February 8, 2012

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Area HBCUs get $9 million in Energy Department grants

April 8, 2010 By

Nine area historically black colleges, eight in South Carolina and one in Georgia have been awarded $9 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. The funding will be used to develop academic programs that promote minority involvement in science and technical research fields, which will help support the mission of the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management. The announcement of the grants was made at a ceremony at Allen University in Columbia, attended by Energy Department Assistant Secretary Dr. Ines Triay.   Triay says the grants will help in the development of new leaders in various fields of science including nuclear technology that is in desperate need of new talent.

“All of us are aware that there is a shortage of qualified, technically trained leaders. In 2007, there were 400 graduates with a bachelor of science degree in nuclear engineering. This was a four fold increase from the late 1990′s, but there are still too few technically trained graduates. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission alone needs to hire 400 nuclear engineers per year to support its activities.”

Joining Allen University as grant recipients are Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina State and Claflin University in Orangeburg, Morris College in Sumter, Denmark Tech and Voorhees College in Denmark, Clinton Junior College in Rock Hill and Paine College in Augusta, Georgia.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Energy, Environment & Conservation, Politics & Government

More states join South Carolina against healthcare law

April 8, 2010 By

More states are joining the lawsuit challenging the new healthcare law.

South Carolina Attorney general Henry McMaster announced Wednesday that five additional states have joined the original 13 states’ legal challenge to the newly enacted federal healthcare legislation. Arizona, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and North Dakota are joining the original states’ legal action which was filed in federal court on March 23.

The state attorneys general are charging that the new law is unconstitutional because they say the federal government is attempting to force Americans to enter into contracts and purchase services from insurance companies or face penalties.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Health & Medicine, News, Politics & Government

DeMint: Obama is rushing into nuclear treaty

April 8, 2010 By

Thursday in Prague, President Obama signed a new arms reduction treaty with Russia that would help reduce the amount of nuclear weapons in the world. Back in the U.S., Senator Jim DeMint said he is concerned.

“He’s rushing into this. We have not even seen the text of this treaty. America has not modernized its nuclear arsenal, while the Soviet Union has. It’s one thing to have the same number of missiles, but it’s not good if ours don’t work as well and we don’t continue to be the deterrent. Most of the world behaves well when America is strong. When they sense that we are not strong, you’re gonna see North Korea misbehaving, you’re gonna see Russia misbehaving. They’re testing our strength, and we’re not responding like we should,” says DeMint.

The treaty, the first of its kind in two decades, would limit the number of warheads to 1,550 per country in a seven year period. The two countries, Russia and the United States, own 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons.

Filed Under: Military, News, Politics & Government

U.S. Chamber says SC needs to create 339,122 jobs (Audio)

April 8, 2010 By

Stan Anderson, U.S. Chamber

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says that South Carolina will need to create 339,122 new jobs to recover from this recession. Stan Anderson of the U.S. Chamber explains, “These are creating new jobs, essentially. About eight million people across the country have lost their jobs and about 1.5 million have joined the work force from population growth and so that’s how we arrive at the number.”

The numbers come from a University of Kansas study of the national economy. The good news, says Anderson, is the U.S. Chamber says South Carolina has the right environment to create jobs. He cites the workforce, local infrastructure and being a right-to-work state. Anderson praised South Carolina’s innovative contributions, including $2.1 billion in research and development spending in 2005 alone.

Anderson is the managing director of the U.S. Chamber’s Campaign for Free Enterprise.
(Listen to selection of interview with SCRN’s Ashley Byrd MP3 3:30)
Listen to selection of interview with SCRN’s Ashley Byrd MP3

Filed Under: Business, Economy, News, Politics & Government

Statewide effort attempts to reduce teen drinking (Audio)

April 8, 2010 By

The Pacific Institute for Research estimates that underage drinking costs South Carolina almost $1.2 billion each year. A law enforcement blitz aimed at alcohol consumption by youth underway this week through this weekend has involved authorities from many local communities.

The South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services is helping with the effort, attempting to limit access to alcohol by young people under age 21. Prevention Consultant Michelle Nienhius(NEEN-hise) says the idea is to promote a safe prom season and end to the school year.

She says the goal of the week is to have no traffic fatalities in the state this spring connected to underaged drinking.  The campaign, called “Out of Their Hands,” will involve compliance checks of stores and bars to make sure they’re checking the ages of youth. Law enforcement will be conducting numerous traffic check points, and talking to parents about how to have safe parties.  And addiction prevention agencies will make presentations to local groups.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, News
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