Anderson Observer

A fire in the parking lot of NewSpring Church in Anderson destroyed five cars during Sunday morning services.

NewSpring Pastor Perry Noble wrote this about the incident:

"At the 11:15 service at our Anderson campus the engine to a Ford F-150 caught on fire…and, because it was windy this afternoon, the fire spread to other cars.  Long story short…five cars were pretty much destroyed and six others were damaged. 

Several things to note…

#1 – No one was injured!  The fire took place in the back section of one of our parking lots while the service was going on.

#2 – The local fire department was AWESOME…these guys responded in a matter of minutes and were able to quickly get the situation under control.

#3 – Our staff and volunteers were awesome as well and made sure everyone whose car had been destroyed and damaged were informed and taken care of.

#4 – Everyone I spoke to after the service whose car had been messed up had an amazing attitude!  One lady literally told me, “Well, I have been asking God for a new car…He sure does answer in unique ways!”

#5 – It was one guys FIRST visit to NewSpring Church…wow…I hope he comes back!

Seriously…I am SO GLAD no one was hurt!!!

The Taffetas, written by Rick Lewis and directed by Pat Shull and Beverly Henderson, is a voyage back into a time when hula hoops were hot, angora sweaters were fashionable and poodle skirts were the talk of the town. The story centers around a quartet of sisters from Muncie, Indiana, who are determined to sing their way onto national television and to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their journey aims to knock the Bobbysocks off of anyone in the audience with their swell music review of the 1950’s, including the hits “Johnny Angel”, “Mr. Sandman”, “You Belong to Me”, “Sincerely” and many more. This Off-Broadway hit starts Elizabeth Thomason as Cheryl, Cara Brown as Donna, Kelly Seto as Kaye and Kristi Valentine as Peggy. It is scheduled to appear at the Electric City Playhouse Aug 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 and Sept 2, 3, 4, 5 with Thursday, Friday, Saturday performances at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Ticket prices are Adults $17, Senior $15 and Students $10, with both group and enlisted military discounts available. Season Members can reserve their tickets now and General Ticket sales start August 9^th. For information and tickets call (864) 224-4248 or email info@ecplayhouse.com.

So much for a lazy summer at Atlantic Coast Conference headquarters.

Realignment rumors. An NCAA investigation into agent involvement with players at one of its marquee institutions.

No wonder the ACC is ready for the offseason to end and the football games to begin.

"I guess this is our year to experience those problems and all that," Wake Forest running back Josh Adams said Sunday during the league's preseason media day.

There surely hasn't been any shortage of news around the ACC over the past few months. And not all of it was bad: the league recently announced a new broadcast package for football and men's basketball that will be worth $1.86 billion from ESPN over 12 years, doubling the conference's TV revenue.

But most of the attention lately has focused on the NCAA investigation at North Carolina into whether two players received improper benefits from agents. With similar probes popping up at several Southeastern Conference schools, the issue of athletes' involvement with agents quickly turned into the hot-button topic du jour in college sports.

"It is kind of a distraction, but we kind of look at it as we've already taken our adversity for the season," Tar Heels quarterback T.J. Yates said. "So once we get over this little speed bump, we'll be able to put it behind us and go forward through the season."

ACC commissioner John Swofford — the former athletic director at North Carolina — dedicated nearly one-quarter of his hour-long question-and-answer session to the issue, voicing his support for the North Carolina Secretary of State's investigation about potential misconduct involving agents and saying "we probably need to look at strengthening the law in this area."

The state requires sports agents to register in North Carolina and prohibits them from offering gifts before a contract is signed, with violators possibly facing criminal or civil penalties.

"I suspect (the problem) has (worsened) some because of the dollars at the next level, in the NFL and the NBA," Swofford said. "I think it's also being paid more attention at this given point in time. While uncomfortable, I think that's good. Having been an AD for 17 years ... the problem's been there, and believe me, as an AD, you feel, or as a coach, you feel vulnerable ... because it's not an easy situation to control from an institutional standpoint.

"You have to educate, educate, educate the athletes that are on campus," he added. "And I think our schools do that."

A month earlier, all the talk in college circles centered around the possibility of another round of conference realignment, with concerns that uncertainty in the Big 12 and expansion by the Pac-10 and Big Ten would set off a chain reaction that would reshape the Football Championship Subdivision.

There were lingering questions about whether another conference would make a play for one or more ACC schools before the league ultimately stood pat.

"There were a lot of conferences that certainly were more active in terms of what was done or potentially being done than we were," Swofford said. "But rest assured, we were quietly evaluating that landscape and our internal discussions to determine what's in our best interests moving forward, and what ramifications on the (ACC), if any, might come from expansion by other conferences.

"Without question, at the presidential level of this league, there continues to be a strong commitment to each other, a strong commitment to the ACC, the belief that 12 is the right number for us, but a willingness, if the world changes around us, to take a look at what those changes mean. ... We're very comfortable with, not only 12, but the 12 that we have."

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Want a fun way to raise some money? On Saturday, September 4 there will be a Charity Tricycle Race in front of the Historic Courthouse as part of the Tour de La France. Your charity can field a rider who can raise pledges and donations for your organization. The only stipulation is that the rider be an adult who is on a child’s vehicle – tricycle, Big Wheel, pedal car, little bicycle, etc. The rider can be a staff member, board member, supporter or volunteer at your charity.

There will be awards for the best decorated bike, fastest rider and most money raised, and of course your charity keeps all the dough raised by your rider. Last year a bunch of local “celebrities” did this and had a blast!

For details, please contact Cindy Hopkins at the Chamber of Commerce. Her email is chopkins@andersonscchamber.com.

The next Anderson Interfaith Ministries Manna Food Distribution has been scheduled.  This months event, sponsored by The Covenant Sunday School Class of First Presbyterian Church, and facilitated by Anderson Interfaith Ministries (AIM), is set for Saturday, August 14 and will be held in the parking lot across from First Presbyterian Church located at 302 W. Whitner Street. Many volunteers will gather hands on this day to package and distribute a minimum of 5,000 pounds of fresh food items to those who need it.  Food will be given on a first-come, first-served basis as long as it lasts.  Anyone who needs food assistance qualifies for a package with no ID or documentation required.  Each participant will simply be asked three questions about the number and ages of household members.  As a reminder, participants should bring a large box or basket with them for ease in carrying their food packages.

Anderson, SC (Thursday, July 22, 2010) Anderson County Sheriff’s Narcotics Agents made three arrests, and took down a meth lab that was being operated out of a residence on Hwy 29 North. 

Late Wednesday (July 21, 2010) afternoon narcotics agents responded to 3605 Highway 29 north, after investigating complaints and tips about drug activity at the residence.  Narcotics confirmed the scene as an active meth lab after locating and identifying numerous materials that would be consistent with manufacturing methamphetamines. 

At the residence agents identified Julius Andrew Simpson (53 YOA) of 705 H.I. Taylor Rd. Williamston, and both Marvin Eugene Wright (41YOA) and Mary Annette Simmons of 3605 Hwy 29 north.  

Simpson, Wright, and Simmons are currently housed at the Anderson County Detention Center and awaiting bond hearings on charges of Manufacturing Methamphetamines.

One school about to be built and one longtime campus received new names at Tuesday’s meeting of the Anderson School District Five Board of Trustees.

The new elementary school planned for a location on S.C. Highway 81 near the Sullivan-King Mortuary will be named North Pointe Elementary. The name was chosen from more than 30 names suggested by District Five residents. Trustees said they preferred a name that helps define the location of the school.

The Hanna-Westside Extension Campus also received a new name Tuesday night. Trustees voted to rename the school the Anderson V Career Campus. More than 40 suggested names were received from District Five residents as the board sought to find a name that did a better job of explaining the purpose of the school. 

Site development for North Pointe Elementary is continuing. The new school is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. It will be the 11^th elementary school in the district. 

Walter Mayfield, currently an assistant principal at Southwood Middle School, has been named principal of  Glenview Middle School.

Mr. Mayfield, who is about to begin his seventh year at assistant principal at Southwood, will continue his duties there as he oversees plans for the opening of the new Glenview school, which is currently under construction.

A graduate of Clemson University, Mr. Mayfield has spent his entire 23-year education career in Anderson School District Five. He came to the district in 1987 as a math teacher at Lakeside Middle School. After serving in that position for eight years, he moved to T.L. Hanna High School, where he taught math for nine years. 

“Walter has been deeply involved in advancing our district’s curriculum and instructional practices, and shares the credit for Southwood’s exemplary academic performance with the rest of the school’s administrative team,” said District Five Superintendent Betty Bagley. “I am confident that he will bring the same enthusiasm and focus on academic achievement to Glenview.” 

Last year, Southwood was named a national AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Demonstration School, one of only two schools in South Carolina and only 118 nationwide to earn this prestigious honor. Also, Southwood was one of two schools in the state to be named a “School to Watch” by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. This national honor recognizes a school’s academic excellence, its responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and its commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels. 

“Walter’s focus on curriculum and achievement has been an integral part of our success,” said Southwood Principal Evelyn Murphy. “His commitment to the success of every student will make him a wonderful principal.”

Two new middle schools are currently under construction as part of District Five’s $140 million bond issuance, which was approved by more than 60 percent of voters in an April 2007 referendum.  Glenview Middle School is under construction at a site on Old Williamston Road and Robert Anderson Middle School is being built at a site on Dobbins Bridge Road. 

Glenview will relieve overcrowding at the current McCants Middle School. Robert Anderson will replace the current Southwood Middle School and will draw students from both Southwood and Lakeside middle schools. The current Southwood school will retain its name, however, as it transitions to a 6-12 grade arts magnet school.

Larissa Brdar, valedictorian of T.L. Hanna High School’s Class of 2010, is one of 102 recipients statewide of the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarships, a program that promotes academic excellence using federal funds. 

The scholarships in the amount of $1,500 yearly are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate studies at in-state and out-of-state colleges and universities. In addition to 2010’s new recipients, the program is funding 304 continuing scholarship students.

The program is administered by the State Department of Education, using an annual allocation from the U.S. Department of Education.  Federal funds amounted to $594,000 including both new and continuing stipends. 

There were more than 360 Byrd scholarship applications in South Carolina.  Eligibility requirements include: 

● Students must be enrolled in the 12th grade (senior class) in a public, private or home school in South Carolina and become a high school graduate during the 2009-10 academic year (by June 2010). 

● Students must have a minimum of 1300 on the SAT (combined verbal and math score only) or a minimum of 29 on the ACT. 

● Students must have a minimum of a 3.5 GPR computed on the Uniform Grading Scale. 

● A school or home-school association screens and selects applicants.

The scholarship program is named for the late U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and is designed to recognize exceptionally able high school seniors who show promise of continued excellence in postsecondary education. Federal officials estimate that over 7,300 new scholarships will be awarded this year, with total new scholarship funding amounting to $11,022,000.

AnMed Health LifeFlight has received a new helicopter that will allow the crew to reach patients even faster.  

On Monday, LifeFlight’s 206-L4 helicopter was replaced by a Bell 407. The new helicopter is faster than the 206-L4 and has a more powerful engine, giving the crew more flexibility when transporting patients long distances.  With the new helicopter, LifeFlight can carry 750 pounds of fuel, a full crew and up to 600 additional pounds of weight.

“The 206-L4 served us well, but we knew when we started that this day would come,” said Paul Hubbard, special projects coordinator and director of the LifeFlight program. “We now have the same flight capabilities as our sister programs in Greenville and Spartanburg, and we’re excited to be able to provide even faster service to residents in our area.” 

LifeFlight is operated through an agreement with Med-Trans Corp. LifeFlight aims to improve the timeliness of care for heart attack, stroke and trauma patients in the Upstate and northeast Georgia. Since beginning service in January 2010, LifeFlight has received 243 requests for service. 

Med-Trans operates two other Upstate helicopters – Med-Trans One in Greenville and Regional One in Spartanburg.  To learn more about LifeFlight, go online to www.AnMedHealth.org.

Anderson County Council will honor former Councilman Bob Waldrep for his years of service and vote on third reading on the county's 2010-2011 budget.

Agenda here.

AnMed Health has been recognized as one of the nation’s 100 Most Wired hospitals and health care systems, according to the results of the 2010 Most Wired Survey in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. 

The survey gathered data on the use of information technology in 1,280 hospitals. That information is then used to create a list of the 100 Most Wired as well as the 25 Most Wireless, 25 Most Improved and 25 Most Wired – Small & Rural. AnMed Health was one of five South Carolina hospitals and health systems recognized in the study and one of only three named to the 100 Most Wired. 

At AnMed Health, information technology is an integral part of providing care. Less than 10 percent of hospitals nationwide have implemented computerized physician order entry systems. In 2009, AnMed Health reached about 80 percent physician compliance with its computerized physician order entry system, EOS. Horizon Enterprise Visibility allows caregivers to know what’s happening with every patient on their unit by glancing at a flat screen TV. Patient medical records have been electronic since 2000, and AnMed Health was the first in the state to implement PACS, a picture archiving and communication system that gives physicians and staff instant and remote access to radiology images. Physicians routinely use a computer-based “portal” to review monitor data, nursing documentation and diagnostic test results on both inpatients and outpatients. Information technology is even improving medication safety. Nurses use barcode scanning technology in more than 98 percent of medication dispensing to ensure each person receives the right medicine in the right dose at the right time. 

“AnMed Health’s leadership understands the difference information technology can make in improving safety and quality,” said Kathy Hammond, director of Information Services. “At every level, technology is improving the way our health system runs. We’re better able to track resources, communicate with staff and manage the data needed to make patient care decisions. These systems are an investment that pays off each time a doctor or clinician can respond to a patient quickly and with confidence.”

This year’s survey reveals that information technology is playing an increasingly important role in patient safety initiatives:

•  Fifty-one percent of medication orders were done electronically by physicians at Most Wired hospitals, up from 49 percent last year.  
•  More than half (55 percent) of Most Wired hospitals match medication orders at the bedside through bar coding or radio-frequency identification, up from 49 percent in 2009 and from 23 percent five years ago.  
•  Additionally, Most Wired hospitals have made improvements when it comes to sharing information during care transitions. For example, new medication lists are electronically delivered to caregivers and patients 94 percent of the time when a patient is transferred within the hospital, 98 percent at discharge and 86 percent when transferred to another care setting.

“The survey results highlight that continued progress is being made but the full potential of health IT has not been meet,” says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “Hospitals embrace health IT and recognize the many benefits it can provide to patients, but even Most Wired hospitals face barriers to adoption. We have asked that the federal government stimulate greater adoption by making Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments more widely available to hospitals and physicians so more hospitals can move in this direction.” 

The Most Wired Survey was redesigned this year to reflect two years of work with an advisory group. The 2010 Most Wired Survey represents a new structure and methodology with an increased use of analytics and reporting. The advisory group was comprised of leaders from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), chief information officers, Most Wired staff and vendors. Additionally, the new methodology was made available to the entire CHIME membership for review and comment.