Supreme Court Declines Gay Marriage Cases Expanding Issue in Five States

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up cases seeking to defend bans on same-sex marriage in five states, a move that affirms lower court rulings striking down those bans and effectively establishes gay marriage in each of those states.

The order came without further explanation from the justices. It amounts to a surprising and historic move by the high court.

“This is a watershed moment for the entire country,” James Esseks, director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Project, said in a statement.

“We are one big step closer to the day when all same-sex couples will have the freedom to marry regardless of where they live,” he said. “The time has come and the country is ready.”

The denial does not establish same-sex marriage across the country, but it does send a green light of encouragement to lawyers for same-sex couples nationwide seeking to strike down similar state laws and constitutional amendments enforcing the traditional definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

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Meals on Wheels Needs Food

While the local temperatures aren’t yet what we think of when we think of winter, Meals on Wheels-Anderson has to start planning now for those months that tend to bring inclement weather.

The program is asking for donations of Shelf Stable Meals that can be distributed over the next couple of months to each recipient. These “bagged meals” contain ready-to-eat soup (no water needed), a granola/nutrition bar, a pack of raisins, a can of fruit and a single serving can or box of juice packaged in a gallon-sized zippered plastic bag.

Meals on Wheels would like to collect enough Shelf Stable Meals to ensure each recipient receives at least three of these “care packages” during the winter months. With nearly 600 recipients, the organization needs to receive at least 1,800 meals.

Meals on Wheels is seeking church groups, schools, clubs or service organizations who would like to collect and package these items for distribution this winter. Donations of packaged meals can be received at the Meals on Wheels office at 105 S. Fant Street in Anderson.

Meals on Wheels relies solely on donations received from the community for its day-to-day operations and receives no federal or state funding. For more information about how to package shelf stable meals or other volunteer opportunities, please contact Jeanie Campbell at 864-225-6800.

Pedestrian Deaths Rising in South Carolina

The South Carolina Highway Patrol has just released new statistics about fatalities on our roadways here in South Carolina. The numbers are rising compared to last year and troopers say many of these deaths can be prevented.

In South Carolina, 67 pedestrians have been killed since the beginning of 2014 and authorities at the South Carolina Department of Public Safety say that number has grown since last year.

Hannah Wimberly and her colleagues with the South Carolina Highway Patrol do their best to educate people of the low country on safe ways to get around. When speaking with Wimberly about the pedpedestriantalities, she said, “We don't consider these accidents. We consider these collisions, because they are all preventable."

Because many people walk to get where they're going, pedestrian fatalities often occur along busy roads.

On Friday, a 48-year-old Summerville man was crossing Ladson Road, when he was accidentally struck and killed by an SUV.

Lately, officers say it's been happening all too often. Wimberly explained, "In the tri- county area, we have seen a rise in the number of fatalities not only in vehicles, but also pedestrians."

Officials say the majority of pedestrian fatalities are occurring at night between the hours of 11pm and 5am.

Troopers urge people walking to wear reflective gear and to stay on the grass or sidewalk. "If a state trooper or other law-enforcement sees you walking in the roadway, you can get a citation - but we normally will warm you and kind of educate you on what you're supposed to be doing so maybe we can save your life,” said Wimberly.

Council to Look at EMS, Tax Incentives, Committee Reports

Anderson County Council will consider a pair of tax incentives for businesses, an EMS contract and hear finance and personnel committee reports as part of Tuesday night's meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

Final approval for tax incentives for Tactical Medical Solutions will receive a vote, while incentives for Project Haven will be considered on second reading. 

At 6 p.m. council will honor the county's wastewater management team, which was recently named tops in the state. At the early meeting, resolutions honoring the volunteers, workers and businesses who made Celebrate Anderson 2014 a success will also be read.

Supreme Court Tackles Voting Laws, Gay Marriage, More

Arguably the most active branch of US government begins a new year on Monday, as the supreme court returns from its long summer recess to address issues from gay marriage and religious freedom to voting laws and foreign policy.

While a politically deadlocked Congress is on track for a record dearth of legislation this session and key parts of President Barack Obama’s domestic policy agenda are on hold while his party fights to stop things getting worse in November’s midterm elections, the nine justices who meet on the other side of Capitol Hill are the focus of some of the biggest political fights in America.

Though the 2013-14 court term saw an unusually high number of unanimous rulings, it will be remembered for a clutch of controversial decisions that divided the bench along ideological lines: the Hobby Lobb ydecision that allowed employers to withhold certain types of contraception as part of health insurance; banning buffer zones that protect women seeking abortions from protesters; and removing caps on political contributions for the very rich.

So high are the stakes in 2014-15 that 81-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the four reliably liberal justices who are currently in the minority on the bench, recently told interviewers she could not resign because Obama’s weak grip on the Senate meant the balance of power could shift even further to the right if she did.

“If I resign any time this year, he could not successfully appoint anyone I would like to see in the court,” Ginsburg told Elle magazine

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U.S. Dropout Rate Down, But So is College Enrollment

The US government offered a mixed bag of education data this month. The high school dropout rate hit a record low, but college enrolment is also falling. What it means depends on who you talk to.

“In 1920, the high school graduation rates in the US were around 20%; over 100 years we’ve come a long way,” said Alex Bowers, a professor at the Teachers College at Columbia University.

The Census Bureau’s October Current Population Survey showed that in 2013, 7.3% of young people between 18 and 24 had dropped out, continuing a decline from 12.1% in 2004.

“It’s not all roses,” said Bowers. “The graph still shows that there’s a lot of work to be done.”

The data still shows high dropout rates among Hispanic and black men, at 14.7% and 9.6% respectively. College attendance is also dropping off. In 2011, a record 16.6m students attended college – the largest number ever. That dipped to 15.7m last year.

Many attribute the bulge in college enrolment earlier in the decade to the bad economy, the same driver behind increased high school graduation rates in the 1920s.

But lower dropout rates do not necessarily translate to better outcomes for students. For one thing, researchers question whether the quality of the education that high school students receive before graduating is as good as it used to be.

“There’s this moving target of what we consider to be a high school graduate,” said John Eric Humphries, a National Science Foundation research fellow at the University of Chicago. “There’s this constant balance between us believing that rigorous high schools are sliding, and wanting to have more high school graduates.”

And while dropout rates are falling, the number of people receiving high school equivalency degrees may be rising. But, as Census Bureau researchers have found, people who have gotten their degree by passing the GED – the most common high school equivalency test – earn $1,600 less per month in median income than high school diploma holders.

“To say we’re raising standards but at the same time producing more GED equivalents, and say that’s a victory … I think that’s short-sighted,” said Humphries.

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Christian Novelist Retreat Planned for Oct. 19-22

The Blue Ridge “Autumn in the Mountains” Christian Novelist Retreat, for beginning and published novelists, will be held October 19-22 at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, N.C. For detailed registration information see the site: http://ridgecrestconferencecenter.org/event/novelist. To register contact Ridgecrest: 1.800.588.7222.

The faculty for the event includes: Director Yvonne Lehman, author of  55 novels and Acquisitions Editor of Candlelight Romance and Guiding Light Women’s Fiction; Lynette Eason, best-selling suspense writer of over 20 books; Ann Tatlock, award-winning two-time Christy Award winner novelist and Lighthouse Acquisitions Editor; Diana Flegal, an agent with Hartline Literary Agency; Dr. Alton Gansky, author of over 40 books and director of Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference; and Eddie Jones, novelist and publisher of Lighthouse of the Carolinas books.

The retreat is a small, intimate gathering with focus on the individual needs, private appointments, brainstorming, critiques, craft workshops, writing time, information about social media, publishing opportunities of self-publishing, eBooks, and traditional publishing. Program fee is $324 for full time, $120 for one day. All classes, and sleeping rooms are on campus in the Mountain Laurel Hotel (per room, per night: single $69, double $69, triple $79, quad $89. Meal Package - $96 per person (Sunday dinner - Wednesday lunch). Registration is open to anyone interested in novel writing, whether for the inspirational market or for the general market.

For further information contact Director Yvonne Lehman at yvonnelehman3@gmail.com.

Ft. Bragg to Send Soldiers to Help Liberia in Ebola Outbreak

Fort Bragg soldiers will be be deployed to help with the Ebola outbreak, according to Ben Abl, public information officer for Fort Bragg.

About 120 soldiers from Fort Bragg will provide engineer and public affairs support to Operation United Assistance against Ebola, said Paul Boyce with Fort Bragg

As many as 4,000 service members could be deployed to Liberia as part of the operation against Ebola, the Department of Defense announced.

The U.S. Army has committed to deploying around 3,200 soldiers.

“Over the last 36 hours, two Ebola testing laboratories manned by personnel from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center are now fully operational,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby. “As we continue our support to the broader U.S. government response to the Ebola crisis, I want to emphasize that our operations remain focused on four lines of effort: command and control, logistics support, training, and engineering support.”

The DoD said more than 1,800 soldiers based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky are scheduled to be in Liberia later this month.

Anderson Touchdown Club Announces Weekly Winners

Lineman:      Nathan Burgess, Pendleton High School

Offensive:    Bailey Rogers, Wren High School

Defensive:    Jyquis Callahan, Belton-Honea Path High School

Coach:        Jeff Tate, Wren High School

DSS Outlines Plans to Add 221 Employees

The Department of Social Services has outlined agency plans to add 221 employees to the ranks of those assigned to protect South Carolina's abused and neglected children.

Acting director Amber Gillum explained Friday to a Senate panel the inner workings of her agency's $6.4 million plan for hiring and retaining workers in the high-stress, high-turnover jobs.

Senators told DSS last month to come up with a plan to quickly add caseworkers, rather than wait until after the next budget is passed. Gillum says the agency is streamlining hiring, increasing salaries and creating opportunities for workers to get promoted to leadership positions.

The testimony came hours after the release of an audit finding the agency relies heavily on unreliable data, fails to ask for extra money and ignores growing problems.

Microsoft Prepares to Release Windows 10

Microsoft has unveiled its next version of the Windows software which presently powers about 1.5bn PCs in use on the planet. Windows 10 will aim to entice users put off by Windows 8, whose lack of a start menu (introduced in 1995 with Windows 95) was more suitable for touch interfaces than a keyboard and a mouse – even though keyboard-reliant users outnumbered touch users by millions to one.

Windows 8 was a radical departure from the tried and tested Windows interface introduced in Windows 95. Users were puzzled at best, and businesses were slower to update than usual. Microsoft hopes Windows 10 will bring users back and entice businesses to ditch the four-year-old Windows 7, seven-year-old Windows Vista and the now-discontinued 13-year-old Windows XP.

1 Start menu

The start menu is back, but it’s still got Microsoft’s live tiles from Windows 8 bolted on to the side. Photograph: screengrab

After complaints from users about its absence, the start menu is back. Clicking the start button brings up a menu, which – although isn’t exactly the same as Windows 7 or those before it – is more familiar than the full-screen tiled interface of Windows 8. This should be much more useful for desktop users, but the tiled interface from Windows 8 is tacked on to the side.

2 Continuum

When connecting or disconnecting a keyboard Windows 10 will switch between a touch-based interface and a mouse and keyboard-focused interface. Photograph: screengrab

Windows 10 attempts to blend the best of Windows 7 with Windows 8. One of the smartest things Microsoft has added is Continuum, which detects the state of the computer and presents the right interface depending on whether a keyboard and mouse is being used or the screen is being touched.

For machines like the Surface Pro (which has a detachable keyboard), when the keyboard is attached it behaves like a desktop machine; without it, Windows switches to a more touch-friendly interface with an on-screen back button and other touch elements to make things a bit easier with fingers on a screen.

3 One Windows for all devices

Microsoft is using Windows 10 to attempt to unify its various software platforms across different devices under one Windows brand and software. Photograph: screengrab

Microsoft has talked a lot about Windows being more than simply desktop computer software. Windows 10 is meant to unify desktop PCs, Windows tablets and Windows Phone smartphones with one interface, one way of operating and one account.

Apple has taken a similar route with its iCloud accounts and the upcomingContinuity feature between iPads, iPhones and Mac computers – although its iOS software on the iPhone and OS X on the desktop have been kept separate.

4 Universal apps

Microsoft promises that Windows universal apps will run on any Windows product, including smartphones, tablets and desktops.

Along with the “one Windows for all devices” idea, Microsoft is pushing what it calls “universal Windows apps”, which is the new name for apps downloaded from the Windows Store. The idea is that one app will be able to run on all Windows platforms, including Windows Phone. Microsoft has been talking about this for over a year.

How it will work is not yet clear, but it is likely that new Windows apps will have a condensed version for Windows Phone and full-size versions for tablets and computers. Apple’s universal apps do something similar between the iPhone and iPad, but are not the same as the desktop OS X apps.

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Anderson Wastewater System Honored as Top in State

Anderson County Wastewater Department was recently recognized as the 2014 Waste Water System of the Year during the South Carolina Rural Water Association's (SCRWA) Annual Conference. This annual award is given to one wastewater system in the State of South Carolina that demonstrates exemplary wastewater management/innovation and/or customer service.

Anderson wastewater staff will be recognized for this achievement during the Tuesday County Council Meeting, which will be held at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers of the historic Courthouse, 101 South Main Street, Anderson. 

"Over the past several years, Anderson County has made significant strides toward improving our wastewater operations," said Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn. "Our Public Works Division has been successful in improving the collection, transportation and treatment of wastewater in a safe and efficient way while working with our Economic Development staff to provide sewer capacity for new and existing industries."

"Anderson County continues to be proactive in recruiting new industries by providing the capacity and infrastructure to accommodate the waste water requirements for a variety of different users," said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns. "This is one of the reasons we have seen our unemployment rate drop from 14.2% to 4.3% in a four year span. Since 2010, Anderson County ranks sixth in the state for job creation."

Currently providing sewer service for approximately 5,000 customers, Anderson County owns, operates and maintains 52 pump stations and approximately 300 miles of collection lines and operates a county owned .5 MGD (million gallons per day) treatment plant. Agreements with four additional Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) throughout the county provide for treatment without the expense of building additional WWTP.

WYFF: S.C. in Top Ten for New AIDS Cases

South Carolina has been named one of the top ten states for new AIDS cases in the country. 

According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, since 1981, thousands of people living in South Carolina have died from AIDS.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also ranked South Carolina eighth in the nation on the rate of new AIDS cases annually.

Those living with HIV and AIDS say a big reason for those numbers is a fear of judgment, keeping people from getting care.

For Fenicia Rosario, talking about HIV hasn’t always been easy.

“When you’ve got cancer it's OK, but when you have HIV or AIDS, everybody wants to push you away,” said Rosario.

But silence she says can be deadly.

“They're fearful of what's going to happen to them out there.  They are fearful of going to the doctor because they are not going to be treated right.  It's plain fear,” said Rosario.

"Living in the Bible Belt, especially when you get in the topic of sex and drug use and that type of thing, that's not something that people are, especially in the South, are open to discuss,” said Quinton Ellison with AID Upstate.

Ellison said part of the reason for the high numbers is the stigma surrounding the disease.

Rosario said it's time to re-educate the community.

“What we can do to change that is get the word out first of all like we are doing now,” said Rosario.

Rosario wants to see more funding, especially for rural areas in the South, which she says has a serious lack of resources.

It's the funding.  It's the education.  All of this goes hand in hand.  One voice can't do it.  We need a lot of voices,” said Rosario.

Free HIV testing is available at AID Upstate.  For more information, click here.