3 Million Children's Cups Recalled Due to Mold

More than 3 million spill-proof cups for children between 4 and 12 months old are being recalled by Mayborn USA because of the risk of mold that could cause sickness.    
Ingestion of the mold can cause gastrointestinal symptoms and infections in those with compromised immune systems. Mayborn has received more than 3,000 reports of mold in the removable, one-piece, opaque valve of the cups, including 68 reports of children experiencing diarrhea, vomiting or other symptoms associated with drinking from a cup with mold in the valve.
    
This recall involves five types of spill-proof Tommee Tippee Sippee cups, all with a removable, one-piece white valve. Consumers should stop using them and contact Mayborn for a free replacement.
    
 For more information: www.tommeetippee.us or call toll-free at 877-248-6922

PAWS Closed Saturday; to Reopen Tuesday

PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) will be closed Saturday for staff to assist with an offsite adoption event in cooperation with Purina Pet Food at Walmart on Liberty Hwy from noon-4 p.m. General public access will be restricted during this time.  

“PAWS has been given a wonderful opportunity to participate in a special adoption event,” said PAWS Director Jessica Cwynar.  “This is a special opportunity for the pets of PAWS to get the spotlight they deserve. We at PAWS are working with our life saving partners to find the right forever home for these wonderful animals!”

PAWS will not accept any drop-offs or surrenders of animals by the general public until normal operations resume Tuesday.  Animals seized by law enforcement during that time will continue to be received at the PAWS facility.

Animals available for adoption are listed online at http://www.petango.com/ANDERSONCOUNTYPAWS.

Anderson County Showcases First Responders Today

Anderson County's first responders want to meet the community they serve.

Today, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the county is holding an event at the Anderson County Farmers Market to allow that to happen. The event will include safety workshops and the opportunity for citizens to learn more about the 911-operations center.

Anderson County officials are inviting residents to come out and meet the county’s first responders and learn about 911 operations Thursday.

S.C. May Raise Juvenile Offender Age to 17

South Carolina is poised to join the majority of states that keep teenagers in the juvenile justice system until their 18th birthday.

Senate lawmakers approved “raise the age” legislation (SB 916) late Tuesday that would increase the upper age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 17 for most young offenders. All but nine states already consider teenagers juveniles until they turn 18.

The legislation sailed through the Senate on a vote of 37-0; the House had approved it 102-0 earlier this month.

Advocates applauded passage of the legislation, which now goes to the desk of Gov. Nikki R. Haley, a Republican.

Sue Berkowitz, director of the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, said the bill’s relatively smooth passage is a sign that lawmakers are persuaded that young people do best in a system designed for rehabilitation.

“It just shows there’s been a real shift in the debate about how we should treat children,” she said.

The South Carolina legislation would take effect in 2019 and includes an exception for youth charged with certain violent crimes.

Full Story Here

Military Team Bass Tourney Set for 2017 at Green Pond

The 2017 Military Team Bass Tournament, presented by American Bass Anglers, will be hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau and will take place May 9-12, 2017 at Green Pond Landing and Event Center on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC. The onsite registration and dinner will take place on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

Since opening in December 2014, Green Pond Landing has hosted the ABA Ray Scott Championship, the ABA American Fishing Tour National Championship, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic as well as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. The Anderson community provides a multitude of excellent lodging and dining options close to Green Pond Landing for the competitors, as well as many activities for the families and participating anglers. The competitors will fish Lake Hartwell, the 56,000 acre reservoir along the Savannah and Tugaloo Rivers, which spans part of the South Carolina-Georgia border.

“Anderson County and Visit Anderson are very excited to host the 2017 ABA Military Team Bass Tournament at Lake Hartwell," said Neil Paul, of Visit Anderson. "We’ve hosted the American Bass Anglers in our community with great success over the past few years and we are certainly looking forward to welcoming the ABA Military anglers next year as well. While Anderson County continues the process to make Green Pond Landing among the finest facilities in America, we welcome the ABA Military Team Championship to an Anderson community that respects and values the military and honors our soldiers, both Veterans and Active Duty. We look forward to a great event on Lake Hartwell and the Anderson community."

Members of the United States Armed Forces from all over the country will make the drive to compete in the 2017 event at Lake Hartwell. Any active duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, Reserve or Coast Guard member may fish in this event. Immediate family of military members, honorably discharged veterans, Department of Defense civilians, contractors, and retired military members may also fish this event.

The Military Team Bass Fishing Tournament began in 1991 as a way to promote fishing and camaraderie among all branches of the military. In 1975, ABA began as the Military Bass Anglers Association, an organization dedicated to providing bass anglers in the military an opportunity to compete in tournaments with other military members. In 2000, Morris Sheehan, a life member who retired from the U.S. Army, bought MBAA, renamed it American Bass Anglers Inc., and relocated it to Athens, Ala.

Study: Depression Lower Chances of Pregnancy

Whether or not women are being treated for depression, dealing with the condition can lower their chances of getting pregnant, according to a recent study.

Researches at Boston University found that while some medications for depression can have slight effects on fecundity, having depression at all affects the ability to conceive.

Although previous studies have suggested that drugs used for depression, such antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, could be the culprit for women's difficulty getting pregnant, the new research suggests other studies about the brain are closer to the truth.

Depression has been linked to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a part of the brain responsible for response to stress, which may affect both the menstrual cycle, as well as conception.

Full Story Here

DHEC Says Local Officials Must Lead Zika Fight

State health officials say that it's up to local governments to take the lead in battling mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus.

Media outlets report lawmakers and others attending a forum in Columbia on Tuesday were told while the state is preparing for a Zika outbreak, one is not expected.

DHEC Director Catherine Heigel said local governments must take the lead in educating people on ways to eliminate mosquitoes in their yards.

The state has no statewide mosquito eradication program. Such programs are handled by municipalities and counties generally from the Midlands to the coast.

There's only been one confirmed case of Zika in the state. The person who contracted it did so while traveling outside the country was not contagious when the person returned to the state.

WYFF: Anderson YMCA Duo Saves Man's Life

An 81-year-old man is recovering at the hospital after two staff members at his YMCA brought him back to life.

Sam Anderson was found slumped back in a chair and his newly poured coffee was spilled on the floor when staff members at the Anderson Area YMCA found him.

Operations Director Wally Weathers said he immediately started doing compressions, asking others to call 911. 

"I knew when I saw him that this was a life-or-death situation at this point. The training kicked in and I just went from there," Weathers said. 

Moments later, anther staff member, Angel Cater, grabbed the YMCA's automated external defibrillator.  Within minutes, they both worked to try and revive Anderson.

"There was no pulse. No breathing at all," Cater said. 

Eight minutes later, they started seeing signs of life.

Medshore crews continued what the staffers started, but Cater stayed close, talking to Anderson the whole time.

"I just wanted him to know that we loved him and we wanted him to stay here," Cater said.

Both said they hope this helps remind people of the importance of AED's in public places.

"That's a pretty empowering thing to look at your hands and knowing that you helped save somebody.  It's not about the cameras.  It's not about the articles.  It's about him," Cater said.

More at WYFF

S.C. Considers Bill Requires Students Pass Naturalization Test

The South Carolina House and Senate have passed a billt hat originally would have required students to pass the U.S. Naturalization test in order to graduate. That test is what people from other countries must pass in order to become U.S. citizens. Lawmakers took that part of the bill out, though. The “South Carolina Founding Principles Act” requires students to complete a course that covers the U.S. Constitution, form of government, and founding principles.

Rep. Chip Huggins, R-Lexington Co., is the main sponsor of the bill. He says students already are taught those things but this bill would ensure they would continue to be when state curriculum standards change. “If you’re going to vote on your U.S. governance, you need to at least be aware of the U.S. laws and the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and certainly the different things in the Federalist Papers,” he says.

Students would have taken the Naturalization test at the end of the course and would have had to pass to graduate, in the original version of the bill.

After it’s ratified, the bill goes to Gov. Nikki Haley’s desk.

Farmers Market Offers Vouchers to Seniors June 1-3

From June 1-3, Anderson County seniors may apply for produce vouchers as part of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for Seniors. The Anderson County Senior Citizens Program and Anderson County, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Social Services and other state agencies, will issue vouchers to eligible senior citizens. Vouchers can be used to purchase produce at participating farmer’s markets through November 2016. Each eligible person will receive $25 worth of coupons. Vouchers are issued on a ‘first come- first serve’ basis until the supply is exhausted. EBT is accepted year-round.

“For the past few years, low-income Senior Citizens across Anderson County have been given the opportunity to supplement their diets with fresh, healthy and local produce by means of the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program,” said Council Chairman Tommy Dunn. “Seniors can apply for these vouchers between June 1-3 at the Iva, Belton and Anderson County Farmers Markets. When residents spend their vouchers at our Farmers Markets, they are supporting our county's farmers and our local economy also gets a healthy boost from those dollars spent. I want to once again, encourage everyone to help us get the word out about this beneficial program and also to remember to support our local farmers at the Anderson County Farmers Market.”

“Once again, Anderson County Senior Citizens Program is receiving $20,000 worth of vouchers for our seniors & farmers,” said Anderson County Senior Citizens Program Manager Kelly Jo Barnwell. “It is so important that each senior who receives their vouchers, spends their vouchers with our local farmers!! We want everyone in Anderson County to WIN with SFMNP!”
 
Individuals aged 60 or older, with a low monthly income, or who receive SSI or Food Stamp benefits are eligible for these free coupons. Individuals must apply in person; provide proof of their identity, age and their Anderson County residency. Applicants must also meet household income eligibility limits. Information regarding the income of all household members is required to determine eligibility. Verification of Social Security numbers is also required.

Individuals wishing to apply for homebound seniors must provide a statement from the senior granting permission to submit an application on their behalf. Proof of identity and proof of income for the homebound senior must be presented at time of application.

The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program’s goal is to supplement the diets of low-income seniors with fresh, nutritious produce while supporting South Carolina’s small farmers. South Carolina is one of several states that receive funds from the USDA to operate this program.

Application for vouchers will be at the following locations & available first come, first served:

June 1 at 8 a.m.: Iva Farmer’s Market
June 2 at 8 am: Belton Farmer’s Marke; Williamston Mineral Park, 10 a.m.
June 3 at 8 am: Anderson County Farmer’s Market

For more information about the Senior Voucher program, please contact Anderson County Seniors Program Manager, Kelly Jo Barnwell at 231.2237.

Air Quality Alert in Effect for Today

An Air Quality Alert is in place for the Upstate today. Breathing conditions could be risky for the elderly, the very young, and anyone with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

Spending time outside is safe, although officials suggest limiting activities which require long-term outdoor activities such as running or other physical work.

Ground-level ozone levels are expected return to normal tomorrow.

Killer Bee Colony Found in Charleston

A colony of Africanized honey bees — the first to be found in South Carolina in 15 years — has been destroyed in Charleston County, according to officials with the Department of Plant Industry, a unit of Clemson University that carries out state regulatory functions.

State Apiary Inspector Brad Cavin said laboratory analysis of bee samples from the hive, conducted by the USDA Agricultural Research Service Carl Hayden Bee Research Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, showed “an almost 100 percent probability” that the bees were a hybrid of Africanized and European honey bees.

“This appears just to be a localized incident, but as a precaution we have depopulated the hive and are conducting a survey within a two-mile area to determine whether any Africanized honey bees remain,” Cavin said. “Depending on those results we’ll decide whether any additional efforts will be required.”

The Department of Plant Industry discovered the Africanized honey bee colony in a a routine survey, a part of the agency’s charge to protect South Carolina citizens and beekeepers from possible disease or parasite outbreak in the beekeeping industry.

This is the first discovery in South Carolina of the hybrid bees since 2001, when a colony of Africanized bees was discovered in the wing of an airplane in Greenville. That colony, too, was destroyed and no Africanized bees have been detected in the state since.

Africanized honey bees defend their nests more vigorously than European bees and swarm more often. They were first introduced in Brazil more than a half-century ago and migrated to North America in 1985, where they are largely confined to the southwestern states and southern Florida.

The Charleston County case differs from the 2001 discovery in that these Africanized honey bees were not wild, but were found in a managed hive.

“This is the first time to my knowledge that we have found them here in a managed colony,” Cavin said.

More Here

Saluda River Rally June 4-5 at Dolly Cooper Park

The Seventh Annual Saluda River Rally is set for June 4-5 at the Dolly Cooper Sports Complex in Piedmont.

The two-day event is free and will feature a series of paddle trips for kayaks, canoes and tubes, as well as bluegrass music, outdoor exhibits  and food vendors. 

Saturday's event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday's is set form 1-4 p.m.

Camping is also available for the event. 

Sunday’s rally wrap up event will also include a free BBQ supper at the Saluda River Grill from 4-7 p.m., at which funds will be raised for Special Olympics. Special Olympic Athletes will also participate in the event as servers. 

For more information and a complete schedule, visit http://www.saludariverrally.com