Greenville News: NewSpring Meets City Officials on Greenville Site

City of Greenville officials are set to weigh in today in a dispute between Clemson University and the NewSpring megachurch. Clemson isn’t happy with NewSpring’s plans for a 1,400-seat church next to the university’s International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville.

At 4 p.m. today, the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled to rule on the church’s request for an exception to parking requirements.

City planners are recommending against the zoning variance, having concluded in a report that the church’s request is “not consistent with the standards required to grant a variance.”

Anderson-based NewSpring envisions a 67,000-square-foot building with 874 parking spaces right beside ICAR’s Technology Neighborhood I, according to its application for the variance.

Clemson has said the ICAR area should focus on education, research-driven economic development and job creation and that the location “might not be the best fit.”

Belton Standpipe Festival Set for Oct. 5

On Oct. 5 the Belton Standpipe Heritage and Arts Festival commemorates more than 25 years of fun, with new events, updated vendors, and entertaining activities for the whole family.  Celebrating the City of Belton and the Belton community, this festival attracts over 8000 visitors annually.

That Saturday, from 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM, the city square in Belton will hum to the music of popular Upstate groups while an art show and market, heritage artisans, sporting events, historical tours, fire truck rides, a classic car show, great food, children's activities, over 50 quality craft vendors, and community outreach booths entertain the crowds.

After a street dance featuring the versatile music of the Legends of the Beach, the evening ends with a spectacular fireworks finale at 9:15 PM. Come celebrate the historical and cultural heritage of our small town!
This festival is sponsored in part by the Belton Area Partnership, the City of Belton Hospitality Fund, Anderson County ATAX, and Superior Engineering.  Admission and parking are free. For more information, visithttp://www.beltonsc.com/standfest.htm

Pendleton Annual Fall Festival Oct. 5

Pendleton’s 15th Annual Fall Harvest Festival is scheduled this year on the Village Green in Pendleton on October 5. The festival will run from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and will feature crafts, entertainment, food vendors, old-fashioned children’s games and other family fun.  Banjo player, Charles Wood, will be performing again this year, and Gayle and Gary Brown, the Southern Gospel Duet, will also perform. 

Upstate Dance and Baton returns, and T.J. Land & the Jolly Wingo Band will be pickin' and grinnin' and Pendleton's own D.J.- Patrick Brock, will be on hand throughout the day.  Sponsors for the Entertainment include STEC, Tri County Technical College and The Journal.

Visitors will be welcomed to town with scarecrows greeting them along the entrances and mounted on lamp posts around the town square.  Property owners along the main arteries will be asked to create a scarecrow display for their yard and give special permission to allow other individuals, groups, families, clubs and businesses to use their property to display their creativity.  Each business will utilize the lamp post at their storefront to promote their product and individuals and groups will decorate the remaining lampposts making the entire town a festive celebration of Fall.   

With over 80 vendors, there will be a variety of beautiful handmade crafts and delicious food that is sure to please all Festival goers. Hevy Mann will be selling his famous funnel cakes again this year. 

Also, the first ever Historic Downtown Scavenger Hunt will be held during the festival. This event is sponsored by the Pendleton Leadership Class of 2013 and you will enjoy unraveling clues as you see and learn about the history and landmarks of this beautiful historic town dating back to the late 1700s. Souvenir t-shirts will be given to a limited number of participants on a first come first served basis. Everyone who completes the hunt will be entered into a drawing for prizes. All Scavenger Hunt proceeds will benefit PRA (Pendleton Recreation Association) for the Step up to the Plate Fundraising Campaign for the ball fields at Veterans Park. 

No pets are allowed on the Village Green during a festival. For more information, go online to:  http://www.squidoo.com/fall-festival.

New Gun Law Creates Backlog in South Carolina

A new law in South Carolina is trying to keeps guns out of the hands of people with mental problems. However, that law is creating a backlog in many counties as workers try to implement it.

Citizens now must fill out ATF Form 4473 when purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer. Question 11F specifically asks if you've ever been judged mentally defective. But until this law in South Carolina passed this year, you could lie on this form and the instant background check may not have picked up. That's because states are not required to report this information to the federal government according to the 1996 Supreme Court case Printz vs. United states. But they can do so voluntarily, which South Carolina did when passing a law in May.

Counties now have to report all new mentally defective cases to the State Law Enforcement Division starting in August. They must also report qualifying cases up to 10 years in the past by August 2014. This has created huge backlogs, especially in large counties like Greenville. The law is specific about who is prohibited based on how they were found mentally ill due to insanity, dementia, or other reasons.

Starbucks Weighs in on Gun Debate

Starbucks is about coffee. It's about half-eaten croissants. It sits at that odd intersection of where to grab a cup o' joe – and where to meet up with Joe.

But there's a third street that crosses this same intersection: Starbucks is widely-viewed as a company with a social conscience and a progressive mindset. Its employees got decent benefits before most. Its environmental record is better than most. And its record of charitable giving is stellar.

So when guns, of all things, kidnapped the conversation earlier this summer — after gun advocacy groups used the Starbucks store in still-healing Newtown, Conn., as a podium for packing heat — Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz suddenly found himself in the middle of a no-win shootout.

His announcement Wednesday that guns are now a no-no at Starbucks stores is long overdue. The Starbucks siren must be feeling just a tad more comfortable today. More importantly, so will most Starbucks customers. Although Schultz, in an interview with USA TODAY, declined to state exactly how many Starbucks customers have asked him in recent months to get guns out of Starbucks cafes, he did note, "It got my attention."

Full Story Here

Ga.-S.C. Sign Agreement to Study Use of Lake Water Resources

An agreement signed Wednesday will clear the way for a study to be done on the water levels in our lakes. In times of drought, the Army Corps of Engineers manages water levels based on a drought plan that's federally mandated. In order to change that plan, a study has to be done. Wednesday, the agreement between Georgia and South Carolina allows that to happen.

The study will look at the minimum outflow of water that can be released during a drought and how long the Corps of Engineers can maintain that flow, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and Ga. Gov. Nathan Deal also vowed to work together to keep the water sharing issue between their states out of the courtroom.

"I think it shows that we both have a willingness to get a lot of things done in our two states and that we don't always have to go to court as our solution. Maybe it's just sitting down and talking through the issues," said Haley.

"Our water resources are important for economic development. They're important for quality of life. They're important to make sure we're protecting our natural resources and I think today shows we've come a long way."

The significance of the agreement to do the study wasn't lost on Lake Hartwell Association President Herb Burnham, who has pushed for years to get the study done.

"This is one of the most exciting days I've had since taking the lead in the Lake Hartwell Association," said Burnham. "Rather than use history to decide what we're going to do in the future, we need to get ourselves flexible and able to respond to what is happening immediately and tomorrow maybe and the next day."

The study begins immediately and will take a little over a year to complete. The next step is a full comprehensive study to provide information that would allow the Corps of Engineers to make recommendations to Congress on water management in the Savannah River Basin.

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/anderson-news/states-agree-to-study-lake-water-levels/-/9654706/22006740/-/p0csudz/-/index.html#ixzz2fKQ6WJ3t

What Cows Eat Impacts Taste, Clemson Research Finds

Cattle are what they eat. The forage — grasses and other plants ­— beef cattle eat affects the nutrition and tastiness of the meat. Clemson University animal science researchers report that steers grazing on one of five forages kept in paddocks showed significant differences in growth, carcass and meat quality.

The research can help cattle producers with alternatives to corn and feed when they are looking to add weight and value to their animals prior to sale.

A team of researchers supported by the Clemson University Experiment Station, Extension Service and College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences conducted a two-year experiment feeding Angus steers enclosed in five-acre lots planted with alfalfa, bermuda grass, chicory, cowpea or pearl millet. They reported their findings in the Journal of the American Society of Animal Science.

“Finishing steers on alfalfa and chicory during summer increased steer performance,” they wrote in the journal article. The report also stated that finishing on legumes (alfalfa and cowpea) increased carcass quality, and in taste tests consumers preferred the flavor of the meat. Finishing on bermuda grass and pearl millet improved the levels of healthy fatty acids that may reduce cancer risks.

The coauthors of the study are John Andrae, Susan Duckett and Steve Ellis, and Maggie Miller and Jason Schmidt, who were graduate students working on the research.

“The study is useful to beef producers in the Southeast, where summer heat is a challenge for finishing cattle” said Andrae, a forage and pasture specialist. “These forages have potential to boost steer growth and quality when traditional cool-season forages are either dormant or have slow growth rates and don’t do as good a job finishing cattle for market.”

A USDA Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant contributed funding for the study.

Rudy's Annual Bluegrass Festival Begins Tomorrow

Rudy's Bluegrass in the Woods 16th Annual Autumn Festival will be help Thursday through Saturday on U.S. 29 South in Anderson. The annual event features well-known bluegrass acts and recording artists from around the Southeast as well as featured country music artists.

Tickets are for $20 for a one-day pass, $35 for a two-day pass and $50 for a three-day pass. Camp sites are $15, which includes power and water. Chairs and blankets are allowed, but not alcohol. For tickets or more information call 356-3444.

BI-LO Center Now "Bon Secours Wellness Arena"

The Greenville Arena District today announced that Bon Secours St. Francis Health System has acquired the naming rights to the BI-LO Center as a part of a  ten year $4.5 million partnership.

 “The marriage of these strong community partners gives us the opportunity to bring the unique vision of Bon Secours St. Francis to life and provide visitors with an exclusive experience that can only be found at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena,” said Camilla Hertwig, Chair of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System Board of Directors. 

President and General Manager of The Greenville Arena District, Roger Newton added, “We have been fortunate to have a strong corporate partner for the past 15 years with BI-LO. As we start a new chapter in the history of this arena, we look forward to having another great community partner with Bon Secours.” 

“Our agreement with Bon Secours St. Francis will expand the financial capacity of the arena and will improve our financial position. This arena already has a $60 million annual economic impact on the community and this partnership will help us to expand this impact even further,” said Greenville Arena District Board Chairman, Jeff Gilstrap.

While some changes will be made immediately, October 1 will be the official date of the name change to Bon Secours Wellness Arena. 

The Bon Secours naming rights agreement was brokered by Denver-based Impression Sports & Entertainment.

State High Court Revives Suit Against Housing "Impact Fees"

The South Carolina Supreme Court, in a ruling last week, revived a lawsuit filed by home builders against a school district for so-called “impact fees” on new homes built in the district.

“Because we find issues of fact raised by the complaint that must be resolved before the constitutionality of 2009 Act No. 99 can be determined, we reverse and remand for further proceedings,” Justice Costa Pleicones wrote in the court’s Sept. 11 ruling.

The act permits the school district — in this case, School District No. 2 of Dorchester County — to impose an impact fee to be paid by developers on “new residential dwelling units constructed within the school district.”

The school district’s Board of Trustees adopted the impact fee effective June 23, 2009.

The Home Builders Association of South Carolina and the Charleston-Trident Home Builders Association Inc., each representing home builders, sued seeking injunctive relief and challenging the constitutionality of the act.

The plaintiffs argue the state constitution requires statewide uniformity and limits special legislation.

The school district moved for a judgment on the pleadings, which a circuit court judge granted.

A majority of the state high court reversed the circuit judge’s ruling.

Full Story Here

Teacher Tells 10-Year-Old to Remove "God" Paper from School

A Memphis-area mother is angry with her daughter's elementary school after a teacher told her 10-year-old she could not have God as the subject of her class assignment to write about her idol.

Erin Shead, a student at Lucy Elementary in Millington, Tenn., was told by her teacher to write about an idol she looked up to as part of a class assignment. The young student decided to write about God. She drew a diagram explaining why she "looked up to God," one of the reasons being, "He is the reason I am on this earth."

"I love [God] and Jesus, and Jesus is His earthly son. I also love Jesus," the 10-year-old continued.

"God is my idol, I will never hate him. He will always be the number one person I look up to," the young girl added.

When Erin's teacher received her written assignment, she told the young girl that she was prohibited from picking God as her idol, and demanded that she start the class assignment all over again and choose a new idol. She was also told that her assignment with God as her idol must be taken home and was not allowed to remain on school property.

After having her first assignment rejected, Erin picked Michael Jackson as her idol, which was reportedly acceptable to the teacher.

However, after hearing what happened, Erin's mother, Erica Shead has been left outraged. She has made the story public and expressed how upset she is with the elementary school for discriminating against her daughter due to her religious beliefs. Shead told the local WREG-TV that her daughter's first assignment was simply "cute and innocent," and that the school did not have the power to tell her daughter she was not allowed to write about God and Jesus.

Full Story Here

5,000 Become U.S. Citizens this Year in S.C.

They came from 52 countries around the world to become U.S. citizens and renounce allegiance to their native land.  

Applicants for citizenship are required to demonstrate a knowledge of U.S. history and government during an oral exam in which they are asked 10 questions from a list of 100 questions. They must answer six questions correctly to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test.

Here is a sample of the questions:

What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?

What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?

The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

When must all men register for the Selective Service?

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Why did the colonists fight the British?

How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

“I know that each of you have made a courageous decision,” said U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel.

Gergel, who said his grandparents were from Poland and Russia, led 111 people in an oath as they swore to become Americans.

“It’s a relief. It was an arduous process,” said John Lee, 19, a Myrtle Beach resident from South Korea.

His mother, Meesook Lee, also became a citizen. The family has a dry cleaning business and John Lee is a student at Clemson University.

“There are a lot more opportunities in America than you can find anywhere else,” he said.

The naturalization ceremony took place Tuesday in a large tent erected on the grounds of the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site.

“I finally get to vote. No more showing the green card,” said Renate Marek, 41, a native of Germany who lives in Columbia.

Lance Cpl. Tung Lam, who came from Vietnam, said he arrived in Los Angeles with his parents in 2004. Lam, 20, is stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort.

“Today feels like I’m reborn. I consider it my second birthday,” he said.

The candidates for citizenship represented a diversity of nations including the Philippines, India, China, Canada, Nigeria, Jamaica, Venezuela, England, Russia, Mexico, Argentina and Somalia. They pledged to support and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. They promised to bear arms on behalf of the U.S. when required by law.

The citizenship applicants completed a three- to four-month process of naturalization that included passing a U.S. government and history exam and demonstrating the ability to read, write and speak English. They also went through an extensive background check and security clearance.

In federal fiscal year 2013, some 5,000 people in South Carolina became U.S. citizens. Weekly naturalization ceremonies occur at government offices, said Karen Dalziel of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Some immigrants petition the court for a name change. “A lot of them like to Anglify their name. Some of them like to choose an historical name,” she said.

Council Hears Reports; Considers Loss of CATbus Service

Anderson County County left the posted agenda Tuesday night after Anderson County Councilwoman Gracie Floyd told council that unless the county comes up with funding before the end of 2013, the Clemson Area Transit (CAT) bus will no longer serve the city of Anderson.

Floyd said the county to find $107,000 to get keep the route running. She said that many students from Anderson attending Clemson University, Tri-County Technical College and Southern Wesleyan University will be left without transportation to school if the bus route is discontinued. She added that workers and senior citizens also rely on the bus for transportation. Floyd said the bus reduced traffic by 50 cars per day, keeping the area below the pollution levels in the regional containment system. 

Councilwoman Cindy Wilson said the county had asked Tri-County Tech and others to help provide funding for the CAT bus. Wilson said the route serves a narrow section of the county and that council asked CAT to charge for the transportation.  

Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said the issue the finance committee looked at earlier was not the then $125,000 purchase of the bus, but the $180,000 annual recurring cost to the county to fund the bus service. 

“At that time we could have purchased the bus for $125,000 (based on an 80/20 match)  but we were also looking at an additional annual $180,000 going forward,” Burns said. 

Council Chairman Francis Crowder suspended debate on the issue, saying it had not been placed on the public agenda and that supporting documentation was not included.

“This is not an issue we need to be debating tonight,” said Councilman Tommy Dunn. “I think we need to meet soon and work on this issue. I appreciate Miss Floyd’s passion for this and  I think we need to meet and find a way to make this thing work” Dunn said.

Council heard an update from the Animal Welfare Ad Hoc Committee on Tuesday night, but was unprepared to present a formal recommendation. 

“We have had two very good meetings (of the committee),” said Councilman Tom Allen, chairman of the Animal Welfare Ad Hoc Committee. “We don’t have anything in writing yet, because we want to give members of the community to have input into this. This could be the first time the people write a county ordinance. We hope to have something in writing in time for the next council meeting. We have a great committee and will have a good ordinance come out of this,” Allen said. 

“We don’t need to get in a hurry,” Dunn said. “We need to take our time and make sure this is done right.”

Council was unanimous in approving the finance committee’s report, including a $1 transfer of funds in the Sheriff Department’s budget (rounded up from .83 cents).

Council also approved on second reading, an ordinance which will raise sewer rates and change the solid waste fee structures for some Anderson citizens and businesses. 

Almost 4,100 homeowners in Anderson County will be paying an extra $15 per month for sewer as part of the sewer and solid waste fee structures approved by Anderson County Council Tuesday night. 

Businesses in the county will pay an additional $15 per residential equivalent unit in sewer fees, which is a 400 gallons per day capacity. According to county records, the increase will cost the average fast food restaurant in the county an additional $45 per month and the average grocery store an extra $450 per month in sewer and solid waste fees. 

“Our current sewer fund bleeds $2.7 million per year,” said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns in a June meeting. “This is an attempt to make it more solvent.” 

Burns said then the increased fees will bring in the $2.7 million Anderson County is currently losing each year. He also said the fees will come close to meeting current sewer needs but will not address ongoing needs or future construction 

Solid waste fees would also be increased by $4.35 annually, bringing the residential rate to $69.38 per year and the commercial rate $80.19 per year. The solid waste rate increase is the first since 2010.

On Tuesday night Council also:

Introduced the area’s new Tenth Circuit Public Defender Hevery Young.

Approved fee-in-lieu-of-tax existing agreement for SMS-SC LLC.

Approved the acceptance of Rivendell III Subdivision into the county road system. 

Approved the creation of the Sharen Ridge Subdivision Special Tax District. 

Heard reports from the Airport Ad Hoc Committee. 

Approved a resolution honoring Ruth Hazel Maddox Wilkerson for her “outstanding example of servant leadership and her successful efforts in education to make Anderson County a better place to live and work.” 

Officially expressed gratitude to Anderson County Employees, Community/Church organizations and volunteers who participated in the Emergency Response, relief and Recover efforts in the discovery of a puppy mill in Anderson County.

Issued a proclamation that Salem Missionary Baptist Church is a thriving religious institution in Anderson County and will celebrate its 125"' Anniversary on October 13.