AU Names Women's Basketball Coach

Anderson University Athletic Director Nancy Simpson announced on Thursday that former Clemson assistant coach and UNC Wilmington associate head coach, Jimmy Garrity, has been named the women’s basketball coach, effective for the 2013-14 season.

“I am thrilled that Jimmy Garrity will be joining our staff to lead the women’s basketball program,” Simpson said. “He brings to us a wealth of experience and is a great mission fit for Anderson University. I look forward to the continued success of the team under his leadership.”

Garrity, who spent last season at Clemson University and the previous ten years at UNC Wilmington working in three different positions within the basketball program, replaces Jim Bruneli who spent five seasons at AU prior to be being hired at Gannon University.

“I am extremely and truly honored to be named the head women’s basketball coach at Anderson University,” Garrity said. “I would like to thank Dr. Whitaker and Nancy Simpson for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity. I would also like to thank the members of the search committee for their enthusiasm and professionalism throughout the hiring process.”

At Clemson, Garrity was responsible for the team’s guards, scouting, practice planning, game scheduling, community service and alumni relations. Garrity was also the coordinator for the Lady Tiger website and monitored the academic progress of the student-athletes. 

Before spending the 2012-13 season with the Tigers, Garrity was the Director of Basketball Operations at UNCW for both men’s and women’s basketball, beginning in 2002. The Elon University alum was with the men’s program until 2006 and the women’s team until 2007, before being hired as an assistant coach with the women’s team in 2007. Working as an assistant until 2010, Garrity was promoted to Associate Head Coach of the Seahawks in 2011. In that season, UNCW advanced to the second round of the WNIT.

Garrity graduated from Elon in 1989 with a degree in business administration and marketing and later earned a Master’s in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla. in 1990. Garrity carries a wide array of athletic experience, beginning as an intern with the Miami Heat in 1989 and NC State in 1990. Later, he was hired as the Director of Ticket Sales and Services at NC State in 1994. He would eventually serve as Field Representative for the Wolfpack in 1998. 

Garrity is married to Jenny Garrity, who served as UNCW’s women’s tennis coach for 13 seasons. The couple have two daughters Kacey, 16, Carly, 8, and a son Corey, 11.

United Way Photography Workshop Scheduled Sept. 24

The S.C. Association for Volunteer Administration (SCAVA) and the Tri-County Affiliate of SCAVA is sponsoring a photography workshop Sept. 24 from 9-11 a.m at the Anderson County Library. Participants will learn how to tell the story of their volunteers/volunteer program through photographs.

The workshop will be conducted by Joan Perry, Director of Volunteers at Roper St. Francis Healthcare. Joan will teach participants how to promote their agencies, volunteers, and events through photography.

There is a $10 per person charge for participants and light refreshments will be served. To register or for more information, contact Carol Loyd at 226-3438 or carol.loyd@uwandersoncty.com.

Clemson Brooks Center Announces 20th Season Lineup

The Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University marks its 20^th season with entertainment ranging from bluegrass to Broadway and dance to drama.

The Boni Belle Brooks Series begins Sept. 3 with an evening of upbeat tunes by “queen of bluegrass” Rhonda Vincent and her band The Rage.

Broadway lights shine bright all season long with two evening performances of “MAMMA MIA!” (Sept. 30 and Oct. 1), Broadway legend Patti LuPone’s “Coulda’, Woulda’, Shoulda’” (Oct. 8) concert performance, the high-spirited musical “Bring It On: The Musical” (Jan. 28), and the dynamic Ten Tenors’ collection of Broadway’s greatest hits (April 3).

“Ballet Hispanico” (Oct. 17) makes the magic of Latin dance come alive and “Flamenco Vivo” featuring Carlota Santana (Mar. 11) will set the stage on fire with newly created pieces and reconstructed early works.

Get in the Christmas spirit with the entire family as the Boston Brass and The Brass All-Stars Big Band present “Christmas Bells Are Swingin’” (Dec. 6) and join the Walnut Street Theatre’s presentation of “Driving Miss Daisy” (March 13).

It will be an extravaganza when the Brooks Center presents its 20^th Anniversary Celebration (Feb. 6). There will be performances by students and faculty from the past and present, as well as reflections on the treasures of the past two decades.

The Family Series features a variety of entertainment for all ages at affordable ticket prices. Illusionist Jason Bishop performs state-of-the-art magic (Sept. 9), and LEO (March 25), seems to defy gravity in his hilarious one-man show. Explore the roots of American music with Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem (Jan. 16) and dive into the captivating story of “ Aladdin and Other Enchanting Tales” (Nov. 12) performed by the Enchantment Theatre Company.

The Lillian and Robert Utsey Chamber Music Series celebrates its 28^th season with five free performances by rising stars and established musicians.

David Finckel (cello) and Wu Han (piano), co-directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Philip Setzer (violin), will present the first concert of the Utsey Series this season (Oct. 24). Violinist Benjamin Beilman (Nov. 4), a Presidential Scholar and 2012 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, is set to perform, as is Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez (Feb. 25), first-prize and Audience Award-winner at the Anton Rubinstein International Piano Competition.

Brooklyn Rider joins premier banjo player Béla Fleck (Nov. 19) for a gripping and highly anticipated performance, while A Far Cry (March 27), a chamber orchestra at the forefront of an exciting new generation in classical music, concludes the Utsey Series in the spring.

The 2013-2014 season offers many opportunities to enjoy performances by student instrumental groups and choral ensembles, all under the direction of Clemson University music faculty. Varying will be presented at performances from September through April.

The Clemson Players, the university’s premier theater ensemble, joins the celebration with a season of performances. The array of small stage works in the Bellamy Theatre includes a play that straddles the realistic and the abstract called “Late: a cowboy song: (Sept. 9-15) the engaging and revealing production of “The Laramie Project” (Nov. 18-22, 24) and “Melissa Artic” (April 14-20), a magical story of redemption and love.

The Brooks Theater will host the players as they present “Working” (Feb. 20-23), a musical that paints a vivid portrait of the men and women the world so often takes for granted.

A complete schedule, information and tickets are available online at www.clemson.edu/Brooks or by calling the box office from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday or calling 864-656-7787.

Upstate Christian Writers Group to Host Social Media Seminar

The Upstate Chapter of American Christian Writers will host a Social Media Workshop with nationally known author and  media workshop leader Edie Melson. The free workshop will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:00-5:30 p.m., August 25, at the Anderson County Library, 300 N. McDuffie St., Anderson, SC 29621.

The workshop will include: 

• ·      Blogging, step-by-step Blogger and WordPress instructions to everyone who attends and Components of a successful blogging schedule.
• ·      How to define blogging success, gadgets and plugins every blog needs.
• ·      SEO and keywords, the hidden secrets of hyperlinks.
• ·      Twitter, Facebook & other Social Media Outlets
• ·      The truth about social media and the law of diminishing returns.
• ·      How twitter can be your best social media friend.
• ·      Twitter etiquette.
• ·      Using headline techniques to increase the interest in social media updates.
• ·      Tools to Bring it All Together
• ·      Organize your social media life with Hootsuite.
• ·      Copyright 101, know what you can & can’t post online.
• ·      A social media schedule anyone can live with.

      Edie Melson is the author of four books, as well as a freelance editor with years of experience in the publishing industry. Her popular blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands of writers each month, and she’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Her best selling Ebook on social media has just been updated and re-released as Connections: Social Media & Networking Techniques for Writers. She’s the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy and the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine. You can connect with Edie through Twitter and Facebook.

For further information on the workshop contact the chapter president, Elva Martin at 864-226-7024. 

AnMed to Break Ground in Pendleton Next Week

AnMed Health will celebrate a groundbreaking Tuesday, August 6 at 1:30 p.m., marking the start of construction on a new, larger office for AnMed Health Pendleton Family Medicine. The practice, which is currently located at 101 Shirley Street, will relocate when construction is complete in the spring of 2014.

The new 6,624-square-foot office will be located on 2.38 acres at 1005 Meehan Way, facing South Mechanic Street and adjacent to Palmetto Bank. Design plans call for nine exam rooms, a procedure room, lab space and shelled space for the future addition of an X-ray room. The new office will be 4800 square feet larger than the current office and will house five more exam rooms. In addition, the practice will add onsite lab services at its new office. Construction will begin immediately.  

 “Since AnMed Health Pendleton Family Medicine opened in 2007 the community and its need for health services has grown,” said Garrick Chidester, executive vice president for network operations and affiliated services. “We’re excited to enhance our services in the Pendleton community with both a new office and a new physician.”

AnMed Health Pendleton Family Medicine will be home to two primary care physicians, Dr. Audrey Jones and Dr. Mary Ann Horn. 

Dr. Jones is a board-certified family physician with 10 years of experience. A graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Jones completed her residency training in the AnMed Health Family Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Horn will join the practice in October 2013. She is a Clemson graduate who is returning to the Upstate. Dr. Horn completed medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida. After medical school, she completed her residency training at Michigan State University.

Celebrate Anderson Set for Labor Day Weekend

Celebrate Anderson Weekend is scheduled for Aug. 30-Sept. 1 and will include cycling, entertainment and fireworks.

The Labor Day Weekend events need your help. To volunteer and assist Anderson County, the City of Anderson and Imagine Anderson as we work to make this year's event a tribute call Angie Stringer at (864) 934-6451.

To register for the bike races, visit the registration site here.

Tri-County Tech Job Fair and Training Expo Aug. 13

Tri-County Technical College’s Corporate & Community Education Division will hold a Job Fair and Training Expo for Anderson, Oconee and Pickens county residents August 13. It will be held 9 a.m. - noon at the Pendleton Campus in the Industrial & Business Development Center. 

Participants will be given the opportunity to meet and interview with area employers and/or find out if they are candidates for training. The event is sponsored by Tri-County Technical College and the local SC Works Centers/Satellite locations.

According event organizers, they are reaching out to unemployed and underemployed individuals. “This is a great opportunity for them to talk with potential employers about their futures,” said Rick Cothran, dean of Tri-County’s Corporate & Community Education Division. “In addition, career and training opportunity information will be available in the following areas: Welding, CNC, Certified Production Technician, Microsoft and CompTIA certified Computer Technicians, Commercial Truck Driving, Heavy Equipment Operation and Healthcare certifications.” 

For more information, call (864) 646-1700.

NRC Decision on New Duke Power Nuclear Plants Delayed

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it will not make a decision on Duke Energy's application to build and operate two 1,100-MW nuclear units in South Carolina until 2016, three years later than it had planned, because of federal budget cuts and the company's decision late last year to change the location of the reactors.

NRC said in a letter made public Tuesday the final hearing on combined construction permit-operating licenses for the planned William S. Lee plant is expected to be held in April 2016, a delay from the previous target of March 2013. The agency had told the company in January that the changes to the location of the nuclear reactors would require "significant amounts of rework" and would prevent the previous target date from being met.

In addition, seismic information from Duke required as a result of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan is not being provided until 2014, adding to the delay, NRC said.

Across the board federal budget cuts will limit agency resources that can be devoted to the review, NRC said. If additional resources are made available, the schedule could be revised, it said.

Full Story Here

Steve Haynes Receives Medal of Valor from Police Dept.

Steve Haynes, a police officer in the Security Services division of the Anderson Police Department, was awardedthe Medal of Valor on July 22 during the Anderson City Council meeting. The Medal of Valor award was presented to Officer Haynes who, during his off duty period and acting within the law and departmental regulations, risked his life apprehending a wanted fugitive. http://www.andersonpd.com/

School District Two Receives Federal Learning Grant

Anderson School District Two is one of eleven 21st Century Learning Centers federally funded grants awarded statewide. Anderson Two’s grant, totaling $338,750 over the next four years, will be used to continue the Merit afterschool program at Marshall Primary School. The district has received the grant for the past 12 years. The goal of this grant is to provide a safe, nurturing and educational atmosphere for students during the afterschool hours.  Funding from the grant will provide salaries, transportation, materials and supplies, and field studies at no cost to the student.

“I am proud to be a part of a district that realizes education best serves its students when it reaches outside the normal hours of the school day.  Our students’ engagement in STEM activities, even at our primary school will better prepare them for the challenges they will face in a demanding global society,” said AndersonTwo Superintendent Dr. Richard Rosenberger.

Marshall Primary’s grant focus will feature STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) instruction. The goal of STEM education is to create interest and career awareness in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Students will develop critical thinking skills and use natural curiosity as they research, write reports, and create a prototype with their STEM team. Area Engineers will volunteer their time and support.  In addition to STEM instruction, students will receive tutoring, homework help, life skills and cultural education opportunities.  Not only, will students receive academic instruction, but they will participate in karate, dance, art, music, photography, and tennis lessons. The program will operate for 5 days per week from 2:45-5:30.  

Anderson 2’s partners include S2TEM Centers S.C. and the S.C. Coalition of Math and Science at Clemson University to bring STEM training to the primary school teachers.

P&C: Foreclosures Below National Average

Foreclosures are subsiding in South Carolina, but the state’s rate is higher than the national average, according to a report released today.

The foreclosure rate in South Carolina was 2.7 percent in June, slightly higher compared to the 2.5 national average, according to real estate information firm CoreLogic.

There were 10,168 foreclosures in The Palmetto State in the 12-month span ending in June, according to the agency’s data.

As of June, about 1 million homes in the U.S. were in some stage of foreclosure, roughly 400,000 fewer than in June 2012, officials said.

“So far this year, distressed inventories have fallen dramatically, down 14.4 percent, and serious delinquencies are down 15.9 percent,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “In the first six months of 2013, the stock of seriously delinquent mortgages has dropped by 412,000.”

AnMed Expands Role as Teaching Hospital

With the arrival of ten third-year medical students on its campus today, AnMed Health officially became a clinical teaching site for the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM). The partnership allows third- and fourth-year VCOM students to complete their final two years of education at AnMed Health. By 2014, a total of 20 medical students will train in Anderson each year.

“Expanding medical education opportunities is an important part of our strategy to address the growing shortage of primary care physicians in our area and to improve future access to care,” said AnMed Health CEO John A. Miller, Jr. “VCOM’s mission to prepare physicians for careers in rural settings is very much aligned with this strategy, making the partnership a natural fit and a great thing for the Anderson community.”

After completing two years of basic medical training at the VCOM – Carolinas Campus in Spartanburg, students may apply to spend their final two years of medical school at AnMed Health. Working under the direct supervision of an attending physician, students will rotate through each major discipline of medicine and will see patients once a week at the Anderson Free Clinic. 

According to AnMed Health Director of Medical Education Dr. Stoney Abercrombie, AnMed Health’s new pre-doctoral education program will emphasize primary care and will seek to recruit and retain students from the Upstate to continue their practice in the local community.

Average Gas Prices Up from July 2012

Average retail gasoline prices in South Carolina have fallen 2.0 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.29/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 3,028 gas outlets in South Carolina. This compares with the national average that has fallen 2.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.65/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Including the change in gas prices in South Carolina during the past week, prices yesterday were 12.6 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 13.2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 14.0 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 15.0 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.