Credit Card Best Way to Remove Bee Stings

Getting stung by a bee or wasp is certainly not fun, but you can lessen the severity of a sting by removing the stinger with a credit card instead of tweezers.

Tweezers are a common tool for removing stingers, but what many people don't know is that removing a stinger with tweezers will inevitably squeeze any remaining venom that's left in the venom sac into the skin. This causes even more pain and swelling. Instead, take a credit card or driver's license and scrape the surface of the skin with the edge of the card. The stinger will catch onto the edge and gently be lifted out of the skin.

However, the best thing you can do for a sting is to just remove the stinger as soon as possible, so if you don't have your wallet nearby, but can quickly grab some tweezers, then go for it. Just try to grab the stinger right below the venom sac to prevent squeezing it if you can.

AP: Hot Weather Expected into Fall

The unusually hot dry weather that has gripped the nation will not let up its stranglehold over the next few months, federal weather forecasters said Thursday.

And that means the heartland's "flash drought" will linger at least until around Halloween and even spread a bit farther north and east.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's outlook for August through October shows that nearly every state likely will have hotter than normal temperatures. Much of the Midwest is likely to be drier than normal, too.

New figures released Thursday show that the percentage of the country now suffering from drought edged up from nearly 51 percent last week to more than 53 percent this week; the chunk of the country experiencing severe drought or worse rose in one week from 31 percent to 35 percent. Experts call it a flash drought because it developed in a matter of months, not multiple seasons.

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Haley Veto Overrides Include Arts, Education, Non-Profits

South Carolina lawmakers voted in a special session on Wednesday to override dozens of budget vetoes by the state's governor that cut funding for teachers' pay raises, an arts commission, and non-profit rape crisis centers.

Republican Governor Nikki Haley earlier this month vetoed $67.5 million of the state's $6.7 billion spending plan for 2012-2013 in a effort to shut down state programs she said "don't work."

But lawmakers in the Republican-led state legislature said Haley went too far and moved to restore some of the funds, including $10 million for teachers' pay raises, $3.9 million for an arts commission and $450,000 for the state's 15 private, non-profit rape crisis centers.

"Of all the vetoes that need to be overridden, this is the most important one," said Republican Senator Jake Knotts, voicing support for the rape crisis centers."Victims of assault, women and children, are the ones who need the most help. It's money well-spent," he said.

The rape crisis centers served 5,000 victims of sexual assault last year, said Melonea Marek, executive director of People Against Rape in Charleston.

Along with Massachusetts, South Carolina was one of the two states whose budget was not signed before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. State lawmakers, however, approved a continuing resolution to the keep the state government running.

Haley, who was elected in 2010 with strong Tea Party support, won office on pledges to reduce government spending.

Senator Vincent Sheheen, a Democrat, welcomed the news the arts commission would continue to be funded.

"We just saved South Carolina's Arts Commission from extinction," he wrote on his Facebook page. "It is frustrating to continue to see the efforts of people who keep wanting us to be a third world country."

The vote putting the money back in the budget came after hundreds of arts supporters occupied the lawn in front of the statehouse on Monday with signs, drum circles and performances.

State lawmakers had an extra $1.4 billion to spend in this year's budget because revenue was higher than expected.

But some lawmakers said the state should have been more aggressive in holding back spending in a difficult economy.

"We're spending everything we've got," said Republican Senator Shane Massey. "We're not out of the woods yet. There has to be a line."

AP: House Overrides Some Haley Vetoes

The South Carolina House on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Nikki Haley's vetoes that wiped out the state Arts Commission and pay raises for teachers.

The House voted 113-1 on Tuesday to override a veto that removed the $10 million to help districts pay for mandated 2 percent salary increases.

House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham said local property taxes might go up if the state doesn't provide money for the raises legislators are requiring.

The chamber then voted 109-3 to override a $1.2 million veto to expand the Governor's School for Science and Mathematics. The money would hire more teachers so the school can enroll 300 students, bringing them to capacity.

A 110-5 vote on Tuesday restored $1.9 million for the state Arts Commission's operations. It was the first vote of the day. A later vote of 89-25 restores $500,000 for the commission's grant money.

The other agency eliminated by Haley's vetoes was the Sea Grant Consortium. The House voted 102-10 to restore that agency's $428,000.

Hundreds of art supporters turned out Monday at the Statehouse to protest. Organizer Natalie Brown said she wanted the rally to focus on the arts, not speakers. Protestors included drummers, while others played guitar and violin on the Statehouse steps.

An override requires two-thirds majority. The Senate plans to take up the vetoes Wednesday.

Greenville Reaction

United Way African American Council Helps Campbell Home

Members of the African American Leadership Council of United Way of Anderson County delivered new socks and blankets to the residents of the Richard M. Campbell Veterans Nursing Home. The group collected socks and blankets to be distributed to the homeless population of Anderson for its annual MLK Day of Service. “The citizens of Anderson County are so generous, we received enough new socks and blankets to distribute to the homeless and have enough to bring the residents here at the home” stated Lynn Dingle, Director of Marketing for United Way and a member of the African American Leadership Council. “We wanted to make sure the items were put to good use and what better way to use them than to make sure the men and women who served our country are warm and comfortable” she said.

The African American Leadership Council consists of African American professional and community volunteers and was formed to get more African Americans involved in philanthropic, civic and board activities in Anderson County.

AnMed Adds New Doctors to Network

The AnMed Health Physician Network added two new doctors’ offices and a new physician this summer.

Dr. Clifton W. Straughn joined the physician network in June. Dr. Straughn is a board-certified family medicine doctor with more than 26 years of experience. His new office, AnMed Health Clifton W. Straughn, M.D., is at 105 Buford Ave. in Anderson behind Windsor Place Shopping Center.

After a period working with Cancer Centers of the Carolinas, Dr. David Griffin returned to the physician network in July. Dr. Griffin, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist, has cared for Upstate women for nearly a decade. His new practice, AnMed Health Gynecologic Oncology, is in Suite 3100 of the Oglesby Center on the AnMed Health North Campus.

AnMed Health also welcomed a new bariatric surgeon in July. Dr. Elias Darido, a fellowship-trained weight loss surgeon, is accepting new patients at AnMed Health Obesity Care – Surgical Consultants. Dr. Darido replaces Dr. Blair Rowtiz, who moved to Chicago earlier this year to be closer to family. Dr. Darido specializes in minimally invasive weight loss surgery, performing laparoscopic gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding.

Museum Sets Event on Creating Family Time Capsule

A special event is scheduled for July 21 at 10:30 a.m. at the Anderson County Museum.

How do you want your family to be remembered in ten years? Join us at the Anderson County Museum to create family time capsules that will be taken home, stored in a special place, and opened again in ten years. Suggested items to bring for the capsules include photos, special letters or cards, pay stub, grocery receipt, newspaper, children's artwork, a small toy, and anything else of importance that will fit in a large plastic mayonnaise jar that will be provided. Family members will write letters about themselves during the program. Decorations for the capsule will be provided. Please call the museum at 260-4737 to sign up for the event.

SHJ: Voter ID Unlikely by November Election

Chances are slim that South Carolina’s new voter ID law will be in place before the Nov. 6 general election. But rushing to implement the law before its full impact can be gauged would be a mistake.

The law, which requires voters to present government-issued photo IDs at the polls, was passed last year, but the federal government blocked it in December, saying it could keep tens of thousands of the state’s minorities from casting ballots. South Carolina is one of the Southern states subject to rules in the 1965 Voting Rights Act that must have approval from the U.S. Justice Department before changing election laws.

Under those rules, South Carolina is required to prove that the proposed changes are not discriminatory. In late June, the Justice Department again turned down the law, saying that the state still had not proven that the law wouldn’t disproportionately block minorities from voting.

S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson has sued U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, saying the law is not discriminatory. But a three-judge panel considering that case recently rescheduled oral arguments in the case for Sept. 24, nearly two months later than originally planned.

That is unlikely to provide enough time for state officials to implement the law and make sure people understand the requirements. State prosecutors have said they would need a ruling by the three judges by Sept. 15 at the latest to put the new law in place and prepare voters before the election.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/07/15/4113296/voter-ids-delayed.html#storylink=cpy

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AP: Haley Veto Could Hurt Special Schools

COLUMBIA -- A public residential high school that aims to foster South Carolina’s future technological leaders is boosting enrollment this fall after years of planning and construction. But filling the available slots depends on whether legislators override Gov. Nikki Haley’s veto.

Haley vetoed $3.4 million designated to the state’s special schools for students who are academically and artistically talented and, on the other end, schools for troubled teens at risk of dropping out. The schools receive no local taxes. The Republican governor said she wants to evaluate their roles before giving them any more money.

“All of these are good things, but if we’re going to lead and take South Carolina to a new place, we’ve got to take the emotion out of it,” she said Friday. “How can we handle these things smarter? To do that sometimes hurts, and to do that sometimes means we wait but we make good decisions in the end.”

Those vetoes are among her 81 that strike a total of $67.5 million from the Legislature’s combined $6.8 billion spending plans. The House returns to Columbia on Tuesday to take up the vetoes. Overrides require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, which returns Wednesday.

Other vetoes met with outrage by many legislators and activists include $2.4 million that eliminates the Arts Commission, which is now closed; $454,000 for rape crisis centers; and $100,000 for sickle-cell patients.

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/07/15/2940957/specialized-schools-among-programs.html#storylink=cpy

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Council to Vote on Zoning Ordinances Tuesday

Anderson County Council will vote on several zoning ordinances and an ordinance pertaining to the Anderson County Animal Shelter's sterilzation of animals at Tuesday night's meeting.

Council will meet at 6 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown. The public is invited.

S.C. Sales Tax Holiday August 3-5

Less than a month away in South Carolina is the annual Sales Tax Holiday – the state’s popular three-day sales and use tax break on traditional back-to-school purchases.
 
The 13th annual Sales Tax Holiday, which was implemented in 2000, will begin Friday, August 3 at 12:01 a.m. and tax-exempt purchases can be made through Sunday, August 5 at midnight. While providing taxpayers with an exemption on the 6% statewide sales tax as well as any applicable local taxes, the tax-free weekend also benefits in-state businesses by urging taxpayers to do their back-to-school shopping in South Carolina.
 
During this time, taxes will not be imposed on clothing, shoes, school supplies, book bags, computers, printers, bedspreads and linens, and more. Nonexempt items during the weekend include the sales of jewelry, cosmetics, eyewear, furniture, or items placed on layaway. Portable devices whose function is primarily used for telephone calls, listening or downloading music, watching videos, or reading books, are not exempt during the tax-free weekend. However, with the growing popularity of computer tablets, portable devices that have computing functions and allow users to access multiple software applications are considered computers and are therefore tax-exempt, provided they do not allow users to make telephone calls. More information on the exemption of computer tablets can be found at www.sctax.org.
 
The popularity of the tax-free weekend has made it the third busiest shopping period of the year, surpassed only by the weekends after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, as South Carolina shoppers save approximately $3 million during the tax-free weekend.
 
For more information about this year’s Sales Tax Holiday, including an example list of exempt and nonexempt items as well as a listing of frequently asked questions, visit the SC Department of Revenue website, www.sctax.org, under the “What’s New” section.

HP: Haley Arts Cuts Short-Sighted Move

By Robin Bronk/Creative Coalition

I grew up in Clemson, South Carolina. It was a terrific way to grow up -- we shopped at Judge Keller's General Store, we watched movies at the Astro Theatre on Main Street, the sheriff's car wasn't above being used as the town taxi cab. And, while a bagel was as foreign as an alien spaceship, life was good.

When I was twelve, I was lucky enough to find the Oconee Community Theatre. For all of us who were part of that community, it was a link to a broader cultural world. Today, both my brother and I make our living in the arts. And it all started for us with that small community theater, which stays afloat with local support, the herculean efforts of volunteers and periodic small grants from the South Carolina Arts Commission.

Unfortunately, kids growing up in South Carolina today may not have the same opportunities that I had to learn life skills from a small but powerful non-profit theater or arts group.

Last weekend, Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, took out her veto pen and eliminated every cent of funding for the South Carolina Arts Commission. For 45 years, the South Carolina Arts Commission has provided critical funding to non-profit arts groups across the state, giving grants to support community arts programs, artist development efforts and arts education initiatives. Unless the state legislature overrides Governor Haley's veto next week, that legacy will end, taking with it an essential pillar of art and culture in South Carolina.

Governor Haley's spokesperson claims that the Governor "loves the arts," but that she just doesn't believe that supporting the arts is a "core function of government." Pardon? Consider a few facts:

According to a study by the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, creative industries contribute more than $9.2 billion dollars to the state's economy and support almost 80,000 jobs. That's about 3% of the state's economy.

The evidence is clear that kids who are involved in the arts do better in school, are more likely to graduate and show increased rates of civic participation.

State supported arts initiatives drive tourism and revitalize communities. Whether you look at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston or at the impact that one theater has had in revitalizing the small town of Newbury, South Carolina, the arts add economic vitality to local economies.

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Lollis Metals to Bring 25 Jobs to Anderson

Lollis Metals Inc., a metal fabrication and machine shop, today announced plans to expand its existing Anderson County operations. The $3 million investment is expected to generate 25 new jobs.
 
“We’ve been in business here since 1980, and it’s exciting to once again expand our business here in Anderson County. South Carolina has offered us an excellent business environment and a skilled workforce. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers and grow,” said Rick Lollis, vice president of Lollis Metals.
 
Lollis Metals’ expansion involves the addition of 80,000 square feet of space to the company’s current facility, located at 3933 Keys Street in Anderson, as well as the acquisition of Temco of the Upstate. Both will allow the company to increase its production capacity.
 
“It’s a great day in South Carolina when one of our existing businesses chooses to increase its footprint here. We celebrate Lollis Metals’ decision to invest $3 million and create 25 new jobs in Anderson. Investments like this show we are on the right track with our economic development efforts,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.
 
Since January 2011, South Carolina has recruited more than $6.8 billion in capital investment and more than 16,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector.
 
“Our state’s manufacturing renaissance continues to move forward, as announcements like this one show. Lollis Metals has been a part of the Upstate’s business community for more than three decades, and we congratulate the company on its continued success,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.
 
“Anderson County Council is proud to congratulate Lollis Metals on their expansion,” said Anderson County Council Vice Chairman Tommy Dunn. “We are always happy when new industry comes to our county, but when one of our homegrown, family-owned companies prospers, it means we are doing something right. As part of their expansion, Lollis Metals purchased a struggling company, sustaining local jobs while creating new jobs and improving their bottom line sales and productivity.” 
 
The company will begin hiring for the new positions in this month. Anyone interested in job opportunities with the company should apply in person at Lollis Metals Inc, 3933 Keys Street, Anderson, S.C. Monday-Thursday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
 
For more information about Lollis Metals Inc., please visit www.lollismetals.com. To learn more about Temco of the Upstate, please visit www.temcoupstate.com.