PSC Meeting on Potential Increase in Some Water Rates

On October 1, the South Carolina Public Service Commission will conduct a hearing in regard to a Utilities, Inc. proposal that would increase water rates 47% for residents in their service district. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at the North Pointe Elementary School Auditorium located at 3325 Highway 81 North, Anderson, South Carolina.  

South Carolina House Members Brian White, Michael W. Gambrell, Anne Thayer and Don C. Bowen sincerely encourage all residents involved with Utilities, Inc. to attend this hearing. Should you have any questions or need to speak with members of the Anderson County Legislative Delegation, call the Delegation Office at 864-260-4025. 

United Way Donates Funds to Azalea Fire Victims

United Way of Anderson County Board Chair, Pat Patrick and President, Carol Burdette presented checks for $2,500 each to The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army to benefit residents of the Azalea Apartment complex who lost their homes in a fire in August. 

“For over 60 years United Way has been supporting non-profit agencies in this community”, stated Carol Burdette, Chief Professional Officer of United Way.  “Recently two of our non-profits went over and above in their service to the nearly 70 residents displaced by the Azalea apartment fire.  They spent countless man-hours and thousands of dollars to assist these Anderson County citizens, and the board of directors of United Way of Anderson County wanted to help with some additional funding in the amount of $2,500 for each agency.  Our hats off to the staff and volunteers of these agencies along with the other non-profits, churches, Anderson County Emergency Preparedness, other government agencies and individuals who stepped up to help.

State Nursing Homes First in Reducing Antipsychotic Drugs

Nursing homes are using antipsychotics less and instead pursuing more person-centered care for residents with dementia, according to new data released on Nursing Home Compare in July by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Nationally, use of antipsychotic medications in treating long-term nursing home residents dropped by more than 9 percent in the first quarter of 2013, compared with the last quarter of 2011. South Carolina facilities showed a drop of 16 percent, putting them at fifth highest in reduction of antipsychotic drug use. North Carolina nursing homes had the largest reduction of antipsychotic drug use with more than 23 percent.

Unnecessary antipsychotic drug use is a significant challenge in dementia care. The level of use in nursing homes has been a concern for decades. In 2012, CMS launched the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care. The Partnership aims to reduce unnecessary antipsychotic medications in several ways. These include:

• Enhancing training for nursing home providers and state surveyors
• Increasing transparency by making antipsychotic use data available online at Nursing Home Compare
• Highlighting alternate strategies to improve dementia care

Today, there are approximately 30,000 fewer nursing home residents on these medications now than if the prevalence had remained at the pre-National Partnership level. The Partnership’s goal is to reduce antipsychotic drug usage by 15 percent by the end of 2013. Both North and South Carolina has already exceeded the national goal.

“Through a statewide effort, nursing homes have been provided with tools and resources for a person-centered approach that focuses on protecting residents by limiting antipsychotic medication use to those with a clinical indication,” said Theresa Seaberg, RHIT, CCS, CCME program manager for patient safety and care transitions. “Safety measures include implementing a systematic process to evaluate the needs of each individual and using non-pharmacological alternatives.”

The success in the Carolinas is in large part a result of the work of The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME). Currently, South Carolina ranks seventh in the nation for the lowest use of unnecessary antipsychotic medications by long-stay residents.

CCME, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for North and South Carolina, and its partners—The South Carolina Health Care Association and The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control—have worked collectively on a statewide effort to assist nursing homes by providing educational programs, tools, and resources focusing on a person-centered approach to reduce unnecessary antipsychotic medication use.

Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, CMS chief medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, said efforts to improve dementia care in nursing homes are yielding results. “We will continue to work with clinicians, caregivers, and communities to improve care and eliminate harm for people living with dementia,” he said.

For more information on the Partnership’s efforts to reduce use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes, please visit Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes. 

Sheheen to Visit Anderson for Fundraiser Sept. 19

Democratic guberatorial candidate Vincent Sheheen will be in Anderson Sept. 19 for a fundraising event at the Tavern Under the Bridge in Anderson. For more information or to RSVP by calling 803-712-3768 or info@sheheenforsouthcarolina.com

Pumpkin Festival Set for Oct. 12

The 35th annual Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 12 will be giving away a quilt depicting the Oolenoy Community Building.

The building was originally the Oolenoy Schoolhouse and was built in 1918. In 1957, when rural schools were consolidated, the building became a community center. It now hosts the annual Pumpkin Festival and many other community events, such as weddings and reunions.

The quilt was designed by Susie Flowers and quilted by Ann Stowe. Tickets for this year’s quilt will be available at various locations in the Pumpkintown area for the next few weeks, and will also be available in the Community Center the day of the festival. The tickets are $1 each, and the drawing will be held at 4 p.m. on Oct. 12 during the festival. You do not have to be present to win the quilt.

The Pumpkintown Community Club, which sponsors the festival, meets the second Monday of January, April, June, August, September, October and November, and anyone is invited to join if interested in helping prepare for the festival or help with other community projects.

For more information on the Community Club please contact Club President Bob Flowers at 898-0261 or 884-2671.

U.S. News College Rankings: Anderson University in Top 20

Anderson University is ranked 20th among regional colleges (South) and 2nd among "Up and Coming Colleges" in the same region in the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report's 2014 rankings of colleges and universities. 

Anderson University is a private institution that was founded in 1911. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,630, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 271 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Anderson University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Colleges (South), 20. Its tuition and fees are $22,840 (2013-14).

Clemson University ranked 62nd among national universities and 21st among public universities, while the University of South Carolina ranked 112th among national universities and 55th among public universities.

Additionally, Clemson ranks eighth among “up-and-coming schools” that have made “the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities.” The university also is recognized for writing in the disciplines and senior capstone.

For more information on the poll, visit the full site here. 

Korean Tire Company Eyes South Carolina

A South Korean tire company is eyeing South Carolina as a possible location for its first U.S. plant, and though it's unknown if Anderson would be an option, it's good news for the Palmetto State, according to the area Economic Development Partnership.

According to Reuters, Hankook Tire Co. is considering South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia as locations for a new plant. The company's chief executive Cho Hyun-Shick said earlier this month they hope to make a final decision by the end of 2013.

According to its website, Hankook distributes tires for passenger vehicles, light trucks and SUVs, as well as medium truck and bus tires in the United States.

SLED Regains National Accreditation

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has regained national accreditation, a distinction held by very few law enforcement agencies. Out of 272 law enforcement agencies in South Carolina, only 33 have national accreditation, and out of about 18,000 nationwide only about 1,000 have it, or .056 percent.

The accreditation process involves meeting professional standards created by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA. Those standards address all aspects of law enforcement, from the nature and type of equipment used, to protection of civil rights, to policies about the use of force.

An agency must first adopt the standards and do a self-assessment. CALEA then has a national assessment team go over the agency, its policies and procedures, and visit the agency for an on-site assessment.

At an accreditation ceremony Monday at SLED headquarters in Columbia, CALEA commission president and chairman Louis Dekmar said, "Many agencies are reluctant to have outsiders review their work and their processes and detail any deficiencies the agencies may have. It involves risk. It also requires the department to be open to change so that they can demonstrate that they work and conduct business in a way that meets contemporary law enforcement standards."

He said the process usually takes several years, but SLED did it in 10 months.

G News: Fall, Winter Could be Drier than Usual

Greenville has just experienced the wettest three summer months since 1908 but those weather patterns could be shifting toward a drier, warmer fall and winter, according to the latest climate predictions.

The Upstate appears to be through the worst of the wet weather though it still could see some strong periods of rain, said Scott Krentz, meteorologist with the National Weather Service station in Greer.

Greenville saw 31.19 inches of rain from June 1 through Aug. 31, according to the weather service. That’s second only to 33.33 inches of rain that fell in 1908 over the same time period.

It’s been a quiet first week of September with just .02 of an inch of rain recorded in Greenville through Friday, according to the weather service.

The next 30 days show a slight chance for above normal precipitation for western South Carolina aided by the finish of what was predicted to be an active Atlantic hurricane season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.

“It’s not going to look anything like June or July,” Krentz said. “There’s no signals out there for something that’s going to be really, really wet but it will be maybe just a little bit above normal precipitation.”

The fall and early winter months may be drier and warmer than normal though, said Anthony Artusa, meteorologist with the climate prediction center.

The climate prediction center consults historical climate models, long term trends and sea surface temperatures and takes into effect whether an El Nino or La Nina is affecting the weather patterns to provide long-term climate predictions, Artusa said.

For September, there’s a “weak signal” that it could be a bit wetter than normal, Artusa said.

Full Story Here

S.C. Gets New Tool to Evaluate Data

Teachers in South Carolina will soon have a new tool to help them make better use of all the data they get about how their students are doing. The SC Department of Education will soon be launching SLICE, which stands for South Carolina Longitudinal Information Center for Education.

Right now, teachers and administrators have all kinds of information about how students are doing on state and national standardized tests. This new system will now, for the first time, combine and compare all that data, so teachers and administrators can get a better idea of how their districts, schools, and even individual classrooms are doing.

Jay Ragley, spokesman for the state Department of Education, says, "They get to look at it in one central location with a lot of neat tools and data-analysis kits they can use to really identify those students that are doing well and challenge them more, and some of those students that might be falling behind their peers, and find ways to intervene and help them catch up."

The system cost more than $20 million to create, with almost all of the money coming from two federal grants. State lawmakers also put $2.5 million into the system for maintenance and license fees so all school districts could use it for free.

The general public will have access to some of the information, but will not be able to see information about individual students. Teachers will have access to that about their own students, as they do now, so they can better tailor lesson plans and understand individual students' strengths and weaknesses.

Apple Pins Hopes on New iPhone Announcement Today

Apple's introduction of new iPhones is a chance for the company to turn the page on a dour year that included no big new gadgets, a falling stock and stepped-up competition.

Apple will update its flagship product, adding more colors and a less-expensive model, at an event at its Cupertino, California, headquarters today, a person with knowledge of the plans said last month. Apple, which will hold a viewing of the presentation in Beijing for the first time, is also close to securing deals with China Mobile Ltd. (941) and Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437) to sell iPhones in Asia’s biggest markets.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, two years after succeeding Steve Jobs, is counting on the new devices to restore some of Apple’s glow by luring new customers and reigniting growth. He’s facing pressure to reverse declining profit as smartphones from Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) and other consumer-electronics makers chip away at iPhone sales in an increasingly saturated market.

“Apple needs to both wow existing customers and convince them to upgrade their older phones, and it also needs to attract new people to their platform,” said Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in San Francisco. “It’s been a long time since they introduced a new product, and the stakes are high.”

Apple also may add finger-sensor technology to the iPhone, along with longer battery life and a speedier processor, according to Brian Marshall, an analyst at ISI Group. The company also is likely to give customers more colors to pick from, he said.

Full Story Here

S.C. Universities Giving More Discounts to Out-Of-Students

More out-of-state students are going to public universities in South Carolina without paying the full out-of-state tuition costs.

An analysis of data by The State of Columbia found nearly 13,400 out-of-state students at the state’s 12 four-year public colleges paying discounted rates, an increase of 43 percent in the past five years.

University officials say they need the extra money from out-of-state students because state funding has been sharply cut. They also say many of the discounts come from merit scholarships, and it is important to attract smart students from out-of-state who might stay in South Carolina after they graduate.

But Rep. Jim Merrill says there are plenty of smart students in South Carolina who could fill those slots.

“It’s outrageous,” said Merrill, R-Charleston. “We have in-state students who can’t get into (S.C.) universities because their SAT scores drag down the university. …It’s selling yourself for the short-term gain.”

The University of South Carolina said 6,418 out-of-state students received an average discount of $10,312 on their out-of-state tuition last year, while Clemson University said 3,160 out-of-state students received tuition discounts averaging $5,000 last year.

“Some of those high-performing students make South Carolina their home. We want a brain gain,” said Brian McGee, the chief of staff to the president at the College of Charleston, which has one of the highest rates of out-of-state students but also one of the lowest rates of nonresident students getting tuition discounts at 13 percent.

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Edu­cation did a study in 2007 that found one of five nonresidents who graduated from South Carolina public four-year colleges in 2002 still were in the state five years later. The same report found nearly 75 percent of in-state graduates from four-year schools were living in South Carolina in 2007.

“I would take the top kids at Irmo High or at Hanahan and put them up against anyone else in the country,” Merrill said. “It’s utter bunk that we have to get an inordinate amount of brilliant children (from) elsewhere that we cannot produce here.”

National News Roundup for Sunday

1. WHAT'S MISSING FROM OBAMA'S SYRIA PUSH

A top aide says the White House lacks 'irrefutable, beyond-a-reasonable-doubt evidence' that the Syrian government is responsible for a chemical weapons attack.

2. PRESIDENT TO MEET WITH SENATE DEMOCRATS ON SYRIA

Leading up to Tuesday's address to the nation, Obama is making a determined last-ditch effort for authorization for use of force against Bashar Assad's regime.

3. WHO PLANS TO DEPART NAACP

President and CEO Ben Jealous says he will step down from the civil rights group at the end of the year to pursue teaching and spend more time with family.

4. SOME IN GOP SEE SURVIVAL IN IMMIGRATION REFORM

A growing band of Republicans seeks to strike a balance between conservatives who want border security and advocates who want a path to citizenship.

5. TAKING A PASS ON STANDARDIZED TESTS

Some parents are opting their kids out of the exams, citing fears about stress, corporate influence, and restrained curricula.

6. NON-NYC 9-11 RESPONDERS SEEK COMPENSATION

A small number of those who fought fires and cleaned up rubble at the Pentagon and the Flight 93 crash site want the same health benefits as those who worked in the WTC's toxic ruins.

7. 107-YEAR-OLD MAN DIES AFTER ALLEGEDLY FIRING ON POLICE

A SWAT team fatally shot Monroe Isadore, 107, in his home in Pine Bluff, Ark., after a standoff, officials say.

8. HOW DIANA NYAD'S TEAM ANSWERS SKEPTICS

The 64-year-old swimmer's crew says she was helped by a swift current during a speedy stretch of her 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida.

9. STEAL YOUR BRAINWAVES RIGHT OUTTA YOUR HEAD

Former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart wears an electrode hat that converts brain activity into a light show while he jams.

10. SERENA'S FIFTH US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Helped by nine aces — one at 126 mph — Williams improved to 67-4 with a career-best nine titles in 2013.