A local nonprofit founded by an Aiken veterinarian is helping teenage girls who are on the brink of making some of the biggest decisions of their lives.

The organization's name is GEM, which stands for guide, encourage and mentor.

"It was an idea that percolated in my head for a while," said GEM President Dr. Holly Woltz, who is the chief of staff at Veterinary Services of Aiken. "I love young people, and I recognized the fact that a lot of girls stumble in high school even when they have families that are supportive. Then I thought, 'What about the girls who don't have a real good network of family and friends?' I suspected that they really had problems."

Woltz got together with one her friends, Linda Strojan, who is the 12th-grade guidance counselor at Aiken High School, and they discussed what could be done to help girls who might struggle while trying to make the transition to adulthood on their own.

"We didn't know exactly where we were going with it, but we had all kinds of thoughts and directions we wanted to go," Strojan said.

The basic concept, they decided, would be to introduce senior girls at Aiken High to caring, successful, professional women, who could offer advice and motivate them.

During the 2012-13 school year, GEM served 14 girls and gave away four $500 scholarships. In 2013-14, 24 girls participated in the GEM program and four $1,000 scholarships were awarded. In 2014-15, there were 29 girls and eight $1,000 scholarships were distributed.

"We want to give the girls the ability to understand that there is more out there and that they are in no way stuck in whatever situation is holding them back," Strojan said. "They can be free, and they can fly."

In 2014-15, there were 11 meetings, which were held in Aiken High's library during the final period of the school day.

The girls and their mentors played games that were designed to build camaraderie. They also enjoyed refreshments.

"The idea was to get the girls up and talking to the mentors and their fellow mentees," Woltz said.

Then there were presentations on such topics as "Who am I?," dressing for success, manners, health, nutrition and time and stress management.

As a special treat, there was a dinner at The Willcox in an elegant room where tables were draped in white linen and set with tasteful china and sparkling glassware.

"The girls were dressed beautifully, and they practiced their manners," Woltz said.

Woltz and Strojan would like to find women will to take GEM to other high schools and men who would be interested in setting up one or more GEM programs for boys.

For more information about GEM, call Woltz at 803-648-5489 or email her at hwoltz@vetcor.com. Strojan can be reached at Aiken High at 803-641-2500 after school is back in session.

Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C., she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

On Saturday, a rare horse breed will be celebrated at the Hippodrome.

The Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino Federation of America will hold its annual celebration starting at 10 a.m., with free admission. The purpose is to raise awareness for the breed, of which there are only 2,500 registered. The Puerto Rican Paso Fino gaits naturally from birth, and they consistently pass that gait to their offspring, according to event organizer Gail Brown.

"Puerto Rican Paso are extremely intelligent and naturally inquisitive," she said. "They enjoy being with people. They were originally bred to use as working horses and excel at anything they are asked to do. They enjoy working cattle and have a natural born instinct to do so. They can compete with gymkhana, endurance rides and almost anything any type of horse can do. Because of their naturally smooth gait, the rider is always comfortable. Puerto Rican Paso Finos are proud and beautiful and come in all horse colors. Most have naturally long flowing manes and tails. They are very strong for their size, usually about 13 to 15 hands, and very sturdy."

Brown said, due to there being little awareness about the breed, many have been bred with other horses.

"Unless there is an awareness and appreciation of these horses, they will be forever lost," she said. "Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos gait naturally without any special training or devices. Many other pasos must have a trainer or special training to teach them to execute a four-beat lateral gait."

The federation's annual show at the Hippodrome is the only one in the United States that offers separate classes for the Puerto Rican Paso Finos to showcase their gate and their difference from other pasos. It is where the largest number of Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos can be found and the best opportunity to see and learn more about the breed. Brown said the event will attract horses from all over the country, with owners and trainers who love to show and talk about them.

In addition to the annual celebration, the federation hosts six all-breed shows in the Redbank Arena in Lexington throughout the spring and fall. Those shows consist of classes for all breeds and disciplines. The federation also hosts a show at the South Carolina State Fair in October to showcase the breed.

For more information, email Brown at gailbrown45@hotmail.com. For more about the federation, visit www.puerto ricanpasofino.org.

Three dogs with one name - Bocephus - arrived in Aiken on Thursday afternoon to find their forever homes.

The dogs - a female German shepherd and a female and male bluetick coonhounds - had been found with their muzzles taped shut from their noses to just under their eyes Tuesday in Plum Branch in McCormick County. The dogs, which had been chained to a wall on the back porch of home, were surrounded by feces with no food or water nearby.

The SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare on Willow Run Road in Aiken agreed to shelter the dogs, and after they are examined, spayed or neutered and socialized, they should be ready for adoption.

"The prognosis is good," said Barbara Nelson, president and CEO of the Albrecht Center. "They've been briefly psychologically evaluated by our director of enrichment and training, Ann Kinney, and they seem to be good dogs. They seem to be fine psychologically."

Next, the center's veterinarian will evaluate the dogs physically, vaccinate them and give them any treatment they might need.

"They seem to be very adoptable," Nelson said. "We'll just need to find out how the medical tests come out. Then, we'll socialize them, find out who the best adopter would be and start searching for adopters."

Nelson said the shelter's trainer can help dog owners who are having problems, such as barking, with their pets.

"Some people just don't seem to understand animals very well," she said. "I don't know all the details of this case, but it seems to me that there are better ways to come to a barking solution than to tape your dogs' muzzles shut.

"If you have a problem with your dog, give us a call and talk to our trainer. Maybe she can solve your problem a lot easier than you think."

Because of the expense of caring for the three dogs, the Center, a nonprofit, no-kill shelter, would welcome donations, Nelson said.

"If anybody cares to help with that expense, that would be just great," she said. "They can make donations online on our website at www.letlovelive.org."

David Rollinson, president of the Humane Society of McCormick County, worked with the sheriff's department there to rescue the dogs and transport them to Aiken.

"It's a good day," he said. "We had to go in and get them out of their environment. All in all, it ended up a happy story."

Rollinson said he expects the owner to face charges for the abuse.

"We don't know what the charges are right now," he said.

"Law enforcement is supposed to meet with the solicitor today to get a warrant for his arrest."

Nelson said she is optimistic about the three Bocephuses futures.

"Our staff will dedicate their time to making sure these animals are adopted to the right home," she said.

A native of Aiken, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter.

Suspect in Charleston church shooting due in federal court

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The man accused of slaying nine parishioners as they worshipped at a South Carolina church was expected in court Friday to face dozens of federal charges, including hate crimes and obstructing the practice of religion.

Dylann Roof, 21, was scheduled to be arraigned in Charleston. The hearing, which was expected to be brief and would be his first appearance in federal court, was originally set for July 27 but was rescheduled to allow attorneys more time to prepare.

The federal prosecution, particularly on hate crimes, has been expected since the June 17 shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Church. Early on, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice said they felt the case met the qualifications for a hate crime, and Roof was indicted by a federal grand jury about a month after the killings.

Roof, who is white, appeared in photos waving Confederate flags and burning and desecrating U.S. flags. Federal authorities have confirmed his use of a personal manuscript in which he decried integration and used racial slurs to refer to blacks.

Because South Carolina has no state hate-crimes law, federal charges were needed to adequately address a motive that prosecutors believe was unquestionably rooted in racial hate, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said during a news conference announcing Roof's federal indictment.

Roof faces 33 federal charges in all, some of which could potentially carry the death penalty. The Justice Department has not decided whether it will seek the death penalty against Roof, nor whether its prosecution will come before a state case that includes murder charges and another potential death penalty prosecution.

Jeb Bush's son visiting South Carolina to campaign for dad

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Jeb Bush's son is visiting South Carolina this week for some campaign stops on his father's behalf.

George P. Bush is scheduled to be in Columbia for several events on Friday. First, he attends a Young Professionals reception at the Nexsen Pruet law firm before going to state Republican Party headquarters to file his father's paperwork as a candidate in South Carolina's upcoming GOP presidential primary.

Later in the day, the younger Bush is meeting with supporters at Lizard's Thicket restaurant in Lexington.

Chester police move out after rift with sheriff's office

CHESTER, S.C. (AP) — The Chester Police Department has moved out of the law enforcement building it had shared with the Chester County Sheriff's Office after a rift between the two agencies over office space.

Multiple news outlets report that the police packed up their belongings and moved to City Hall on Thursday after a dispute over who would use two offices vacated when the police department's major retired and its chief resigned

City Administrator Sandi Worthy says the move was prompted by two police employees who recently told city council members that they had been threatened with arrest if they entered the offices.

Sheriff Alex Underwood says no such threats were made by any of his employees and that he hadn't heard claims of any threats until the police officers began moving.

Dr. Juan Gamboa contends there are no winners in a recent case that ended in an Aiken County jury finding him not guilty of child sexual abuse earlier this month.

Two weeks after walking away a free man, he calls the ordeal a "fiasco" that stemmed from the accusations of two young boys - accusations he vehemently denies.

"The South Carolina judicial system failed big time," Gamboa said in describing his January 2014 arrest and subsequent charges, two counts of lewd acts upon a child under 16.

"I was considered guilty from the very beginning," he asserted. "My reputation was affected in horrible ways."

According to testimony during the trial, Gamboa allegedly touched the accusers at separate times in their private areas when the children in question were 8 years old; however, Gamboa was found not guilty on both counts after the jury deliberated for only about an hour.

"My family - my wife, my son and I - we will forgive," Gamboa said, noting he has not had any contact with the accusers or other members of their family.

Gamboa, 54, operates a veterinary office on Gamboa Place in Aiken, which focuses mainly on equine health.

Originally from Colombia in South America, he has been a veterinarian for 23 years, according to his office's website; he became a U.S. citizen in the early 2000s.

His practice has suffered significantly after the charges were brought forward, he said, resulting in about 90 percent of his business being lost.

"I was extremely successful. I had a great practice," Gamboa said.

He also thanked all those who came out to support him, particularly Father Grant Wiseman, president of Mead Hall Episcopal Church.

"He was there even with his busy schedule," Gamboa said. "I just want to thank him and all my friends and family, as well."

Gamboa said he is unsure if he would pursue a wrongful prosecution lawsuit against Aiken County at this time but also indicated it isn't "off the table."

Second Circuit Solicitor Strom Thurmond Jr. indicated that his office wins 80 percent of the cases that are tried; and, whether successful or not, they simply recoup and focus on the next case.

"By the same token," Thurmond said, "where we came up short (in this case), we're not going to engage in antagonistic comments toward a litigant or his attorneys. We're going to remain professional. We're going to evaluate our performance and move forward."

Aaron Walsh, one of Gamboa's attorneys, said he believed the solicitor's office was negligent in its pursuit of understanding all of the details of the case.

"They didn't try to learn any of the facts," Walsh said.

Aiken investigators moved forward with charges on mere rumors and what others were saying in other states, Walsh said.

Gamboa was arrested in March 2014 on child sex allegations in Mississippi, but the extent of his arrest was not mentioned in court as to not contaminate the jury's decision in the Aiken County case, Walsh said. No date has yet been set for the Mississippi trial.

Michael Ulmer is a North Augusta native and University of South Carolina graduate.

The City of New Ellenton took a step toward beautifying its recreational facilities last month when City Council passed on second reading a 1 percent hospitality tax that went into effect on July 1.

The measure was passed in a 6-1 vote during Council's June 15 meeting. Mayor Vernon Dunbar said the tax is expected to raise $30,000 annually for the city.

Similar to Aiken, New Ellenton's hospitality tax will be set at 1 percent and is a tax on the gross proceeds from the sale of prepared meals, food and beverages, which includes items prepared in grocery stores and gas stations.

Monies raised from the added tax will fund renovations to Evans Park, located behind City Hall off Main Street.

Specifically, the city is working on getting a shelter for the park, as well as getting more grills for public use. In addition, the city is looking to add more benches and garbage cans, fix up the pavilion and make upgrades to the track.

Dunbar said concerns have been voiced on making the sure money is spent properly, but any money spent will first have to be approved by Council.

"We're going to do the right thing with this money," Dunbar said. "By fixing up our park, we hope to attract more families to the facility and to New Ellenton."

Mayor Pro Tem Terence Williams added that New Ellenton followed in Aiken's footsteps with its hospitality tax passage. Aiken introduced the hospitality tax possibility, and, after months of deliberation, the City passed its fundraising measure in May. The hospitality tax went into effect in June.

"We looked at what Aiken did and thought it would help us enhance and grow our parks," Williams said.

Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.

A member of the United States National Polo Team from Aiken was killed Thursday in an accident on Interstate 76 in Milton, Ohio.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the man as Will Tankard, 30, of Aiken. Earlier this year, Tankard traveled to Chile as a member of the United States National Polo Team that played in the 10th Federation of International Polo World Polo Championship.

Tankard was heading east on Interstate 76 in a F-350 pickup truck that was hauling 10 thoroughbred horses in a trailer, according to Ohio Highway Patrol.

Tankard's pickup hit a car while making a lane change. The pickup rolled on its side, struck a bridge and then hit a semi-trailer truck that had been slowing down in the right lane. The interstate was shut down for more than four hours, according to troopers.

Seven of the horses survived the wreck and are being kept at a farm in Ohio, according to police. A dog that was in the passenger compartment of the pickup with Tankard also died in the accident.

Tankard played his first chukker of polo at the age of 5, according to biographical information that appears on the United States Polo Association's website.

While a teenager playing arena polo in Texas, Tankard led his Fort Worth team to National Interscholastic Championships in 2002 and 2003. After Tankard received a polo scholarship from Texas Tech University, he helped the squad there become the only Texas Tech sports team to ever earn a national championship in 2006.

Also in 2006 in Texas, Tankard played on the winning team in the prestigious 12-goal Triple Crown of Polo outdoor tournament.

More recently, Tankard enjoyed success as a member of various teams that captured tournaments in Aiken and Massachusetts. In Argentina, his squad won the 12-goal Copa Garzaron in La Pampa at the famous Chapaleufa Polo Club.

Tankard had a 3-goal outdoor handicap and a 4-goal indoor handicap.

Dede Biles contributed to this story.

Will Whaley is the crime and courts reporter with the Aiken Standard.

STAFF REPORTS

AUGUSTA - The Avett Brothers are returning to Augusta this fall.

Tickets will go on sale 10 a.m. Aug. 7 at $47.

"In their 13 years of performing and touring, from small clubs in their native Southeast to big arenas around the world, the Avett Brothers have spent lots of time thinking about variety, dynamics and song placement. Early on, they just wanted to create the right mood and arc for frenetic shows full of ringing acoustic guitars and banjos, chirpy vocal harmonies, lots of hooting, hollering, handclapping and foot-stomping," as stated in a press release. "When the Avetts think of variety, dynamics and song placement today, the results are more novelistic. Today, their narrative folk-rock tells bigger stories about what it means to be Southern, to be American, to be alive."

The folk band will be at The Bell Auditorium, 712 Telfair St., Oct. 16 at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit www.augustaentertainmentcomplex.com or call 877-4AUGTIX.

MIAMI (AP) — The Coast Guard will suspend its search at sunset for two teenage fishermen who've been missing for a week, officials said Friday.

However, Capt. Mark Fedor said the search would continue in the meantime and has been a 'true all hands on deck effort'.

The 14-year-old boys, Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos, went missing last Friday and their capsized boat was found Sunday. The Coast Guard has searched waters from South Florida up through South Carolina without success.

The boys' families say they plan to continue a private search even after the Coast Guard's efforts end.

The announcement brings to an end a massive sea-and-land search by the Coast Guard, which sent crews out night and day, scouring the Atlantic in hopes of finding the boys. They chased repeated reports of objects sighted in the water, and at times had the help of the Navy and other local agencies. But since the boat was found overturned, no useful clues turned up.

The families had been holding out hope that items believed to have been on the boat, including a large cooler, might be spotted, or that the teens might even have clung to such an object in their struggle to stay alive. Even as hope dimmed, experts on survival said finding the teens alive was still possible. The Coast Guard continued its search, saying it would do so until officials no longer thought the boys could be rescued.

The saga began July 24, when the boys took Austin's 19-foot boat on what their families said was expected to be a fishing trip within the nearby Loxahatchee River and Intracoastal Waterway, where they were allowed to cruise without supervision. The boys fueled up at a local marina around 1:30 p.m. and set off and later calls to Austin's cellphone went unanswered. A line of summer storms moved through and when the boys still couldn't be reached, police were called.

The Coast Guard launched the search that would stretch on into an eighth day.

The boys grew up on the water in Tequesta, Florida, constantly boated and fished, worked at a tackle shop together and immersed themselves in a life on the ocean. Their families said they learned to swim before they took first steps. They clung to faith in their boys' knowledge of the sea, even saying they thought they could have fashioned a raft and spear to keep them afloat and fed while adrift.

Many unknowns about the boys' status persisted throughout the ordeal, including whether they were wearing life jackets (one was found near the boat, but it wasn't clear how many were aboard) and whether they had food or water. The Coast Guard said it tried to err toward optimism in its own assessment of how long to press on, assuming a best-case outcome.

Along the way, some suggested the teens shouldn't have been allowed to boat on their own. Many others, though, voiced support, saying voyages with set boundaries are normal among boating families, and that the parents had no control over what ultimately happened.

Locals turned out night after night for vigils, poured money into a collection to fund private search efforts, used their own boats and planes and walked the coastline in pursuit of any little clue that might make a break. The efforts got an early boost from a high-profile neighbor of the families, NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath, who helped garner publicity for the story.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe intends to seek the extradition of an American dentist who killed a lion that was lured out of a national park and shot with a bow and a gun, and the process has already begun, a Cabinet minister said Friday.

"Unfortunately it was too late to apprehend the foreign poacher as he had already absconded to his country of origin," Oppah Muchinguri, Zimbabwe's environment, water and climate minister, told a news conference. "We are appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he be made accountable."

On Tuesday, American hunter Walter James Palmer issued a statement saying he relied on his guides to ensure the hunt was legal. Two Zimbabweans -- a professional hunter and a farm owner -- have been arrested in the killing of the lion known as Cecil, a killing garnered worldwide condemnation.

"There has been an outcry," Muchinguri said. "Almost 500,000 people are calling for his extradition and we need this support. We want him tried in Zimbabwe because he violated our laws."

She did not explain the 500,000 but there are online petitions demanding Palmer's extradition.

"I have already consulted with the authorities within the police force who are responsible for arresting the criminal. We have certain processes we have to follow," Muchinguri said at the offices of the national parks and wildlife authority. "Police should take the first step to approach the prosecutor general who will approach the Americans. The processes have already started."

The Cabinet minister said both Palmer and professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst violated the Parks and Wildlife Act, which controls the use of bow and arrow hunting. She said Palmer, who reportedly paid $50,000 to hunt the lion, also violated the act through financing an illegal hunt. The landowner violated the act because he "allowed a hunt to be conducted without a quota and necessary permit," Muchinguri said.

There is an extradition treaty between Zimbabwe and the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe said Friday that it does not comment on extradition matters.

Muchinguri accused Palmer of "a well-orchestrated agenda which would tarnish the image of Zimbabwe and further strain the relationship between Zimbabwe and the USA."

Zimbabwe and the United States have often sparred over the years. The southern African country has blamed its economic woes on U.S. sanctions against President Robert Mugabe and close associates, though many commentators have attributed Zimbabwe's economic decline to mismanagement. Washington imposed the penalties on Zimbabwe because of human rights concerns. More broadly, Mugabe has long railed against what he calls Western meddling in Africa, saying it is an extension of the colonial rule of the past.

Palmer is believed to have shot the lion with a bow on July 1 outside Hwange National Park, after it was lured onto private land with a carcass of an animal laid out on a car, Zimbabwean conservationists have said. Some 40 hours later, the wounded cat was tracked down and Palmer allegedly killed it with a gun, they said.

Palmer, 55, is a dentist in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington. In a note to his patients, he wrote: "I understand and respect that not everyone shares the same views on hunting." He said he would resume his dental practice "as soon as possible."

The lion's head, which was severed by the hunters, has been confiscated by the wildlife authorities, according to Director of National Parks and Wildlife Edson Chidziya.

A wreck occurred at Lowe's in Aiken on Friday afternoon.

A driver of a four-door sedan hit a curb, then overreacted and ended up in the lawn mowers, according to reports.

An ambulance arrived on scene; however, no injuries were reported.

Check back with the Aiken Standard for updates.

According to Aiken County Sheriff's Office:

A Windsor man reported Thursday his home on Middleton Drive had been broken into.

An Aiken man reported Friday an unknown subject took items from his property on White Herron Circle. The man attempted to catch the subject but was unsuccessful.

An Aiken man reported Thursday his trailer had been stolen on Redds Branch Broad.

An Aiken woman was arrested and charged Friday with driving under suspension on Interstate 20 after a traffic stop that was initiated because she was weaving between both lanes.

A North Augusta man was arrested and charged Thursday after a traffic stop on Cheyenne Circle when deputies found he was driving with a suspended license. The license was suspended because of a past driving under the influence charge.

A North Augusta woman reported a man assaulted her at her home on Loper Drive. The woman said the man kicked in the door of the home and began hitting her face with a closed fist. The woman was transported to a hospital with a broken nose and a shattered cheek bone, according to police reports.

Deputies responded Thursday to a call on Leitner Street in Graniteville where a man said an unknown subject driving a gray Chevrolet truck was trying to impersonate a firefighter by using red lights and sirens.

A Jackson man reported Thursday his vehicle was stolen from his home on Old Jackson Highway.

A North Augusta man reported Thursday his home was broken into on Circlewood Drive, and a Sony PS4 was stolen.

According to Aiken Department of Public Safety:

A man was arrested Thursday for driving under the influence after driving into a curb on Richland Avenue. The man was given multiple sobriety tests that he failed.

Officers responded Thursday to a business on York Street that had been broken into.

A woman was arrested Thursday for driving under suspension after a traffic stop on York Street.

Police responded Thursday to a store on Richland Avenue where a man was throwing items at the store workers. The man was placed on trespass notice after police arrived.

A man was arrested Thursday for driving under the influence after leaving a gas station on Silver Bluff Road where he had been trying to get people to fight him on camera. Police made contact with the man after he began driving down Silver Bluff Road. He was given multiple sobriety tests that he failed.

Man reported Wednesday his vehicle on University Parkway had been stolen.

These are the bookings recorded for the Doris C. Gravat Detention Center for July 30, 2015. Some of the people listed may not have actually spent time in jail if they posted bond and were released. Although those listed have been arrested and charged, that does not mean they have been found guilty. All bookings may be viewed online by visiting www.aikenstandard.com and clicking on the "Crime" tab.

Wiley Hardy Jr., 43 — driving under the influence third offense

David Dehana Caraveo, 32 — no valid driver's license bench warrant, failure to register bench warrant, driving under the influence first offense bench warrant, driving under the influence

Joshua Kim Thacker, 22 — simple possession of marijuana

Deanna Olivia Russell, 34 — failure to provide insurance, driving under suspension first offense

Matthew Richard Amendola, 32 — failure to surrender suspended tag, uninsured vehicle operator, driving under suspension, driving under the influence

Rodney Maurice Carter, 40 — family court failure to pay, public drunk

Danny O'Neal Jordan, 30 — driving under suspension license not suspended for driving under the influence, contempt of court failure to appear bench warrant

James Billy Gomillion III, 21 — attempted armed or allegedly armed robbery

NORTH AUGUSTA — University Health Care System and the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Thursday at 336 Georgia Ave. to officially open the new University Prompt Care - Georgia Avenue.

This facility is designed to provide fast, convenient health care in times when a person can't get an appointment with his or her regular physician or if illness strikes when physician offices are closed.

Prompt Care facilities, which do not require appointments, are also a better option for those seeking non-life-threatening emergency care for conditions such as:

- Accidents and falls

- Sprains and strains

- Moderate back problems

- Breathing difficulties (i.e. mild to moderate asthma)

- Bleeding/cuts - not bleeding a lot but requiring stitches

- Diagnostic services, including X-rays and laboratory tests

- Eye irritation and redness

- Fever or flu

- Vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration

- Severe sore throat or cough

- Minor broken bones and fractures (i.e. fingers, toes)

- Skin rashes and infections

- Urinary tract infections

"With health care needs increasing and changing, University is working to make care more accessible to families with busy lifestyles," said James R. Davis, University Health Care System's president and CEO. "Providing options for working parents who are not able to get into their pediatricians office, for example, is invaluable."

Three University physicians will work at the Georgia Avenue office - Dr. Bo Sherwood, Dr. Anthony Arnott and Dr. Faheem Bin Nusrat.

"We are here to care for you when you need it, without an appointment," Sherwood said. "Our goal is to provide exceptional care in a timely manner. We look forward to many successful years as part of this community."

University Prompt Care - Georgia Avenue is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The office can be reached at 803-202-3351.

University Health Care System is anchored by the 581-bed University Hospital and serves Augusta-Richmond County and the surrounding region.

Over the years, University has expanded to include the Heart & Vascular Institute and office buildings that house more than 600 private practice physicians and various treatment centers.

Greg Anderson, the Edgefield County School District superintendent, will retire on Dec. 31 because of health issues, School Board Chairman Brad Covar said in a press release Friday.

Anderson previously had served as the District's attorney for 30 years, prior to his selection by the Board as the superintendent three years ago. Anderson will become the director of operations through the end of the year. Dr. Sandra McMullen, a former McCormick County superintendent, will serve in an interim role in Edgefield.

Anderson did a great job, Cover said, and the Board had extended his contract for two years. However, Anderson had not moved toward superintendent certification during the past three years.

There was some confusion over the time frame of earning that designation, said Covar. Anderson was planning to begin that process before his ongoing health issues led him to retire now, he and Covar said. The Board members and the District's legal counselor "consider it now in the District's best interest to employ an interim superintendent with South Carolina credentials," the Board said in the press release.

Superintendent of Edgefield to retire

The first few months of ER Reserve at Aiken Regional Medical Centers have gotten a positive review so far, according to a hospital spokesman who assessed the service.

The option is described on the hospital's website as allowing users to request an appointment in the emergency room "when you need care for less serious and non-life-threatening issues and injuries," such as a sore throat, earache or muscle strains.

"It's been very well received because people can set the time they want to come in," said Melissa Summer, ARMC's director of marketing and public relations. She noted that such appointments will take a back seat, if necessary, to actual emergencies, such as a major traffic accident or a heart attack.

Appointments for ER Reserve are made via ARMC's website, at www.aikenregional.com/erreserve.

The offering began around November and advertising started in January, Summer said, adding that nearly 1,600 people have used the service so far.

Selling points for the service include the options to "wait in the comfort of your home" and "make an appointment up to 12 hours in advance."

Summer said the program was developed by the corporate office of Universal Health Services, ARMC's parent company.

"I know they have several facilities that have initiated ER Reserve. I think people like it," she said.

Disclaimers on the hospital's website include the following: "We will strive to have you triaged by a registered nurse within 15 minutes of your scheduled time, but we cannot guarantee your appointment. All patients coming to the ER will be triaged and treated in order of priority. If your condition worsens or if you feel you need assistance right away, then please go to the nearest emergency room or call 9-1-1."

More information on ER Reserve is available at www.aiken regional.com/hospital-services/er-reserve-faqs.

Bill Bengtson, a native of Florence, Alabama, has worked for Aiken Communications since 1996.

After moving from Columbia, Brooke Bazzle will enter the sixth grade at Kennedy Middle School.

Thanks to The Family Y's day camp in Graniteville, Brooke has met a lot of kids attending the school.

"It's been a lot of fun," she said Thursday. "We play a lot of games. I like the worship (service), too. We get to dance and sing, and it's really my favorite."

The camp has been growing rapidly - from 80 kids in 2014 to 120 this summer, said Kimberly Vonalmen, The Family Y's membership services director.

The facility receives $74,000 from businesses, organizations and individuals to provide scholarships. Of the enrollment, about 80 percent of the children are attending the camp on the scholarships, Vonalmen said.

Megiddo Dream Station, a Graniteville nonprofit organization that teaches unemployed men and women how to become better job candidates, has provided lunch for the campers every day for the past 10 weeks.

"A lot of these kids wouldn't have anywhere to go during the day," Vonalmen said. "My own child, Ellen, is 6; and she thoroughly enjoys it here."

The Family Y shares the facility on Trolley Line Road with Cedar Creek Church's West Campus. Church staff and others working with the day camp have offered WOW - Worship on Wednesday.

The children's service during the camp models the church's regular Sunday children's service with music, games and Bible lessons, said Campus Pastor Wes Holbrook.

"The Family Y is all about putting Christian principles into practice with programs that develop the mind, body and spirit," he said. "We're sort of the spirit piece in the partnership we have with the Y."

Most of the kids are from age 5 through middle school. Several up to age 21 are special-needs young people, formally attending "Camp Puzzle Palooza."

Many of The Family Y's camp counselors are educators, among them Holly Thompson, a graduate of South Aiken High School and the University of South Carolina.

She will begin her teaching career at Ridge Spring-Monetta High School this month.

"This is really helping me, teaching me about management and getting to know the kids," Thompson said. "It's challenging and so much fun."

Steadman Boston, also a South Aiken graduate, will begin his junior year at Winthrop University. He plans to teach at the middle-school level.

As a Teacher Cadet his senior year at South Aiken, Boston got to meet Kennedy Middle School students who needed a lot of help.

"I love being able to work here at the camp," he said. "A lot of these kids wouldn't have the opportunity to come to camp. It's great to see them with smiles on their faces."

Senior writer Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter and has been with the newspaper since 2001.

The March 2016 target date for re-opening the Carlsbad, New Mexico, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant "is no longer viable," but Energy Department officials are still aiming for a date in 2016 that has not yet been announced.

The pilot plant, or WIPP, routinely accepted shipments of transuranic waste from the Savannah River Site and other facilities. The waste form is solid waste consisting of clothing, tools, rags, residues, debris and other items contaminated with plutonium. Operations at the WIPP were put on hold after workers were exposed to radiation during an incident in February 2014. Overall, 22 workers were exposed, including 13 who were treated for smoke inhalation during a fire. The incident was defined as a human error.

According to Mark Whitney, acting assistant secretary for environmental management, WIPP recovery has been significant but the projected opening date will have to be pushed back.

"Over the past several months a number of additional activities have been identified that need to be added to the project schedule, including safety-related activities that are required to be completed prior to resumption of operation," Whitney wrote in a notice to colleagues.

He added that DOE is addressing various issues including the findings and recommendations from the Accident Investigation Boards. The Department is also implementing more rigorous standards for site-specific safety, and resolving problems with the contractor's oversight of the procurement and quality assurance processes for the manufacture and delivery of the Interim Ventilation System.

In addition, DOE recently completed a review of all WIPP recovery activities to determine if there were efficiencies that could be found to safely maintain the current schedule. Through the review, it was determined that the schedule for resuming operations must be updated.

Dana Bryson, the acting Carlsbad Field Office manager, said the news is disappointing but that its important not to lose sight of the progress that has already been made.

"In light of the safety-related activities that must be completed before waste emplacement begins, a new target date for the restart of waste emplacement operations in 2016 must be established," Bryson said.

In 2001, SRS began shipping waste to the facility and has sent 9,551 cubic meters of TRU waste to date, with 617 cubic meters left to ship.

Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Georgia, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.

An Aiken County Sheriff's Office memo regarding when to arrest people under the recently adopted S.C. Domestic Violence Law that reached a Charleston newspaper was simply a result of trying to "fully understand and properly apply" the provisions of the law, Capt. Eric Abdullah said.

Charleston newspaper The Post and Courier published a portion of the June 22 memo Friday that was sent from Sheriff's Office Capt. John Fogle to uniform patrol deputies.

The memo reportedly instructs deputies not to file domestic violence charges unless a victim is willing to prosecute and states that arrests are no longer mandatory when domestic violence is suspected because of changes in state law approved by the General Assembly this year.

"The must arrest/mandatory arrest no longer exists with the new domestic violence law unless they have the victims' support and cooperation," Fogle wrote, which the Charleston newspaper published.

"So with that being said, this agency is going to protect itself along with the deputies who are trying to protect the citizens of Aiken County," the memo reads.

"If the victim doesn't want to pursue charges, then Do Not make a charge. This will be our policy until we get further clarification on the new law."

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley signed the new domestic violence law in June, which increases penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders based on the severity of the attack, the number of prior offenses and other factors.

The now-outdated law used to increase the penalty for offenders based mostly on the number of offenses.

The new legislation also imposes a lifetime gun ban on the worst abusers and an automatic three- or 10-year ban in other cases.

In a press release obtained by the Aiken Standard on Friday, Abdullah said the email was never intended to give the impression that the Sheriff's Office does not take domestic violence seriously.

"While Captain Fogle's email reflects the challenges in investigating and successful prosecution of offenses where the alleged victim is uncooperative, it failed to reiterate that probable cause to arrest is the same standard as it has always been," Abdullah stated in the release. "That is the standard that the Aiken County Sheriff's Office has and will continue to follow before charging an individual with a crime. That message has been sent to all Aiken County Sheriff's Office personnel along with a direction that a hard and fast policy is impractical with all (extenuating) facts and circumstances that must be evaluated before making an arrest.

Deputies are trained to evaluate each case on a case-by-case basis and each are unique unto itself."

Susan Selden, the new executive director of the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons, spoke with Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt on Friday, stating she would stand behind what was stated in Friday's press release.

"I talked with (Hunt) personally to understand where he came from, and I know in the past, the Cumbee Center and the Sheriff's Office have always cooperated with one another and continue to work together to support domestic violence victims," Selden said.

"I know (the Sheriff's Office) is working hard to support this law, as are we."

S.C. House Minority Leader, Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, told The Post and Courier this week some police departments are misinterpreting the old law; in some instances believing they had to arrest someone when dispatched to a domestic call even if there were no signs of the reported abuse and the victim did not want to press charges.

But Rutherford told the Charleston newspaper that the new law does not prevent officers from making arrests even when the accuser declines to press charges.

Abdullah stood by the Sheriff's Office, telling the Aiken Standard the agency is invested in ensuring that deputies have the necessary tools and training needed for investigating criminal cases, such as purchasing digital cameras funded by Aiken County Council that deputies will use to document supporting evidence in domestic violence and other criminal cases.

"Also, the Aiken County Sheriff's Office has participated in the creation of the Domestic Violence Court that is currently being used as part of the criminal justice process within Aiken County," Abdullah said.

"The Aiken County Sheriff's Office has and will continue to support the Domestic Violence Law in this state. Furthermore, we trust that our deputies have the proper training to protect and serve the citizens of Aiken County at the highest level possible."

Maayan Schechter is the digital news editor with Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @MaayanSchechter.

A North Augusta man was arrested Friday after allegedly stealing a motorcycle that belongs to a resident of Aiken.

According to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, Brian Hilliard, 41, was seen Friday evening near Pleasure Island Road in Warrenville riding a black Harley Davidson that had been reported stolen.

The responding officer noticed observed the motorcycle turn left onto Augusta Road heading toward Clearwater, according to the report.

The officer ran the tag and determined that the motorcycle was previously reported stolen. After stopping Hilliard, the officer confirmed that Hilliard did not have identification on him and that he had allegedly stolen the motorcycle, according to the report. Hilliard was placed under arrest and taken to the detection center.

Man arrested for motorcycle theft