S.C. Man's Compromised Info Removed from Healthcare.gov

A South Carolina man who learned his personal information was accessed on the federal healthcare exchange's website by a man in North Carolina says his information has finally been removed from the system.

"I was finally contacted by CMS yesterday afternoon around 4:00 p.m. and by 7:00 p.m. they had confirmed to me, at least as far as I understand it that in fact my account, my daughter's account had been removed from their system," Dougall said.

Dougall logged on to healthcare.gov to browse for cheaper insurance for him and his wife about a month ago.

Late last week, Dougall received a phone call from North Carolina resident Justin Hadley, who said he saw Dougall's information instead of his own when Hadley logged on to the website.

Dougall believed Hadley to be a scammer, but Hadley provided him with documents containing Tom's personal information and screenshots of the website.

It took four days for Thomas Dougall to get his family's personal information wiped off healthcare.gov.

Dougall says it should not have been this difficult to hit delete.

"There's no button to click on to say, my security has been compromised," he said. "There is no button to click on to say I want to delete my account because I no longer trust your system."

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott took Tom's story to Washington and questioned the administrator of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services.

"We're not happy with where we are, we're frustrated with the situation as it is and I'm very concerned that there may be hundreds if not thousands of other Americans who have not come forward yet or reached out to their Congress member or their senator to look for advice and look for assistance in fixing this major problem, which is a breach of trust from my perspective," Scott said in a Skype interview with WIS.

Justin Hadley, the man in North Carolina who could access Dougall's information, has had his account cleared as well.

Dougall says anyone else accessing the system needs to be careful.

"I tell them to contact their Congressmen because they've got no reason to believe the system is secure," he said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continues to say they are working to improve their website and that security is their top priority.

Billy Graham to Broadcast Final Message Today

The Rev. William Franklin "Billy" Graham Jr., born Nov. 7, 1918, will mark his 95th birthday this week with a special message to America entitled "The Cross." The highly anticipated program, set for television and online broadcasts, may very well be the venerable evangelist's final message to the U.S.

Graham, who has counseled many U.S. presidents, including Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon, and was a friend to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., revealed last month that his "timeless message of hope and redemption through Jesus Christ" was finally ready to be shared with Americans.

In a letter published Monday on the BGEA website, the Rev. Graham writes, "I've recently prepared what may well be my last message to our nation. I have prayed a great deal about this."

He adds, "With all my heart, I want to remind Americans of God's amazing love and, as simply and clearly as I can, call people to 'a repentance that leads to salvation' (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)."

According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA): "Woven within Graham's message are the faith stories of two popular musicians: rapper LeCrae Moore and former Flyleaf lead singer Lacey Sturm. You will be blessed by their testimonies and the original music that serves as the background to a simple and relevant explanation by Billy Graham of the saving power of the cross."

Indeed, the testimonies shared by Moore and Sturm in "The Cross" are powerful, and interwoven with Graham's account of Christ's "painful" crucifixion and God's purpose in sending His son to the cross, may prompt a sense of urgency among viewers. Classic scenes of the evangelist preaching in packed stadiums were also spliced into the 30-minute program.

Graham's "The Cross" message is a new addition to his ministry's "My Hope America With Billy Graham," a nationwide movement to expose Americans to the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. "My Hope" was originally launched in 2002 as an international evangelism effort, and has been shared with millions of people in South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The 95-year-old Southern Baptist preacher retired to his North Carolina home in 2005 after 60 years of ministry, and since has written several books, including the 2013's The Reason for My Hope: Salvation. The Reason for My Hope, released in October, remains a leader in online sales, ranking on Amazon in the top three of Christian Faith books, ahead of Rob Bell's Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Live and David Platt's Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream.

While Graham's heart-stirring message is scheduled to air on several cable networks beginning Nov. 7, the program also has been made available for restricted viewing via download as well as on DVD.

For more information on "The Cross," airing Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, use the following links: Watch on TV | Order a DVD | Watch Online (http://watchbillygraham.com).

High Court to Rule on Public Prayer

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday for Town of Greece vs. Galloway, a case addressing the constitutionality of sectarian prayers at a town board meeting. Experts agree that the Court will likely rule in favor of the public prayers, but how it decides the case could be more significant.

The town of Greece, N.Y., was sued by two plaintiffs, Susan Galloway and Linda Stephens, for its custom of inviting religious leaders to begin the town's board meetings with prayer. Most, but not all, of the religious leaders have been Christian. Galloway, a Jew, and Stephens, an atheist, said the sectarian prayers, which sometimes mentioned Jesus, made them uncomfortable.

The Court must decide whether the prayers at the Greece board meeting violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion ... ."

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Five Takeaways from 2013 Elections

There were only a few elections Tuesday, but the results can say a few things about the current state of American politics. Here are five takeaways:

1) Politics is Local, Except When It Isn't

"All politics is local," Tip O'Neill, speaker of the House during the Reagan administration, was famous for saying. His point was that how an individual congressperson relates to the voters in their district is more important than what is going on nationally. Politicians are more important than political parties, in other words.

While O'Neill's maxim was likely more true in the 1980's than today, there are still cases where it applies. Tuesday's gubernatorial election in New Jersey is a good example. Chris Christie, a Republican, was able to easily win reelection in a strongly Democratic state even as his own party's brand is deeply diminished. New Jerseyites like their governor more than they dislike Republicans.

The Virginia governor's race, on the other hand, saw the opposite. The race swung back and forth depending upon the national fortunes of the Republican Party and President Barack Obama.

During the government shutdown in the first half of October, the Republican Party was taking a beating in the polls and so was its Virginia governor candidate, Ken Cuccinelli. After the shutdown ended, though, the press turned its attention to all the problems with the "Obamacare" rollout and Obama's misleading statements regarding his new health care law. When Obama's poll numbers took a dive, so did the poll numbers for the Democratic candidate, Terry McAuliffe.

2) Democrat's "War on Women" Strategy is Still Working, So They'll Keep Using It

McAuliffe used the Obama 2012 campaign playbook. Millions of dollars were spent by the McAuliffe campaign on ads claiming, or implying, that Cuccinelli is anti-woman, much like Obama's team did against Mitt Romney. Some of those ads claimed that Cuccinelli wants to make birth-control illegal. The ads worked. Cuccinelli's support among single women dropped after the ads began.

Expect the "war on women" strategy to continue as long as it works. Similar ads will be used in next year's midterm elections.

3) The Marriage/Gender Gap is (Still) Significant

The media loves to talk about the gender gap (Republicans do better among men and Democrats do better among women). "Women voters play starring role in Va. governor's race," USA Today reported Tuesday.

What is more significant than the gender gap, though, is the marriageand gender gap. Cuccinelli won among married women by nine percentage points, 51 to 42 percent. McAuliffe, on the other hand, won by a much greater margin, 42 percentage points, among single women (67 to 25 percent).

A similar, but less extreme, pattern exists among men. Cuccinelli won among married men, 50 to 44 percent, and McAuliffe won among single men, 58 to 33 percent.

4) Chris Christie is a Presidential Frontrunner

It is difficult to overstate how impressive Christie's victory was. Republicans rarely win statewide in New Jersey, yet Christie received 63 percent of the vote. He also performed well among demographic groups that Republicans usually struggle with.

He won 51 percent of the Latino vote; 55 percent of young voters; and 57 percent of women voters, even though he had a female opponent, Barbara Buono. Plus, among black voters, with whom most Republicans are lucky to get 10 percent, Christie got 21 percent of the vote.

These numbers are enough to make any Republican strategist drool when they look ahead to the 2016 presidential race.

5) Virginia is Still a Swing State

Obama won Virginia twice and Democrats just won the governor's and lt. governor's race. This may lead some to conclude that Virginia is now a blue, or Democratic, state. (At the time of publication, it appears that the Republican candidate barely won the attorney general race by a couple of hundred votes.)

While Virginia may be becoming a blue state, it is not there yet. Cuccinelli only lost by 2.5 percentage points, 45.5 to 48 percent, or about 55,000 votes.

Cuccinelli kept the race close despite his many weaknesses: a third party candidate, libertarian Robert Sarvis, drew more votes away from Cuccinelli than McAuliffe; he was outspent (there were 10 McAuliffe TV ads for every Cuccinelli ad); and, both Republican and Democratic pundits agree, Cuccinelli ran a poor campaign. Under better circumstances, Republicans can still win a statewide election in Virginia.

S.C. Charter Schools Suffer from Poor Financing

South Carolina charter schools don’t have equitable access to buildings and financing for capital projects, and that puts their subset of public school students at an educational disadvantage, according to a new report.

The Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina worked with the national alliance and a Colorado group of charter schools to analyze the charter school facility landscape in South Carolina.

The biggest facility issue facing the state’s charter schools is a lack of dedicated funding for buildings, said Mary Carmichael, executive director of the state charter school alliance. Charter schools don’t get any state money earmarked for facilities, and that means schools must pay for buildings with general operating money that could be going to classrooms.

More than 70 percent of the state’s charter schools put money toward facilities that could be paying for iPads or extra teachers.

“There’s less money available to go into classroom resources,” Carmichael said. “It’s having to make really tough decisions on how to allocate resources that the schools within the district are not having to do without.”

The disparity is significant, especially given the projected growth of the state’s charter schools, she said. About 95 percent of the state’s charter schools are looking to grow their enrollment during the next five years, and 15 new charter schools are slated to open in the state in 2014.

Some of the study’s other key findings include: the state’s charter school buildings are smaller than prescribed standards; physical education and recreational options are limited for the state’s charter school students; and 60 percent don’t have federally compliant kitchens where they can prepare hot meals for students.

Scientists Discover New Body Part in Knee

In an age filled with advanced medical techniques like MRIs, artificial hearts, and laser eye surgery, one could be forgiven for believing doctors are also at least vaguely familiar with every one of your body parts. However, a new discovery by Belgian physicians has proved this assumption wrong.

As Science Daily reports, two surgeons at University Hospitals Leuven have located a new ligament in the human knee, and their findings may mean a revolution in how we treat ACL injuries. Dr. Steven Claes and Professor Dr. Johan Bellemans have spent four years trying to solve a modern medical mystery: in certain cases, patients who have had their ACL repaired still experience “pivot shifts” in their knee, where the joint “gives way” during physical activity.

In order to find their answer, the scientists turned to the past. In an 1879 article, a French surgeon theorized that there may exist an extra ligament in the anterior of the human knee. Using macroscopic dissection techniques on a wide range of cadavers, the Belgian duo confirmed this hypothesis. According to their findings, 97 percent of humans have something called an anterolateral ligament (ALL) in additional to their ACL, and pivot shift stem from an injury to this previously unknown body part.

This discovery could mean a breakthrough in treating ACL injuries, which are common in sports like basketball, football, and soccer, where pivoting is common — but don’t hold your breath for a better fix. Claes and Bellemans are hard at work figuring out surgical to techniques to repair the ALL, but Science Daily cautions that those results will only be ready in “several years.”

Read more: ACL Injury: New Body Part Found in Knee Called Anterolateral Ligament | TIME.com http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/11/06/your-knee-bones-connected-to-your-what-scientists-discover-new-body-part/#ixzz2ju5eZDCK

Holiday Trees, Trimmings Sale to Benefit Foothills Alliance

A communitywide holiday event featuring beautifully designed Christmas trees, wreaths and centerpieces created by talented individuals and organizations will be offered for sale at the Anderson Civic Center Nov. 20-25.

Community Giving Tree - Adorned with cards naming donors, this tree is symbolic of our community working together for a worthy cause. It is a great way to honor someone special or lovingly remember a deceased loved one who holds a special place in your heart.

All proceeds benefit Foothills Alliance in providing interviews with children who are suspected victims of sexual abuse, child abuse prevention programs, as well as support and therapy to help survivors heal.

Community Giving Tree - Adorned with cards naming donors, this tree is symbolic of our community working together for a worthy cause. It is a great way to honor someone special or lovingly remember a deceased loved one who holds a special place in your heart.

A Nov. 20 Preview Brunch is scheduled for Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $30/person for this event. Brunch attendees will enjoy a fun "how-to" session on accessorizing to make the most of a simple dress, and will have the first opportunity to view and purchase the many beautiful items donated by local merchants and individuals. 

Free picture with Santa are set for Nov. 23, 12 to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 864.231.7273

New VA Facility to Be Built Next to T.L. Hanna

Construction of a new Veterans Administration facility on S.C. 81 North next to T.L. Hanna High School could be under way by the beginning of 2014.

Medical and administrative staff are already being lined up for the facility which will give veterans in the county another option for a full VA facility.

More on this story as it develops.

Civil War Battle Explains 2013 Elections

With Gov. Chris Christie's massive reelection victory in the blue territory of New Jersey and Ken Cuccinelli's embarrassing defeat to Terry McAuliffe in the governor's race in often-red (in the off-years) Virginia, reasonable Republicans scored points against the party's renegades in the GOP's ongoing civil war. This internal battle has intensified since the government shutdown, as diehards led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have insisted the Republican Party's fortunes are tied to no-compromise conservatism and ideological confrontation, and establishment Rs have decried their party's Kamikaze Club and contended the GOP must maintain a lifeline to the center and political reality.

Yet in the two big statewide races of Election Day 2013, the results favored those who don't fancy hostage-taking. (In Alabama, a tea party birther was defeated by a Chamber of Commerce-backed candidate in a Republican primary for a vacant House seat.) Christie, who drew the ire of hardcore conservatives by refusing to treat President Barack Obama as the devil incarnate, coasted to an easy triumph and earned the right to declare this message: Republican success in the real world comes when GOP candidates emphasize pragmatic governing not ideological crusades. And Cuccinelli, a fierce social conservative with plenty of name recognition as the current state attorney general, was the poster boy for those right-wingers who assert that their party must stick to the far right lane to win elections and transform the nation. His defeat at the hands of a Democrat tainted by assorted money-and-politics scandals—in an election shaped by the government shutdown and Cuccinelli's hard-right views on abortion, birth control, and divorce—will be joyously cited by those who cry bunk in the face of Cruzism. But the non-Cruzers ought to resist the urge to celebrate too much, for the Republican Party may have just experienced its own version of the Battle of Chancellorsville.

This critical Civil War engagement transpired in the spring of 1863 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. General Robert E. Lee led a Southern force against Major General Joseph Hooker's Army of the Potomac, which had twice as many soldiers as Lee's army. Lee mounted a bold attack and pulled off a decisive win for the South. It was perhaps his greatest feat of the war. But there was a downside (in addition to the friendly-fire battlefield death of Stonewall Jackson): Lee saw his army's success at Chancellorsville as proof his army could do almost anything. He moved his troops north to mount an offensive campaign in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

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County Council Oks Tax Breaks for 4 Economic Projects

Anderson County Council gave the go ahead to allow fee-in-lieu-of-taxes for four economic development projects, which could eventually generate an annual new payroll of more than $11 million dollars for citizens of Anderson County.

Each of the four is identified by code names, until the final agreements are signed.

“Project Opportunity” represents the expansion of an existing company, bringing 45 new jobs with an average wage of $17.50 per hour and a capital investment of $11 million.

“Project Courtney” will be a new business in Anderson County, bringing 150 jobs with an average salary of $9.50 per hour and a $9.55 million capital investment.

“Project Rack” represents the expansion of an existing local business and plans to add 41 jobs with an average salary of $13 per hour and a $13 million investment.

“Project Gamma,” a Germany-based company could invest nearly $38 million for a new business in the county creating 30 jobs with an average salary of $18 per hour and a $19 million investment. The company makes fuel from shredded tires. 

Anderson County Council members also ordered their lists of buildings in each district needing demolition. Holt Hopkins, transportation director for Anderson County, said that demolition of the 15-20 buildings topping the list should be completed this winter. After that, Hopkins said the other buildings will be demolished as funds are available.

 Early in the evening, residents of the Prescott Subdivision opposed the rezoning of Old Towne Development II which would allow for smaller homes of different construction materials to be added to the subdivision, which it shares. A representative for the developer said that the up to ten proposed homes would be single-story, quality construction built as 75 percent brick or hardie board, and argued that no one could tell the difference between a 1,500 and 1,600 square foot house. Council rejected the zoning change request.

Also on Tuesday night, council approved:

Renewing the Federal Flight Administrations lease at the Anderson County Airport.

Third reading of two ordinances giving the go ahead to rezoning of six parcels of land along Clemson Boulevard in the Denver-Sandy Springs community from commercial to residential agricultural. 

Second reading the expansion of the Joint County Industrial and Business Park of Anderson and Greenville Counties. 

First reading a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with Plastic Omnium Auto Exteriors LLC for expansion of the business. 

Rezoning of 5.75 acres on 3031 S.C. 81 North, belonging to Dr. Terry Holdredge from residential to commercial. The property is bordered by commercial on both sides and by Holdredge’s residence and property on the back. 

Accepted Graystone, Palmetto Valley and Lexington Point roads into the county system.

Billy Graham Library to Celebrate Evangelists' Birthday

In honor of evangelist Billy Graham's 95th birthday celebration on Thursday, the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina will give visitors a chance to join in on the celebration by signing a banner that will later be presented to Graham, while each guest will receive a copy of God's Ambassador, a book that celebrates his life and ministry.

The library which was built on the same grounds as Graham's childhood home in 2007, is a ministry that offers hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, who may have never attended one of his crusades, the opportunity to experience Graham's message of hope through the Journey of Faith Tour.

Initially, Graham was not in favor of the library bearing his name because he thought it would deter from the purpose of the gospel message he has preached for over 60 years.

"When it was presented as an ongoing ministry and that people would have the opportunity to be won to Christ, I changed my mind," said Graham, according to the library's account of its history.

Graham will also mark his birthday with his last message, 'The Cross' which will air on television on November 7 after months of preparation at his home. The video will also include the testimonies of Christian rapper Lecrae and former lead singer of "Flyleaf" Lacey Strum.

"With all my heart, I want to remind Americans of God's amazing love and, as simply and clearly as I can, call people to a repentance that leads to salvation," said Graham in statement. "The program shows moving stories of real individuals, young Americans, whose lives have been completely transformed by the power of the Gospel. Woven around those stories is a message I believe God has given me for people in our nation today." 

According to his son, Franklin Graham, "the Lord had put it in his heart that if he ever was physically able to share a message again, he would speak about the cross" which became evident after his wife, Ruth, passed away in 2007 when he began posting cross-focused scriptures throughout his house.

The message is part of the "My Hope America" campaign, a nationwide effort in which over 24,000 churches have united to invite people into their homes and congregations to learn about beginning their walk of faith through a series of video messages.

Humane Society's Furball Thursday Night

Cough it up for the animals at the Anderson County Humane Society's 2013 Furball, tomorrow night from 5:30-10 p.m. at the Bleckley Inn downtown. Furball is a night of fun, food and festivities, as well as the night of the 'Humane-itarian' of the Year Award!

Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple, which includes food, dancing, live and silent auctions. All proceeds from Furball 2013 benefit the Anderson County Humane Society and its low cost spay and neuter clinic.

For more information contact Stepanie at 864.933.5347

Some Face Obamacare Marriage Penalty

Some couples will pay more for health insurance if they are married under the Affordable Care Act's, or "Obamacare's," new health care insurance exchanges.

The exchanges were designed by the ACA to provide health insurance options for those who do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare and do not get health insurance from their employer. Some of those who purchase insurance on the exchanges will receive a subsidy from the federal government.

In order to receive a subsidy, one's household income must be below 400 percent of the poverty level, or about $62,000. Household income for a married couple who both work is the sum of both of their incomes. This means that a dual-income couple could lose their subsidies if they get married.

Imagine, for instance, a couple who each earn $40,000. While single, they both get a subsidy to purchase insurance on the exchange. If they get married, though, their household income rises to $80,000 and they are no longer eligible.

Writing for The Atlantic, Garance Franke-Ruta profiles a couple faced with that decision. Nona Willis Aronowitz and her husband, Aaron Cassara, are contemplating getting divorced so they can afford health insurance.

Their combined 2012 income, slightly higher than $62,000, is not much to live on in New York City, which has one of the highest costs-of-living in the nation, but it is above the cutoff to receive subsidies for insurance. Their premiums would be over $9,000 per year on the exchange. But if they get a divorce, they could get about $4,000 in subsidies.

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