Nearby World Equestrian Games Has Impact on Anderson

The FEI World Equestrian Games, being held just 80 miles up the road in Mill Springs, N.C., began Tuesday at the Tryon International Equestrian Center, bringing together many of the planet's top horses for 13 days of event. The event, which is held every four years, has impacted the Anderson area as well, with horse owners and their crews staying in Anderson hotels, and volunteers from the county participating in the games.

Billed as one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, the FEI World Equestrian Games bring together eight equestrian World Championship caliber events Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining are all included on the competition schedule, while equestrian-focused demonstrations and exhibitions are also be hosted throughout the duration of the event.

Anderson in Weekend Path for Remnants of Hurricane Florence

Currently, the projected track of Hurricane Florence finds a diminished version of the storm passing almost directly over Anderson.

Florence made landfall Friday, but the storm has only just begun for the Carolinas. Beyond Friday’s torrential rain, multi-foot storm surge and widespread power outages, Florence will continue to batter the region through early next week. The storm’s winds will slowly weaken, but some of its most devastating effects may be yet to come.

[The latest news updates on Hurricane Florence]

Through the weekend, the massive storm — containing a zone of tropical-storm-force winds nearly 400 miles wide — will drift inland, engulfing much of South Carolina and southern North Carolina.

High School Football Scores

T.L. Hanna 65, J.L. Mann 20

Westside 42, Easley 14

BHP 42, Pendleton 28

Walhalla 44, Powdersville 7

Seneca 44, Palmetto 43

County to Move to Self-Insured Healthcare Plan for Employees

By Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County Council moved ahead Thursday to evaluate a new plan to provide a new health care plan for the county’s more than 1,000 employees.  

Anderson County employees are currently covered through PEBA, the South Carolina state plan, which carries a price tag of $8.64 million in the current budget. The new, self-insured plan will be presented for implementation Sept. 28. 

“This is something we’ve been talking about for months and really working on for over a year,” said Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn. “What where’re trying to do is make the healthcare for our employees better, and to make it sustainable for the future.” 

The new plan would be put into place working with Palmetto Insurance of Anderson as the benefits consulting agency and Direct Access, MD, of Anderson as a provider of primary/family  care. 

“This will be a game-changer to help our employees,” Dunn said.  

The new plan will include dental, vision and life insurance options, as well as continued insurance for retirees, and it expected to save the county between $1.2-1.5 million annually. A self-insured plan will also provide the county with more flexibility in enhancing benefits. Employees will also have the option or keeping their current physicians as part of the plan. 

“This is not driven by cost,” said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns. “Council asked us to explore how we can improve our current healthcare plan to provide better coverage for our employees.” 

“Our main desire is to offer a better benefit to our employees,” agreed Anderson County Councilman Ray Graham. “Costs are increasing each and every year and we have not passed the increases on to our employees. It is our desire to improve our benefits so they can better serve our community and our taxpayers.”

Anderson County employees are currently covered through PEBA, the South Carolina state plan.  

“It looks like the (new) model provides better preventative care,” said Anderson County Council Member Cindy Wilson. “I am greatly hoping this will be the answer for what our employees are needing.” 

Anderson County Councilman Tom Allen said the proposed plan will offer much better access to healthcare as well through Direct Access, which provides same-day visits,  reduced prescriptions/lab tests and direct contact with patients. 

“We’re about the preventative and building a relationship with our patients,” said Dr. Amy Cianciolo, who founded Direct Access with Dr. Shane Purcell. “We’re about the preventative and building a relationship with our patients. We are family doctors and we want to be their doctors for life."

Nike Brand Selling Well in Anderson

From Observer and Wire Reports

Many Andersonians are apparently onboard with the latest "Just Do It" campaign as local sales of Nike shoes, clothing and other gear seem to be following the national trend, with merchandise moving faster than before.

In an informal survey of Anderson's sporting goods (and discount stores which sell Nike-branded items), there has been a sharp increase in both purchases and questions about Nike items in the past week or so. Without exception, managers referred me to nation offices for sales figures (which, in turn, all refused comment on specific sales). But salespeople said they had seen a substantial increase in Nike sales.

At least two stores were short on Nike merchandise, and one was sold out.

Nike sales jumped by 31 percent nationally after debuting quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick as a new company spokesman — and market observers say the president’s public displays of anger may have backfired by drawing more attention to Nike.

Stock prices just before noon today are within 10 cents of the level before the new campaign was launched.

“Controversial endorsements tend to generate a lot of hype,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for retail at The NPD Group, a market research firm. “These kinds of statements and brand partnerships make for a big impact on brand selling.”

According to data from Edison Trends, online sales of Nike products jumped 31 percent between the Sunday before and the Tuesday after Labor Day, nearly double last year’s 17 percent increase over the same time period. Kaepernick is part of Nike’s 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” tagline. A TV ad narrated by Kaepernick debuted Thursday on the opening night of the regular NFL season.

“Nike is a company that is focused on younger generations and expanding their market. This ad did that for them,” said Hetal Pandya, co-founder of Edison Trends.

But if Trump is no stranger to controversy, neither is Nike. The company’s decision to use Kaepernick, who is currently claiming the league colluded against his employment in a lawsuit, isn’t the first time the athletic apparel company has used its brand platform to advocate for a cause or push for social change. Previous ad campaigns have taken on AIDS, gender inequality, disabilities, religion, and other cultural flashpoints.

“The brand has a rich history of positioning itself as a progressive company that connects with its customers through conflict constructive conflict,” Pandya told NBC News.

Experts say that by continuing to insert himself into the ongoing debate regarding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, Trump may have inadvertently helped out Nike by criticizing the brand on Twitter.

“Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts,” Trump wrote last week, and video clips of people destroying Nike products quickly went viral. But contrary to Trump’s assertion, while calls for a boycott across social media dragged down the company’s stock immediately after the news broke, share prices have since recovered.

Market research shows that 46 percent of Nike customers have a positive view of Kaepernick, compared to 34 percent of all Americans.

Drafting Kaepernick as a spokesman has more upside than downside risk for Nike, analysts say, because the company knows its customer base well. Market research from YouGov Plan and Track shows that 46 percent of Nike customers have a positive view of Kaepernick, compared to 34 percent of all Americans. YouGov also found a 10 percentage point increase in the number of Nike customers versus the general public who say a company should take a stand on social issues and have a “moral message.”

“The company understands societal trends and its customer demographics better than most,” Edison Trends’ Pandya said. “It’s a calculated risk, but one that our data shows has had a positive impact so far in terms of online sales.”

“In this case, controversy is a good thing to their target market,” NPD’s Cohen said. “Consumers who are most likely to shop online, and shop athletic apparel and footwear, are very much in tune with the movement and the willingness for a mega-brand to stand up against the establishment.”

Experts Say Storm May Ding the Economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ports are closing. Farmers are moving hogs to high ground. Dealers are parking cars in service bays for refuge. And up to 3 million energy customers in North and South Carolina could lose power for weeks.

Across the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia, businesses are bracing for the economic damage Hurricane Florence is expected to inflict on the area. Industries like tourism and agriculture will likely suffer, and the losses won't be easily or quickly overcome.

Once it makes landfall, Florence is expected to lash coastal communities with high winds and dump several feet of water. Flooding could prove devastating. The storm will likely damage homes and businesses, kill crops, drown livestock, wash away cars and suspend much of the area's economic activity.

"These storms can be very disruptive to regional economies, and it takes time for them to recover," said Ryan Sweet, an economist at Moody's Analytics.

Sweet said he thinks Hurricane Florence could cause the U.S. economy's growth to slow a few tenths of a percentage point, on an annual basis, in the July-September quarter. Michael Walden, an economist at North Carolina State University, calculates that Florence will deduct about $200 million of output a day from North Carolina's $550 billion-a-year economy until business returns to something close to normal.

It could have been worse. Labor Day marked the end of the peak tourism season in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and other coastal getaways. There are now fewer tourists to send away.

In fact, as with the aftermath of previous hurricanes, the region could eventually receive an economic boost once construction crews come out to rebuild and repair damage and as insurance payments and federal disaster aid flow in.

"The ironic thing is, when there's a rebuilding effort, that can energize local economies," Walden said.

"Typically, we see a stimulus effect that creates jobs and raises incomes for South Carolinians," said Joseph Von Nessen, a research economist at the University of South Carolina. Hiring is likely to be especially strong in construction and at retailers that sell building materials and supplies.

Hurricane Florence is slamming a region that is economically diverse as well as sizable. Combined, North and South Carolina boast an economy bigger than Saudi Arabia's. High-tech auto plants co-exist with beachfront bed-and-breakfast inns and peanut farms. North Carolina's Duplin and Sampson counties, just inland, sell more hogs and pigs than anywhere else in America.

Duke Energy warned that Florence could cut off power to anywhere from 1 million to 3 million customers in North and South Carolina, potentially leaving them without electricity for several weeks, said spokeswoman Grace Rountree.

Two big fuel pipelines stand in the hurricane's path, but analysts say they think the storm is unlikely to disrupt the flow of gasoline or other products. Still, analysts for S&P Global Platts say it's possible the Colonial and Plantation pipelines could be affected by power outages or damage to pump stations. Those pipelines carry fuel from the Gulf Coast to much of the eastern United States.

Analysts expect a temporary boost in gasoline demand as people flee Florence, followed by weaker demand during and immediately after the storm. But the damage to energy facilities is likely to be far milder than the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey, which last year battered Houston, the heart of the U.S. energy industry. Flooding closed refineries along the Texas and Louisiana coasts and caused gasoline prices to spike.

More Here

AU Cancels Friday, Monday Classes

Due to the forecast impact of Hurricane Florence, Anderson University has cancelled all classes for Friday and Monday. 

This decision was made, accordign to a university spokesperson, to ensure that members of the campus community and its families can make timely decisions regarding their personal preparations, including travel, ahead of the hurricane’s arrival.


AU is securing additional resources including, but not limited to, extra food and water for the 26,000-square foot G. Ross Anderson Jr. Student Center, which is equipped with generators to maintain electricity in the event of a power outage.

Should the Student Center be needed on Monday to provide shelter for students, in addition to ample supplies of food and water, the facility will be open and fully staffed throughout the duration of any emergency.

Administrative and staff offices will remain open Friday.

Farmers Asked to Use Online Form for Faster Storm Relief Funds

CLEMSON — The storm will pass. Then comes the work of assessing the deluge of damage.

A single damage assessment form for farmers — available online now — will help gather information that state and federal officials can use to speed relief.

“We will need to know what problems we face so that resources can be allocated to meet the need,” said Charlotte Krugler, emergency preparedness veterinarian for Clemson University Livestock-Poultry Health (LPH), a regulatory agency that oversees animal health issues. “These damage estimates also will help the state submit federal disaster applications promptly and accurately.”

The Emergency Support Function 17, or ESF-17, form has been updated for Hurricane Florence. It is posted on the LPH Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery page at www.clemson.edu/public/lph/ahp/emergency-prep.

The form can be filled out and submitted online after the storm, but farmers can access the page now to prepare for the post-storm assessment process.

Clemson Extension agents will assist in collecting the data as part of their roles in helping farmers after a weather disaster, said Clemson Extension Director Tom Dobbins.

“Our agents will be ready to assist our farmers in any role needed to ensure they receive the maximum disaster relief benefits,” Dobbins said. “For generations they’ve been helping South Carolina farmers in situations like this. While we hope for the best, we’re prepared for whatever comes.”

Magazine Editor Named New Director of Anderson Arts Center

April Cameron, editor and publisher of Anderson Magazine, has been chosen as the new executive director of the Anderson Arts Center. Cameron replaces Leslie Lee who took over the position in May of this year.

Lee is leaving for a similar position in Camden. She replaced Kimberly Spears, who left the job after 25 years to lead the Economic Development Division for the City of Anderson. 

She said her new job will not have any impact on the continuation of "Anderson Magazine."

“I have always worked full-time the entire time I managed the magazine anyway, so nothing will change," said Cameron, who officially moves into the new role Sept. 20.  "Busy people get most done."

Cameron, who already served on the Arts Center board, said she is took the position because she wanted to get more involved with arts in Anderson.

"This is a great opportunity and I am excited," Cameron said. 

Among her goals is diversifying fundraising and both keeping people interested in ther arts in Anderson. 

While she has not plans for major changes, she said spreading the word about the center will be a top priority.

Cameron's background in marketing, public relations and journalism should be assests to her new role, according to Emily Holland, president of the executive board of the Arts Center.

Hanna, Westside Move Games to Thursday Ahead of Storm

T.L. Hanna and Westside have rescheduled this week's football in anticipation of the coming storm.

Hanna will play their varisity football game against J.L. Mann Thursday at 7 p.m. Westside will play at home against Easley Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Yesterday, Anderson County School District 1 moved the Seneca at Palmetton fooball game to 7 p.m. Thursday.

School Distrct 3 has also moved the Pendleton at BHP football game to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Former Clemson Defensive Coach to Speak Friday at TD Club

Coach Dan Brooks, retired Clemson defensive tackles coach, will be the guest speaker at the Anderson Area Touchdown Club on Friday at noon at the Anderson County Library.  Coach Brooks announced his retirement after Clemson beat Alabama in the National Championship game February 2017.  He was with Clemson for 8 seasons, coached 43 years and 412 games. Players of the week and the coach of the week will be also honored from the previous Friday night games.

Memberships are still available to the touchdown club.  An individual membership fee is $50 and a Corporate membership (which includes 5) is $200. 

A meal is served and members are charged $10 and visitors $15.  The food line opens at 11:30, the program begins about 12:10, and the program concludes at 1:00 pm. 

For further information about the cub or to join, call Bill Brissey at 864-226-7380 or Nancy at 864-616-6471.

E+I Engineering to Expand in Ireland

The Ireland-based E+I Engineering, which brought 250 jobs to Anderson when opening their first United States facility in 2014, has announced an $11 million expansion, with 90 new jobs, at the facility in Donegal, Ireland. 

The international electrical engineering company with over 1,700 staff globally has also invested in manufacturing bases in the USA and United Arab Emirates and works in over 40 countries around the world.

The Anderson facility, located on Harris Bridge Road near I-85, has brought an investment of nearly $17 million since it opened.

War of 1812 Hero to be Added to County Museum Hall of Fame

A hero from the War of 1812 is the latest inductee in the Anderson County Museum's Hall of Fame.

Col. John Martin will be honored during an Oct. 16 ceremony, set to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the museum.

“This year’s ceremony will also feature the previous 35 Hall of Fame inductees as we celebrate 15 years of the Hall of Fame,” said Anderson Country Museum Director Beverly Childs. “The ceremony and reception is free and open to the public. We hope many past recipient’s families will attend.”

Martin was chosen from the 20 applications for the honor by the Anderson County Museum Advisory Hall of Fame Committee. Nominees must be deceased at least 10 years before they are eligible to be nominated. Martin was nominated by committee member Dr. Julia Barnes.

“Anderson County gave a significant contribution to South Carolina’s effort in the war of 1812," said Barns. "Unfortunately in 2018, our county’s participation is nearly forgotten. Colonel John Martin was a continuation of the tradition of Anderson County citizens making a significant personal sacrifice to preserve and protect our freedom.”