Anderson Touchdown Club Kicks Off Season with Coaches

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The Anderson Area Touchdown Club kciks off the new season Friday at a new location.

The club, which honors the county's top high school players and coaches each week, will be meeting at the Anderson Institute of Technology at 11:30 a.m.

Head football coaches from Belton-Honea Path, Palmetto, Crescent, Wren, Powdersville, Westside, Pendleton, and T.L. Hanna high schools are scheduled to speak.

Individual memberships are $50 and the weekely meal for members is $13. Non-member cost for the weekly meal is $15. Admission for members with no meal is $1, or $5 for non-members.

For more information email here.

Williamston Spring Water Festival This Weekend

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The 40th Annual Spring Water Festival is coming this weekend with music, arts, children's activites and more. Hours for the festival this year will be 6-10 p.m. on Friday and 9:15 a.m.-20 p.m. on Saturday.

The event celebrates the founding of the town that was once a popular tourist destination, which included the state’s largest hotel, drawing people from across the state to enjoy the benefits of a mineral spring which reportedly had medicinal qualities. The spring around which the town was built still flows, offering visitors a cool, refreshing drink of spring water in Mineral Spring Park, one of the oldest public parks in the country.

The two-day festival will feature free kids activities, amusement rides, more than 70 business and craft vendors, antique and classic auto show, live music and other special attractions.

The festival also offers a variety of performers on the park’s center stage and the amphitheater stage.

The festivals kick off Friday evening with live music by Blue Sky Blues Band and the Carolina Coast Band. Ten food vendors will be on hand for food and refreshments.

The Saturday opening ceremony is set for 9:15 a.m. Music lovers are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy a day of music which will include Easton Gowan, Andrew Crawford, Marvin King, Odyssey Band and Show and the Brooks Dixon Band.

New this year will be a golf cart parade. Amusement rides, an expanded area of free children’s games and activities.

The festival will again feature one of the Upstate’s largest antique and classic auto shows, organized by the Williamston Fire Department and featuring more than 100 vehicles. Rides on the restored 1936 firetruck, a festival favorite, will also be available.

For more information, visit http://www.springwaterfestival.com/

Dist. 5 to Require Vaccines or Weekly Testing of Employees

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson School Dist. 5 will soon require all employees to provide proof of vaccination or to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. In an email to all employees, Superintendent Tom Wilson wrote:

"Beginning September 20th, all Anderson School District Five Employees will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing at their school or work site.

To opt out of the testing, employees will have to provide verification of COVID-19 vaccination. As has been previously shown, vaccinations are the most effective way to keep our employees and students safe.  

Employees who decide to get the vaccine prior to this date, will also be eligible for the vaccination incentive offered to both full-time and part-time employees.

More information will be sent out in the following days from our Nursing Services Department regarding the testing process."

"Our number one goal is to keep our schools open and safe, and the best way to do that is by getting our employees vaccinated," said Wilson.

ACLU Sues S.C. Over Lack of Option of School Masks Mandate

(AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union, representing disability rights groups and parents of children with disabilities, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday over a South Carolina law that bans school districts from requiring face masks, arguing the ban excludes vulnerable students from public schools. 

The plaintiffs allege that the ban on mask mandates disproportionately affects students with underlying health conditions or disabilities, who are at risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract COVID-19. 

South Carolina legislators included a provision in the state’s general budget, passed in June, that prevented school districts from using state funding to require masks in schools. But some school districts and cities have disregarded the ban and gone forward with implementing a school mask mandate.

The ban on mask mandates is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, the plaintiffs allege in the lawsuit. 

Under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, public schools cannot exclude students with disabilities or segregate them unnecessarily from their peers. Schools are also required to provide reasonable modifications to allow students with disabilities to participate fully. 

“By making schools a dangerous place for these students with disabilities, they are essentially forcing their parents to choose between their child’s education and their child’s health,” said Susan Mizner, director of the ACLU’s Disability Rights Project. “And that is going to exclude them from their public education.”

Offering students with disabilities or medical conditions a remote option is not a good alternative, Mizner said. Limiting medically fragile students and those with disabilities to a remote-only education denies them equal opportunity, she said. 

“We know from this past year that for many, many, many students, a remote education is not an equal education to in-person,” she said. “That would be denying them equal access to their education.”

The lawsuit names top state officials including Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, the attorney general and the schools superintendent, and seeks to overturn the law banning mask mandates.

Aug. 23: Good News, with updates from county, AU, Skin's and more

County Gets $265,170 in Block Grants for Local Nonprofits

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County has been awarded $265,170 in federal Communiyt Block Grant Development funds through the South Carolina Commerce Department, part of a special COVID-response initiative offered by the federal government for public service initiatives.

Funding is intended to assist with community support efforts related to the pandemic. Applicants were required to data-driven evidence to establish the nature and extent of community need.  Because of this requirement, some programs were either ineligible or not competitive for funding., and an evaluation to justify amounts requested for the various programs for which funding was requested.

The grant program was developed in consultation with United Way and in repsonse to several needs identified by local nonprofits.  In addition, funds were requested and approve for a new initiative in the county’s Special Populations Recreation program. The funded activities are as follows: 

1. The “Virtual Rainbow Gang” provides online recreational opportunities for local persons with physical or developmental disabilities as offered by the Anderson County Special Populations Program. This program supports recommended social distancing/quarantining guidelines and remote engagement by a vulnerable population.  AWARD AMOUNT: $20,000
2. “Ride-To-Work Anderson” is a new program offered by South Main Mercy Center designed to provide transportation and other support services for the growing numbers of jobless persons in our area.  AWARD AMOUNT: $50,000
3. “Food Bank Support” supports increased demand for services attributable to pandemic-related economic conditions. Second Harvest Food Bank will serve as the project partner for this program. AWARD AMOUNT: $65,000
4. Activities in the “Mental Health First-Aid” program are intended to provide publicly-available mental health first aid in response to the increased call for mental health services during the pandemic.  Mental health first-aid training and program oversight will be managed by the United Way.  AWARD AMOUNT: $30,000

 “Community Partner Support” will assist local agencies that have requested additional resources due to increased demand for services since the onset of the pandemic. United Way will be responsible for program oversight and fund distribution.  AWARD AMOUNT: $100,170 

1. Crossways Ministries: addiction recovery services; $10,000
2. Foothills Alliance: domestic violence/sexual assault response/recovery services; $40.000
3. Hearts in Harmony: support and equine recreational therapy for clients of New Foundations (residential care for emotionally-troubled youth) and Calvary Home for Children (child victims of abuse/neglect) as well as several veterans groups and recovery program participants;$15,160
4. Upstate Warrior Solutions: comprehensive wellness support for veterans; $40,000

DHEC Board Calls for Allowing School Mask Mandates

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Board became the latest group Friday to ask lawmakers to make it clear that school districts can require students to wear masks without losing state budget money or any other penalties.

The General Assembly put the mask ban item into the budget in early June when South Carolina was seeing an average of 150 COVID-19 cases a day. Ten weeks later, the state is seeing about 3,520 new cases each day.

And that dire new case average comes before about 700,000 public school students completed their first week back in classrooms. Of the more than 5,200 new COVID-19 cases reported Friday, more than 500 were in children age 10 and under.

DHEC voted unanimously Friday to ask the House and Senate to come back in special session to “provide local authority for mask mandates.”

They joined the Republican state education superintendent, House Democrats, teacher groups, an association of school board members, a group of two Democratic and two Republican state senators, several school boards and other groups that have asked lawmakers to reconsider the mask ban.

So far, House and Senate leaders have not responded. House Speaker Jay Lucas' office Friday said it had no comment. Senate President Harvey Peeler's office didn't respond to a message from The Associated Press, but Peeler told The Post and Courier on Tuesday there wasn't enough support to lift the ban, especially if it had to overcome a governor's veto.

Gov. Henry McMaster has repeated throughout the summer he is against requiring masks in schools, saying parents should decide individually.

“Parents know what impact wearing a mask in school has on those children better than anyone else,” McMaster said in a clip sent out by his office on Twitter about five hours after the DHEC meeting.

The governor also said in the clip that “bureaucrats in Washington” are making a drastic error with mask mandates.

McMaster continues to urge people to get vaccinated and DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer repeated at Friday's meeting that is the best defense against COVID-19.

But children under 12 can't get the shots, which covers most students in sixth grade or below. And only about 20% of the remaining public school students are fully vaccinated, Simmer said.

"Strictly from a public health standpoint the best way to protect our children is to require the use of masks by everyone in a school,” Simmer said.

Simmer brought out two of the most public faces his agency has had during the pandemic — State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell and Public Health Director Dr. Brannon Traxler — for a presentation before the DHEC board's unanimous vote.

Bell showed studies that masks prevented COVID-19 outbreaks in schools last year and models that predict with the delta variant that more easily infects children some 90% of students could be infected without masks in the current environment.

Traxler shared research that masks don't reduce the amount of oxygen children breathe in and students can continue to gather information without seeing the mouths of their teachers.

Whitaker: AU Ready for Challenges, Growth

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson University's Dr. Evans Whitaker, president of the largest private university in South Carolina talks about the challeges of the upcoming year including COVID, along updates on new programs, athletics and more in the interview with the Anderson Observer.

County Posts Record Job Numbers, Drop in Jobless Rate

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County set a new local employment record in July, 89,322 residents being employed in July 2021.  The previous high was 88,841 in June of 2019. 

“We are finally getting back to where we might have been had the pandemic not struck our nation”, said Council Chair Tommy Dunn. “I can assure everyone that County Council will do all in its power to build upon and sustain this momentum, because people are still hurting out there”. 

The county’s July unemployment rate was 4 percent, a drop from 4.3 percent in June. The rate was 7.2 percent in in July of last year.  Statewide unemployment rate for July was 4.3 percent, although that number is caluculated differently from county numbers.

AU President Named to National Committee for Economic Development

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson University President Dr. Evans P. Whitaker has been appointed a trustee of the Washington, D.C.-based Committee for Economic Development (CED), a policy institute of the Conference Board. CED trustees work with researchers in the development of national policy analyses and recommendations.

Since its inception in 1942, CED has worked to address national priorities that promote sustained economic growth and development to benefit all Americans. These activities aimed to shape the future on issues ranging from the Marshall Plan in the late 1940s, to education reform in the past three decades, and campaign finance reform since 2000. CED's research findings are coupled with multi-pronged outreach efforts throughout the country and abroad, achieving tangible impact at the local, state, and national levels. 

The group's goal is to produce objective, fact-based nonpartisan research and policy recommendations to promote policies its trustees will foster economic growth and development to benefit all Americans.

Whitaker has been president of Anderson University since 2002. During this time, Anderson has been recognized among the top 16 fastest growing regional universities in America while simultaneously increasing admission requirements, making it one of South Carolina’s more academically selective universities. Anderson University is also South Carolina’s largest private university. Whitaker holds a Ph.D. in education and human development from Vanderbilt University. Focusing his research on organizational science, he is also a professor of management and consults with organizations on growth, change, continuous improvement, and corporate culture.

The Conference Board, Inc. is a nonprofit business membership and research group organization. It counts over 1,000 public and private corporations and other organizations as members, encompassing 60 countries. 

Jobs, New Green Space, Parks, Census, Growth Spark County

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County Adminstrator talks about the rapid growth of new jobs, a potential new green space downtown, Kid Venture, the PAWS Dog Park, the new countywide EMS system, county conservation development guidelines for builders, grants -including providing transportation for workers - and a record-tall 54-foot Christmas tree coming in 100 days in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Tri-County Tech to Require Masks on Campus

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Tri-County Techinical College will require masks for all students, faculty and staff beginning tomorrow. A spokesperson for the college said the requirement is subject to change based on COVID-19 transmission rates in the community.

Decisions regarding mask requirements will continue to be based on guidance from local health authorities and will be posted on the coronavirus section of school's website at https://tctc.edu/about-us/media-resources/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/

Students are encouraged to continually review a COVID-19 Health Screening Form on a weekly basis. Students who are not vaccinated and experience symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to the virus should notify the Student Support Office using the COVID-19 Students Issues and Help form. Students who are fully vaccinated should notify the Student Support Office only if they experience symptoms of COVID-19.

AnMed Asks For Strict Guidelines for Visiting ER

Observer Reports

With 79 patients now admitted to AnMed suffering from the latest wave of COVID-19, the hospital is asking patients to utilize the emergency room for actual emergenices. AnMed is asking that all sick patients who are not in an emergency situation to visit CareConnect urgent care at 600 North Fant Street or to connect online for an e-visit by visiting AnMedHealth.org/E-Visits.

AnMed is also suggesting additional precautions:

• Follow visitation guidelines. AnMed Health is currently limiting visitors and may continue to evolve our restrictions with the changing circumstances. Visit www.AnMedHealth.org and AnMed social media sites often for the most current guidance.
• Masks required while visiting all AnMed facilities. The mask must cover the mouth and nose, an no vented masks are accetable.
• Stay with the patient at all times while visiting. Visitors may not visit the cafeteria or gift shop, and should not congregate in public spaces.
• Do not visit if you are vulnerable to COVID-19. People over age 65 or those who have chronic illnesses and are not vaccinated should not visit. All visitors must be at least 14 years old.
• Wash hands frequently. Look for hand sanitizing dispensers around the hospital, and use them often. Make sure to clean your hands when entering and leaving the hospital either by washing with soap or rubbing your hands together with hand sanitizer.
• Do not visit the hospital if you have COVID-19 symptoms, which include fever, cough, shortness of breath or a sore throat.

Those who have not already, received a COVID-19 vaccination are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.