Sheriff's Association Seeks Honorary Members

Responding to the increasing number of people wanting to assist law enforcement officials and build a stronger partnership in the fight against crime,  Sheriff Skipper today announced that Anderson County citizens are being invited to become Honorary Members of the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association.

Membership appeals will go out November 11th to December 3rd, 2013.  Individuals choosing to join the voluntary program can do so for as little as $25, while businesses can show their support for a $50 contribution. The funding provides critically important technical resources, training and legislative support on key criminal justice issues. Contributions are tax deductible.

“With government funding becoming increasingly difficult to secure, the membership drive has taken on greater importance than ever before, said Sheriff Skipper. “The funding is vital to helping us carry out our mission of making our communities safer places to live, work and play.”

The South Carolina Sheriffs' Association provides aggressive advocacy using the strong unified voice of our 46 Sheriffs.  The Association is a key player in shaping state policy on public safety and crime prevention, as well as providing critical training to Sheriffs' teams and education to member citizens/businesses. It is a valuable investment in the future. 

Individuals that do not receive a membership appeal and would like more information can do so by contacting the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association at 112 Westpark Blvd., Columbia, SC 29210; phone 803-772-1101.  Information is also available online at www.sheriffsc.com.  

Expert: 129 Million to Lose Current Coverage Under Obamacare

A healthcare expert has estimated that more than two-thirds of Americans who have private health insurance coverage will not be able to keep their previous plan due to President Obama's Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.

"Bottom line: of the 189 million Americans with private health insurance coverage, I estimate that if Obamacare is fully implemented, at least 129 million (68 percent) will not be able to keep their previous health care plan either because they already have lost or will lose that coverage by the end of 2014," Christopher Conover, a Duke University scholar and adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told the Daily Caller in an email. Conover added that most of these would not lose their plans entirely, but have to pay higher rates for "Obamacare-mandated bells and whistles."

"Most people are going to have some level of change in their policy," Edmund Haislmaier, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation's Center for Health Policy Studies, told The Christian Post in an interview on Monday. "You can debate how much of that is a violation of Obama's pledge," Haislmaier added, referring to the President's promise that "if you like your coverage, you can keep it" under the new health reform.

Conover argued that Obama knew this was not the case, even while he promised it. "The problem is that he said it at least 24 times, most of which occurred after his own rule-writers had estimated that 49-80 percent of small employer plans would have lost their grandfather status by 2013, along with 34-64 percent of large employer plans," the AEI scholar said.

"Given how extensively presidential statements – especially to a joint session of Congress – are vetted and fact-checked, it is pretty inconceivable that President Obama was not aware that he was engaged in some degree of truth-twisting," Conover concluded.

Haislmaier agreed with Conover's analysis. "I don't see anything in the way he'd calculated it that struck me as being off-base," the Heritage scholar said. He claimed that individual health plans will change the most, while group plans will alter more slowly.

The Heritage Foundation scholar distinguished between self-insured and fully-insured plans. "In a self-insured arrangement, the employer retains the risk and simply pays the claims," the scholar explained. Under "fully-insured" plans, however, the insurance company foots the bill and takes the risk of having to pay for a doctor.

Most people are not aware of their own coverage, the scholar explained, because even if your employer is self-insured, the health insurance card still bears the name of an insurance company which organizes the system.

Loved Ones of Crime Victims Share Stories at Vigil

Loved ones of victims who lost their lives to violent crimes came together Monday night in Anderson.  The stories are all different, but the pain is the same.

Dozens came together at New Life Christian Center, each clutching a picture of their loved one whose life was senselessly taken.  Some killers have been caught, others are still on the loose.

Debbie Hyde hoped sharing her story would give others strength.  Hyde lost her 22-year-old pregnant daughter three years ago.  The father of the unborn child is behind bars for strangling the mother to be.

Hyde's message to others who lost loved ones to violence is simple -- keep going.

“What do we do?  We continue what we are doing.  We stand and we fight for what is right.  We never lay down and give up,” said Hyde.

Hyde said the pain and anger at times have been too much to bear, but little by little she has been able to let it go.

“I believe evil has struck us with enough bad taking Casey and Angel away from us and I refuse to give it anymore,” said Hyde.

After joining in prayer and song each family got to light a candle in memory of their loved ones and share their story.

“You see other people and you hate that they are hurting like you are, but somehow when you come together it gives you peace,” said Vickie Brucke who lost her brother five years ago.

Monday night was the 14th annual Candlelight Vigil for Victims of Crime.  It was sponsored by the Greater Anderson Area Victim Advocate Association.

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/anderson-news/vigil-for-victims-of-violent-crime/-/9654706/22804752/-/142osx8/-/index.html#ixzz2jlUXMGhS

Elks Lodge to Host Picnic for Veterans Nov. 16

Anderson Elks Lodge #1206, located at 225 McGee Road, Anderson invites all U.S. military veterans, all active duty military members, and all members of the national guard and military reserves to the Lodge on Nov. 16 between 1-3p.m.to enjoy a Veterans Appreciation Picnic.  Barbecue Chicken and Pulled Pork Plates, Baked Beans, Coleslaw and beverages will be served.  This event is free for all military members and all veterans.  Non-veterans are also invited and a $5.00 donation towards Elks Veterans charity projects is requested for each plate. 

November is Veterans Appreciation Month for the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  Their motto is: "As long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them."

Elks Veterans charity projects include monthly cake and ice cream birthday parties and an annual cookout at the Richard M. Campbell Veterans Nursing Home, support of the Elks Deer Hide Project (produces leather gloves for wheelchair bound veterans), care packages for active duty units in hostile environments, and honor flights for World War II, Korean, and Vietnam veterans to visit the military monuments in Washington, DC. 

For additional information please call 225-2541 or 328-9733.

Christian Band Gungor to Perform Friday at AU

Nationally known artists, Gungor will bring their “I Am Mountain” tour to the campus of Anderson University on Friday at 8:00pm in the Henderson Auditorium of the Rainey Fine Arts Center.  

Tickets for the show are available at andersonuniversity.edu under “Campus Ministries.” Tickets are $18 for General Admission and $35 for VIP tickets that include early access and a “meet and greet with Michael and Lisa Gungor prior to the show (those purchasing two or more VIP tickets will pay $30 each).

Doors will open at 7pm.

Denver-based Gungor has won multiple awards including a Dove award for Best Contemporary Recorded Gospel song of the Year in 2008 and an Independent Music Association award for “Best Live Performance Album” in 2013 for A Creation Liturgy. The group is best known perhaps for its 2010 hit, “Beautiful Things.” 

Coalition Fights Out-of-State Trash Bill

Conservation groups and county governments are fighting legislation they contend will eventually lead to more out-of-state trash being dumped in South Carolina, stinking up the state and polluting the environment.

Business groups argue the proposal does no such thing. They contend the bill bans a government monopoly on trash, ensuring businesses have choices when it comes to waste disposal.

The debate will pick up when the Legislature returns in January. The bill, which limits counties' control over trash within their borders, quickly passed the House last January by a vote of 89-28 before getting hung up in the Senate.

As part of an effort to prevent its passage, a coalition that calls itself Don't Dump on SC launched a statewide campaign of radio and TV advertisements Monday that will run for the next month. The group's members include the Coastal Conservation League, Sierra Club, Conservation Voters of South Carolina, and the Association of Counties.

"This is about putting South Carolina first," said Ann Timberlake, executive director of the Coastal Conservation. "Trash should not be a growth industry in South Carolina."

The bill bars counties from requiring that garbage go to public landfills.

Currently in South Carolina, there are nine public landfills owned by local governments and eight privately owned commercial landfills that accept household garbage.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/11/04/4439586/coalition-releases-ads-opposing.html#.UnhcMZSY7aM#storylink=cpy

Food Banks Stretched by Food Stamp Cuts

NOTE: Now is the time for Anderson folks to help make up this shortage. Give this week locally to:

Anderson Interfaith Ministries

Haven of Rest

Meals on Wheels

Good Neighbor Cupboard (864) 224-1701

Food banks across the country, stretched thin in the aftermath of the recession, are bracing for more people coming through their doors in the wake of cuts to the federal food stamp program.

Food stamp benefits to 47 million Americans were cut starting Friday as a temporary boost to the federal program comes to an end without new funding from a deadlocked Congress.

Under the program, known formally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, a family of four that gets $668 per month in benefits will find that amount cut by $36.

"It may not sound like a lot but to a person like me, it is," says Annie Crisp, 30, a single mother of two girls in Lancaster, Ohio. "It's not just a number."

She says she received a little less than $550 a month in food stamps and now will receive $497. Crisp, a babysitter who brings home about $830 a month, says the food stamps help her buy her family fresh fruits, vegetables and meat.

Crisp worries now that she may end up trying to supplement her family's groceries by going to a food bank or cutting into her electric or gas money for the month. The cut, she says, also means she will have to buy more canned fruits and vegetables, forgoing her daughters' favorite fruit, kiwi, and buying packaged meat.

Food banks served 37 million Americans in 2010, up from 25 million in 2006, according to the most recent numbers from Feeding America, an umbrella organization for 200 food banks nationwide.

S.C. Catawbas Set Hopes on Cross-State Casino

In central South Carolina, clay is pulled from the land near the Catawba River by a Native American tribe of the same name. The loam is processed much akin to the way it was thousands of years ago, coiled into pots, scraped and burnished with river rocks and fired over an open pit until it can endure.

And in that ancient pottery tradition – the oldest in North America – lies the story of the Catawba people, according to the tribe’s elected chief, Bill Harris.

It is also motivation for its economic future. South Carolina’s Catawba Indian Nation, the state’s only federally recognized Indian tribe, is looking to a casino resort and high-stakes bingo as a way to insure its cultural future.

Central to the tribe’s plan for economic development: holding the federal government to its promise, the tribe will be allowed to expand throughout their ancestral lands. They have set their sights on 16 acres across the state line, in Cleveland County, North Carolina, where they hope to build a 220,000 square-foot gaming facility and 750-room resort. They estimate the $340 million casino project would initially create at least 4,000 jobs in a county where unemployment lingers around 10 percent.

There's another potential hurdle to the plan. The Cherokee, the Catawba’s historical trade rival, view their casino plans as competition.

 "Based on the newly released information provided by Cleveland County, we are greatly concerned that this development will negatively impact job growth and revenue at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and for the western region of North Carolina,” Cherokee Chief Michell Hicks said in a statement in the tribe's newspaper. 

Full Story Here

Study: Girls Hitting Puberty Earlier

Girls are developing breasts at younger and younger ages, a new study confirms. And upward trends in childhood obesity seem to be playing a major role.

Researchers found African American girls started getting breasts just before they turned nine, on average. Among white girls the average age was about nine and a half - a few months earlier than in the 1990s.

The findings "confirm an ongoing downward trend in pubertal timing among U.S. girls," said Dr. Anders Juul.

"It's been worrying for the U.S. as well as the rest of the world," Juul said. He heads the Department of Growth and Reproduction at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, and wasn't involved in the new report.

The data come from a long-term study of more than 1,200 girls in and around San Francisco, Cincinnati and New York City. Girls were enrolled in the study between ages six and eight and followed with annual or semi-annual visits.

At each visit, staff assessed breast development using Tanner stages, which measure how far along a young person is in puberty.

African American girls first showed signs of breast development at eight years, 10 months, on average. That compared to nine years, four months among Hispanic girls and nine years, eight months among white and Asian girls.

For white girls, puberty hit about four months earlier than in a 1997 study that also measured breast development. That study concluded girls were entering puberty earlier than in the past.

Council to Consider Zoning, Tax Breaks, Demolitions Tuesday

Anderson County Council will consider zoning issues, tax breaks for new and expanding businesses, razing abandoned buildings and other economic development items as part of Tuesday night's meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

Clemson Set at Seven in Latest BCS Poll

Oregon and Florida State's battle for the No. 2 spot in the BCS standings -- and the berth in the BCS Championship Game that goes with it -- has taken another turn, with the Seminoles riding their big win over previously undefeated Miami back to No. 2 in the third week of the 2013 standings.

The Ducks slipped to No. 3, but only by the narrowest of margins -- leaving the door open for Mark Helfrich's team to potentially leapfrog the Seminoles a second time with a win over No. 5 Stanford in the teams' showdown this Thursday. Florida State opened at No. 2 in the BCS's initial standings before sliding back to No. 3 in Week 2.

The Hurricanes slipped from No. 7 to No. 11 after their 41-14 loss in Tallahassee. There was little other movement in the top 16 of the standings, with Texas Tech the only team dropping out, in favor of the Oklahoma State team that defeated them in Lubbock.

The full standings:

THE TOP 16

1. Alabama [.980]: The Crimson Tide lost a handful of first-place votes in the Coaches Poll after their bye week and the Seminoles' big win ... and still own a commanding lead at No. 1, one that will be only more commanding if they win this Saturday's home clash with LSU.

2. Florida State [.953]: The Seminoles have taken on two undefeated, top-10 teams in three weeks, and defeated both by an average of 32 points.

3. Oregon [.944]: Even at No. 3, finishing with the Cardinal, Utah, Arizona and Oregon State -- while Florida State finishes with Wake Forest, Syracuse, Idaho and Florida -- means that pollsters would have to throw vastly more support behind the 'Noles to make this week's flip-flop a long-term decision.

4. Ohio State [.872]: The Buckeyes have finally looked like a worthy national-title contender each of the last two weeks (even if their record has argued the same for weeks). But it hasn't been soon enough to prevent their slipping from No. 2 to No. 4, and now it's impossible to see them making up any BCS ground without a loss from one of the teams above them.

5. Stanford [.793]: The Cardinal are currently listed as 10-point underdog as they prepare to host the Ducks.

6. Baylor [.775]: The Bears enjoyed their third bye in a span of eight weeks, and now face Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas all in consecutive weeks.

7. Clemson [.728]: No one was rooting harder for the Hurricanes Saturday than the Tigers, who now need the Seminoles to lose to both Wake Forest and Syracuse if they're to claim the Atlantic division. Is it possible ot go 11-1 at Clemson and still feel like the season is a disappointment?

8. Missouri [.689]: Tigers host Kentucky and then get a week off before their season-defining two-week closing stretch at Ole Miss and vs. Texas A&M.

9. Auburn [.669]: All those of you who thought the Tigers would be 8-1, No. 9 in the BCS, and two wins from setting up a winner-take-all Iron Bowl for the SEC West title one season after going 3-9 and winless in the SEC, raise your hands.

10. Oklahoma [.608]: Does any team have more to gain this week than the Sooners? Win, and they thrust themselves into the thick of both the Big 12 and maybe even national title race; lose, and they seem destined for third or fourth in the league and top-20 at best.

11. Miami [.525]: Given that their highest-profile victim of the season (Florida) is now 4-4, that despite a spirited first half they still lost to FSU by 27, and that they're still the team that needed last-minute escapes from North Carolina and Wake Forest, 11th isn't such a bad landing.

12. South Carolina [.511]: With a pair of nonconference games to finish their schedule and a bye on tap this week, the Gamecocks have just one league contest remaining -- at home against reeling Florida Nov. 16.

13. LSU [.453]: Like Alabama, like Oregon, like Stanford, like Baylor, like Oklahoma, the Tigers had Saturday off in preparation for the game of their season this week.

14. Oklahoma State [.440]: Cowboys still have to be kicking themselves over loss at West Virginia.

15. Texas A&M [.437]: The computers are less impressed with the two-loss Tigers and Aggies than the pollsters are; LSU ranks approximately 8th, A&M 17th.

16. Fresno State [.368]: Given the rigorous schedules of the teams above them -- which should allow for further movement up the polls -- and the sizable gap between the Bulldogs and representatives from the AAC, it seems all but a lock that Fresno will bust the BCS if they win out ... and NIU doesn't overtake them down the stretch.

Anderson's Dr. Arthur H. "Artie" Spitz, Dies at 97

Anderson - Arthur H. "Artie" Spitz, 97, of Anderson, SC, passed away today at Marchbanks Memory Care Facility. 

Artie was born on February 11, 1916 in West New York, NJ to Herman and Florence Spitz. His siblings were Robert Edward Spitz and Helen Marie Spitz Drummond. Artie married Jewel Elizabeth Sawyer of Johnston, SC in May of 1942.

Artie graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1941. While at the University of South Carolina, he was on the track team and was captain of the Fencing Team. He continued his education at the Southern College of Optometry in 1947, At the Southern College, he earned a Doctors degree and was the President of the senior class. While at the Southern College, Artie received the L.A. Farmer Memorial Award given to the most promising student. He served in both the United States Army and the Medical Division of the Merchant Marines during World War II. In 1961, he received the Chamber of Commerce Community Development Award. He served as President of the Anderson Lions Club in 1969, Master Mason with Hiram Lodge #68, President of the South Carolina Optometry Association in 1971 and was the South Carolina Optometrist of the Year in 1972. He was one of the founders of the Western Carolina Sailing Club and became a lifetime charter member. 

Artie lived his entire business life in Anderson, SC. He was the founder of the EyeCare Center with offices over the years in Anderson, Honea Path, Williamston, Powdersville and Seneca. Artie was a Charter Member and on the Board of Directors in establishing the Boulevard Baptist Church. He later became a member of the Central Presbyterian Church in Anderson.

Artie was an avid sailor, tennis player, gardener and a much loved bridge player.

Artie was survived by his daughter, Anne Spitz Holliman and her husband, Michael of Anderson; grandson, Brenton Hayes Clark and his wife, Crystal and their children, Caden and Mia all of Lexington, SC; grandson, Jason Bryan Holliman and his wife, Brittney and their children, Ashton and Everett all of Marietta, GA.

Artie's son, Thomas Lewis Spitz; granddaughters, Elizabeth Sawyer Spitz and Caroline Arrington Spitz Lawrimore and her husband, Hunter and their children, James and Harrison all of Charleston, SC. 

Also surviving are special friends Dr. James Bleckley, Keith and Brenda Smith and the Staff of Marchbanks Memory Care Facility, especially Eric Hill and Sadie.

Artie was preceded in death by his wife, Jewel Spitz in December 2001 after 59 years of marriage; son, William Arthur Spitz in July of 1987, brother, Robert Spitz in December 2000 and sister, Helen Spitz Drummond in October 1999. 

A graveside service will be held Tuesday at 12:30p.m. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park with Dr. David Bailey and Rev. Beryl Rosenberger officiating. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 10:30 til 12p.m. at Sullivan-King Mortuary, 3205 Hwy 81 N.

The family is at the home of the daughter, 905 Meadow Lane, Anderson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Central Presbyterian Church, 1404 N. Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29621 or Lutheran Hospice, 429 N. Main St. Suite 3, Greenville, SC 29601. 

Sullivan-King Mortuary www.sullivanking.com

Smokers Charged 50 Premium Under Obamaca

We have the facts on ObamaCare and smokers, from the ObamaCare smoker glitch to the amount smoking can increase your premium, ObamaCare affects smokers. Although insurers can't charge more for health status, they can charge more for smoking status. Those of us looking to save money on our health insurance premiums will want to take another look t the true cost of being a smoker. Let's take a look at a scenario below to see how ObamaCare affects smokers.

ObamaCare Smoker Facts

Here are a few things you should know about ObamaCare and smokers:

• ObamaCare says smokers can be charged up to 50% more for their premiums. This is due to a "tobacco surcharge".

• The tobacco premium surcharge is calculated after cost assistance.

• The ObamaCare smokers glitch means the surcharge won't go into affect until 2015.

• Statistically, lower-income Americans are the most likely group to smoke.

The ObamaCare Smoker Surcharge: Tobacco Surcharge up to 50% of Premium After Assistance

The ObamaCare smoker surcharge allows insurers to charge a "tobacco surcharge" which is calculated after subsidies received through the marketplace. Smokers may pay up to 50% more than non-smokers for the same health plans.

ObamaCare and Smokers: How Does Smoking Affect Health Insurance Premiums?

It's not a myth, ObamaCare raises premiums for smokers, let's take a look at how ObamaCare affects smoker's premiums.

How does smoking affect your health insurance premiums? This example will help you to understand the the difference smoking can make to your wallet.

Zack Williams is a $9 per hour worker in a Carson City big box store. Presently without health insurance, he will qualify under the new Affordable Care Act for help in buying health insurance. But, Zack is a smoker; to qualify he will need to quit smoking. He rolls his own tobacco, which keeps his smoking costs to less than $10 per month.

Williams, employed seasonally, has a total annual income of $22,000 per year. A baseline insurance plan for him costs $760 per year in annual premiums. He even qualifies for a lower benefit plan that will cost him nothing for premiums, although copayments and deductibles will be higher.

If he keeps smoking, his annual financial penalty will run between $1,600 each year up to $1,900 each year. This penalty puts health insurance out of Zach Williams reach.

ObamaCare: Smokers Can Be Charged Higher Rates

Under ObamaCare smokers can be charged rates up to 50% higher. The new health care law that will see nearly full implementation in 2014 forces health insurance plans to write insurance policies for all comers, even those with pre-existing conditions. Typically, patients with pre-existing conditions use more health care resources than those without. Under the new law, Obamacare requires that their coverage is affordable.

ObamaCare: Smoking is Not a Pre-existing Condition

Smoking is not a pre-existing health condition under Obamacare. As part of the negotiations to get coverage for those with preexisting conditions, insurance companies got the right to impose on smokers premium costs that are as much as 50 percent higher than the same plan for non-smokers. Smokers are high-risk health insurance patients who use more services more often than non-smokers do. The higher premiums are a legal way to encourage smokers to forgo health insurance.

Fulll Story Here