FREE MONEY, FREE BEATINGS, FREE MUSIC, FREE WINS

It’s been yet another relatively slow day, and I’ve been busy as hell, but there have been a few minor stories. Like these:

• LOOPHOLE = BEAUCOUP TAX BREAK — It’s not the most ethical thing in the world, and if too many people choose to abuse the system it will probably end up hurting those who need it, but a loophole in the South Carolina Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan allows savvy residents a way to get a legal tax break. By parking their money in the program — which was established to encourage long-term investing for college expenses — for just a few days, students can knock 7 percent off their college tuition bill. All you have to do is open a Future Scholar account, deposit money, withdraw the funds and pay for higher education expenses, claim the tax deduction and wha-la, you’re saving a few hundred bucks each year. You may not be able to sleep at night knowing you’re scheming just cost some poor kid a shot at college, but at least you’ll have saved money, right?

• SC DEPUTY CANNED FOR OPENING UP CAN ON TEEN — There’s probably nothing worse for a police officer than going to prison. So the good news for Greenville Deputy Brian Tollison is that he isn’t going to jail for punching an 18-year-old 13 times after undercover deputies pulled over the driver of the vehicle he was in. The bad news is that he no longer has a job. And lawyers for the teen have filed a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Justice — which is odd because Tollison is black.

• WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN FREE COUNTRY MUSIC AND BASS ANGLING? — Country music star Tracy Byrd will perform a free show Saturday at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia as part of the FLW Outdoors Forrest Wood Cup. He will take the stage at 4 p.m., shortly before the much-anticipated day-four weigh-in. Also weighing in on something water related? Me with tales of my unrequited love for super-hottie Natalie Coughlin, who has been tearing up Olympic swimming for the past four days. Not only is she smoking-hot, but she’s a great American. Jackpot!

• USC IN SLOVAKIA? — Nobody told me the University of South Carolina basketball team was on a European tour. And after last night’s win over Nitra Basketball Klub in Nitra, Slovakia, the Gamecocks are 3-0. That’s great news. Now if only they could beat American teams.