt after the fire began around 7 a.m., Battalion Chief Greg Bulanow said. Firefighters arrived to see flames shooting through the roof about 30 feet in the air. Crews spent about a half hour bringing it under control.

One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion. Firefighters entered the one-story brick building through a side entrance but left after command staff decided it was too dangerous to be inside, Bulanow said. Later, the roof collapsed.

The fire's origin was not considered suspicious.

$1,000 in electronics stolen from church

More than $1,000 in electronics were stolen Monday from a church near Rivers Avenue and the Mark Clark Expressway, North Charleston police said.

Cash, a computer, monitor, sound board and CD burner were stolen from Inner City Ministry, 2060 Harley St. around 8 a.m., a police report states.