United Way to Offer Free Tax Preparation

The Developing Self-Sufficiency vision council of United Way of Anderson County is partnering with local leaders and churches to expand the availability of free tax preparation services in Anderson County. 

VITA , Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, is sponsored by the IRS, and run by local communities wishing to provide the service to local residents.  VITA volunteers can help prepare IRS forms 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ. Preparation of other schedules will not be available at the VITA sites.

YOU NEED TO BRING:

1. All documentation of deductible expenses such as higher education expenses, property taxes paid, daycare expenses (include provider’s name/address/tax ID #).
2. Your 2010 tax returns (Federal and State).

If you are filing a joint return, both spouses must be present to sign required forms. If you have an appointment, please arrive 15 minutes early to complete required paperwork.

The schedule for the VITA sites are as follows: 

Anderson County Library - 300 N. McDuffie Street, Anderson [AARP]

2/4/2012 – 4/7/2012

Days and times to be determined.

The site is hoping to be open on Saturday’s 9:00am – 2:00pm for walk-ins only.

For more information, contact Lora Kline at (864) 226-3438. 

Iva Town Hall – 204 E Jackson St., Iva

1/31/2012 – 4/11/2012

Tuesday’s - 10:00am – 5:00pm

(more dates may be added dependent on demand)

For appointments call Town Hall at 348-6193.

Belton Town Hall – 306 Anderson St., Belton

1/27/2012 – 4/13/2012

Friday’s - 12:00pm – 5:00pm (may be open until 6:00)

For appointments call 2-1-1.

Pendleton Town Hall – 310 Greenville St., Pendleton

2/7/2012 – 4/3/2012

Tuesday’s - 9:00am – 5:00pm on 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20 & 4/3

Monday’s – 9:00am – 5:00pm on 2/27 & 3/26

(more dates may be added dependent on demand)

 Call 646-9409 to make an appointment. 

For more information please contact Lora Kline at United Way of Anderson County at (864) 226-3438 or email lora.kline@uwandersoncty.com.

Dist. 1 Board Meeting to Include Look at Student Nutrition

There will be a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Anderson School District One on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the George Seaborn Boardroom at the District Office. Items on the agenda include: a financial report, a look at student nutrition and a look at the 2012-2013 academic calendar.

Limestone Pins AU Wrestlers

ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University wrestling team claimed three bouts, but dropped a 29-12 decision to No. 10 Limestone Thursday night at the Abney Athletic Center.  

The Trojans dropped the first three bouts, falling behind, 13-0, before sophomore 149-pounder Dan Telhada pinned the Saints’ Theron Goodale with 38 seconds remaining in the second period. 

Three bouts later, junior Bryan Glace rallied from an early deficit to post a 6-3 win at 174 pounds and senior Jordan Denmark also trailed early before notching a 4-2 decision in the 197-pound bout.

Anderson will get back on mat Friday, Feb. 3 when the Trojans play host to UNC Pembroke in a match scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Abney Center.

GAMAC "French Celebration" Friday at AU

The Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium will present "Joie de Vivre- A French Celebration" on Friday, \at 7:30pm in the Rainey Fine Arts Center at Anderson University. Featuring the GAMAC Chamber Orchestra with internationally acclaimed pianists Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers, the performance will be the headline concert of the 2012 Anderson International Festival’s celebration of French culture.

The GAMAC Chamber Orchestra will begin the evening with Claude Debussy’s well-known prelude to Afternoon of a Faun along with works by Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Faure and Jacques Ibert followed by George Bizet’s Jeux d’Enfants featuring two pianos with Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers. The evening will culminate in a beautiful and entertaining performance of Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals featuring Lomazov and Rackers along with guest narrator, Paul Hyde.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for students. To purchase tickets, please call the GAMAC office at (864) 231-6147.

A special “cupcake battle” reception titled “Let Them Eat Cake!” will immediately follow the performance. An additional charge of $10 per person applies for this event. This event is made possible with generous support from Mr. & Mrs. Harold Gilbert and The Bleckley Inn. GAMAC is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. For information about other Anderson International Festival events, please visit www.aifpassport.com

Feb. 24 Black History Luncheon to Feature Book Signing

The 5th Annual Black History Luncheon, presented by the African American Leadership Council of United Way of Anderson County and the African American Leadership Council will be held Feb. 24 at Tucker's Restaurant in Anderson.

The event will feature a book signing by Dr. Rhondda Robinson Thomas, editor of the autobiography of Jane Edna, “A Nickel and a Prayer.” The event is free, but reservations are required.  Call 226-3438 for more information.  

Jane Edna Hunter, the daughter of Edward and Harriet Harris, was born on December 13, 1882, on the Woodburn Plantation near Pendleton, South Carolina. In 1905, armed with the self-help philosophy of Booker T. Washington, Mrs. Hunter moved to Cleveland, Ohio, with "a nickel and a prayer." For six years, via deep religious convictions and hard work, she planned the Phillis Wheatley Association.

In 1911, the organization opened its doors with a home to provide housing, employment, and social development for African-American women. It became a prototype of any similar organizations established by the National Association for Colored Women as well as the Jane Addams School, an industrial training school for young white women in Cleveland.

Jane Edna Hunter's work was so successful she received support from leading philanthropists like John D. Rockefeller, Jr. She maintained that the association's purpose was "to afford Black women an opportunity for fuller development; to promote growth in Christian character and services through physical, social, mental and spiritual training." She firmly believed that youth must be trained with a purpose. They must have skills to accommodate the needs of the modern world. She studied law and received her LL.B. from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1925. She passed the Ohio Bar Examination that year. This great leader of 20th century women died at the age 89.hilosophy of Booker T. Washington, Mrs. Hunter moved to Cleveland, Ohio, with "a nickel and a prayer." For six years, via deep religious convictions and hard work, she planned the Phillis Wheatley Association. 

“The council has decided to bring in a more educational component to the luncheon. We’ve heard from politicians, public school administrators, and HBCU presidents. This year, we would like to expound a little on our history and the achievements of one of South Carolina’s greatest daughters”, stated Datrick Jefferson, president of the African American Leadership Council. “We are asking people to come and learn about this great woman and the strides that she made back during a time when African American’s weren’t even considered citizens. Her efforts continue all across the United State to this day”.

Sponsored by D Jefferson & Associates and Timothy Drummond Insurance Agency/State Farm InsuranceTimothy Drummond Insurance Agency/State Farm Insurance, the event is open and free to the public; however, pre-registration is required due to limited seating availability. To reserve a seat or for more information on the African American Leadership Council , contact United Way of Anderson County at 864-226-3438 or lynn.dingle@uwandersoncty.com.

Cantus to Perform at Brooks Center

Cantus, one of America’s premier male vocal ensembles, visits the Brooks Center at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, to present the program “On the Shoulders of Giants,” a tribute to artists who have inspired them. 

Read the entire news release at:

http://www.clemson.edu/media-relations/article.php?article_id=4048

County Transportation Workshop Set for Powdersville

Anderson County will host a workshop meeting to discuss and select transportation enhancement project concepts on February 2, 2012 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Powdersville Library.  The meeting will focus on identifying possible federal Transportation Enhancement Funding eligible projects that the county can pursue through the Greenville-Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS) for the Powdersville community. 

Dist. 5 Charter School Offers New Option for Juniors, Seniors

Rising juniors and seniors have the opportunity to apply for the new District Five Charter School, slated to begin in August 2012.

The new charter school will be located within the Anderson V Career Campus. It will focus on students for whom the traditional school schedule or environment is not a good fit. 

The school will implement the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) philosophy, which makes attending college a central goal for all students.  In addition, it will provide academic support for those students who are struggling in the classroom.

“Establishing a charter school frees us from a number of state regulations such as seat-time requirements that make it difficult to for students to earn credits through computer courses or special academic projects outside of the classroom,” said Superintendent Betty Bagley. “This will give us a greater opportunity to tailor our curriculum to the unique needs of our students.”

Parents and students interested in learning more about the new Charter School or other magnet school opportunities may attend the District Five Magnet School Fair on Monday, February 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Westside High School. Information is also available at your school’s Guidance Office.

Ex-Clemson Play-By-Play Man Raleigh Powell Dead at 87

Former broadcaster and Clemson football play-by-play announcer Raleigh H. Powell, Jr., 87, died Sunday at the Rainey Hospice House in Anderson.

He was a Navy veteran of World War II serving in Hawaii and the Pacific.  He and his family were long-time members of Washington Pike United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN, where he served as a teacher, class president, and president of the men's club. 

His professional life spanned two careers.  Following graduation in communications from the University of Georgia, he launched a career in broadcasting, serving as a newscaster, program director, and sports director for several stations in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  He began his work in sports by broadcasting baseball for the minor league Rock Hill, SC Chiefs, both live and by teletype.  He did play-by-play on the  Clemson Tigers football network in the early 1950's as well as baseball for the Anderson, SC Rebels in the minor Tri-State League.  Later, he was a color analyst on the Vol Football network in Knoxville, TN.

In 1962, Raleigh switched careers by accepting a position with Oak Ridge National Laboratory for work in public information, as a news editor, and later as a technical writer/editor for which he was the recipient of several national awards from the Society of Technical Communications.  Raleigh retired from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In his community, he was quite involved as a coach of minor league (peewee) football.  Both of his sons played on his team in their youth.

Raleigh is preceded in death by his loving, understanding wife and best friend of 65 years, Dorothy Chamblee Powell, by his youngest son, Christopher Allen Powell, at the tender age of 43.  Survivors include his daughter, Jackie Nelson and her husband, Al of Anderson and son, Raleigh Powell, III of Knoxville, plus many friends, relatives, colleagues, locally and distant.  He is also survived by 6 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. 

Funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at Sullivan-King Mortuary, Northeast Chapel with Rev. Elwood Orr officiating. The family will receive friends following the service. Entombment will take place in Knoxville at 1PM Friday at Highland South Memorial Park Mausoleum with Dr. Pat Polis officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of the Upstate, 1835 Rogers Road, Anderson, SC 29621 or Washington Pike United Methodist Church, 2241 Washington Pike, Knoxville, TN 37917-3998.

New CNO joins AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital

Trent Praytor, RN, MSN, recently joined AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital as its chief nursing officer.

Praytor has been in nursing for 14 years and has worked in a variety of care settings including psychiatry, post surgical care, emergency care, pulmonary intensive care, burn care and home health. Praytor has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Western Carolina University and a master’s degree in nursing from UNC-Chapel Hill.  He was most recently the director of critical and progressive care at MedWest-Haywood in Clyde, N.C.

The chief nursing officer is responsible for the quality of nursing at AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital. Praytor will be charged with developing and implementing plans for providing nursing care, treatment and services, which includes determining the number of nurses and types of nurses the hospital needs to care for patients. The chief nursing officer is also responsible for developing a patient-focused, team-oriented culture, working in conjunction with all other medical, clinical and therapeutic disciplines to ensure excellent service and positive outcomes.

AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital is 50-50 joint venture between AnMed Health and HealthSouth. Located at 1 Springback Way in Anderson, the 55-bed hospital offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services. For more information about AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital, please call (864) 716-2600 or go to www.anmedrehab.com.

Mardi Gras in the Electric City to Benefit Meals on Wheels

Mardi Gras in the Electric City, sponsored by Piedmont Automotive, will be a benefit for Anderson County Meals on Wheels, is scheduled for Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Anderson Civic Center.

The event will feature food by area restaurants, a silent auction, roving entertainers and live music by The Back 9.  Tickets are $30 and available on to Meals on Wheels website – www.acmow.org , at Draisen Edwards Music, at the Meals on Wheels office by calling  864-225-6800. Advance Ticket purchase is required. 

City to Look at Sale of Water and Sewer Bonds

At their 6 p.m. meeting tonight, Anderson City Council will Request consideration of an ordinance providing for the issuance and sale of water and  sewer system refunding revenue bonds not exceeding $50,000,000.  Request consideration of an ordinance providing for the issuance and sale of water and sewer system refunding revenue bonds not exceeding $50,000,000.  See full agenda here.

There will also be an open house at 5 p.m., at the fire station downtown, before the meeting.

Post and Courier: Tiny Primary "I Voted Stickers" Printer Error

The Charleston Post and Courier reported Sunday that voters looking forward to proudly wearing the traditional red, white and blue "I voted" stickers Saturday might have been in for sticker shock. Several precincts handed Photo by Tom Spain/Charleston Post and Courierout fingernail-sized stickers, about an inch smaller than normal. At least some polling places in Anderson were handing out the micro-stickers.

Dorchester County Elections and Voter Registration Executive Director Joshua Dickard said the tiny stickers, provided by the Palmetto Project, are a result of a printing error. The Palmetto Project sent them a box of about 40,000 in June, and they're using them now because they're running out of the larger ones.

Small stickers are better than nothing, said Rose Brown, Berkeley County Voter and Registrations Office administrative specialist. Berkeley hasn't handed out stickers in the last few elections. "We have to use what we were sent by the state," Brown said. "They're free."