A LEGAL BATTLE IS THE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN A HISTORIC TYBEE HOME AND DEMOLITION. THE FIGHT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW FOR THE BROWN HOUSE. A SOUTH CAROLINA UNIVERSITY WILL BE SHUTTING ITS DOORS AFTER MORE THAN 150 YEARS. STUDENTS TELL US HOW THE CLOSURE IS IMPACTING THEM. THE HOSTESS CITY MUSIC SCENE IS GETTING A MUCH NEEDED BOOST. THE NEW LAW THAT WILL CREATE THE SAVANNAH MUSIC COMMISSION. HIGHWAY 21 AT BRENTWOOD DRIVE IN RINCON THANKS FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH WJCL 22 NEWS. GOOD MORNING -- I'M EMMA HAMILTON. AND I'M FRANK SULKOWSKI. METEOROLOGIST JONATHAN MYERS IS JOINING US NOW .... NOW, HERE'S YOUR STORM TRACKER RADAR... TODAY MOSTLY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 86. SOUTH WIND 6 TO 9 MPH. FRIDAY NIGHT PARTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW AROUND 66. SOUTH WIND 6 TO 10 MPH. SATURDAY A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AFTER 2PM. MOSTLY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 86. SOUTH WIND 6 TO 13 MPH. SATURDAY NIGHT A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW AROUND 66. SOUTH WIND 7 TO 11 MPH. SUNDAY A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, AFTER 2PM A BATTLE OVER BRICKS AND HISTORY .. IS HEATING UP ON TYBEE ISLAND. THE BROWN HOUSE .. LONG BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST BLACK- OWNED HOME BUILT ON MAIN STREET .. IS NOW CAUGHT IN A LEGAL FIGHT OVER ITS FUTURE. BUT, THAT ONGOING LEGAL BATTLE MAY SAVE IT. AS WJCL 22 NEWS' TIA MAGGIO EXPLAINS ... A LEGAL FIGHT OVER WHO OWNS IT IS HOLDING UP DEMOLITION AND THE COURT JUST HIT PAUSE. "A LOT OF FOLKS, YOU KNOW, A BLACK PERSON WAS NOT GOING TO BUILD A HOUSE THERE. OKAY? AND MY FATHER SAID, YES, I'M GOING TO BUILD A HOUSE THERE." IT SITS QUIETLY ON TYBEE ISLAND'S MAIN STREET-WEATHERED BY TIME, BUT FULL OF HISTORY. BUILT NEARLY 100 YEARS AGO, THE BROWN HOUSE WAS THE FIRST BLACK- OWNED HOME ON THIS STRIP. IT WAS BUILT BY WALTER BROWN SR. "IT WAS A BLACK MAN WHO BUILT A HOUSE ON MAIN STREET BACK IN THE 50S, WHICH WAS NOT DONE DURING JIM CROW ERA." IN FEBRUARY, THE CURRENT OWNER ASKED FOR A DEMOLITION PERMIT. THAT SPARKED PUSHBACK FROM PRESERVATIONISTS AND CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES. "WE'RE HERE TO SAY NO, ITS WRONG." NOW, A LEGAL FIGHT OVER WHO OWNS THE HOUSE COULD STOP THE DEMOLITION. THE CITY OF TYBEE SAYS IT CAN'T APPROVE THE PERMIT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE: "THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION IS SUBJECT TO ACTIVE LITIGATION... TO DETERMINE IF THE TITLE IS CLEAR, AND UNTIL THAT ACTION IS RESOLVED, THE CITY CANNOT CONSIDER THE TITLE CLEAR." THE CURRENT OWNER-GREEN GROWTH-BOUGHT THE HOME IN A 2010 TAX SALE. BUT FORMER OWNER GAIL BROWN SAID THE SALE WASN'T DONE LEGALLY. SHE LATER DIED DURING THE CASE. NO ONE REPLACED HER IN COURT, SO THE JUDGMENT WAS THROWN OUT. NOW, THE CASE IS BACK IN COURT. WHILE ATTORNEYS ARGUE, THE NONPROFIT TYBEE MLK HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IS MOVING FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO HONOR THE HOME'S LEGACY. "WE WOULD REALLY LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW WHO COMES. A TABBY THAT MR. BROWN DID EXIST AND WHAT HIS SIGNIFICANCE WAS HERE ON THIS ISLAND." REPORTING ON TYBEE ISLAND TM WJCL 22 NEWS THE BROWN HOUSE CASE IS ON HOLD UNTIL SOMEONE OFFICIALLY REPLACES GAIL BROWN. ROSALIE WHITE BARNWELL REAL ESTATE TRIED TO STEP IN BUT THE COURT DENIED THEM. TYBEE M-L-K SAYS IT PLANS TO MOUNT THE PLAQUE BY 2026. A SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE IS SHUTTING ITS DOORS FOR GOOD. LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER A BOARD MEETING TUESDAY NIGHT. OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL ALSO NO LONGER OFFER ON-LINE CLASSES. LAST MONTH, THE UNIVERSITY SAID IT WAS EXPERIENCING A FINANCIAL CRISIS -- AND AFTER THAT MORE THAN TWO-MILLION DOLLARS WAS DONATED TO HELP SAVE THE SCHOOL. BUT THAT EFFORT WASN'T ENOUGH AND THE UNIVERSITY SAID IT WILL RETURN THOSE FUNDS. "RIGHT NOW NOTHING IS CLEAR BECAUSE I'M TRANSFERRING AND I'LL BE A SENIOR. SCHOOLS, THEY DON'T REALLY FIND IT AS A PLAYER WITH ONE YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY IS VERY ATTRACTIVE, SO I'LL BE THE LAST OPTION OF THEM." LIMESTONE UNIVERSITY WAS FOUNDED IN 18-45. A WALMART WORKER IN BLUFFTON ARRESTED AND HELD FOR 28 HOURS AFTER THE COMPANY ACCUSED HIM OF EMBEZZLEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE ISLAND PACKET ... THE EMPLOYEE ACCUSED OF TAKING 73 DOLLARS AND 37 CENTS IN LUNCHTIME FOODS. ACCORDING TO THE STORE LOSS PREVENTION STAFF .. THE UNNAMED 21-YEAR-OLD BY SKIP-SCANNING ITEMS WHEN RINGING THEM UP. SKIP SCANNING IS WHERE YOU SCAN ITEMS BUT SKIP AN ITEM INTENTIONALLY TO AVOID PAYING. 12 OUT OF THE 16 ITEMS HE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE STOLEN WERE SKIP-SCANNED. THOSE ITEMS INCLUDE SIX SUB SANDWICHES .. SIX FROZEN PIZZAS AND FROZEN ENTREES .. AND A PACK OF SALTINE CRACKERS. EACH OF THOSE ITEMS RACKING UP A MISDEMEANOR CHARGE. ACCORDING TO SOUTH CAROLINA LAW .. A MISDEMEANOR EMBEZZLEMENT CAN BE A FINE OF UP ONE-THOUSAND DOLLARS OR UP TO A MONTH IN JAIL. FOR CONTEXT ... WALMART'S TOTAL REVENUE LAST YEAR WAS JUST OVER SIX-HUNDRED-48- BILLION DOLLARS ACCORDING TO IT'S ANNUAL REPORT. VICE PRESIDENT J-D VANCE ... VISITING THE PALMETTO STATE YESTERDAY. <NATURAL SOUND> THERE WAS THIS IDEA IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER A SOLID ENVIRONMENT WHILE GROWING INDUSTRY, PRESIDENT TRUMP REJECTS THAT IDEA. VANCE VISITED THE NUCOR - STEEL - PLANT. IT IS THE LARGEST STEEL MANUFACTURER ... IN THE COUNTRY. SPEAKING TO THE EMPLOYEES .... THE VICE PRESIDENT SAID "THE GREAT AMERICAN COMEBACK ... HAS BEGUN". THIS COMES... AS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WRAPS UP ... IT'S FIRST 100 DAYS ... WITH - CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF TARIFFS. // DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE -- JIM CLYBURN-- RELEASED A STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO VICE PRESIDENT VANCE'S TRIP TO THE STATE. HE SAYS THE V-P WOULD BETTER BE SERVED HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO URGE HIM TO CHANGE THE ADMINISTRATIONS APPROACH TO THE ECONOMY. GEORGIA GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP HAS SIGNED SEVERAL NEW BILLS INTO LAW. ONE OF THEM CREATES THE SAVANNAH MUSIC COMMISION. REPRESENTATIVE CARL GILLIARD INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO CREATE A NINE- PERSON SAVANNAH MUSIC COMMISSION. THE COMMISSION WOULD HELP ORGANIZE FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS, ADVOCATE FOR MUSIC EDUCATION, AND HELP FUND VARIOUS MUSIC- RELATED INITIATIVES IN THE CITY OF SAVANNAH. A LOT OF, OUR FESTIVALS STRUGGLE WITH FUNDING. 5:22 THERE'S A THERE'S A CIRCLE, OF FUNDING, WHETHER IT IS LOCAL, WHETHER IT IS COUNTY OR CITY OR SPONSOR. 5:29 SO, THIS COMMISSION WILL, ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN TRYING TO DEVELOP MORE FUNDING, FOR THOSE FESTIVALS. THE NEXT STEP IS THE CREATION OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHICH WILL BE APPOINTED BY THE GEORGIA REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS WHO REPRESENT CHATHAM COUNTY. AND HERE'S A LOOK AT YOUR TRAFFIC TRACK 22. THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS ON THE ROADS THIS MORNING