President Oks Air Strikes in Iraq

President Barack Obama said on Thursday he had authorized U.S. air strikes to blunt the onslaught of Islamist militants in northern Iraq and began airdrops of supplies to besieged religious minorities to prevent a "potential act of genocide."

Obama, in his most significant response yet to the crisis, said he approved "targeted" use of air power to protect U.S. personnel if Islamic State militants advance further toward Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq, or threaten Americans anywhere in the country.

He said air strikes, which would be the first carried out by the U.S. military in Iraq since its withdrawal in 2011, could also be used if necessary in support of Iraqi and Kurdish forces trying to break the Islamists' siege of a mountaintop where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped.

"Earlier this week, one Iraqi in the area cried to the world, 'There is no one coming to help'," said Obama, who had been reluctant to deepen U.S. military re-engagement in Iraq.

"Well, today America is coming to help."

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S.C. Moves on Solar, but Haley Opposes Clean Air Act

South Carolina is taking one step forward and two steps back when it comes to clean energy. On Wednesday, Governor Nikki Haley signed a bill which would encourage solar energy development in the state, which currently only produces about eight megawatts of solar power — much less than neighbor states North Carolina and Georgia. Just days earlier, the state had joined 11 other states in suing the EPA over proposed regulations of carbon emissions from coal plants.

ClimateProgress reports:

At the same time that she’s trying to make progress on solar, Gov. Haley is labeling the EPA’s efforts to limit carbon emissions — which will help accelerate the shift to renewables — as economy-hurting mandates that get in the way of many of the state’s businesses which are “already green friendly anyways,” according to her…

Currently South Carolina gets 57 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and 25 percent from coal with the rest coming from natural gas or renewable sources. The EPA’s proposed cuts for the state’s carbon emissions are 51 percent by 2030, the bulk of which will come from the addition of two nuclear plants. According to the the Conservation Voters and the S.C. Coastal Conservation League, the state has already cut emissions by about 30 percent since 2005. While South Carolina still relies on coal power for a quarter of its power, about half a dozen or so of the older plants are already closed or in the process of closing.

The solar energy bill will establish a lease program and various incentives for various kinds of renewable energy. “When you look at North Carolina and you look at Georgia, they’ve been doing pretty well when it comes to solar energy, and they don’t have anymore sun than we do,” Haley said.

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Despite Haley’s good judgement when it comes to renewables, the state has fought furiously to make sure that it is unhindered by EPA’s Clean Air Act which would limit the amount of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution that the state’s coal plants would be allowed to emit. South Carolina is particularly culpable in the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, a provision of the aforementioned act which protects states from air pollution produced outside their borders. The new regulations could save billions of dollars and as many as 960 lives in the South Carolina every year .

Bank of America to Pay $16 Billion for "Toxic" Loans

After months of lowball offers and heels dug in, it took only 24 hours for Bank of America to suddenly cave in to the government, agreeing to the largest single federal settlement in the history of corporate America. 

The tentative deal - which people briefed on the matter said would cost the bank more than $16 billion to settle investigations into its sale of toxic mortgage securities in the runup to the financial crisis - started to take shape last week after the Justice Department rejected yet another settlement offer from the bank. Then, a wild card entered the fray. 

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S.C. Schools Standardized Tests Fall

South Carolina's elementary and middle school students posted worse overall scores on state-standardized tests last spring across all grades compared to 2013.

The Education Oversight Committee says students' scores are disappointing, but a drop was expected as teachers transitioned to new benchmarks for what students must learn in math and reading.

Passing rates on the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards range between 63.5 percent in third-grade science to 83.7 percent in fourth-grade social studies. The tests are taken by third- through eighth-graders in five subjects: writing, reading, math, science and social studies.

The percentage of students passing fell in 22 of the 30 total tests taken. The worst drops occurred in sixth- and seventh-grade reading. Both declined by 5 percentage points.

The state Education Department has not yet commented.

United Way African American Leadership Summit Cancelled

The African American Leadership Council of United Way of Anderson County’s 8^th Annual Youth Summit scheduled for Saturday, in DB Walker Park has been cancelled due to the threat of inclement weather. 

The council will be giving away school supplies on August 15 at the Jim Ed Rice Center beginning at 10 am until they are gone.

For more information, contact United Way at 226-3438.

Anderson Emergency Services Wins Statewide Award

Anderson, Abbeville, Barnwell and Jasper counties were honored with the Barrett Lawrimore Regional Cooperation Award for Operation Help Thy Neighbor during the 47th Annual South Carolina Association of Counties conference on Tuesday evening.

Additionally, Anderson County won Honorable Mention in the J. Mitchell Graham Award competition for pioneering the SafeTown application.

Descriptions of the Projects:

J. Mitchell Graham Award
SafeTown Anderson County
Anderson County served as a pioneer for SafeTown, a platform developed to interface with public safety software that allows dispatchers, incident responders (law enforcement, fire, EMS), correctional officers, and the public to collaborate and share information. The County holds the distinction of being the first in the nation to implement the platform and is the only county in the state with the designation, SafeTown.
Link to video presentation:
http://youtu.be/4-sk9PXDQhA?list=UUbi_CFJAQVgKpx3LxUUt7iw


Barrett Lawrimore Regional Cooperation Award
Operation Help Thy Neighbor
The concept of expanding the Western Piedmont Regional Emergency Management Taskforce model to other counties, even counties not in the same region, was put to the test, in a real-world emergency situation when Winter Sorm Pax descended on Barnwell County. Relying on common platforms and similar emergency plans to assist the impacted region, Abbeville, Anderson and Jasper counties, along with the SC State Guard, Salvation Army, Red Cross, FEMA and the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Team put Operation Help Thy Neighbor into action.
Link to video presentation:
http://youtu.be/-fVygd1ITxs?list=UUbi_CFJAQVgKpx3LxUUt7iw

ABOUT THE AWARDS
The J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Awards recognize innovative projects completed by South Carolina's counties during the past fiscal year. Winners represent the best qualities of local governance-attention to details, service to citizens, efficient use of tax dollars, and improvement in the quality of life. They demonstrate how creative problem-solving and collaboration can achieve impressive results, and offer new ideas for other counties to consider.

The J. Mitchell Graham Memorial Award recognizes counties that address community challenges, implement operational improvements, or enhance their citizens' quality of life in a unique way.

The Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation Award highlights the growing need for regional partnerships, strategies, and solutions. Competition for this award is open to two or more political subdivisions (counties or county partnerships formed with city, town, district, or regional government organizations) that worked together on a project.

Scrabble Adds 500 Words to Official Players Dictionary

After going a decade without any updates, Merriam-Webster's Official Scrabble Players Dictionary has decided to get with the times by adding 5,000 new words including "selfie," "bromance" and "chillax."

The dictionary is a compilation of all the words legally allowed to be played on the Scrabble board. The new version will have about 100 new pages..

"These are words that have become part of the culture, part of the language and part of the dictionary," said Peter Sokolowski, the editor at large for Merriam-Webster.

Many of the words are slang or 21st-century vernacular like "vlog," "texter," "frenemy" and "chillax." Others are foreign words that have become more common among English speakers like "qigong," which is a Chinese exercise routine.

"[It's] a bit of a balancing act for us," said John Chew, co-president of the North American Scrabble Players Association. "We don't have any issue with slang, we just want to make sure the words are going to be around in the long run."

Scrabble players will benefit from taking a look at the new dictionary. The word "quinzhee" -- which is the Inuit word for a shelter made out of settled snow -- can be played for 401 points if the tiles are lined up correctly.

Council Moves Ahead Rezoning for Grocery Store at Reed Rd/S.C. 81

Anderson County Council on Tuesday night voted 6-1 to move ahead on the rezoning of a parcel of land on Reed Road near Greenville Street, to allow for the reported construction of a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Council is meeting with the developers and the South Carolina Department of Transportation on traffic issues surrounding the proposals.

On Tuesday night, Council also:

Approved on second reading an ordinance calling for Anderson County Council will have a published agenda no more than 24 hours before a meeting, except in cases of emergencies determined by a super majority vote of council.

Approved an ordinance moving the Anderson County Civic Center back into County Council District 1. 

Approved on first reading tax incentives for Project Wolf, and existing Anderson company which will 14 jobs, average salary of $14.50 per hour, and a $2.5 million investment, to the existing business which employs 16.

Approved hiring Lynn Sopolosky , currently the clerk in Abbeville County Council, as clerk for Anderson County Council.

Gave approval on second reading to rezoning for a new grocery store proposed for the corner of Belton-Honea Path Highway at Johnson Road just outside of Honea Path.

Approved on second reading tax incentives for Project Duo, which will bring a $6.5 investment and 14 new jobs with an average wage of $17.54 per hour.

Agreed to on first second reading to prohibit through-truck traffic in Nevitt Forest Subdivision. 

Approved on second reading a wastewater/sewer agreement with Pendleton.

Approved chapters 3, 4 and 5 of the Anderson County Comprehensive Plan.

Magazine: Anderson Among Top Retirement Cities in U.S.

Anderson has been selected a top retirement destination by "Where to Retire," the only magazine in America geared toward helping people with retirement relocation decisions.

Anderson is one of eight cities profiled in a feature titled "8 Low-Cost Cities" in the September/October issue, available nationwide on Aug. 12.

Where to Retire Editor Annette Fuller said these eight cities, including Anderson, offer boomers their dream retirement setting at a bargain price. "Whether it's a small city, a university town or a thriving urban center, options exist within most budgets. While home prices and everyday expenses may be lower in these towns, retirees aren't sacrificing amenities and activities by relocating to these communities," Fuller said.

The eight cities were chosen after research of cost-of-living data, taxes, housing prices and finally overall attractiveness and livability.

Each year, 700,000 Americans relocate to new towns to retire. Generally, relocating retirees are healthier, better educated and more affluent than those who choose to not relocate. They bring significant economic benefits to their new states and hometowns. Nationally, two dozen states and hundreds of towns seek to attract retirees as a source of economic development.

WYFF: Hidden Cash Anderson Winner Pays it Forward

he Hidden Cash phenomenon has hit the Upstate and one winner says he is going to pay it forward with his winnings. 

Hidden Cash is the pseudonym of Jason Buzi, a San Francisco-based entrepreneur who started a scavenger hunt-type game in the spring of 2014.  People learn about the Hidden Cash drops via the social media sites Twitter and Facebook and are encouraged to tweet and post photos of themselves with found cash.

The amount of cash hidden varies from $20 to hundreds.

Hidden Cash locations have included San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno, New York, Mexico City, London, Madrid, Sacramento, Greenville, Anderson and Spartanburg. 

Kenneth Connally found $41 at the Generator Park at E. Whitner Street and McDuffie Street in Anderson on Tuesday morning after a clue was posted on the HiddenCashAnderson Facebook page. 

The $1 was a 1935 dollar bill worth $150 on eBay. Connally said he is going to use the $40 to buy some school clothes for his friend's 7-year-old. He is going to save the $1 bill. 

The first small clue was give out Monday night and said "Some call it up and some call it down." The next clue was given out at 8 a.m. Tuesday and said "William Whitner help generate Anderson."

Connally said he actually found the money before the second clue was posted. 

"I told them at work last night- I know exactly where this is going to be. They said 'alright well you go get it' and started laughing at me. So I did! I went and picked it up." Connally told News 4's Aly Myles.  

On the envelope that had the money inside it said, "Congratulations!! You found Andersons 1st "Hidden Cash" Enjoy!! If possible do something nice for someone maybe even a stranger. Karma is a powerful thing. 

S.C. in Top 5 of Most Dangerous States

It's a top billing that isn't anything to brag about: South Carolina is one of the top five dangerous states in the country, according to LawStreetMedia.com.

"It's a never-ending story when it comes to crime," Pam Shields said.

Being in the office is a rare occasion for Pam Shields. She's normally on the scene of the crime with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

"We respond to scenes, we're called when the incident happens," she said.

But Shields isn't a deputy--she's with the victim's advocate department, helping those who need a shoulder to lean on.

"If it's a mother that I need to tell that their child was murdered or raped or something happened to them, I always try to put myself in their position in other words I always try to be in an empathetic position, rather than a sympathetic position," Shields said.

The city of Sumter ranks number three on the list of most dangerous cities in South Carolina. Maj. Allen Dailey with the Sumter Co. Sheriff's Office says two things contribute to the violent crime in the area.

"Alcohol, drugs, that plays a big part in a lot of our crimes," Dailey said.

"We had call after call after call we got to this club. We had several shootings, we had a murder, a lot of violence, drug activity going on in there and we finally got, with the department of revenue, we shut it down," he said.

Dailey also says repeat offenders tend to add to the numbers.

But with law enforcement out in the streets and victim's advocate workers helping families, it makes things a lot easier to handle.

"We try to work together as a team and that helps a lot," Shields said.

Violent crimes was defined as rape, murder, robbery and aggravated assault

Within our state, Myrtle Beach and Spartanburg come in at the No. 1 and No. 2 most dangerous cities. The report named Tennessee as the most dangerous state.

To read more about the study and its methodology, go to LawStreetMedia.com.

Hidden Cash Coming to Anderson Tuesday

Some lucky folks have found Hidden Cash in Greenville over the past week, and now it’s Spartanburg and Anderson’s turn.

Hidden Cash is the pseudonym of Jason Buzi, a San Francisco-based entrepreneur who started a scavenger hunt-type game in the spring of 2014.  People learned about the Hidden Cash drops via the social media site Twitter and were encouraged to tweet photos of themselves with found cash.

The amount of cash hidden varies from $20 to hundreds.

Hidden Cash locations have included San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno, New York, Mexico City, London, Madrid, Sacramento and Greenville.

Spartanburg’s Hidden Cash started Saturday and Anderson’s starts Tuesday. 

All of the clues are given out via social media sites.

The clues will be revealed on the Twitter account @HiddenCash and on HiddenCashAnderson

Poll: Charleston Friendliest City in U.S.

Southern hospitality lives on. Eight of the 10 friendliest cities in the USA are in the South, according to a new survey by Conde Nast Traveler.

Charleston, S.C., was named the friendliest city and recognized for its culture, history, natural beauty, and food scene, the magazine said in its 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Charleston earned top honors last year as well.

Rounding out the top five friendliest cities are Savannah, Ga.; San Antonio; Telluride, Colo.; and New Orleans.

Asheville, N.C., also made the list for the second straight year.

Savannah, which makes a repeat appearance on the friendliest list, earned praise for making travelers feel like they'd "stepped back in time." Think friendly tour guides in seersucker suits.

The Friendliest Cities announcement is based on 1.3 million votes from nearly 80,000 adults who took the 2013 Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Survey. This results of the 2014 Reader's Choice Awards will be published in the November issue of the magazine.

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