Superintendent Candidates Back Revamped Funding in Debate

Both major party candidates to be South Carolina's top educator said Monday that they support the idea of revamping school funding guidelines and are in favor of looking at ways to do that in a more equitable way.

Republican Molly Spearman and Democrat Tom Thompson talked about the issues facing the state's next education superintendent on South Carolina Educational Television. The debate was taped at 2 p.m. Monday and will be shown on statewide SCETV networks at 7 p.m.

Spearman was director of the South Carolina School Administrators Association. Thompson is a former dean of graduate studies at South Carolina State University.

A third-party candidate, Ed Murray of the American Party, was not invited. Current Republican superintendent Mick Zais isn't seeking re-election.

Here are the candidates' thoughts on a couple major topics facing education.

---

SCHOOL FUNDING

On Monday, both candidates said they'd favor looking at a way to fund schools more equitably. Spearman said she would stress to lawmakers that more than one-time money is needed to ensure schools have a steady funding stream and implement local solutions.

"It can't just be a one-year fix," Spearman said.

Thompson said he would favor exploring a funding model that would share more of the wealth when a large corporation like Boeing or BMW comes to a certain part of the state. Spearman agreed, saying that she'd favor looking at ways to share part of that benefit, given that such companies get incentives from the state.

Spearman stressed that South Carolina's school funding model is middle-aged and is based on severely outdated methods.

"We put too much burden on the local community, and I do think it's a state responsibility," she said.

---

COMMON CORE

In previous encounters, the two candidates have disagreed on federal involvement in education, particularly when it comes to Common Core. The math and English benchmarks have been adopted in dozens of states, including South Carolina, and describe what students should know after completing each grade, so they're ready for college and careers after high school.

On Monday, Spearman said she supported state lawmakers' decision to set up panel to review the state's standards, reiterating her opinion that "Washington does become too involved sometimes."

"We have to have high standards approved by South Carolinians," Spearman said. "That will be my No. 1 focus."

Thompson said the process of determining exactly what the standards will look like needed to be a collaborative one and said that, as education chief, he would be responsible for bringing in the right people to get the job done.

"The federal government is not the problem here," Thompson said. "The federal government is not our enemy."

Spearman said she has already begun discussions with people who are involved in evaluating the current standards.

"I'm very optimistic," she said, saying it's vital to teach children how to problem solve and not just regurgitate information.

Tim Scott Cruising Along in Re-election Bid

Tim Scott has had virtually no opposition as he marches toward winning the remaining two years in the term of former Sen. Jim DeMint. And, given his name recognition and incumbent status, the South Carolina Republican has been able to rely less on campaigning and more on the visibility that accompanies his official duties.

Scott is seeking to add two years to his tenure — what's left of the term of DeMint, who left the Senate in January 2013 to take the helm of the Heritage Foundation. Scott had just won a second U.S House term when Gov. Nikki Haley appointed him to DeMint's seat.

The election marks South Carolina's first-ever U.S. Senate contest between two black major-party candidates. Scott's Democratic opponent, Richland County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson, has done some campaigning but remains mostly unknown outside of the Columbia area, hamstrung by negligible finances. The most recent fundraising totals showed her with less than $3,000 on hand. Scott had more than $3.6 million.

Scott's strong position allows him to do his senatorial job and save his multimillion-dollar campaign war chest for a likely full-term run in another two years.

"He's not spending money he doesn't need to spend," said Gibbs Knotts, a political science professor at the College of Charleston. "Dickerson just doesn't have the statewide name recognition and doesn't have the financing."

In the U.S. House and the South Carolina House before that, Scott represented coastal constituents and had limited statewide exposure. Earlier this year, Scott's campaign pressed to get him exposure throughout the state, visiting all 46 counties.

Full Story Here

Medications Mistakes Common Among Children

Roughly every eight minutes from 2002 through 2012, a child in the U.S. experienced a medication mistake, according to a new study of calls to poison control hotlines.

The number and rate of reported medication mistakes rose during the 11-year study, except for cough and cold medicines, the researchers report in the journal Pediatrics.

The reduction in mistakes with cough and cold medicines follows a multipronged campaign to decrease the use of these products among young children, which suggests education is helpful in reducing errors, Henry Spiller, one of the study’s authors, told Reuters Health.

“We think that multipronged effort had an effect,” said Spiller, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. “We can see a drop associated with these efforts.”

Medication errors can cause injury, increased healthcare spending and even death, the researchers write.

Most studies have focused on medication mistakes in healthcare facilities like hospitals. Less is known about mistakes that happen with children’s medicine at home.

S.C. Among Top States Taking Federal Funds

In speeches and platform statements, South Carolina GOP officials have for years railed against the evils of the federal budget and bloated spending.

But the red meat served to Republican voters has covered up a dirty little secret known by many in political circles, that South Carolina collects more in federal funds than most states.

For while some political candidates shake their angry fists at Washington, the state's citizens are benefitting from a host of government programs, grants, contracts and entitlement spending that have made the state among the most dependent in the nation on federal dollars.

"It boggles the mind to think about all the federal money that comes into this state that we do all kinds of stuff to get and then we pretend it isn't federal money," U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a Columbia Democrat, told The Greenville News.

"If you shut down 25 percent of all the federal dollars coming into South Carolina, the economy of South Carolina would collapse."

South Carolina receives $7.87 in federal funds for every dollar spent in income taxes, the highest ratio of any state, according to a spring study by WalletHub, a personal finance website. The state ranked 12th overall in most dependence on the federal government, according to the study.

"South Carolina is getting seven times what they are giving to the federal government," said Jill Gonzalez, a spokesperson for WalletHub. "And that is really what makes them the 12th most dependent on the federal government."

For the 2014 fiscal year, federal agencies sent $59.4 billion to South Carolina, the 11thhighest total in the nation, according to USASpending.gov, a government website that tracks federal spending.

That total is almost nine times greater than the state's annual General Fund budget.

County Council to Vote to Drop Interim from Administrator's Title

Anderson County Council will vote on dropping the "Interim" title from Interim Anderson County Administator Tuesday night during their meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

On Oct. 7, Anderson County Council tabled a move to drop the “Interim” part of Interim Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns, after an unanimous recommendation by the personnel committee after the details of the plan were left off the agenda.

Anderson County Councilman Francis Crowder, who chairs the committee, said that Burns' salary would remain the same, there would be no contract and “everything will continue as it is.”

Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn said that he wanted everything “on the up and up,” and said finalizing the move at the next council meeting would not be a problem. 

Whitehall Road Closed Shut Down Due to Gas Leak

Anderson police are on the scene of a gas leak that shut down a road.

The leak on Whitehall Road near Martin Luther King Boulevard was reported just before 5 p.m..

Police said crews doing construction work hit a gas line. 

The road is currently blocked and motorists are encouraged to avoid the area.

Officials said the gas leak was controlled within about 45 minutes.

S.C. Wants Info on Travelers from West Africa

The state health department director wants to find out which travelers bound for South Carolina are arriving from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Right now, state officials have no way of knowing who recently arrived from one of these three countries, all of which have been stricken with a deadly Ebola outbreak. Approximately 4,500 patients have recently died from the virus in West Africa, according to World Health Organization estimates.

An estimated 150 travelers land in the United States each day from one of these countries, but none of those flights land in South Carolina.

Catherine Templeton, director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, has asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection for help. The federal agency requires international travelers to fill out a form upon arriving in this country. Among other questions, travelers are required to indicate their final U.S. destination. Some of those 150 travelers landing in the United States each day are likely coming to South Carolina.

Templeton said this information would be useful so that her department could monitor the threat of Ebola in this state.

"We are going to see more cases in the United States, but we're going to do everything we can to contain those cases," Templeton said during a news conference at the Medical University Hospital on Thursday. "We are not West Africa."

The customs department has not yet agreed to honor her request.

In a related announcement, the Medical University Hospital is the first trauma center in the state to voluntarily accept patients with the Ebola virus from other facilities, should the need arise.

"We are not inviting Ebola patients from outside South Carolina to come to MUSC," said Sarah King, a spokeswoman for the hospital. "What we want to do is reassure our citizenry that we are prepared if Ebola comes to Charleston."

Full Story Here

State: S.C. Creates Network to Deal with Ebola

South Carolina's top health official said Thursday that the state is creating a statewide network linking health workers and facilities that may have to deal with Ebola. Officials also are in touch with U.S. Customs to get a better idea of whether residents or visitors have recently traveled in West Africa.

Department of Health and Environmental Control Director Catherine Templeton also said the Medical University of South Carolina has agreed to provide ongoing care for any Ebola patients in the state. She expects trauma centers in Greenville and Columbia to announce in the coming days that they will also provide such care.

A look at the latest developments as South Carolina prepares to deal with any potential Ebola cases:

Keeping in Touch

The DHEC board issued a public health order establishing a network directing essential emails and other communications to a database of people and facilities that will be at the center of dealing with any Ebola cases. Templeton said it's the first time such a network has been set up in the state.

Longer Term Care

MUSC in Charleston will offer longer-term care for those diagnosed with Ebola. Dr. Danielle Scheurer, the hospital's chief quality officer, says those treating such patients will be intensive care unit doctors and nurses who volunteer. The hospital said nobody will be required to work with Ebola patients if they don't want to.

Where People Would Be Treated

"If we have a suspect a case, we will make that decision based on where that person is, the capabilities of the hospital and the safety of the public as to whether or not to transport," Templeton said. She said DHEC has been in contact with all hospitals in the state that have identified areas where patients could be isolated.

Full Story Here

DSS Gets $50,000 Grant to Tackle Senior Hunger

The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) recently received a grant from Benefits Data Trust (BDT), a national not-for-profit organization, to tackle senior hunger.

According to USDA, nationally, an estimated 4.8 million seniors (ages 60 and older) experience food insecurity, yet only 40% of all eligible seniors are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps.)  

The aim of the partnership is to implement a proven, data-driven strategy that will decrease senior hunger by increasing SNAP participation. The South Carolina Department of Social Services - award will cover the entire state      

South Carolina will receive $50,000 to cover administrative costs and will engage in partnership with BDT to implement a comprehensive, streamlined SNAP outreach and application assistance campaign.

The effort will tailor Benefits Data Trust's proven model to meet the specific needs of each geographic area. DSS will partner with the state's Medicaid department for outreach to identify low-income seniors who are enrolled in Medicaid, but not enrolled in SNAP.  

Belton Pipeline Would Connect Gas, Diesel Lines to Florida

Plans are in the works for a billion-dollar pipeline that would extend from Belton to Jacksonville, Florida.

The plan is to carry gas, diesel and ethanol from Louisiana to Florida. There is already a pipeline in place for some of this area, but 360 miles of new pipeline would be built starting in Belton. About 100 miles of the 360 would be in South Carolina.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners are in the very early stages of planning, feeling out interest from potential shippers who would want to commit to the project.

In a statement, a representative said, "Kinder Morgan is pleased to offer shippers a new refined products service to move product from the Gulf Coast to new markets in the Southeast through its Palmetto Project.  While a general route has been developed and includes approximately 100 miles of pipeline through South Carolina, it is very preliminary and subject to change.  We are currently in the open season process, where we determine the level of interest from potential shippers in the project, and we conclude our open season on Oct. 30."

The cities and towns that this would affect have not been contacted yet because the company is still unsure if the project will move forward. However, in a statement in September, Kinder Morgan extended the "binding open season" a month, expecting to obtain enough "sufficient commitments to proceed with the project."

Belton already has a pipeline just outside of the city limits. Interim city administrator Alan Sims said he likes the idea of the proposed Palmetto Project.

"It probably would bring some impact of some jobs to our area and helping the local businesses in town with restaurants or overnights stays or even gasoline to soft drinks would definitely help the area," Sims said. "The pipeline coming through our area wouldn’t cause any safety concerns for us."

The gas farm might be out of Sims' jurisdiction, but he said it would be better if the product was underground, instead of tankers driving through the city.

"Trucks, tankers do come through the city of Belton because we are centrally located and when they do, if you can take the product off the highway and put it underground, then naturally its going to be a vital safety concern for us," Sims said.

The pipeline is technically on Anderson County territory. It's economic development director, Burriss Nelson also supports the idea of the project.

"It's always a good thing to have lots of infrastructure and I think it'd be a great thing for Anderson county," Nelson said.

Nelson said there has never been an incident with the pipeline or the company.

"They’ve always been good stewards and good citizens, corporate citizens in the community and they’ve always been very helpful when we’ve needed anything," Nelson said.

If the project goes through, it is on track for an in-service date for July 2017.

Texas Hospital Apologizing for Mishandling of Ebola Case

The operator of the Texan hospital in which two nurses contracted Ebolahas apologised for initially failing to diagnose the patient who infected them, and for misinforming the public about how this happened.

Dr Daniel Varga, chief clinical officer at Texas Health Resources, conceded that errors were made by Presbyterian hospital in Dallas, which sent Thomas Eric Duncan home after he complained of a fever and abdominal pain after arriving from his native Liberia last month.

“Unfortunately, in our initial treatment of Mr Duncan, despite our best intentions and highly skilled medical team, we made mistakes,” Varga wrote in testimony to the US Congress. “We did not correctly diagnose his symptoms as those of Ebola. We are deeply sorry”.

Duncan died on 8 October, a week after he became the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the US, and two weeks since he first sought treatment at the hospital’s emergency room. Two nurses involved in his care Nina Pham, 26, and Amber Vinson, 29 – have since been diagnosed with the virus, raising serious questions about the hospital’s procedures.

Texas Health initially explained its failure to diagnose Duncan, who did not have health insurance, by saying that a nurse had not shared the patient’s travel records with a doctor. However, it has subsequently retracted this statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had advised hospitals to consider Ebola when diagnosing people suffering from a fever after travelling to countries affected by the outbreak.

Full Story Here

Report: Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Could Cost Myrtle Beach $16 Million

One recent report says allowing same-sex marriage in South Carolina could bring around $16 million in revenue to the state and many say a lot of that money would go to the Grand Strand.

"We would have had our wedding here in South Carolina and I'm sure we would have spent a lot more,” said Tommy Starling.

Starling, who lives in Pawleys Island, was married in California in 2008.

He and his husband met 20 years ago in Myrtle Beach.

They waited nearly a decade before getting married, hoping the state's laws would change, he says after awhile they could not wait any longer.

"Once our daughter was born we realized we needed to do something sooner to protect our families,” said Starling. 

He says his wedding was small with only about ten people in attendance and it cost $2,000, but if they were able to have their dream wedding they would have spent a lot more.

"We couldn't have asked for any place better to have our wedding than in the state of South Carolina where we spent our lives and raised our children,” said Starling.

Starling is not alone.

Thousands of people across the country, both gay and straight look to spend money on their weddings right here along the Grand Strand.

"On average, I get probably five calls a day of brides that want to come to Myrtle Beach,” said Santana Leroy.

Leroy is a manager with Myrtle Beach Destination Weddings. 

Full Story Here

Gilstrap Honored with Education Champion's Award

The South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) has honored Teri Gilstrap with its Champions for Public Education award. SCSBA Executive Director Paul Krohne presented the association's award at the Anderson County School District 4 school board meeting on Monday night. 

The Anderson District 4 board nominated Gilstrap for the award, which is presented to community residents, organizations or local businesses/industries whose support of and contributions to public education have significantly benefited the entire school district or public schools statewide.

Gilstrap is the Existing Industries Manager for the Anderson County Office of Economic Development and has been a key partner with local schools. She has set up tours of manufacturing facilities for educators, taken part in career awareness programs, and led professional development sessions for teachers. She is a tireless promoter of public education and has helped Anderson District 4 schools to forge valuable relationships with local business and industry.

According to the nominating statement, "(Gilstrap) is positive, supportive and encouraging, and she seeks ways to continually improve opportunities and understanding for students, teachers and staff."