Easley Student Gets Top Marks at National 4-H Meeting

Myles Hutton of Easley was sixth highest-scoring individual in the 2017 National 4-H Forestry Invitational held July 30 through Aug. 3 at West Virginia University’s Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp and Conference Center.

Ethan Altman of Saluda and Ashton Hallman of Ward joined Hutton on the South Carolina team, which took ninth place nationally.

4-H members from across the country vie both for team and individual awards at the annual gathering. Events include tree identification, tree measurement, compass and pacing, insect and disease identification, topographic map reading, forest evaluation, a forestry quiz bowl and a written forestry exam.

Less academic — but no less competitive — events included traditional woodsman skills such as the pulpwood toss, log-rolling and two-man crosscut sawing.

The team was coached by Clemson Extension forestry and natural resources agents Tom Brant and Jaime Pohlman of McCormick County, Jeff Fellers of Union County and Stephen Pohlman of Edgefield County.

“It’s always gratifying to have students compete in the national 4-H forestry competition because of the knowledge they gain about forestry and how to maintain our forests sustainably,” said Jaime Pohlman, Clemson University Extension agent from McCormick County and coach of the South Carolina team. “Our team spent a lot of time and effort to prepare for the event and they came away with a ninth-place finish. We’re very happy for them.”

4-H is a youth education program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state land-grant universities. More than six million youth, 540,000 volunteers and 3,500 professionals participate in 4-H nationwide, and nearly 100,000 are part of the 4-H Forestry Program.

Participation in South Carolina 4-H has posted double-digit increases in each of the past two years. More than 100,000 young people in kindergarten through 12th grades participate in 4-H programming in the Palmetto State annually, assisted by the support of nearly 4,000 volunteers.

Employing a learn-by-doing approach to education, 4-H clubs are an outgrowth of corn clubs for boys and canning clubs for girls that organized in the early 1900’s by teachers who wanted to broaden the knowledge and experience of their students.

“The National 4-H Forestry Invitational is a tremendous learning experience that blends knowledge with the ability to apply it under intense competition,” Jaime Pohlman said. “But it’s also a great deal of fun. I’m especially pleased that they were able to compete so well. It’s a mark of their determination to succeed and their commitment to bettering themselves.”

Kristy Kreme to Celebrate Eclipse with Special Doughnut

Krispy Kreme is going to new heights for the total solar eclipse, which will sweep the nation on August 21st. A move the company says it has never done before. 

According to the website, the doughnuts giant will switch their original glaze to chocolate.

You can try an "early taste" of the limited-time chocolate doughnut on Saturday and Sunday, August 19-20 at participating locations.

Bees Thrive in Wake of Forest Fires

New research shows wild bee populations thrive in the wake of a moderate to severe forest fire.

Over the last year, scientists at Oregon State University have been monitoring the behavior, health, abundance and diversity of wild bees living in areas affected by the 2013 Douglas Complex fire in southwest Oregon.

The analysis showed wild bees were more diverse and abundant among habitats that were moderately to severely burned by the wildfire. Bees were scarcer in places less affected by the wild fire.

"In low severity spots, if you weren't looking for the markers of fire, you wouldn't know that it had burned," said Sara M. Galbraith, a post-doctoral researcher Oregon State. "The canopy is completely closed, and the trees are usually older. There isn't a lot of evidence of fire except for some blackened areas on some of the tree trunks."

The most severely burned portions of they habitat featured more open canopies and a larger array of native flowers.

S.C. Sues Feds Over Promise to Remove Plutonium

South Carolina says it's filed its largest lawsuit ever against the federal government, seeking to force the U.S. Department of Energy to make good on a deal over removing plutonium from the state.

The state said Monday that its lawsuit seeks to recover $100 million from the agency over failing to comply with an agreement to remove one metric ton of weapons-grade materials from the Savannah River Site.

The state tried to recover the fines as part of another lawsuit over the government's inability to complete a nuclear fuel processing plant. But a judge ruled she couldn't force the government to pay up.

The Energy Department didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Lee Royce to Retire from Mississippi College

Former Anderson College President and Current Mississippi College President Lee Royce says he plans to retire in May of 2018.

Lee Royce said in a statement that he announced his plans to trustees Monday, later sending a message to faculty, staff and students.

Royce has led Mississippi College, a 5,200-student Baptist institution since 2002. He left Anderson College from 2002.

The outgoing president says his achievements include increasing enrollment from 3,200 students, recruiting international students and boosting Mississippi College's endowment from $36 million to $81 million. The school also moved its athletic program to NCAA Division II.

Trustees say they will search nationally for a new president, aiming to hire a new leader by fall.

Royce's retirement had been expected. He says he and his wife Rhoda intend to retire to a location near their son in Virginia.

Study: Infant Mortality Rate Higher in Appalachia

Placing much of the blame on smoking, a study chronicling the ongoing health crisis in Appalachia has concluded that the 13-state region suffers from a growing disparity in infant mortality and life expectancy, two key indicators of "a nation's health and well-being."

The study, published in the August issue of Health Affairs, compared infant mortality and life expectancy rates in Appalachia with the rest of the United States between 1990 and 2013. It found while the rates were similar in the 1990s, by 2013 infant mortality across Appalachia was 16 percent higher than the rest of the country while life expectancy for adults was 2.4 years shorter.

While the region has been the focus of the opioid epidemic in recent years, the study found one of the biggest culprits was likely the prevalence of smoking and the region's tendency to be "more accepting of tobacco use as a social norm." Gopal K. Singh, a co-author of the study and a senior health equity adviser with the Health Resources and Services Administration, noted nearly 20 percent of Appalachian women report they smoked during pregnancy. In the rest of the country, it's 8 percent.

"Smoking takes a tremendous toll on the health of Appalachians," the authors wrote.

The study used the federal Appalachian Regional Commission to define the region, which covers 428 counties across 13 states. It includes all of the counties in West Virginia along with some counties in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Heart disease, cancer and other respiratory illnesses were among the leading causes of death throughout the study period, all of which can be caused by using tobacco. Kentucky and West Virginia have some of the highest smoking rates in the nation coupled with some of the lowest cigarette taxes.

Upstate Dragons to Bring Arena Football to Civic Center

Anderson has a new football team.

The Upstate Dragons will officially announce their new home Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Anderson County Civic Center. 

The Dragons will also discuss the mission and philosophy of the new arena football team as well as officially introduce the new coaching staff. 

The team is expected to play at least five home games in Anderson during the next season, scheduled for the Spring of 2018.

Tickets are expected to be available soon.

S.C. Gets 2-1-1 App to Access Information Service

South Carolina residents now have a new way to find help and locate the resources they need with the SC 2-1-1 app. Individuals can download and use the app for free on their Android or Apple devices. “We are taking the same reliable, free information you find when dialing the phone number 2-1-1 and putting it in the palm of your hands,” states Richard LaPratt, Executive Vice President of Contact Center Services at United Way Association of South Carolina.

SC 2-1-1 information and referral is a free, confidential service of United Way Association of South Carolina that connects individuals to health and human services. Anyone can access this service 24 hours a day, seven days a week by dialing the three-digit number, 2-1-1, from a landline or mobile phone; searching the website or using the online chat at www.SC211.org; or using the SC 2-1-1 app.

“United Way is simplifying the way individuals search for resources in their communities. The app offers privacy and convenience to those who need help. It is for those who are looking for help with paying bills, temporary shelter, food, job training, tax preparation, or any other service they need.” LaPratt explains.

The SC 2-1-1 app is available for download in Google Play and the App Store. It is free to download and free to use.

Clemson Survey to Measure Psychological Response to Eclipse

In ancient times, total solar eclipses were known to terrify people who were bewildered by what was happening — without warning — in the sky. While modern day science has quieted these fears, our perceptions of a total solar eclipse are still likely to differ from person to person and place to place.

Forming new understandings of these perceptual anomalies is the core of a new study by Clemson University psychology professor Cynthia Pury and graduate student Darlene Edewaard in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. The researchers are inviting the entire American public — from west to east coasts — to participate in a series of online surveys before and after viewing the Aug. 21 “Great American Eclipse.” The results of the study will give Pury and Edewaard an in-depth look into how people respond, visually and emotionally, to the phenomenon.

“Darlene is graduate student in our human factors psychology program. She studies vision and she is interested in thinking about the eclipse in terms of people’s actual visual perception of it,” Pury said. “I’m a positive psychologist, meaning that I study people’s positive emotional experiences and strengths.”

The eclipse provides Pury with an ideal opportunity to study positive emotions during one of the most astounding, once-in-a-lifetime events any human being will ever experience.

“To my knowledge, this will be the first time that awe — a profound emotional experience that people have in response to breathtaking natural phenomena and life-changing events — is studied through a very particular experience that we’re all sharing at the same time,” Pury said.

Not only will the results be “pretty cool,” according to Pury, but they will give onlookers throughout the country a chance to deeply ponder their own experiences.

Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to participate in the surveys, which will come in four parts. The first survey, to be taken before the eclipse reaches the West Coast, asks about viewers’ expectations and personal world views. A second, shorter survey will be issued after the eclipse concludes on the East Coast to gauge viewers’ feelings after the spectacle. Pury and Edewaard will follow up with a third survey about two to three weeks after the eclipse, and then a final survey in October.

Participants are free to leave questions unanswered and they can withdraw from the study at any time. The only requirement for participation is a valid email address so that the researchers can link participant responses over time. Pury and Edewaard emphasize that eclipse viewing safety is of high importance for involvement in the study: participants should wear certified eclipse shades and ensure that their viewing equipment is protected against the damaging rays of the sun.

The first survey in the study can be accessed here. Questions can be directed to Pury at cpury@clemson.edu.

Pence Denies 2020 Presidential Bid

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday denied that he is preparing for a presidential election run in 2020, saying the suggestion is "disgraceful and offensive." 

Pence was responding to a New York Times report that some Republicans were moving to form a "shadow campaign" as though President Donald Trump were not involved. It said multiple advisers to Pence "have already intimated to party donors that he would plan to run if Mr. Trump did not." 

The report said Pence had not only kept a full political calendar but also had created his own independent power base, including a political fund-raising group called the "Great America Committee." 

But Pence called the article "fake news" and said his entire team was focused on advancing Trump's agenda and seeing him re-elected in 2020. 

"The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this Administration," Pence said in a statement. 

The Times stood by its coverage. "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself," New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an email. 

Pence has good relations with conservative political groups and some of the Republican Party's big donors, including billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

Anderson ComiCon Draws Super Crowd to Library

Here are the cosplay and fan art contest winners for the 2017 Anderson ComiCon. 

Cosplay contest winners
Adult
1. Gina Carter – Captain America USO Girl
2. Victoria – Rarity (My Little Pony)
3. Sydney Shepard – Agent Carter

Teen
1. Gracie Hawthorne – Tohru
2. Bailey Phinney – Sakura
3. Rhiannon Greer – 11th Doctor

Children
1. Ian Ferraro – Poseidon
2. Cora Fellabaum – Poison Ivy
3. Julia Jackson - Rey

Group
1. Heather, Trae, and Aiden Dubay – Mandolorians
2. Amanda and Melanie – Quest for Camelot
3. Ochart Family – Star Wars Rebels

Fan art contest winners

Winning art will be on display at the Anderson Arts Center from August 17-31.

Children
1st – Jaylen-Michael McLeroy – “Alien Ninja”
2nd – Sophie Greer – “Galaxy Girl”
3rd – Jamari Smith – “One-eyed Dinosaur Alien Ride”
Fan Favorite: Zoey Mclellan – “Go Green”

Tweens
1st – Charlie Crassaris – “The Metlop Alien People First Red Moon Space Landing”
2nd – Jake Greer – “Cosmo the Spacedog”
3rd – Victoria Riddle – “Edge of the Earth”
Fan Favorite: Liam Hopkins – “BB-8”

Teens
1st – Claire Mann – “Space Dreams”
2nd – Lucian Williamson – “Grump’s Adventures in Dreamland”
3rd – Aaryn Nagasaki – “Unknown”
Fan Favorite: Elizabeth McDonald – “E.T.”

Adults
1st – Chris Stanzione – “Space Girl”
2nd – Destany Fuller – “Space Gem (Rick & Morty)”
3rd – Ashley McLeroy – “Evolution of Aliens”
Fan Favorite: Lindsay Richardson – “A Game of Thrones”

Study: 65 Percent of Christians Affirm Having Doubts

A majority of American Christians admitted to having doubts about their faith, according to a recent Barna Group study.

Americans who self-identify as Christian or have in the past were asked if they "ever experienced a time of spiritual doubt when you questioned what you believed about your religion or God." Barna found that approximately 65 percent of American Christians affirmed having doubts.

Forty percent said they experieced doubt but "worked through it" while 26 percent said they still experience spiritual doubt.

Meanwhile, 35 percent of American Christians said they never questioned their beliefs.

American Millennials who identify as Christian (38 percent) were more likely than any other generation (23 percent Gen-Xers, 19 percent Boomers, 20 percent Elders) to have questioned their faith.

The report attributed this in large part to Millennials being raised in a more pluralistic and secularized culture than older American generations.

Barna also found that Millennials were more likely than others to quit attending worship, stop reading the Bible, quit praying, and/or stop talking about spiritual matters with friends and family when going through doubts about their faith.

"Millennials were significantly more likely than other generations to stop doing all of the above, and at rates much higher than the general population," the report noted.

Notably, over half (53 percent) of self-identified Christians said their became stronger as a result of their experience with doubt. Twelve percent, however, lost their faith following the period of questioning.

Other findings show that the most common source for help or answers during their time of doubt were "friends or family," with 40 percent seeking help from them. The next most likely source was the Bible (29 percent), folllowed by church (22 percent), spouse (19 percent) and a pastor of spiritual leader (18 percent). 

The Barna report had a sample of 1,015 U.S. adults aged 18 and older surveyed online between June 5-9. Of that sample, the responses of 888 current and former Christians were examined with an error rate of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

In recent years, much has been made about the decline of religious affiliation among Millennial-aged adults in the United States.

Last September, the Public Religion Research Institute released a survey that found that nearly 40 percent of Americans aged 18-29 were religiously unaffiliated.

S.C. Lawmakers Want Special Session on Nuclear Plant Construction

 Leaders of both Democrats and Republicans in the South Carolina Senate are calling for a special session of the Legislature to deal with the abandonment of two nuclear reactors under construction.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey of Edgefield and Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler of West Columbia each signed the letter Friday.

They want Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman of Florence to call the special session to demand Santee Cooper and South Carolina Electric & Gas take no action to increase electric rates or further steps to abandon the plants until lawmakers meet in January.

Democratic Rep. James Smith of Columbia formed a bipartisan Energy Caucus that also is calling for a special session.

Neither Leatherman nor House Speaker Jay Lucas of Hartsville immediately responded to the letter.