May 23, 2013

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SC psychiatrist who ran Boston Marathon still in shock

May 15, 2013 by
Dr Clark 2

Dr. Frank Clark finished before the bombing

May 15 marks exactly one month since two pressure cooker bombs were detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in a planned terrorist attack in which three people were killed and 264 injured. While the event has been dropped in the rapid shifts of the 24-hour news cycle, the tragic event has been indelibly etched in the mind of Columbia psychiatrist Dr. Frank Clark, who ran the marathon in 2 hours and 54 minutes. Clark says he lingered for a while near the finish line waiting for a friend who was still on the course.

“As I headed back to my hotel, which was only about a mile from the finish line, I heard two big explosions. At the time I didn’t know they were bombs, I thought they were fireworks given that it was Patriots ‘ Day. It didn’t occur to me that two bombs had been detonated near the finish line until I got closer to my hotel,” he remembers

Clark says his friend did not finish the race but thankfully he and his family members that were waiting for him were unhurt.

Clark says it is understandable that many Americans have become uneasy with the recent terrorists attacks and mass shootings that have occurred over the past few months and years, but he says there is one emotion that people should not succumb to: “I think it’s important to know that we must not live in a state of fear. I do think that people have probably become more hyper-vigilante given the Boston bombings, the shootings at Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, as well as other attacks on schools or acts of terror including the attacks on the Twin Towers (9/11).”

Clark says it is important for people to realize that keeping their emotions to themselves can harm more than help. He urges that people talk to friends and family about events that have a profound effect on them.

Clark admits that he is still in recovery mode concerning the April 15 bombings. He says his network of friends, including fellow runners helps.

“I can tell you from my standpoint in my life,  having a supportive network has been helpful for me in terms of my resilience through adversity. My faith in God is important to me and I would say if people draw their strength from a higher power that usually seems to help them through times of adversity.”

Clark says thinking of his role model, his mom, helps him cope with adversity. Clark says his mom is a retired Chicago school teacher who endured and thrived during 35 years in the classroom that included 11 strikes.

Clark says Boston has become another snapshot of the powerful resiliency of people when they decide to come together for a collective recovery. “It always amazes me that during times of tragedy is when it seems that our country comes together. At other times we seem divided, whether it is based on religion, race, gender issues, but for some reason tragedy brings us together.”

One way Clark is coping with the bombings is helping out with “One Fund, Boston 2013″ to help victims of the tragedy. He participated the group’s fundraiser Tuesday night in Columbia.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Featured, Human Interest, News

Nutrition programs for SC seniors takes sequestration hit

May 13, 2013 by

The federal budget cutbacks known as sequestration has led to the scaling down of many programs that are designed to help South Carolinians in need. That includes the loss of approximately $791,000 in nutrition assistance for seniors, most notably for the Meals on Wheels program.

Sharon Seago, director of the Central Midlands Council of Governments Agency on Aging says her office is losing funds for the program designed to make sure that a number of seniors get at least one balanced meal a day. The agency serves Fairfield, Newberry, Lexington, and Richland counties.

“Were losing about $15,000 for home delivered meals, and were losing in group dining about $28,405 dollars.”

Seago says the price of meals vary in the different regions of each county her agency serves. However she estimates that about 3,000 meals would be lost region-wide. She adds that is significant when you consider that the program was still falling short of serving all the citizens that had requested the help even before the cuts.

“The vast majority of people are getting just one meal per day, just because we have waiting lists for people who are interested in receiving meals and need to receive meals,” Seago said, ”We can only offer two meals a day to a person under very special circumstances.”

Seago says it’s still too early to tell if the state and local governments will be able to fill the void of the funds that have been lost.

“I know the lieutenant governor has asked the legislature for additional funds, but we don’t know at this point if we will be getting those or if they meet the gap. We do not know how much it would be. We don’t know if the local governments will be able to fill in the gap; that’s an unknown right now.”

Filed Under: Economy, Featured, Health & Medicine, News

Clyburn wants “Main Street” targeted growth

May 9, 2013 by

President Obama held a dinner Wednesday night with members of the House Democratic leadership, including the third-ranking Democrat in the House, 6th District Congressman Jim Clyburn. Appearing on MSNBC Thursday morning, Clyburn said while there are indications that the nation’s economic engine is picking up speed he expressed to the president that not enough citizens are benefitting from the growth.

“We need to make sure as we get this recovery underway, that we not focus just on Wall Street, where we have been breaking all kinds of records, where (the Dow) was over 15,00o at closing two days ago; yet we see on main street things aren’t going too well.

Jim Clyburn

Jim Clyburn

Clyburn says he can envision a process toward an economic “grand bargain” that would include looking at all expenditures, all expenses, including Medicare and Medicaid and closing (tax) loopholes without burdening seniors and low-income citizens.

“I expressed to the president that I was very, very concerned about doing what is necessary to strengthen the weakest links in our society. The president made it very clear that he has those concerns as well.”

Clyburn said he expressed to the president that he was all for getting the nation’s economic  house in order, but that any steps toward striking a “grand bargain” should not  include putting undue burdens on the backs of citizens  who are struggling each day to make ends meet.

“I’m all for getting our fiscal house in order, but I don’t want to do so by unduly burdening senior citizens and children in our society, those that we ought to be especially protective of.”

Filed Under: Economy, News, Politics & Government

Rainfall, unseasonably cool highs help sustain drought recovery

May 7, 2013 by

The South Carolina Climatology Office’s online map shows the entire state in a welcome shade of green, meaning that the entire state is free from drought.

On April 24, the State Drought Response Committee for the first time in three years declared the entire state drought-free. State Climatologist Hope Mizzell says the rainfall over the first few days of May accompanied by the unseasonably cool temperatures have helped the state recover from the drought conditions of the past few years.

“I know many people didn’t enjoy the rainy weekend, but we still needed the rain to complete recharge our lakes, our ground water before we head into the summer months.” Mizzell said the rainfall over the past few days has been significant in many areas of the state. “Since the drought was downgraded on April 24, we have numerous sites that have received over three inches (of rain), and a few sites that have received as much as nine inches just since April 24.”

Mizzell says significant rainfall has occurred over the past week in one of the areas that was hit hardest by drought conditions over the past few years, the Upstate.

“Taylors had 9.15 inches of rain since April 24. A lot of these areas were in northern Greenville and northern Spartanburg county. One of the areas we are continuing to keep a close eye on is the Upper Savannah River Basin because while out of drought, those lakes have not completely recovered.”

Mizzell says unseasonably cool highs in the first few days of May are also helping recharge the groundwater and lake and stream levels.

“The minimum temperatures have not actually been that far off from normal, but it’s just those afternoon highs that have been so unspeakably cool and those have been some of the coldest (on record) based on maximum temperatures (for early May).”

Filed Under: Agriculture, Environment & Conservation, News

Driving costs dip for SC motorists, although maintenance costs rise

May 2, 2013 by

The annual average costs to own and operate a sedan in the USA, based on 15,000 miles of driving per year, are predicted to rise 1.9%, according to AAA. The motor club released its 2012 “Your Driving Costs” study Tuesday.cars

However, there is good news for drivers in the Palmetto State as— for the first time in four years— South Carolina motorists will pay lower annual driving costs than the previous year. AAA Carolinas spokeswoman Angela Vogel Daley says South Carolina’s gas prices are about 40 to 45 cents lower than at this time last year (currently $3.22 for regular unleaded). Also helping are improved fuel economy of new vehicles and lower insurance costs.

However, Daley points out that maintenance costs are up 11 percent from a year ago. “That’s really the biggest factor that went up this year compared to last year. We know that people are holding on to their vehicles longer. The average age of a car in America right now is between 11 and 12 years old, so we are seeing maintenance costs go up.”

Based on current prices, the owner of an average sedan in the state can expect to pay $9,198 in 2013 to drive, compared to $10,050 last year. The total costs include insurance, maintenance, gasoline, tires, taxes, registration, depreciation and finance charges, based on driving 15,000 miles a year.

Daley says there is a rise in costs to two important components associated with keeping vehicles longer. We have seen the costs in labor and parts, as well as the cost of extended warranties go up compared to last year.”

Daley says there has been a rise in the purchase of extended warranty packages as people have elected to keep their existing vehicles longer.

With tire manufactures Michelin, Bridgestone, and Continental expanding in the state, Daley says South Carolina motorists should enjoy less than national average tire prices. “Our maintenance and out tire numbers are based on the national numbers, but I would say that in South Carolina when you see so many tire manufacturers in the state, you can expect those costs to be lower than the national average because there is less costs from distribution and more competition.”

South Carolina, with daily production of 84,000 tires, today is second only to Oklahoma as the biggest tire producing state in the nation, according to the trade publication Tire Business.

Filed Under: Economy, Featured, News, Transportation
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