Today 
Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at 6:45AM The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a blood drive today from 10 a.m.=2 p.m. in the back parking lot of the Law Enforcement Center at 305 Camson Road.
“Blood supplies typically take a dip during the Summer months and this year is no exception,” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at 4:47AM Swedish car maker Volvo says all its new cars from 2019 will have an electric motor, ending altogether the manufacture of automobiles that have only a combustion engine.
Volvo Cars, which describes the decision as "one of the most significant moves by any car maker," says it will have a range of models, including fully electric vehicles and hybrid cars.
CEO Hakan Samuelsson said Wednesday the policy reflects the wishes of customers.
He said: "People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs."
Volvo said that it will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021. Three of them will be Volvo models and two will be electrified cars from Polestar, Volvo Cars' performance car arm.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at 12:34AM A new law requires every police officer in South Carolina to be trained in recognizing mental illness and de-escalating confrontations with people who are manic, not malicious.
State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel says officers increasingly encounter people with mental health issues and need to be able to "see it for what it is."
The now-mandatory course will be part of the additional training officers need every three years to be recertified. The training is already standard for the state's 59 accredited agencies.
But there are nearly 300 law enforcement agencies statewide.
Paton Blough knows firsthand the difference that training makes. The Greenville resident has been arrested six times during psychotic episodes. He now helps educate officers on his "successful arrests" verses violent ones that left him with scars.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017 at 9:54AM 
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017 at 7:11AM
(Reuters) - Americans will celebrate Independence Day on Tuesday with fireworks, acts of gluttony and escapes to the beach, even for people in New Jersey where legislators brokered a last-minute deal to reopen state parks.
In keeping with tradition, cities across the country will launch fireworks after dark, perhaps the most emblematic way to commemorate July 4, 1776, when the American colonies' Declaration of Independence from Britain was adopted.
The document enshrines the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which in many U.S. cities today involves competitions over how many hot dogs and hamburgers people can stuff down their throats in rapid succession.
In Washington, a hamburger restaurant challenges competitors to consume as many sandwiches as possible in 10 minutes, while in New York City, a seaside establishment stages a tournament that tests some of the world's most formidable consumers of frankfurters.
Americans are expected to flock to beaches, especially in the West where the weather is hot and dry, while the eastern part of the country may see scattered thunderstorms.
In New Jersey, a budget battle halted nonessential services, forcing state beaches and parks to close, but lawmakers on Monday night ended the three-day-old state government shutdown.
On Sunday, while state beaches were still closed, however, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie managed to visit Island Beach State Park, prompting outrage.
Maine residents are facing a partial government shutdown as well, but its state parks remain open. They are two of nine states to miss deadlines for passing a budget.
An informal peace and love celebration will mark the holiday in Oregon's Malheur National Forest. The annual Rainbow Family Gathering had drawn nearly 12,000 people by Monday, and thousands more were expected for July Fourth, said Ryan Nehl, a forest administrator.
Professing to have no leaders and no organization, the families mark Independence Day with "care-taking of mother earth, nonviolence and living a compassionate and loving life," according to one blog associated with the event.
"We don't want any of the groups to potentially surround any of the officers on site," Nehl said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are scheduled to attend a picnic for military families on the South Lawn of the White House and later view an 18-minute fireworks display.
City officials expect almost 700,000 visitors for a range of events in the U.S. capital.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017 at 4:29AM The arsenal you and your family have acquired for your Fourth of July festivities is nothing to sneeze at, but in order to not bother your freedom-loving neighbors, knowing South Carolina's laws may be your best be in having a fun and safe holiday.
First thing's first - you must be at least 16 years old to purchase fireworks in the state of South Carolina.
RELATED: Fireworks may trigger bad memories for vets with PTSD
Moreover, it is illegal in South Carolina to have "fireworks containing pyrotechnic composition in excess of two grains, designed to produce a loud and piercing effect, including:
Other than that, any other fireworks are permitted in South Carolina - mortars, spinners, bottle rockets, cakes, aerial fireworks, etc.
Read the full South Carolina fireworks law here.
Here is a list of safety tips from the National Council on Fireworks Safety:
And let’s not forget the safety of our pets!
Monday, July 3, 2017 at 10:35PM South Carolina election officials say they have received a letter requesting voter information from U.S. President Donald Trump's commission investigating voter fraud.
State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said commissioners will carefully consider the request received Monday. He says they are researching state and federal law.
Trump's commission asked for names, party affiliations, addresses, voting histories, felony convictions, military service and the last four digits of Social Security numbers for registered voters.
Whitmire wrote in an email that the agency collects most of the information requested. He says they can't release any part of Social Security numbers under state law and South Carolina doesn't have party affiliation data.
Some states have refused to comply at all, and none have all the information Trump's commission asked for.
Monday, July 3, 2017 at 7:32PM A federal appeals court on Monday blocked an effort by the Trump administration to roll back some of the Environmental Protection Agency's climate protections.
In a 2-1 vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decided that President Donald Trump's EPA cannot impose a 2-year suspension of a regulation that limits methane gas and other pollutants.
The court ruled that the administration has the right to reconsider the 2016 regulation, but not nullify it for two years while it rewrites the rules.
"We conclude that EPA lacked authority under the Clean Air Act to stay the rule," the court wrote in its 8-page decision.
The regulation was put on the books by the administration of former President Barack Obama as part of his ambitious climate change agenda. When Trump took office, though, he sought to scale back many of the former president's environmental efforts.
Before the case went to court, Trump's EPA and the oil industry argued that the 2-year suspension of the rule was not subject to judicial review.
"Just because you provide a time for implementation or compliance that's longer doesn't mean that you're going to necessarily reverse or redirect the rule," EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told The Washington Post.
Monday, July 3, 2017 at 10:29AM In the United States, teenage moms are increasingly rare. In 2016, the teen birth rate dropped 9 percent compared to the previous year, a government report found.
This record low for teens having babies continues a long-term trend.
The birth rate among teen girls has dropped 67 percent since 1991, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which presented preliminary data for 2016 based on a majority (99.9 percent) of births.
In 2016, the number of U.S. births totaled 3,941,109, a decline of 1 percent compared to 2015. The fertility rate of 62 births per 1,000 women is a record low for the nation.
The teen rate is a “phenomenal decline,” said Dr. Elise Berlan, a physician in the section of adolescent medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Berlan, who did not conduct this research.
The reason she’s so excited is “because we know that the vast majority of teen births are unintended.”
What’s fueling the declines?
“Data [from previous years] really suggests it is access to contraceptives and use of contraceptives that has really led to these kind of changes,” said Berlan, who noted “most teens are using some form of birth control” and the top method is “the condom, followed by withdrawal and the pill.”
On the flip side, the increase in births to older moms is also important, Martin said.
For women between the ages of 30 and 34, the birth rate increased by 1 percent over 2015 — the highest rate for this age group since 1964.
The birth rate for women who are between 35 and 39 is up 2 percent over 2015, representing the highest rate since 1962.
Even older women, those between the ages of 40 and 44, showed a swelling increase of 4 percent over 2015 — the highest rate for this group since 1966, according to the statisticians, while the rate of birth for women who are older than 45 is also a record high though the number of births remains essentially unchanged compared to last year.
Joyce A. Martin, a co-author of the report and lead statistician, also noted the declining rate of nonmarital births — births to people who aren’t legally married — in 2016, which fell 3 percent compared to the previous year.
Monday, July 3, 2017 at 6:12AM If nothing is done, trucks used to ship goods by road will produce as much pollution as coal used in the power and industrial sectors combined, a report found.
A report published Monday by the International Energy Agency found that if no improvements are made to the global fleet of heavy trucks, oil demand from the sector will account for about 40 percent of the projected 2050 total demand growth.
The sector already accounts for about 30 percent of total transport-related carbon emissions and about 20 percent of total emissions of nitrogen oxides, the primary components of air pollution. Demand growth means that road freight will by 2050 produce the equivalent emissions of carbon dioxide as is expected for coal use in the power and industrial sectors combined.
"For far too long there has been a lack of policy focus on truck fuel efficiency," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement. "Given they are now the dominant driver of global oil demand, the issue can no longer be ignored if we are to meet our energy and environmental objectives."
By improving freight logistics, aerodynamics and finding alternative fuels, the IEA said energy use from road freight could decline by 50 percent and emissions could move lower by 75 percent by 2050.
Including passenger vehicles, the entire transportation sector accounts for the bulk of total energy used. Only four countries have energy-efficiency standards for heavy trucks, compared with 40 countries with standards for passenger vehicles.
Sunday, July 2, 2017 at 12:02PM Besides taking extra caution on the roadways this holiday weekend, you are also urged to be mindful of your pets when enjoying fireworks.
The Fourth of July is a time of celebration but for pet owners, the days before should be a time of preparation.
"Celebrations are not fun for animals. This is the number one holiday for animals to get lost," said Katie Morrell, with Paws Humane.
Morrell says preparation should begin before the fireworks start.
“Bring them into a safe place. Make sure windows and doors are locked. Turn on the TV with a movie or music,” Morrell says.
If your dog is more anxious than most, a new jacket could be just what they need this holiday weekend.
“Thunder shirts are designed to help animals. It is a snug tight wrap that goes around the animal’s core. It is like a hug,” Morrell says.
If you are looking for a furry friend to spend the dog days of summer with, PAWS is running a special through July 14 offering $4 dog adoptions.
Sunday, July 2, 2017 at 10:09AM Anderson Mayor Terrence Roberts is recovering after a health scare in late June.
Mayor Roberts shared an update on his progress today:
I would like to thank the citizens of Anderson as well as my family and friends for their prayers and support over the past week.
Last Sunday, I was taken to AnMed and transported to Greenville Memorial where I was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. On Thursday, the capable staff at Greenville Memorial Hospital successfully completed a minimally invasive procedure to insert a stint to repair the aneurism.
I am blessed beyond belief for having not only survived such a serious incident but having done so with no significant long term consequences. Given the seriousness of this condition, I remain under the care of the staff at Greenville Memorial Hospital, primarily for precautionary measures.
I am in contact with City Manager Linda McConnell and will ensure the business of the City of Anderson continues to move forward.
I am truly grateful for the outpouring of support from our community during this past week. I couldn't be prouder to be associated with such a caring City and compassionate citizenry. I look forward to seeing everyone soon at Anderson's Thursday Night Block Party!
Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 11:13AM South Carolina was the fifth most popular state for people moving in in 2016, according to the annual United Van Lines study of migration in America.
The migration numbers are in and some interesting shifts in moving behavior are emerging. In 2016, the most significant trends seem to be developing with retirees and job seekers.
This is all according to United Van Lines 2016 National Movers' Study which has tracked migration patterns annually on a state-by-state basis since 1977. For 2016, the study is based on household moves handled by United within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. This study ranks states based off the inbound and outbound percentages of total moves in each state.
“This year’s data clearly reflects retirees’ location preferences. We are seeing more retirees than ever decide to relocate, and as a result, new retirement hubs are popping up in Western states," said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Interestingly enough, these retirees are leaving at such a fast pace that the movement of millennials to urban areas in the Midwest and Northeast is being overshadowed.”
According to the United Van Lines’ 40th Annual National Movers Study, South Dakota's inbound popularity outpaced all other states in 2016 with nearly 68 percent of moves being inbound. The state has been climbing the ranks in recent years, increasing inbound migration by 23 percent over the past five years.
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