Jessica Holdman

Jessica Holdman

[email protected]

Jessica Holdman is a senior reporter for the SC Daily Gazette. She has more than a decade of newspaper experience, most recently with The Post and Courier. Before moving to South Carolina in 2019, she worked for newspapers in North Dakota, Washington and her home state of Missouri. Her reporting has won awards from the North Dakota and South Carolina press associations. Jessica reports on South Carolina’s workforce, the economy and higher education.

Federal judge dismisses NAACP lawsuit over voter assistance limits in SC absentee ballot law
South Carolina

Federal judge dismisses NAACP lawsuit over voter assistance limits in SC absentee ballot law

Oct 02, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit from South Carolina civil rights organizations over state absentee voting rules. In the lawsuit, the groups argued a law meant to prevent election fraud makes it harder for people with disabilities...
SC State’s decision to ax 9 degrees follows report on unpopular programs statewide
South Carolina

SC State’s decision to ax 9 degrees follows report on unpopular programs statewide

Oct 02, 2026
Jessica Holdman
Just over a third of South Carolina State University’s degree programs meet state policies for enrollment and graduation — the lowest rate of compliance among the Palmetto State’s public, four-year schools. Leaders of the historically Black college are taking steps...
SC Arts Commission refuses grant funding to 2 LGBTQ+ organizations
South Carolina

SC Arts Commission refuses grant funding to 2 LGBTQ+ organizations

Oct 02, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — The governing board of the South Carolina Arts Commission denied grants to a pair of LGBTQ+ arts groups in the Upstate without giving a reason. The board voted 5-3 Thursday to reject giving $13,000 to the Greenville Gay...
Wood milling company pledges revamp of Upstate textile plant, bring more than 200 jobs
South Carolina

Wood milling company pledges to revamp Upstate textile plant, bring more than 200 jobs

Sep 30, 2026
Jessica Holdman
A company that makes wood paneling, crown molding, shiplap and other pine construction products plans to invest $216 million in a manufacturing plant in Anderson County. Adeptus USA’s pledged investment is expected to bring 217 new jobs to the small...
Former SC Supreme Court Justice returns to private law practice
South Carolina

Former SC Supreme Court justice returns to private law practice

Sep 29, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — Former state Supreme Court Justice John Few has officially re-entered private practice after 26 years on the bench, opening his own law firm in Columbia. “There will be no soft landing for me, as I plan to return...
USC, Westinghouse sign agreement for nuclear workforce training center
South Carolina

USC, Westinghouse sign agreement for nuclear workforce training center

Sep 29, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — The University of South Carolina inked a deal with Westinghouse related to the school’s plans for a nuclear workforce training center within its engineering school. The agreement signed Tuesday at the South Carolina Nuclear Summit in Columbia kickstarts...
‘It could be the edger’: USC’s Dawn Staley launches leadership program for students
South Carolina

‘It could be the edger’: USC’s Dawn Staley launches leadership program for students

Sep 28, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — University of South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley is lending her time and name to a new leadership program at the state’s flagship university. This fall, the Dawn Staley Leadership Academy welcomed its first group of...
2 SC public colleges gave opposite tuition decisions to the same dad, costing him $27,500
South Carolina

2 SC public colleges gave opposite tuition decisions to the same dad, costing him $27,500

Sep 28, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — In a state where lawmakers have put a priority on keeping tuition steady for South Carolina graduates, students from outside the Palmetto State pay two to three times more to attend a public college here. Determining who qualifies...
USC’s Palmetto College will seek more money to continue enrolling high schoolers for dual credit
South Carolina

USC’s Palmetto College will seek more money to continue enrolling high schoolers for dual credit

Sep 25, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — Without additional taxpayer funding, the University of South Carolina’s Palmetto College may stop accepting South Carolina high school students who want to get an early start on a college degree. Some 4,300 South Carolina high school juniors and...
SC governor recognized for preserving records, making them easy to access
South Carolina

SC governor recognized for preserving records, making them easy to access

Sep 23, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — During his tenure as South Carolina’s attorney general, Gov. Henry McMaster fought in court to retrieve a trove of Civil War gubernatorial papers removed from the capital in 1865 and found in a closet roughly 135 years later...
Electric cable manufacturer plans $400M expansion in SC
South Carolina

Electric cable manufacturer plans $400M expansion in SC

Sep 22, 2026
Jessica Holdman
A company that makes high-voltage electrical cable for utilities, solar, rail and more is expanding its manufacturing plant in Orangeburg, with plans to hire more than 100 new employees. The Okonite Company announced Tuesday it would invest $400 million in...
SC Election Commission violated open meetings law, ACLU alleges
South Carolina

SC Election Commission violated open meetings law, ACLU alleges

Sep 21, 2026
Jessica Holdman
COLUMBIA — A civil liberties watchdog is alleging the South Carolina elections office violated public meetings law when it fired its previous director. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state Election Commission in a...