Today 
Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 3:53PM Heavy rain led to flooding and evacuations across the Upstate Thursday, and more rain is expected overnight into Friday.
Water levels are expected to rise in streams and creeks across the warned area. Poorly drained urban areas and low lying areas near streams and creeks will be especially vulnerable to flooding.
Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 3:50PM A dispute over how to rewrite South Carolina's math and reading standards pits leaders of South Carolina's two education boards against Education Superintendent Mick Zais, three months before voters replace him.
Zais has promised to use a new law to kill Common Core standards before he leaves office in January. The one-term Republican lacks the authority to do so. But he has influence over the review process.
The law directs educator panels to review current math and reading standards, which are the Common Core standards. Changes must be approved by both the state Board of Education and Education Oversight Committee. Zais has no vote on either board.
Board leaders say Zais' direction to ignore Common Core breaks the law.
A meeting among the three is set for late this afternoon.
Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 3:01PM A drone being flown in a novel attempt to smuggle phones, marijuana and tobacco into a South Carolina maximum security prison crashed outside its walls, authorities said on Wednesday.
The contraband smuggling attempt has been under investigation since the wreckage was discovered in April outside the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, said state Department of Corrections spokeswoman Stephanie Givens.
Officials believe it was the first time an unmanned aircraft had been used in an effort to breach prison walls in the state, Givens said. Most cellphones are thrown over walls.
"The technology is getting better, and we have to figure out different ways to fight back," she said.
Illegal cellphones, an issue in prisons nationwide, have drawn particular alarm in South Carolina. In 2010, a cell phone smuggled into the same prison was used to order a hit on a prison officer, who was shot six times at his home but survived.
Authorities have arrested one man in the drone incident and are seeking another suspect. Brenton Lee Doyle, 28, appeared in court on Wednesday for a hearing. He faces charges of attempting to introduce contraband into a prison and possession of the drug flunitrazopam, a muscle relaxant known as "roofies."
His case was continued until September.
Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 8:16AM Within their coalition, the Democratic Party has both those who believe religion causes harm and those who find great value in their religious faith. Much of the party's future will depend on how party leaders navigate these opposing views.
Part one of this series pointed out that the Democratic Party represents well both the non-religious and racial minorities. In the future, however, the religious in America will be mostly non-whites and the non-religious will be mostly whites. To win elections, therefore, the party will need to manage the differences between these groups.
One can, of course, be non-religious without being anti-religion. A problem for Democrats, though, is that some of the loudest voices from the secular left in recent years have demonstrated suspicion or open hostility toward religiously motivated viewpoints. In such an environment, the more that liberalism becomes associated with secularism, the more difficult it will be for the Democratic Party to mobilize those for whom religion motivates liberal political beliefs.
In an April report on mobilizing religious progressives, Brookings Institution senior fellows E.J. Dionne and William Galston put it this way: "If the decline in religion's public standing hinders the Christian conservative movement, it also makes it difficult for progressive religious leaders to win the hearing they are seeking. It therefore hinders the creation of potentially fruitful secular/religious alliances on behalf of economic justice. This is a serious loss for justice advocates."
There have been many recent examples of liberals attempting to bully and silence conservatives and people of faith.
A party coalition that requires homogeneity amidst a sea of heterogeneity will not long stay together.
Dionne and Galston quoted Michael Wear, leader of the religious outreach for President Barack Obama's 2012 election campaign, who said that Democrats are "finding it increasingly difficult to include a diverse array of faith voices, particularly those who hold traditional positions on social issues. Some religious leaders who were able to be engaged four or eight years ago are now off the table for holding the same views that they have always held."
To maintain its broad coalition of both religious and non-religious, Democrats need to welcome diversity, condemn those who bully people of faith, and champion religious freedom.
Until recently, liberals have been strong supporters of religious freedom. This makes sense because religious freedom is consistent with the liberal values of tolerance and pluralism. In 1990, for instance, three of the Supreme Court's most liberal justices, Harry Blackmun, William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall, dissented in a religious freedom case written by one of the court's most conservative justices, Antonin Scalia. The case,Oregon vs. Smith, involved the use of peyote, an hallucinogenic used as part of a religious ritual by the Native American Church but banned in Oregon.
Two Native Americans were fired from their government jobs and denied unemployment compensation after they failed a drug test because they ingested peyote while participating in a religious service. They sued the state, arguing that the religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment protected their right to participate in their religion.
The Court ruled against the Native Americans. Scalia's opinion argued that Oregon did not violate their religious freedom because the law against the use of hallucinogens applies equally to all religious faiths and did not single out the Native American Church.
The dissenters noted that the Court's majority opinion was a radical departure from how the First Amendment had been interpreted. Prior toSmith, the Court ruled that a law could violate a person's religious freedom only if it passed "strict scrutiny," which means that the government has to have a compelling interest in passing the law, the law must be narrowly tailored to achieve its goal and the government must use the least restrictive means for achieving that goal. In other words, for the government to violate a citizen's religious freedom, it must have a really good reason for doing so and there must be no other way to achieve that goal without infringing upon religious freedom.
Scalia abandoned the strict scrutiny test and wrote that religious freedom can be infringed as long as the government action is generally applicable, or is not designed specifically to infringe upon religious freedom. The Court's liberal dissenters appealed to tolerance and pointed out that religious freedom would have little meaning if the state can infringe upon religious freedom simply by passing generally applicable laws.
The majority's "distorted view," Blackmun wrote, led it "to conclude that strict scrutiny of a state law burdening the free exercise of religion is a 'luxury' that a well-ordered society cannot afford, and that the repression of minority religions is an 'unavoidable consequence of democratic government.' I do not believe the Founders thought their dearly bought freedom from religious persecution a 'luxury,' but an essential element of liberty — and they could not have thought religious intolerance 'unavoidable,' for they drafted the Religion Clauses precisely in order to avoid that intolerance."
Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 5:28AM An English professor at Clemson University has been researching video games and found that there are big-time social and critical-thinking skills learned from playing video games.
He not only assigns his students homework to play, but they've discovered a whole slew of reasons why it's good to play.
In today's times, video games are a form of media, up there with television, movies and books.
To associate English professor Jan Holmevik, they're just another way to tell a story and communicate.
When playing a video game, versus watching a television show or a movie, Holmevik describes the gamer as "in control of the protagonist." He explained that choices made have consequences that the player must then handle.
He finds the problem-solving skills gained through this method of jumping into the action noteworthy.
"If you fail, i.e. If you die in the game, then you start over, you get right back at it. You continue to explore and probe and find solutions," said Holmevik.
He said that's the type of skills training that education today often misses.
"We need to start thinking about learning as a way of inventing knowledge rather that reproducing knowledge that has been passed down," Holmevik explained.
Through his research, Holmevik found that video games encourage exploration and allow freedom to learn from failures and move on. He said he hopes that scientists who are used to hypothesizing will learn from gamers. Holmevik said he believes a different approach to problem solving could lead to faster progress in the world.
Holmevik's students read The Walking Dead, watch the show and play the game.
He's published three books on gaming-related theories trying to understand the phenomenon. He's found that video games contribute to learning and invention.
Holmevik does acknowledge there can be not so good aspects of gaming, like the threat of addiction. But he said it's not any worse than any other form of media.
Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 5:27AM A Pickens County man is working to create an environmentally-friendly way to kill one of the area's biggest nuisances - fire ants.
He is looking for a natural spray or powder to control fire ants.
Tradd Cotter, a microbiologist and mycologist, operates Mushroom Mountain in Liberty. His budding mushroom business produces hundreds of varieties of mushrooms. Some are for eating, others may be the key to doing everything from soaking up oil spills to killing pests.
Approximately four years ago, Cotter said he discovered a type of mushroom spore that is deadly to fire ants. He said it was located in the mountains and that he is currently working in his lab to study the effects of the spores on the ants. The spores are only deadly to that variety of ants, but are safe to people and pets.
"You could eat it. I've eaten the stuff out of the bag and it actually tastes good," Cotter said.
He said he will present his findings to the Environmental Protection Agency. His hope is that the EPA approval will give him the green light to mass produce the fire ant spores so it can be sold to people in hardware and home improvement stores.
"Replacing an ant killer, specifically a fire ant killer with something of this nature which is more native is seen as a possible solution," said Cotter.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 9:43PM A South Carolina gay-rights group plans to start a petition drive Wednesday asking Attorney General Alan Wilson to stop defending the state’s ban on same-sex marriages in the wake of a federal appeals court ruling.
“All the arguments they could make (were) ruled unconstitutional,” said Ryan Wilson, executive director for S.C. Equality. “The state has more pressing issues than defending a law that will be struck down by the Supreme Court.”
S.C. Equality will start a petition drive asking South Carolina’s attorney general to follow the lead of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, a Democrat who said Monday his state would no longer oppose lawsuits trying to overturn that state’s gay-marriage ban.
Both Carolinas are in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled Monday that Virginia’s gay-marriage ban was unconstitutional. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
S.C. Attorney General Wilson and Gov. Nikki Haley, both Republicans, pledged Monday to uphold South Carolina’s ban, approved by voters in 2006. Haley’s office said Monday her administration “will continue to uphold the will of the people.”
However, a pair of statewide candidates called Tuesday for Wilson to stop fighting a lawsuit brought by a Lexington County couple who want South Carolina to recognize their wedding in Washington, D.C., where gay marriage is allowed.
Garden City attorney Parnell Diggs, Wilson’s Democratic opponent in November, said South Carolina should not spend taxpayer money to defend a ban that likely will be overturned by the Supreme Court. “We’re headed in that direction.”
Meanwhile, petition gubernatorial candidate Tom Ervin of Greenville, a former state lawmaker and judge, said while he believes marriage is between a man and a woman, the U.S. Constitution affords all people equal protection.
“Government does not belong in the bedroom,” Ervin said. “Anyone should be free to marry the person they love. ... Further action on this matter, such as an appeal by the state, is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Wilson’s office said it has used staff attorneys, not more expensive outside counsel, to work on the lawsuit filed nearly a year ago by the Lexington couple, Katherine Bradacs and Tracie Goodwin.
The campaign for Democratic gubernatorial challenger, Vincent Sheheen, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Sheheen’s campaign said Monday only that the Camden state senator was monitoring court proceedings.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 9:41PM The Personnel Committee of the Anderson County Council will be reviewing candidates for the Clerk of Council position Thursday at 1 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 3:37PM A Clemson University graduate who currently serves as dean of the largest college at West Virginia University will become his alma mater’s chief academic officer, starting Sept. 16.
Robert H. “Bob” Jones, professor of biology and dean of WVU’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, will be Clemson’s first executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, providing leadership for the university’s undergraduate and graduate programs, academic support programs, research and public service activities.
Jones was selected after a national search that drew roughly 400 nominations and applications.
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to work with Clemson University’s amazing students, faculty and staff, and with its energetic new president, Dr. James Clements,” Jones said. “There are many appealing elements of Clemson for me, including its strong sense of community, positive momentum and track record of success in all three of the land-grant missions: learning, discovery and engagement. It’s also the place where I launched my life in academia and met my wife, Jeri. Truly, this is a chance of a lifetime!”
Jones earned his bachelor’s degree in forest management and master’s in forestry from Clemson and his doctorate in forest ecology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse University. He has previously served as a department head and professor at Virginia Tech and a faculty member at Auburn University.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 8:12AM Democrats have a religion problem. Republicans have a race and ethnicity problem. How party leaders deal with those challenges will define them for a generation.
As a May Christian Post analysis pointed out, the Republican's race and ethnicity problem and the Democrat's religion problem are on a collision course that will shake up the current political divide.
The collision will happen because two of today's major political gaps will cross paths for the next generation of Americans. Those two gaps are: 1) the religious participation gap, in which those who attend religious services often are more likely to vote Republican and those who attend less often, or do not attend, are more likely to vote Democrat; and 2) the race/ethnicity gap, in which a majority of whites support Republicans and a majority of non-whites support Democrats.
These gaps will collide because the non-religious are increasing in numbers among whites while the religious in America are becoming increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-racial. More than half, for instance, of young Christians today are non-white, while older Christians are 70 percent white. Plus, among young whites there are more non-religious than Christians.
In the future, therefore, there are two likely scenarios: Either the Democrats will become the majority party with a coalition of increasing numbers of religious non-whites along with non-religious whites, or Republicans will become the majority party with a coalition of religious whites and religious non-whites.
Democrats
When it comes to religion, the Democratic Party is more heterogeneous than the Republican Party. A greater diversity of faiths are represented by the Democrats, and the Democrats have a greater number of seculars, which includes those who are areligious, uninterested, searching, agnostic and atheist.
Brookings Institution senior fellows E.J. Dionne and William Galston described well the challenge this presents in an April report on mobilizing religious progressives.
"Religious progressives," they wrote, "are sometimes viewed with mistrust or suspicion by their secular allies. Because of the high profile mobilization of the religious right and the prominent public engagement of the more conservative Roman Catholic Bishops, many secular liberals continue to see religion as a fundamentally conservative force.
"There are, in short, tensions over religion in the Democratic Party that are (or, at least, have been up to now) largely absent in the Republican Party.
"The result is an ambivalence among Democrats about the role of religious progressives. When it comes to religion, the party has a complicated coalition-management problem."
In order to navigate that "complicated coalition-management problem," Democrats will need to demonstrate respect and tolerance for the nation's diverse religious beliefs. Part two of this series will advise Democrats on how to do that.
Republicans
Some Republican strategists are considering a strategy, at least for the near future, to mobilize a greater number of white voters. Turnout among whites was down in 2012, so if the GOP simply did a better job at getting whites to the voting booth, they will have a better shot at winning, the argument goes.
There is some debate about whether the strategy would work or not. Sean Trende, senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics, demonstrated in a four-part series last Summer that this strategy could help Republicans. (Trende was not advocating the strategy, but analyzing the data.) Others disagreed with Trende's analysis.
But, even if the strategy would work, Republicans should ask themselves if the strategy is wise. It would be a strategy that trades short term gains for long term losses. With the white share of the electorate on a long decline, Republicans would ultimately reach a point where the strategy is a losing one. The only question is how many elections it would take to get there. So, the trade off would look something like this: win two elections and lose the next 20.
The "whites only" strategy would be damaging, not only for the Republican Party, but also for the country as a whole. It would lead to two parties that are even more divided along race and ethnic lines than they are already. Which would lead to even more racial tension as political figures would increasingly use race-based arguments to fuel hostility toward the opposing parties.
Instead of seeking to mobilize their base with a "whites only" strategy, Republicans should seek to expand their base. Part three of this series will suggest a platform to do that.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 8:10AM Leaders of the Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature on Tuesday announced details of a tentative budget agreement, including a 7 percent pay raise for teachers in public schools, that could end a monthlong stalemate that has exposed a breach between Republican conservatives and moderates in the state.
Legislative leaders announced some details of the $21.3 billion spending plan in an afternoon news conference in Raleigh, the capital. Most notably, they highlighted the $282 million earmarked for teacher salary increases. Phil Berger, the president pro tem of the Senate, said the money would raise North Carolina’s average pay for public teachers to 32nd in the nation from 46th.
Mr. Berger and Speaker Thom Tillis of the House, in a joint news release, said it amounted to “the largest teacher pay raise in state history without raising taxes.”
But a number of analysts said Tuesday that they had a less-than-clear picture of where the state would get the $282 million. The answer is likely to be found in the text of the compromise bill, which was expected to be released on Wednesday.
Low teacher pay has become an embarrassment in North Carolina, a state proud of its commitment to quality public education. But finding the money for the raises has been particularly vexing since last year, when Republican lawmakers, who hold full control of state government for the first time since Reconstruction, approved sweeping tax changes, including an income-tax cut that is expected to reduce state revenue by $680 million this year, according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Services Office.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 5:42AM More than 35 percent of Americans have debts and unpaid bills that have been reported to collection agencies, according to a study released Tuesday by the Urban Institute.
These consumers fall behind on credit cards, hospital bills, mortgages, auto loans, or student debt. Even past-due gym membership fees or cellphone contracts can end up with a collection agency, hurting credit scores, said Caroline Ratcliffe, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank.
‘‘Roughly every third person you pass on the street is going to have debt in collections,’’ Ratcliffe said. ‘‘It can tip employers’ hiring decisions, or whether or not you get that apartment.’’
The study found 35.1 percent of people with credit records had been reported to collections for debt that averaged $5,178, based on September 2013 records. The study points to a disturbing trend: The share of Americans in collections has remained relatively constant, even as the country has whittled down the size of its credit card debt since the official end of the Great Recession in mid-2009.
As a share of income, credit card debt is at its lowest level in more than a decade, according to the American Bankers Association. Just 2.44 percent of card accounts are overdue 30 days or more, versus the 15-year average of 3.82 percent.
Yet roughly the same percentage of people are still getting reported for unpaid bills, according to the study, done in conjunction with the Consumer Credit Research Institute. Their figures nearly match the 36.5 percent of people in collections reported by a 2004 Federal Reserve analysis.
Health care-related bills account for 37.9 percent of the debts collected, according to a report commissioned by the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals. Student loan debt represents another 25.2 percent, and credit cards make up 10.1 percent, with the rest of the collections going for local governments, retailers, telecoms, and utilities.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 5:34AM A new poll says most S.C. voters support state investments in early childhood education and health programs and say the state is not doing enough for children.
One in three South Carolina voters think the state supports early childhood education and health to the extent it should, according to a new Public Policy Poll commissioned by the S.C. Institute for Child Success.
Slightly less, 30 percent, say children are prepared to enter kindergarten, according to the poll.
Meanwhile, 69 percent of S.C. voters support the state’s recent expansion of its free, full-day 4-year-old kindergarten program for at-risk children, while only 23 percent of voters opposed it.
Fifty-three percent of S.C. voters say children are not prepared to enter kindergarten, and 62 percent –– up from 56 percent last year in a similar poll –– say they support increasing investments in early childhood education and health programs.
The poll surveyed 581 South Carolina voters, self-identified as Democrats, Independents and Republicans, from July 25-27. Results have a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.
“We are very encouraged that South Carolina’s citizens are increasingly supportive of investing in our state’s youngest children,” said Joe Waters, Vice President of the Institute for Child Success. “We applaud the General Assembly’s recent expansion of (4-year-old kindergarten), and we look forward to working with them to ensure quality early experiences and supports for families with children under 4. With 90 percent of brain growth happening during the first five years of life, it is critical that we not wait ... to invest in our future.”