AnMed Listed Among Top Hospitals for Treating Heart Attacks

Observer Reports

AnMed Health has been recognized by American College of Cardiology as one of the nation’s top-performing hospitals for heart attack patients. AnMed is one of only 212 hospitals nationwide to receive the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain — MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2021. 

The award recognizes AnMed Health’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for patients suffering a heart attack.

A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that almost 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. 

Anderson County News Update with Administrator Rusty Burns

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

A unified EMS provider, economic development continues with another 150 new jobs, Celebrate Anderson details are set, and updates on road work, Kids Venture, and Green Pond are just some of the highlights of Anderson County Administrator's intereview with the Anderson Observer.

Dist. 5 to Demolish, Rebuild One of Their Downtown Buildings

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson School Dist. 5 will demolish the smaller of the two the buildings it purchased downtown as it moves forward on plans to relocate senior administration and instructional staff to the new offices.Rendering of the new buildings.

The building adjacent to the the Carolina Wren Park Pavilion is beyond restoration and will be knocked down and a new building added to replace in over the next year.  

Rennovation of the former First Citizens Bank building on the corner of East Whitner and North Main streets is expected to be completed by Spring of 2022.

As the Anderson Observer reported in December of 2020, the move is to provide more space for the internet techonology and transportation divisions of the district at the district's current site. The Pearman Dairy Road building was constructed in the late 1960s, when there was no need for a technology division and the size of the transportation department was small.

Original story on purchase of building here.

"These moves will allow them space inside of the main building with all of the other staff, which is what they truly deserve," said said Assistant Dist. Superintendent Kyle Newton. "We also plan to do some renovations in the basement to better accommodate the drivers when they are on their break or before/after they complete their routes."

School Dist. 2 Superintendent Brings Teacher's Approach to Leadership

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The county's newest superintendent is Anderson School Dist. 2's Jason Johns, who officially took the position two weeks ago.

Johns has been interested in education since high school, and looks forward to coming to work every day.

Bio here.

He says his years as a classroom teacher influences his approach to make sure that everything the district does is aimed and helping kids in the classroom. This year the distict will emphasis building a strong literacy foundation and expediting the restart of extracurricular activities.

Johns taliked about these and other plans an updates for the district in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

Historic Fountain Headed for 18-Month Restoration

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The county's Robert Anderson Fountain, which spent decades downtown and the last few years at the Anderson County Museum, is about to be restored.

The fountain, which was installed on the county square in 1906, was later moved to storage at the beginning of the construction of the "new" Anderson County Courthhouse in 1993. From there, the fountain's journey grows a bit hazy. For a while it may have been in storage, but some reports say most of disassembled pieces of the fountain were discovered in a field and moved to the musueum. 

This week, the Warren Lasch Conservation Center at the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston began dismantling the fountain to take to their facilities to begin an 18-plus month restoration. The last restoration effort was in 2002 when money was raised to have it restored and moved to the Anderson County Museum.

Named for Revolutionary War Colonel and State Militia General Robert Anderson, the Civic Association of Anderson, led by President Pearl Fant, organized the effort to have the fountain created. The designers of the piece were T. A. Wigington and C. C. Cole. Parts of the fountain were constructed in Anderson by the Anderson Foundry and Steel Company while the Cherubs were ordered from a company in New York. Two of the zinc cherubs are original. The third is an iron replica. Minus the water basin, the fountain weighs in at about 5,500 pounds and is just over 16-feet tall. According to the musuem, the fountain is considered one of the first outdoor sculptures in the world to have underwater lighting.

"It is an honor to be part of this effort which will see the continued preservation of the Robert Anderson Memorial Fountain," said Anderson County Museum Curator Dustin Norris. "The conservation will rejuvenate and protect the fountain from the elements, but it will also allow us to learn more about its construction, composition, and the history of its use over time. Our understanding of this artifact will grow as it is preserved for future generations.

New Dist. 4 Superintendent to Focus on Academics, Growth

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson School Dist. 4 Superintendent Dee Christopher is no stranger to Anderson County. He grew up here and his father Reggie Christopher served as a principal and superintendent in School Dist. 1. The new superintendent's bio is here.

In his new post, Christopher said the focus will be on academics and planning for growth in the district. 

He discusses these and other news in this interview with the Anderson Observer.

S.C. Senate Expects to Complete Redistricting by October

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The process to draw new districts for South Carolina House and Senate seats as well as the U.S. House kicked off Tuesday with senators hopeful the whirlwind of map drawing, negotiations, public hearings and final vote will take less than four months.

The Senate's redistricting subcommittee agreed Tuesday at its first meeting to hold 10 public hearings across the state starting next week and ending before the final U.S. census data on where the 5.1 million people in South Carolina live is released Aug. 16.

The districts are drawn every 10 years after the federal government completes it nationwide count. The goal of the high stakes process is to make sure all 46 of the state's Senate districts and 124 House districts have roughly the same number of people, give or take a few thousand.

But it's more than a simple matter of arithmetic and drawing lines. In the past several maps — including 2000 and 2010 after Republicans gained control of the General Assembly — lawmakers have emphasized political goals like protecting incumbents or creating several districts where African Americans are the majority, which also means a number of districts where the white population is greater.

“I'm like one of those plants who bloom every 10 years," said Columbia attorney Charlie Terreni, who will help the Senate with redistricting like he has the past two decades.

The House will have its own subcommittee expected to start meeting next month.

The seven-member subcommittee with four Republicans and three Democrats agreed Tuesday to set up a website where the census data and proposed maps will be shared along with information on public hearings before the data is released.

Officials working with the Senate said it will take them three to four days to get the data from the U.S. Census Bureau and into a form where it can be easily mapped on computers.

After that, the Senate will work on its map and the House on its version. The two chambers typically don't alter the maps done by the other chamber. They will work together on the U.S. House map.

South Carolina added nearly 500,000 people from 2010 to 2020, but the 10.7% growth rate was not enough to add another U.S. House seat, keeping the state at seven.

The heaviest growth in the state appears to be along the coast, especially near Myrtle Beach, and just south of Charlotte, North Carolina, in Lancaster and York counties. Those areas will likely get extra districts, while the districts that cover more rural areas will continue to grow in size because of the population shifts.

The goal is to finish and have maps ready for the whole General Assembly to vote on them in October. That gives time for courts to hear the inevitable legal challenges and be ready when candidates for 2022 South Carolina House and U.S. House races need to file in March.

“We hope to make a wonderfully smooth process smoother," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Rankin, the Myrtle Beach Republican who is also running the subcommittee.

Council Approves Single EMS Provider by 4-3 Vote

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County Council on Tuesday night approved a new, single provider EMS plan to service the entire county in a heated meeting that met with a series of motions to delay or outright delete this plan. Council also unanimously approved the naming of the Broadway Lake facility as the Gracie Floyd Events Center at McFalls Landing.

Currently the county has seven EMS providers. The county’s presentation Tuesday night stated the new proposal would increase response vehicles from 19 to 31 medical response units, all stationed into the same general areas as the current providers. A medical review board and partnerships with AnMed were also promised as part of the new system. 

Council also voted to approve moving ahead to negotiate a contract for partnerships in relation to the additional proposed Quick Response Vehicles (QRVs). 

Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn, Vice Chairman Brett Sanders, Councilman Glenn Davis and Councilman John Wright Jr. voted to move ahead with the single provider plan.

On rejecting the motions to kill or delay the proposal, Sanders said additional time would not serve to address the issue that the current system is not working.

“I understand the emotion and things that are going on, but in 15 days, 30 days we are still going to be in the same situation we are in now," Sanders said. "Twenty-eight percent of our current EMS providers are not going to be here a year from now and 63 percent have bad financials."

Sanders said he had poured thorugh hudreds of pages of the rescue squad financials and 

"Seven different squads going in different direction is not going to cut it any more," Sanders said. "We can keep moving forward and this move is for increased quality of care, increased number of abulances and an increase in accountability."

Councilman Jimmy Davis disagreed, saying the proposal stinks.

“District six has still got a lot of questions and concerns with this plan,” said Jimmy Davis. “I don’t see how we can put some of this stuff together and the savings still be there…I have concerns. I believe this is the most important topic I have voted on since joining council."

"I agree with system is broken and it is broken in a bad way. But we’ve got to find a solution, and this is not it"

Davis said the proposal should be thrown out. He also accused Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown, who presented the county’s proposal of having a conflict of interest because of his professional relationship with MedShore Founder Greg Shore. 

Davis and Anderson County Councilwoman Cindy Wilson also expressed concerns about allowing ambulances to transport patients to Greenville if AnMed is part of the partnership.

Anderson County Councilman and Chairman of the Pubic Safety Committee Ray Graham said every provider, chief and member of the current EMS system he had spoken to agreed there is a problem. 

“I want to make sure I am clear,” Graham said. "At no point has county council made a statement that our providers are not providing the best level of care for our citizens. But if you do not believe there is not room for improvement, then you need to get your head out of the sand. We need to improve our system and improve the benefit we give our providers." 

Graham, whose motion to delay the vote on the proposal was defeated, added "If you honestly think we do not need to improve our system, you are wrong. It’s time to quite pointing fingers and find a solution."

The more than 200 who attended the meeting were decidedly against the proposal, and Dunn had to repeatedly warned the crowd to settle down.

Also on Tuesday night council approved:

Tax incentives for a company bringing 41 new jobs with average pay of $20 per hour

Tax incentives for expanding existing company bringin 76 jobs with an average pay of $29 per hour

Tax incentives for a family owned engineered wood products company that will provide 25 new jobs over the next five with pay of $20 per hour.

New EMS Contract Would Create Single Provider for County

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County Council tonight will vote on a new Emergency Management System, which aims to unify service countywide. 

The new EMS deal would slightly increase the number of ambulances from 16.5 (a function of half coverage in one area) to 17, which increasing Paramedic Quick Response Vehicles to from 3 to 14, according to documents released by the county. The single provider will save the county and estimated $3 million annually, and provide a unified countywide approach to coverage, with vehicles spread across the county.

County officials said current system of rescue squads and private companies responding to emergencies, along with sending paramedics out on all calls, is inefficient. Under the new proposal, Emergency Management Technicians would be sent on calls which did not require a paramedic. 

The county will be responsible for all patient care under the new agreement, and paramedics will become county employees with benefits and retirement. 

Tonight’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Anderson Civic Center.

S.C. Bans Sale of Bradford, 2 Other Pear Trees Begins in 2024

Observer Reports

Beginning in 2024, South Carolina will be one of only two states to ban the nursery sale of Bradford pear trees and any other pear trees grown on the commonly used Pyrus calleryana rootstock. 

The ban on sales is set to begin Oct. 1, 2024, which is the annual nursery licensing renewal date in South Carolina. Ohio will become the first state in ban the threes beginning in 2023.

The additions of Pyrus calleryana — or Callery pear — along with three species of Elaeagnus to the State Plant Pest List met the approval of state agency representatives and the director of Clemson’s Regulatory and Public Service Programs. The clock is now ticking on a grandfathering period of a little more than 3 years for the nursery industry to comply with the new regulations by ceasing sale of these plant species. 

Callery pears have nasty thorns that can damage everything from tractor tires to livestock and also damage the ecosystem by crowding out native plants. While the ban on these plants will make them illegal to sell or trade within South Carolina, it’s important for the public to know it will not be illegal to possess them on their property or to keep what they have.

Bradford pears were once touted as sterile, but it turns out that if pollen from any other Pyrus species gets into Bradford pear flowers, the trees can make viable seeds. Those seeds are then eaten by birds and other animals and spread across the Southeastern landscape, contributing directly to one of the worst invasive plant species in the region — the Callery pear. 

These are classified as noxious weeds, defined by an agricultural or other governing authorities as a plant that is injurious to crops, ecosystems, humans or livestock.

Not only do Callery pears have nasty thorns that can damage everything from tractor tires to livestock, but they also damage the ecosystem by crowding out native plants while providing little to no food for insects.

Typically, when a species is added to the State Plant Pest List, the change goes into effect immediately and it becomes illegal to move or sell it that same day. But since the Bradford pear and other similar cultivars are being actively sold, officials felt a transition period was required for the benefit of industry.

The efforts have been spearheaded by the South Carolina Invasive Species Advisory Committee, which is required by law to include members from Clemson’s Department of Plant Industry (the State Plant Regulatory Official), the USDA State Plant Health Director, a Clemson Cooperative Extension representative and at least two at-large representatives from other stakeholder agencies, such as the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, S.C. Forestry Commission or S.C. Department of Agriculture, and also includes the South Carolina Green Industry Association. 

Bradford pears are not native to the U.S., but have been widely planted in the Southeast for years.

County to Honore Gracie Floyd, Fast Trains, Summer Heat on Fire Commission, New Fire Chief in Williamston, New Police Chief in Iva

DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Set for This Week

Observer Reports

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control will offer free COVID-19 vaccines in Anderson this week. The events are set for Monday and again Wednesday-Friday from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Anderson County Health Dept, 220 McGee Road. 

COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and free. The Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines are currently available for people 18 and older, and the Pfizer vaccine is for ages 12 and up.

County to Consider EMS Contract, Honor Gracie Floyd

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County Council will consider a new EMS contract as part of Tuesday's meeting at 6:30 p.m. which will be held this week at the Anderson County Civic Center.

Council is also expected to consider naming at events center at McFalls Landing on Broadway Lake for the late Council Councilwoman Gracie Floyd, who died earlier this year (an appreciation for her appeared in the Anderson Observer).

For more than 21 years, Gracie served Anderson County as council representative for district two, a role she initially accepted with reluctance, following the death of her husband William Floyd, the first African American to serve on Anderson County Council (whose name is on the amphiteater at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Complex). Council has been considering a way to honor Gracie Floyd since her death. County Councilman Glenn Davis, who was recenlty elected to fill the seat left vacant by Floyd, will outline the decision as part of Tuesday's meeting.

Full agenda here.

The agenda also includes a number of zoning, sewer and economic development items.

At at 6 p.m. honors meeting, council will honor the Crecent High School Anglers Team.