S.C. House Agrees to Ban Texting While Driving

COLUMBIA — South Carolina lawmakers have overwhelmingly passed a statewide ban on texting while driving.

Under the ban approved by the state House in a 94-2 vote and by the Senate 42-2 on Wednesday, drivers who violate the law would not receive penalty points, but would face fines starting at $25. However, the use of GPS navigators and texting to summon emergency services would be permitted.

Drivers would also be allowed to text on a hand-held device if stopped at a red light or stop sign.

Police would be prohibited from confiscating or viewing a cellphone to determine whether a driver was texting. During the first 180 days after the law goes into effect police would issue warnings before citations are handed out.

The ban would supersede at least 19 local ordinances that vary by city, creating consistency across South Carolina.

Once it’s signed into law, South Carolina will be the 49th state to adopt a law on texting. Montana is the only other state that doesn’t have a texting ban.

Sponsoring Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, said the ban will save more lives than any other bill passed in years by preventing distracted driving.

“The ban will help protect the people of South Carolina, clear up confusing and irregular local regulations and make our roads safer around the state,” Sheheen said.

Rep. B.R. Skelton, R-Six Mile, said it is time that South Carolina finally got a texting ban. However, he said it should have gone further by targeting all hand-held use of cellphones while driving.

The difficulty will be enforcing the ban and determining whether someone is talking or texting on their cellphone, said Skelton.

Graham Big Lead in S.C. Primary Polls

Next up in the primary cycle is South Carolina and Sen. Lindsey Graham is well ahead of a host of challengers in that state’s race for a Republican Senate nomination.

A new Clemson University poll Wednesday found Graham with 49 percent. Trailing are state Sen. Lee Bright, a tea party favorite, with 9 percent, Easley businessman Richard Cash, 3 percent, Charleston businesswoman Nancy Mace, 2 percent, and Columbia pastor Det Bowers and Orangeburg attorney Bill Connor at 1 percent each.

Graham needs a majority to avoid a runoff, but his position seems solid.

The State newspaper reported that Clemson’s David Woodard noted that the gap between Graham and the others is so large, “We don't think anybody can make that up."

WYFF: Anderson Magistrate Race Heating Up

With one week before the primary, the race for Anderson County probate judge is heating up.

Incumbent Martha Newton is facing opposition from Dan Sharp, a magistrate in Anderson County's summary court.

Newton said she was first elected as Anderson County's probate judge in 1983 and said her knowledge and experience are the reasons she should be voted in for a ninth term.

"I still things I want to get done.  I'm in the prime of my term," said Newton.  "I want to make sure that by the time I leave that all the records are imaged and we're in the process of going back and doing our old records, and so I would like to see all of those completed, and when I leave all we'll be doing is putting in the new files."

Sharp said it's time for a change.  

"We've only had two probate judges since 1929 in Anderson County, so you do tend to maybe get settled in the way that you run your court.  I've always been an advocate of getting new technology in, helping the public deal with court, which is not always fun, and not always easy, but we want to get an interactive website together," said Sharp.  "I'm not interested in the last 30 years.  I'm interested in the next 20 years.  I'm interested in the families of Anderson County getting the services they need to make informed decisions about probate court."

Newton has criticized Sharp for what she calls "mud slinging."

Sharp has brought up the fact that Newton recently switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

"This is not a party job. We don't have Republican marriage license.  We don't have Republican estates or Democrat.  We don't ask you when you come in whether you're Democrat or Republican.  We wait on you anyway," said Newton.  "I feel like my goals and my values are more Republican than the Democrat.  I was going to switch had I not had opposition that was my plan."


About the party switch, Sharp said, "It's all about personal responsibility and convictions and if you don't have that conviction of what your philosophy is, whether it's personal or political, then I may have to take issue with that and I know the voters may have to take issue with that."

Sharp has also criticized Newton for failing to file proper financial paperwork for her charity, which Newton said has now been rectified.

"I was never notified about that.  Had I been notified it would have been corrected," said Newton.  "I didn't know about it until he brought it up and I got right on it and it was corrected."

Sharp said he brought up the violation because of concerns about them.

"I don't want it to hurt the court system, the propriety of the court, and the confidence that people have in the judicial system. Because it didn't have to do with court, that's great, but anything a judge does is viewed by the public as important," said Sharp.

S.C. Oks Cannabis Oil to Treat Epilepsy

Gov. Nikki Haley has signed into law a bill allowing people in South Carolina with severe epilepsy to use CBD oil, which comes from the marijuana plant, as a treatment option. The oil must be prescribed by a doctor.

CBD oil, also known as cannabis oil or cannabidiol, has almost none of the mind-altering substance in marijuana.

Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill that eventually became law, says, "The young girl that inspired me to file this bill, a 6-year-old named Mary Louise Swing in Charleston, has up to 150 seizures an hour, and with medication, conventional pharmaceutical medication, that gets knocked down to about 30-40 a day. But with CBD oil, anecdotal evidence is and others have gotten relief where the pharmaceuticals don't provide it. So we're talking about changing some lives in South Carolina, so it's a really great day."

The bill took effect as soon as the governor signed it Monday, but since CBD oil has been illegal it's not immediately available in the state. The law also creates a study committee to make recommendations for how to grow the plants here and dispense the CBD oil.

Full Story Here

First Quality Announces Big Expansion at Anderson Facility

First Quality Tissue SE, LLC, a manufacturer of ultra-premium towel and bath tissue products, has selected its Anderson County facility for the installation of their next tissue line. 

First Quality Tissue plans to add more than one-million square feet of new construction to the Anderson County facility located on Masters Boulevard. This expansion will accommodate a third Through-Air-Dried (TAD) paper machine with an estimated annual capacity of 70,000 tons. The startup of the new machine is expected to be in late 2015. 

"We are thrilled to announce the next phase of our commitment to Anderson County and South Carolina," said First Quality's Nicholas B. Dottino. "We chose to locate to this area because of the growing market in the Southeast, as well as the infrastructure, workforce and favorable cost of doing business. We are excited to expand and bring on an additional 200 personnel in the coming years."

"First Quality put Anderson County on the map with the Golden Shovel recognition for national economic development announcements when they chose us as their new home in 2010," said Tommy Dunn, chairman of Anderson County Council. "Today, we stand with one of our own as they excel beyond their original commitment. The addition of their 3rd premium quality tissue line, their investment of $350 million and 200 new jobs is great news for Anderson County residents." 

As part of this $350 million investment, the company expects to hire an additional 200 employees on top of its current workforce. With the additional positions, the Anderson plant is expected to employ around 650 by the end of 2015. The announcement represents the second phase of the company's overall planned investment of $1 billion in its South Carolina operations as announced in 2010.

"Under promise and over-deliver can be found under the definition of First Quality," said Eddie Moore, Anderson County Councilman. "This impressive expansion puts them nine years ahead of schedule. District 3 is proud to have First Quality as an over-achieving member of our community. We pledge our continued support toward their future success and growth."

"Anderson County businesses added 3,000 jobs over the past year, according to statistics released in May by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce," said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns. "We are grateful to the entire South Carolina team including the Department of Commerce and especially Duke Energy. Their consistent and collaborative efforts foster a business-friendly climate that attracts quality business like First Quality Tissue to our county and helps them flourish in spite of a difficult economic climate. This is quite an achievement and effectively demonstrates Anderson County's ability to compete in the global market."

County Council to Look at 2014-15 Budget Tuesday

Anderson County Council will consider, on second reading, the 2014-2015 budget for Anderson County and at continuing bus service to Tri-County Techinical Colleg as part of Tuesday night's meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown

Full Agenda Here

Library Hosts Master Gardener Polomski Thursday

The Anderson County Master Gardeners are hosting Bob Polomski at the Anderson County Library Thursday at 10 a.m. Polomski is a well-known horticulturist with Clemson University and holds degrees in Plant Science, Horticulture and Plant and Environmental Sciences. Currently, Polomski is in the Horticulture and Urban Forestry Department at Clemson University.

He is the author of "Month-By-Month Gardening in South Carolina" and co-author of "Certified Nursery Professional Training Manuals." Dr. Polomski is involved with the Master Gardener Program, Clemson Extension and diagnosing plant problems. Being a garden writer, researcher and horticulturist in South Carolina, Polomski refers to himself as "a first generation American of Polish decent who emigrated to the South from the Garden State." 

This program is open to the public.

Learning Second Language Slows Brain Aging

Learning a second language can have a positive effect on the brain, even if it is taken up in adulthood, a University of Edinburgh study suggests.

Researchers found that reading, verbal fluency and intelligence were improved in a study of 262 people tested either aged 11 or in their seventies.

A previous study suggested that being bilingual could delay the onset of dementia by several years.

The study is published in Annals of Neurology.

The big question in this study was whether learning a new language improved cognitive functions or whether individuals with better cognitive abilities were more likely to become bilingual.

Dr Thomas Bak, from the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said he believed he had found the answer.

Dr Thomas BakUniversity of Edinburgh

Using data from intelligence tests on 262 Edinburgh-born individuals at the age of 11, the study looked at how their cognitive abilities had changed when they were tested again in their seventies.

The research was conducted between 2008 and 2010.

All participants said they were able to communicate in at least one language other than English.

Of that group, 195 learned the second language before the age of 18, and 65 learned it after that time.

Full Story Here

Report: S.C. Near Bottom in Addressing Seniors' Needs

South Carolina still has work to do in addressing the needs of seniors, according to a recent research report.

The annual America’s Health Rankings Senior Report, a report from the UnitedHealth Foundation that assembles data from 12 government agencies, ranked South Carolina 34th in the nation for senior health for the second consecutive year.

Dr. John Rennick, medical director for UnitedHealthcare of the Carolinas, said the report helps understand the key challenges and opportunities facing South Carolina’s senior population.

“With the senior population expected to double in size in the next 25 years, it is important that we develop effective programs and solutions that address seniors’ health needs in South Carolina and nationwide,” Rennick said. “The good news is that our ranking is certainly not as low as some of the other states in the Southeast.”

Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas all ranked among the least healthy for seniors.

Rennick said the goal of the report is to help people lead healthier lives.

“The primary goal is we don’t want people to focus on how long they are living but how well they are living,” he said.

Rennick said seniors older than 65 are making more of an effort to participate in some type of physical activity, thereby reducing arthritis. He also said using hospice care actually lowers healthcare costs.

“It improves the quality of life for people with terminal illnesses,” Rennick said. “A lot of people don’t realize it lowers costs and improves quality of life. The low percentage of low-care nursing home residents is related to South Carolina having better facilities more so than them not being used.”

Full Story Here

S.C. Not Expected to Raise Campaign Donation Limits

Since the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for unlimited spending by unions, corporations and other associations, 13 states have raised their limits on what people may contribute to candidates. South Carolina is not among them.

And this state isn't expected to join them any time soon, possibly because its current limits are about in the middle of the pack nationally, though its limits on contributions to state Senate candidates are lower than average, ranking 38th, according to the Center for Competitive Politics.

State lawmakers also may be avoiding raising limits because that might not jibe with many people's idea of positive ethics reform, a hot topic at the Statehouse during the past two years.

But some argue raising limits would be a positive step.

David Keating, the center's director, said recent First Amendment lawsuits over campaign spending have led to positive legislative changes.

"These 13 states are at the vanguard of a new movement to permit more political speech," he said. "By easing limits on campaign contributions, lawmakers in these states are advancing the First Amendment rights of their constituents - and making elections more competitive."

During the past year, Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Wyoming either raised or eliminated various campaign contribution limits. Vermont increased its contribution limits in January, and Oklahoma may pass them this year.

Of those nine, five at least doubled their limits, he said.

Full Story Here

Haley Calls for End to Black Bike Week

After meeting with several Horry County elected officials about the fatal shootings during Memorial Day weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley bluntly said Friday that the Atlantic Beach Bikefest event must end.

Atlantic Beach elected officials did not attend Friday's meeting and could not be immediately reached for comment.

But on Thursday, Atlantic Beach Mayor Jake Evans said the town has no plans to cancel next year's event and will address crowds spilling over into nearby towns such as Myrtle Beach, where three people were killed Saturday night and seven others hurt in eight shootings.

Haley said the shootings and violence during the weekend hurt tourism and the potential for new industry and jobs to move into the Grand Strand because of the national attention it received.

"There are no revenues worth the bad press that we got this past weekend. There are no revenues worth the lack of companies that will come to this area because of what happened this weekend. There are no revenues worth the lack of tourism that we will lose because of what happened this past weekend. It is time for that Bikefest to come to an end," Haley said. "Let's make sure what's happening in Atlantic Beach is truly a reflection of South Carolina as a whole, and violence is not a reflection of South Carolina, pollution of South Carolina and disrespect is not a reflection of South Carolina."

Haley said she will address the issue with Atlantic Beach elected officials and work with them to promote the town in other ways and events.

Full Story Here

Southern Baptists 7-Year Membership Slide Continues

The membership of the Southern Baptist Convention has declined among their churches for the seventh straight year, according to a LifeWay Christian Resources annual report.

The total membership of the SBC stood at 15.7 million at the end of last year, down from nearly 15.9 million in 2012, the report released on Wednesday showed.

"I am grieved we are clearly losing our evangelistic effectiveness," said Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, in a statement. "I continue to pray for revival and a renewed passion for the Great Commission in our churches. May God renew all of us, including me, with a greater heart for the lost."

The report also found that primary worship attendance had declined last year to an average of 5.8 million Sunday worshippers, compared to nearly 6 million the year before. Furthermore, baptisms within the denomination have decreased by an average of over 4,000 during the last two years, which is significant since baptisms measure an individual's commitment to evangelism.

However, the denomination did experience growth within the number of churches opened throughout the country which grew to 46,125 last year from 46,034 in 2012.

While Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, said he is thankful for the slight increase, he noted that there is a lack of passion among church members to reach the lost. Page cited a biblical text in Amos 6:1, "Woe to you who are at ease in Zion," when referring to the denomination's dwindling numbers, according to the Baptist Press."That warning in the book of Amos is a clear call to the people of God who have lowered their guard, relaxed their vigilance and reduced their commitment and passion for the things of God," Page said. "That very same thing can be said of our modern-day churches as we yet again see a disappointing decline in our ability to reach our continent for Christ."

He added, "God help us realize the great needs that are before us and the great opportunities that are there. Lord, forgive us of being at ease in Zion."

Bill Would Educate Children on Sexual Assault, Abuse

A proposed law is in the works that could change how students are taught about sexual abuse and assaults.

According to the Medical University of South Carolina, roughly one in four women and one in seven men have experienced some form of childhood sexual abuse. Lawmakers hope education in the classroom is the answer to reducing the statistics.

Freshman State Rep. Mandy Powers Norell, D-Lancaster, is spearheading a proposal to have sexual abuse prevention programs taught in South Carolina schools. If passed, school districts would provide age-appropriate instruction in sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention. The program would start this fall and include children from pre-kindergarten to senior year.

"A lot of the children being sexually abused in their homes don't realize that what's happening to them is wrong," Norrell said. "For them, it's their version of normal. And this bill would have each grade level develop an age appropriate way to tell safe secrets from unsafe secrets."

So far, the bill has received overwhelming support, but the failure of other health education proposals has left some wondering if educators are overreaching.

 "I do think that people are concerned that school districts are getting too involved in things that families are handling, but on the other side we have to be realistic that not everybody has the same home environment," said Joanie Lawson with the SC Education Association.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the most common place children encounter predators is online. In roughly half of child sexual abuse cases the perpetrator has been part of the family.