Haley Pressures House to Pass Roads Plan

South Carolina House members will discuss whether they can accept the Senate's plan to fix South Carolina's roads without changing it.

A House committee led by Rock Hill Republican Rep. Gary Simrill meets Thursday to discuss the next step with the roads proposal.

The committee will talk about the Senate bill that takes $400 million out of the general fund for roads and changes the structure of the Department of Transportation. Members will also discuss this week's audit that says DOT needs a more stable source of revenue and more money.

Gov. Nikki Haley says the House needs to pass the Senate bill and shouldn't set aside a good bill trying to craft one that's perfect. She promises to work on changing how DOT gets its money next year.

Meals on Wheels Golf Tournament Set for May 13

The 34th Annual Meals on Wheels Benefit Golf Tournament presented by "The Dirty Old Men’s Club (DOM)," is schuduled this year for May 13 at Pine Lake Golf Course in Anderson.

In 1972, a group of men who frequently played golf together at Pine Lake Golf Course were endearingly named the Dirty Old Men’s Club by Mildred Foust, who worked in the pro shop along side her husband Bill Foust, who was the golf pro at the club. 

The DOM continue to meet every Tuesday to play golf at Pine Lake and host four tournaments throughout the year for their members and guests.  

The club has raised thousands of dollars for the non-profit organization. The tournament begins with registration at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at noon. A shotgun start takes place at 1 p.m., and tournament scoring will be Captain’s Choice. Prizes will be awarded for hole-in-one, and longest drive. Other activities include a silent auction and door prizes donated by various local businesses. 

The entry fee is $70 per person and includes a round of golf, golf cart, lunch, and beverages. Golfers who wish to participate should contact DOM committee members Vic Vickery at 864.202.1563 or Dave Schonauer at 864.231.9317. 

All proceeds from this event will help feed the homebound elderly and disabled of Anderson County.

The tournament is seeking sponsors to help make it a success. Hole sponsorships start at $100 and the title sponsorship spot is $2000. 

To become a sponsor or find out how you can get involved with Meals on Wheels-Anderson, please call 864.225.6800 or visit www.acmow.org.

AU's "A Doll's House" Production Tonight-Saturday

"A Doll's House," the final show of the Anderson University Playhouse “The Power of Love” season will be tonight-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, in Belk Theatre at Anderson University. This drama by Henrik Ibsen, the father of realism, tells the story of one woman's self-discovery and struggle for independence in the male dominated society of Victorian Norway.

This production is directed by theatre department chair and professor Dr. Deborah McEniry and assistant-directed by SCSA student Erin Christina. It features Cara Ann Hendsbee, Isaac Beckner, Ally Nicole MacDonald, Chandler Pennington, and Craig Smith, as well as several other talented actors.  Tickets are available by calling the SCSA Box Office at 864-231-2080, and are $5 AU staff/faculty/students, $8 seniors (55+)/military, $10 general admission.  

S.C. Senator Pushes N.C. Inspired "Bathroom Bill"

A South Carolina senator wants to bar local governments from requiring businesses to let transgender people use the bathroom of their choice, saying he's taking a "stand for decency and common sense."

The bill introduced Wednesday by Sen. Lee Bright would also require multistall bathrooms on public property to be designated and used "based on biological sex."

Bright says how private businesses handle their bathrooms should be up to the owners, not government. He knows of no city in South Carolina where that's an issue, but he supports a controversial North Carolina law that's drawn a backlash nationwide.

Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin supports the bill, saying he doesn't want "cross-dressers" going into a bathroom with his granddaughters.

Martin says the best way to accommodate people is to have unisex bathrooms.

Solicitor Candidate Campbell Enlists Law Enforcement for Announcement

Anderson County Deputy Solicitor, Republican Rame Campbell, made official his candidacy for the Republican nomination for 10th Circuit Solicitor on Wednesday, at an event intended to show his support from law enforcement.

"So many who prosecute crimes are strangers to those who wear a badge and risk their lives daily," Campbell said. "I believe in having strong relationships with the police, as justice is best served when we respect and trust each other."

Campbell a career prosecutor, comes from a family deeply rooted in law enforcement and the military. Campbell is the current Anderson County Deputy Solicitor. He and his wife Jennifer, along with their daughter, live in Anderson;

He is one of three candidates for the solicitor's post. David Wagner of the Oconee County solicitor's office, and ex-chief public defender in Oconee County Wilson Burr are also running for the office. All are Republicans.

Gambrell Wins Runoff for O'Dell's Senate Seat

South Carolina Rep. Mike Gambrell will be the Republican to fill the seat the S.C. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Billy O'Dell in January. Grambrell won the runnoff to determine the GOP representative for the seat Tuesday, receiving almost 58 percent of the vote, defeating his challenger Rockey Burgess by more than 15 points.

The seat was left vacant after Sen. Billy O'Dell, who had the seat for more than 27 years, died in January.

"I am very honored and very humbled," said Gambrell, who lives in Honea Path.

Following the March 22 special election, which led to the runoff, Gambrell received the endorsement of for caniddate Greenwood City Attorney Tripp Padgett and the widow of the late Senator O'Dell.

Gambrell did very well Tuesday night in Greenwood and Abbeville Counties, and also won a majority of votes in Anderson County, which has the largest number of District 4 voters.

Gambrell will face Burgess again in a June 14 primary to decide the Republican nominee for November, when the full term for the Senate seat will be part of the ballot. 

Google Taps Clemson Professor on Restoring Faith in Tech

Google has put its trust in Clemson University researcher Richard Pak to provide insights into how a person’s faith in technology can be restored after a failed experience.

Psychology’s Rich Pak received a Google research award to study trust in technology.

Pak and an associate from George Mason University have received a nearly $100,000 Google Faculty Research Award to study how to rekindle humans’ lost trust in technology. The research has relevance to Google and its research and development arm, Google X, which works on the company’s “moonshot”-type projects, such as Google’s self-driving car.

This is the third research project Google has entrusted to Pak, a renowned human factors psychologist who is nationally recognized for his expertise in human automation interaction research. Joining him in the study is Ewart de Visser, George Mason University human factors research psychologist.

“Whether it’s a digital camera, smartphone, or even a Google search, at some point, we’ve all dealt with a form of technology we think has done us wrong. Research has shown people have a difficult time recovering trust in a technology once it is lost,” said Pak. “With this research, we will examine different ways technology can ‘apologize’ to you so you regain trust in it.”

Pak said technology is inherently unreliable and “making it more reliable isn’t realistic because people become reliant on it and when that occurs, complacency results.” What Dr. de Visser and I will do is look deeper into the effectiveness of trust repair strategies after a violation has occurred.”

The technology is designed to fail at some point, Pak said. “Our experiment will come back to them with different kinds of apologies. The study will measure the user’s response to that apology and then determine which are the most effective in regaining trust in the technology.”

Pak and de Visser expect to have some results from the study by next spring. Eventually, they see their findings helping technology companies, like Google, increase adoption and recovery rates despite automation’s inherent limitations.

Cruz, Sanders Win Big in Wisconsin

Ted Cruz raised fresh hope of forcing Donald Trump to a contested party convention on Tuesday, beating the Republican frontrunner in a Wisconsin primary amid signs his brash campaign style may finally be turning off GOP voters.

Cruz was projected by the Associated Press to have won the important midwest showdown just over half an hour after polls closed at 8pm CDT. As the scale of his victory across the state became clearer, the Texas conservative was estimated to have won at least 33 of the 42 delegates on offer, limiting Trump to just a handful.

In his victory speech, Cruz looked ahead to the convention in July and vowed he would win the 1,237 delegates needed “either before Cleveland or at the convention in Cleveland”.

The Texas senator said: “Tonight is a turning point [in the Republican primary]. It is a rallying cry … We have a choice, a real choice.” And he echoed John F Kennedy in saying “Wisconsin lit a candle guiding the way forward” for Republican voters in future primaries.

Hillary Clinton also stumbled on her path to the White House, losing to Bernie Sanders in a Democratic primary that marked a sixth straight win for the Vermont outsider and shows his continued appeal among voters looking for radical change.

With 99.8% of the results in, Sanders was winning by more than 13 points, though the Democrats’ proportional system of allocating their 86 pledged delegates will limit the impact of his victory on the national race. Clinton had a commanding lead of 263 delegates at the start of the night. 

Sanders’ victory speech came at a rally in Laramie, Wyoming, where the campaign has its eye on the next caucus this Saturday and was in defiant mood despite the difficult mathematical challenge ahead.

“If you ignore what you hear in the corporate media, the facts are pretty clear: we have a path toward victory, a path toward the White House,” said the visibly energised senator to excited shouts of “Bernie, Bernie”.

“Let me say a word, well perhaps two words, about what momentum is all about,” he added, describing how the media had dismissed him as a fringe candidate who started 60-70 points behind in polling but had failed to realise what was motivating voters.

“From coast to coast … people are saying why is it we have grotesque levels of inequality? … Why is it the great middle class of this country has been shrinking?”

The State: Audit Says New Fund Sources Needed for Roads

S.C. lawmakers should tie the state’s gas tax to fuel prices or inflation and identify other sources of revenue to pay for road repairs, according to a report released Tuesday.

Compared to other states, South Carolina dedicates the least money to its roads, considering the size of its road system and the traffic carried, the report by the Legislative Audit Council said.

In addition, the structure of the state Transportation Department — governed by an eight-member commission, seven members appointed by legislators, and an agency head, appointed by the governor — “creates confusion” as to who is in charge, the report said.

In response, Transportation Department head Christy Hall again Tuesday urged lawmakers to pass changes to her agency’s structure this year. 

“The (Legislative Audit Council) itself noted the confusion over the simple question of who is in charge,” Hall said. “Without that critical issue resolved, it will be nearly impossible to set clear priorities, instill effective accountability and correctly answer the question of where the buck stops for the organization.” 

For two years, S.C. lawmakers have grappled with how to raise more money to repair the state’s crumbling roads.

Many Republican lawmakers argue the structure of the Transportation Department needs to be changed, putting the governor in charge, before more money is sent to the agency.

Lawmakers have made it clear the state’s gas tax — the third lowest in the nation — will not be increased this year, an election year, to help pay for road repairs. 

The state’s reliance on the fuel tax to pay for repairs is problematic because that tax does not adjust to reflect inflation, according to the audit. In addition, more fuel-efficient cars have led to a drop in fuel consumption, threatening the state’s gas-tax revenue.

The gas tax also hurts low-income consumers most, the audit said.

Full Story at The State

Reuters Poll: Cruz Now Tied with Trump Nationally

Republican presidential underdog Ted Cruz has pulled into a statistical dead heat with front-runner Donald Trump, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.

The U.S. senator from Texas has 35.2 percent support among Republicans to Trump’s 39.5 percent, according to the survey taken from April 1-5, putting the two within the poll’s credibility interval of 4.8 percentage points. The two were also briefly in a dead heat on March 28.

Trump first jumped to the top of the Reuters/Ipsos national poll in July 2015. The only time a rival came close to Trump’s lead in the poll before Cruz was Nov. 7. when neurosurgeon Ben Carson briefly tied him.

Cruz had trailed Trump nearly 20-points a month ago.

Clemson TV Series to Offer Tips for Gardeners

Bringing research-based knowledge directly into people’s homes and backyards is the goal of a new online video series being launched by the South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson University and ClemsonTV.

The opening episodes of the series called “The Garden Gate” feature Botanical Garden and Clemson Extension horticulture and wildlife experts imparting expertise on topics including hummingbird food and habitat, growing and pruning camellias, dividing perennials to share with friends and trimming monkey grass.

The videos are four to five minutes each and showcase the array of horticultural treasures, cultivated landscapes, natural woodlands and historical buildings found on the 295-acre Botanical Garden property.

Hosts include renowned naturalist and botanical garden director Patrick McMillan, best known as host of the Emmy Award-winning ETV show “Expeditions with Patrick McMillan.”

“The goal of these videos is to put the incredible knowledge of our Botanical Garden staff and Clemson Extension horticulture experts to work for people who want to enhance their gardening knowledge and learn about the universe of their own landscapes,” McMillan said.

Garden staff, including senior horticulturist John Bodiford, landscape manager Kathy Bridges, extension horticulturalist Bob Polomski, educational director Sue Watts and nursery manager Jeanne Briggs, bring their unique perspectives and knowledge to the series.

Future planned “how-to” episodes will include advice on creating a woodland, sowing warm season vegetables in flats and creating a children’s garden and activities.

“The Garden Gate” videos will be produced monthly and can be viewed on demand at http://tv.clemson.edu/channel/tiger_tips/the-garden-gate/ and on “Making It Grow,” the live, interactive horticulture program produced in Sumter by SCETV and Clemson University.

300 Anglers to Compete in Weekend Tournament at Green Pond

The American Bass Anglers (ABA) Ray Scott Championship will be held at Green Pond Landing and Lake Hartwell in Anderson Thursday-Sunday, with over 300 anglers from 15 states competing for more than $400,000 in cash and prizes.

The tournament will launch each day at 7 a.m. from Green Pond Landing, with weigh-ins at 3 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday. The daily weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

“We’re very excited to have the great folks from ABA in our community for the Ray Scott Championship," said Neil Paul of Visit Anderson. "Ray Scott and championship bass fishing are synonymous, and we wouldn’t be where we are in the sport of fishing today without his vision and leadership over the years. To be able to host a championship tournament named in honor of Mr. Bass himself is a privilege. It’s a credit to Anderson County, Green Pond Landing, and the continued support we have in our great community that we are able to host these championship tournaments.”

As part of the event, the Anderson Civic Center will host the Ray Scott Championship Outdoor Expo Friday-Saturday. Admissions is free, and the expo will be open Friday from noon-6 p.m and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Ray Scott will be in the Expo on Saturday and Sunday and Carlisle Tire will have the first Bassmaster Classic boat, a fully restored 1971 Rebel Fastback, on display.

The outdoor expo will host the final day weigh-in Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Civic Center.

PayPal Drops $3.6 Million Center in N.C. Over Discrimination Law

Tuesday PayPal announced the canceling of their plans for a new facility in Charlotte. The online payment service have decided to nix their plans to open a global operations center in Charlotte, in response to the state's controversial new law.

PayPal is canceling its planned $3.6 million North Carolina operations center due to the state's new law preventing cities from banning discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, just two weeks after it announced the investment.

It becomes the second, and thus far largest, company to pull business out of the state, while others contemplate possible moves.

Similar political dramas are playing out nationally as multiple states vote on what proponents sometimes call religious freedom laws, laws gay rights advocates say foster discrimination. Mississippi passed a religious freedom law Tuesday. Georgia's governor vetoed a similar law late last month while Indiana passed one a year ago.

The laws are ratcheting up tensions between liberal-leaning businesses and conservative states, with hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars potentially at risk. Tech companies, who aggressively court specialized workers who are often younger, have been particularly vocal in criticizing the recent rash of laws.

In North Carolina, voting on its law and the backlash that followed have moved at lightening speed. 

On March 18, North Carolina governor Pat McCroryannounced San Jose, Calif.-based PayPal would build a new global operations center in Charlotte, N.C. The center would have employed 400 people. PayPal noted Charlotte's  "ties to the financial community and technology savvy talent pool" at the time.

Then on March 23, North Carolina passed a sweeping law that prevents cities and counties from passing rules preventing discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

On Tuesday, PayPal CEO and president Dan Schulman announced the electronic payment company was withdrawing its plans to build the center because, he said, the new law perpetuates discrimination and violates the values and principles at the core of PayPal’s mission and culture.

Locating in a state "where members of our teams will not have equal rights under the law, is simply untenable," Schulman said.

The loss represents an economic setback to Mecklenburg County, where Charlotte is located. According to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, PayPal would have invested over $3.6 million in Mecklenburg County by the end of 2017. The center was anticipated to yield a payroll impact of nearly $20.4 million per year for Mecklenburg and surrounding counties.

The company is now looking for an alternative location for its operations center. McCrory’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.