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Bauer’s “Blanket Blitz”

December 23, 2009 By

Lt. Governor Andre Bauer was in Greenville Tuesday at the Redemption World Outreach Center Teen Arena distributing 200 blankets to the needy. It’s part of what Bauer calls his “Blanket Blitz.” The blankets were purchased with funds from the Palmetto Tomorrow Foundation, which operates on donations.

“We’ve been fortunate,” said Bauer.  “Some big players have stepped up and we have raised more money this year than ever.  I think it speaks volumes.  South Carolina ranks number one each year in giving. Even though we’re a rural state people are helping out their family, friends and neighbors.  I think it says a lot about our state.  It’s about helping those who’re down, not about helping Big Brother government which continues to grow.” 

This is the third year for the effort. Bauer says 5000 blankets were given away last February, and already 1000 have been given away this month and he hopes that another 5000 will go out this coming February. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government

SC inmates train dogs to help others

December 23, 2009 By

Casper, a trainee at the SC Department of Corrections

Inmates at Kershaw Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison, are training Labrador Retrievers to assist physically challenged individuals, teachers and counselors as well as children with autism.

Josh Gelinas, Communications Director with the South Carolina Department of Corrections says he’s heard no negative criticism regarding the program. “On the inside it’s been a great boost for the inmates who are participating. It boosts morale and it gives them a sense of accomplishments. More importantly in the larger sense of things it’s created something that inmates want to be a part of.”

Gelinas also emphasized, “It’s encouraging good disciplinary behavior by other inmates in the prison who want to get in. That’s been a good thing for us.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Human Interest, News, Uncategorized

Sanford: Health care plan will eat 40% of SC’s budget

December 23, 2009 By

Gov. Mark Sanford is calling on U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and other proponents of the health care plan to change their position. Sanford is calling on the plan to be scrapped all together, or at least seriously changed.

Sanford says the legislation as written would expand South Carolina Medicaid rolls by 543,000 people, costing the state’s taxpayers an additional $1.17 billion annually in 10 years and eating up almost 40 percent of the state budget in just five years. Sanford says it would effectively place almost one-third of the state’s residents on Medicaid.

The governor says that for South Carolina, the billion dollar burden will exacerbate an already brutal state budget situation, forcing state legislators to either cut further into bone in the areas of education, law enforcement and economic development, or raise taxes.

In a round table discussion in Columbia Tuesday, Clyburn says he’s glad to see that the governor is concerned about the state’s tight budget, asserting that he did not show concern when he opposed acceptance of the federal stimulus funds.  “And I wish that the state’s were showing that kind of concern when states were struggling, back when we were doing the stimulus,” said Clyburn.  “I think that we would have had a much better deal for South Carolina, rather than that foolishness that we went through.  That’s all we were trying to do with the stimulus, trying to help states that were struggling.  So I’m glad that he’s paying attention to the struggles that we’re having in South Carolina.”  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Health & Medicine, Legislature, News, Politics & Government

DeMint spearheading GOP fundraising in other states

December 23, 2009 By

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint is busy raising money in other states to help Senate Republicans run against other Republicans.As reported in the congressional newspaper, “The Hill” – the South Carolinian wants to get more candidates who are more conservative to join him in the Senate:

“I decided that I did not want to be here with the same people that I’ve been with before, Democrats, Republicans, everybody,” said DeMint. “I want some people [in the Senate] who are willing to stand up and go where America is going.”

DeMint founded the Senate Conservatives Fund, to fight the party fielding centrist candidate. One of those in California State Legislator Chuck Devore—who is not the pick of his party in the state.

He is running in the Republican primary against former Hewlett-Packard  CEO Carly Fiorina. The Hill also reports that DeMint has set his sights on other candidates in other states–at least 20 – to run against established Republicans, endorsed by the party leadership in the National Republican Senatorial Committee. NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh told The Hill that DeMint’s raising money for Republican candidates is viewed as “a good thing.”

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government

USC researcher to assess US nuclear needs

December 23, 2009 By

Officials estimate that half of the workers now in jobs in the nation’s nuclear industry will be eligible to retire over the next decade.

Doug Woodward

Doug Woodward

Dr. Doug Woodward with the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina has received a research grant to conduct a national survey of the workforce needs of the nation’s nuclear energy industry, including nuclear power and weapons facilities. The $150,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy will be used to assess needs over the next 20 years for nuclear scientists and engineers.

“Our expectation is that we’re not producing enough graduates, especially in high-tech fields that require engineering and sciences that support the nuclear industry,” said Woodward.   ”We’re going to look at the skill set in graduates coming out of colleges now and how that matches industry needs.”

The Department of Energy is expected to announce results of Woodward’s survey this spring.

Woodward says while a need will exist just due to the retirement of so many people, the shortage will be much greater due to current plans for a growth in nuclear energy–the “nuclear renaissance” as some officials have called it.  “As we can see, it’s getting ramped up again in South Carolina,” he said.  “It’s not just in nuclear energy but all applications including the military so we anticipate that will lead to a shortage at educational institutions.”

Filed Under: Business, Education, Military, News
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