Parkway Park Expected to Be Finished in Late June

The East-West Parkway Park, at the corner of the parkway and Hobson Road, is expected to be completed by the end of June, according to Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns.

Weather and a series of short delays pushed the completion into the summer. The State of South Carolina allocated significant funding and, along with the $112,900 appropriated by the county for the facility.

Anderson County Council approved the part after county recently accepted ownership of the old roadbed of Hobson Road from the South Carolina Department of Transportation two years ago.Click map for exact location

Parking for those wishing to walk the track alongside the parkway has become a problem.  

Phase two of the project, which has no target date, would allow for an expanded plan picnic tables, benches, a playground and additional parking space. 

Legislature Approves $8B Spending Plan

(AP) - The Legislature on Tuesday approved a roughly $8 billion spending plan for state taxes, despite opposition to a provision that strips South Carolina's higher education agency of its ability to review the bulk of public colleges' building plans.

The Senate initially voted 19-23 to reject a budget clause suspending the Commission on Higher Education's authority to say yes or no to public colleges' plans for athletic facilities and all other construction projects that aren't new academic buildings. The agency says those represent about 80 percent of all proposals.

University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides argued that removing the oversight agency from the multistep review process provides relief from "overly burdensome bureaucracy." He contends such projects are funded by nonpublic sources, such as donations, ticket purchases and television contracts.

But Jeff Schilz, the agency's interim president, said tuition and fees also support the projects.

The provision's critics contend the move will lead to continued hikes in a state that already ranks highest in the Southeast for cost of a degree.

"This is taking the little bit of power they have away from them," Sen. Chip Campsen, an Isle of Palms Republican, said of the agency. "We really ought to be moving in the direction of a Board of Regents. This moves us dramatically in the opposite direction."

Over the past decade, the state's public colleges have completed $3.7 billion worth of construction — "a rate which is completely unsustainable and adds to ever-rising tuition costs," Schilz said.

Officials acknowledge the agency hasn't previously vetted projects adequately. But they stepped up efforts after the House threatened two years ago to defund the agency entirely, calling it a rubber-stamp board.

"When they did their job, they got stripped of their authority," said Rep. Bill Taylor, an Aiken Republican. "Tuitions could rise rapidly. It's an unwise approach."

He called on Gov. Henry McMaster to veto the budget clause.

The move comes one year after the agency turned down Coastal Carolina University's plans for a new, larger football stadium. The Legislature overrode the decision in the budget over then-Gov. Nikki Haley's veto.

Last week, the agency's board postponed voting on whether USC could buy land near campus allowing for a soccer field elsewhere.

The Senate's initial vote put the budget in limbo. If it had held, legislators would've been forced to start over with budget negotiations. Faced with the possibility of having no budget before the fiscal year's July 1 start, senators overturned their vote and approved the budget compromise 40-2.

The House voted 100-9 to approve the deal worked out last week by a six-member panel.

"Please understand what you're about to do," Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman, the chamber's lead negotiator, said before the revote. "It could be a very long, hot summer."

Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Columbia Democrat, unsuccessfully urged his colleagues to maintain their opposition.

He hoped renewed negotiations would provide money for a proposed 40,000-square-foot African-American Museum in Charleston he said would be an international tourist draw and job creator in the city where slaves were brought and sold. The Senate plan had included $5 million for the project, increasing the state's total commitment since 2010 to $19 million. House negotiators insisted on no additional money.

Jackson said former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley was counting on more state money to begin construction in January.

The project's estimated $75 million cost was supposed to be split between the state, local governments and donations. But the county has yet to pony up and private fundraising is "nowhere close," Leatherman said.

"I didn't get off the last turnip truck coming into town," he said, adding it was a key sticking point to negotiations. "This kind of monument will not be built on hope."

Council Moves Ahead on Budget, Preston Case

Anderson County Council moved ahead with the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget Tuesday night, and to pursue all legal options pursuant to last week’s South Carolina Court of Appeals ruling that former Anderson County Administrator Joey Preston must return the $1.1 million severance he received when he resigned in 2008.  

Council went into executive session to receive legal advice on the Preston case. Anderson County Councilman Tom Allen put forth the motion, which was approved, to instruct the county attorney to pursue all legal options in the Preston case. 

The executive session also considered Airport navigation easement and amendments to the Airport Height Limitation Ordinance, and the sale of a county-owned house in Powdersville.

Council on Tuesday night also approved, on second reading, the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget. 

“We’re still long way apart on a number of items,” said Anderson County Councilwoman Cindy Wilson, who suggested she would agree to vote in favor of second reading of the budget if council would agree to a budget workshop. 

Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn asked council member to put in writing their concerns relating to the budget to the finance committee before the next budget workshop, to allow material for discussion.

Dunn said council was working to reduce the proposed 2.9-mill increase.

Anderson County Councilman Craig Wooten, who voted against the budget, expressed concern about raising taxes and said he wished the budget process could be moved earlier in the year to allow more time for the finance committee a better chance to fine-tune the budget. 

Wooten also suggested renaming the council recreation fund the “Community Development Fund,” to better define the money be used at the discretion of individual council members.

On raising taxes, he remains unconvinced.

“If we have to go to that next level, we have to explain it to the taxpayers,” Wooten said. “I am not at that point yet.”

Also on Tuesday night, Council approved:

A bid on the construction of the Townville Convenience Center, $689,000 by THO Construction, Inc . 

A bid on the Toxaway Mill Cleanup bid $223,000 by Moats Construction, Inc.

AFCO to Close Anderson Plant, Laying Off 346

Updated 6/to reflect correct breakdown of employees and information on potential employment opportunities at other DENSO and Bosch locations.

Associated Fuel Pump Systems Corporation (AFCO) - a joint venture between Bosch and Denso in Anderson -announced Tuesday the partnership will be dissolved and the facilities 346 employs will be laid off near.

A spokes for the company, which made fuel pumps/modules for a number of automobile manufacturers, said a change in the industry led to the decision.

The plant, located near Bosch on S.C. 81 North, was established in 1989 and a joint German-Japanese venture, and employs 287 full-time employees and 59 temporary workders who are not expected to have any trouble finding work. 

“These are some of the most highly skilled employees in Anderson County,” said Burriss Nelson, director of economic development for Anderson County. “I am sure it is unsettling for those folks and their families, but they will not have any trouble finding work.” 

AFCO is expected to close late next year. 

Where possible, direct and indirect associates will be considered for positions at other DENSO and Bosch locations. AFCO will provide information regarding open positions at both parent companies.

Nelson also said the county will likely have little trouble finding new industry for the 172,000-square-foot facility, adding that it could be considered as a spec building for Anderson County.

Boil Water Advisory Issued for Homeland Park

A boil water advisory was issued for hundreds of Anderson County residents on Tuesday.

Homeland Park Water said a cable company hit a water line Monday night. The line was repaired early Tuesday morning but a boil water advisory was put in place affecting 250 to 300 customers.

The boil water advisory impacts people from 28 South to Acker Road and customers on South McDuffie Street Extension.

New S.C. Residents Face Vehicle Registration Hike July 1

Starting July 1, when South Carolina's new gas tax takes effect, those registering their car in South Carolina for the first time are going to notice a bigger bill at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“If you register your car after July 1, you’ll go to the county you live and pay your taxes and go to the DMV to get your tag. At that point, rather than pay a $24 fee, which is what you pay now, you’re going to pay a $250 fee,” Dorchester County Auditor J. J. Messervy said.

“Crap that’s a lot! That’s, that’s almost exorbitant,” one new South Carolinian said.

This fee is for people who register in South Carolina for the first time. The fee will be separate from your vehicle taxes and will only be paid at the DMV, meaning your total cost is about to be ten times higher.

“I know because I have to register my car from out of state I already have to pay about $250 and adding another $200 to that, yea,” one new South Carolinian said.

The fee is part of the gas tax bill that South Carolina just passed, and one portion of the bill states “The Department of Motor Vehicles shall transfer eighty percent of every fee collected on motor vehicles pursuant to subsections (B) and (C), but not to exceed two hundred forty dollars, to the Department of Transportation to be allocated to the state-funded resurfacing program.”

“This is a huge change as far as that’s concerned," Messervy said. "When you talk about the gas tax, I believe it’s going up two cents per year where this is going to be a large fee to hit right away."

Rather than waiting until the last minute, Messervy advises that it’s best to do it early than pay the new and higher price.

“If you’re a person that needed to register your car and hadn’t had an opportunity or whatever else, this is a time for you to save yourself $250 on every vehicle you own,” Messervy said.

Lawmakers Return to Columbia to Work on Budget

The South Carolina General Assembly is returning to Columbia to consider a compromise version of the state budget for the fiscal year that begins next month.

The Senate convenes at noon and the House at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The $8 billion measure contains no raises for most state workers, although law enforcement agencies would get more money to reduce turnover.

The bill also provides nearly $29 million to buy new school buses, including some rear-engine models that have been prone to overheating and fires.

Gov. Henry McMaster could veto all or parts of the bill.

Lawmakers could come back again this summer to consider any vetoes if McMaster rejects major sections of the spending plan.

Otherwise, lawmakers don't plan to return until January.

Supreme Court Says N.C. Redistricting Violated Law

The Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that struck down 28 state House and Senate districts in North Carolina because they violated the rights of black voters. But the justices rejected the court's order to redraw the districts and hold a special election.

The action by the justices Monday sends the matter back to the lower court, which could order new districts in time for the regular cycle of elections in 2018.

Democrats hope new district maps will help them break the Republican stranglehold on the state legislature.

Democrats need to capture three House seats or six Senate seats currently held by Republicans to eliminate the GOP's veto-proof majorities. That would enhance the power of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

A panel of three federal judges in North Carolina that struck down the districts as illegal racial gerrymanders had ordered the drawing of new districts in time for special elections this year. But the Supreme Court blocked the order for the new districts. The matter is back in the hands of the lower court.

The high court's action follows last month's ruling in which the justices struck down two North Carolina congressional districts because they diminished the voting strength of the state's black residents.

The districts were initially drawn in 2011 when Republicans controlled the legislature, as they do now. Civil rights groups and black voters challenged the districts, complaining that they packed too many black voters into some districts to make surrounding districts whiter and thus more likely to elect Republicans.

McMaster to Visit Anderson, Upstate Today

Governor Henry McMaster will make two stops in the Upstate Monday to address economic needs and mark a major economic stride.

First, the governor will visit Anderson to hold the first meeting in his roundtable series with state business to get input on the regulations and red tape that make doing business in South Carolina difficult.

According to McMaster’s office, the series of meetings are building on his recent executive order that called for a transparent review of cabinet agency regulations that may harm business growth.

"Future economic prosperity requires that we keep South Carolina globally competitive. Periodically, that means identifying regulations and red tape that hinder any business owners' ability to invest, expand, hire and profit," McMaster said in a news release. "We need our local business leaders to provide examples of how the government is getting in their way, so we can provide them to the General Assembly."

The meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Anderson, located at 115 Destination Boulevard, at 11:30 a.m.

Next, McMaster will head to Fountain Inn at 1:45 p.m. to attend a ribbon cutting at Tower International’s new plant, located in the Southchase Business Park at 139 Southchase Blvd.

Tower’s plant will produce metal components for the automotive industry. The company invested $75 million to build the facility and create 140 new jobs.

Podcast: River Rally, County Budget, Joey Preston, Wild Hogs and a Fallen Hero and how to help his family

S.C. Christian Fiction Writers to Meet June 24

The South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers will meet June 24 from 2-5 p.m. at North Anderson Baptist Church. Visitors are welcome.

The meeting will include of a free class and critique of manuscripts. Visitors must sit in one critique session before bringing a manuscript and all submissions have to follow Critique Submission Guidelines found on a page on the chapter blog at http://scwritersacfw.blogspot.com.

Elva Cobb Martin will present: "Getting Your Novel Published: Fleecy Clouds and Slimy Pits," providing tips and insights for writers she learned from the recent publication of her first two novels, "Summer of Deception" and In a "Pirate's Debt". Both novels have spent time on Amazon's 100 Best Sellers' List for Women's Religious Fiction. They can be found on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

Marting is president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers,  a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. Her work has appeared in "Decision," "Charisma," and "Home Life." In addition to her novels, she has indie published a mini Bible study, "Power Over Satan."

For more information, contact Elva Martin, chapter president, at elvacmartin@gmail.com or at 864-226-7024.

The State: S.C. Creating Pilot Program to Grow Hemp

AP - Around here tobacco and cotton are king, but the potential for hemp to take that spot has never been better.

The state legislature passed a law last month that created a “pilot program” for industrial hemp production in hopes of bolstering research and pinpointing which growing methods work best in this state.

Despite a common misconception, hemp and marijuana are not the same. Industrial hemp is a plant best used for fibers crops and oils, while marijuana is a crop most often used for its psychoactive and medicinal features.

The goal, lawmakers have said, is to reach statewide mass industrial hemp production within the next five years.

“We’re still three to five years from this becoming a large-scale, sustainable economic engine simply because of how the legislation is written,” said Rep. Roger Kirby, a Florence County Democrat who was one of the original co-signers of the bill.

“We’re excited about the possibilities but we’re still in a test phase,” he said. “We have to determine what works best for the state from a production standpoint, which practices work best and which varieties grow best.”

Sometime this summer, the state Department of Agriculture and the State Law Enforcement Division will issue 20 licenses to grow hemp crops on up to 20 acres of farm land. The law also allows for state researchers and universities to legally study the herb.

After the first year, the program would expand to 50 licenses for 50 acres. Beyond that, the Agriculture Department and the state’s research universities would have to determine whether the program would be expanded.

Cash crop 

South Carolina agriculture is worth $3 billion annually.

Rep. Kirby said full legalization of hemp production, when phased in, would be one of the biggest plays for South Carolina farmers in recent history.

“The Pee Dee hasn’t had a sustainable cash crop since big tobacco went away in the early 2000s,” he said. “I think it’s not only possible for hemp to become that type of cash crop, I think you will see it happen in the next five to 10 years.”

An early concern for area farmers was the viability of sale when the time comes to harvest the crop. Kirby said the market potential is already there; South Carolina just has to tap into it.

One example: BMW manufacturing in Spartanburg uses a hemp composite in door paneling for some of its models but imports the product from oversees.

“Why import when we can grow it right here?” Kirby asked. “More than that, we’ve already got industrial interests in this area from producers, from researchers, medicinal manufacturers, bio-mass companies, bio-fuel companies and fiber companies. The market is there not just in South Carolina but worldwide.”

Climate-friendly 

Dr. Gregory Pryor, a biofuels researcher and professor of biology at Francis Marion University, said hemp has potential to provide eco-friendly solution on a variety of fronts.

“Take cotton, for example, it requires a lot more water than hemp and takes a ton of pesticides and herbicides to get that white cotton ball we see on the stem in the fall,” he said. “Hemp is essentially a weed and doesn’t require that type of chemical treatment. From an environmental standpoint, it’s a better option.”

Hemp is more than a traditional industrial style crop, Pryor said. Ethanol can be sourced from the hemp’s stalk and oils from the seeds can be converted into biodiesel, on top of the myriad of other uses for hemp.

This could be a solution to reducing carbon emissions and steering fuels toward a sustainable model, rather than relying on depleting fossil fuels.

When a plant grows, it consumes carbon dioxide. When that plant, hemp in this case, is processed it into fuel and burned, it releases the same amount of carbon dioxide consumed by the plant back into the atmosphere. This makes biofuels carbon neutral.

Other oils are carbon based and, when burned, release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

“South Carolina has the potential to reduce our reliance on foreign oil with something like hemp,” Pryor said. “And the biggest benefit is that we can grow it right here; it’s sustainable and renewable. The illegality of it is ridiculous because you can’t get high with industrial hemp at all.”

Hemp v. marijuana

Hemp has plenty of uses: fibers, papers, food products, medicines, oils, composite materials and biofuels, among other things.

One thing it isn’t used for, however, is achieving a high.

Industrial hemp contains 0.3 percent or less of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive component that creates a high. Marijuana is a separate class of cannabis sativa that typically contains up to 40 percent THC.

An early concern from law enforcement was the potential for pot-farmers to mask illegal operations under the guise of industrial hemp production.

Research shows, however, that pollen from industrial hemp can ruin the THC quantity and quality in marijuana – making it more of a threat to marijuana crops than a viable camouflage.

Hemp in America

Hemp in America dates back to the early 1600s and was grown by some of the nation’s founding fathers.

Historically, hemp has been cultivated into canvas for tents and sail cloths. Paper from hemp was used on several famous documents including, the original King James Bible and first drafts of the Declaration of Independence.

Hemp was grown in the U.S. until the late 1930s.

In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act strictly regulated the cultivation and sale of all cannabis varieties – including hemp. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified all forms of cannabis, also including hemp, as a Schedule I drug, making it illegal to grow.

In 2014, the U.S. Congress passed a bill allowing states that have passed their own industrial hemp legislation to grow hemp for purposes of research and development.

Since then, 31 states have approved some type of hemp legislation.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article154305914.html#storylink=cpy

Poll Workers Pay Increase as Part of S.C. Budget

South Carolinians working the polls on Election Day will get a pay increase for the first time in a decade.

The State newspaper reports Saturday (http://bit.ly/2spCmQV ) that poll workers in state and county elections will get $75 a day, up from $60. The $300,000 that will cost taxpayers next fiscal year is part of the budget compromise reached last week by a six-member House-Senate panel.

State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire says poll managers are essential to good elections. He says the workers' increase is well deserved, as they work "long, hard days."

Even after the pay bump, they'll still work for less than minimum wage, as they often work 15 hours on election days.

The commission says more than 15,000 workers monitored polls statewide in November's presidential election.

Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com