Sometimes sheer chance can change the course of one's life. For Aiken resident Regan McDermott, the television was tuned to an Irish dancing performance by the popular Riverdance group. She was 5.

"I was watching Regan watch them," Regan's mother, Michele, said recently. "She was enamored, watching their feet the entire time."

Now 14, Regan has blossomed in competitive Irish dancing.

Earlier this year, she finished in the top 30 in a world championship. Then she participated in a North America national competition, finishing fifth out of 134 contestants.

During her short career, she has danced in several states and Canada and has traveled overseas, including four trips to Ireland.

Not surprisingly, Michele had no expectations when, for fun, she drove her 5-year-old to an Augusta dance company for a lesson.

Immediately, the teachers told Michele that Regan was a natural - that she could dance competitively. Michele was stunned. Her daughter was clueless.

"I had no idea what the coaches were taking about," Regan said.

Michele and her husband, Jay, gave their daughter every opportunity. The little girl took full advantage, and, in less than a year, she entered a formal dance competition.

To her own amazement and that of her parents, she won.

Competitive Irish dancing offers a wide range of skill levels. Regan moved up to advanced beginners and continued to win contests.

Typically, a child will stay within each level from six months to a year. Regan moved through all the levels in eight months. Not yet 8, she was still a year younger than most of the other dancers.

"It has been incredible," Michele said. "The coaches at the academy in Augusta said they were always looking for that one student, and they had found her. It's been quite a journey."

Currently, Regan dances with the Glor na Daire School of Irish Dance in Savannah, Georgia, where she works with Brent and Abbey Wood and Patty Darrah.

The competitions include four soft shoe and hard shoe dances with different time signatures, such as 4/4.

With one exception, Regan will share the stage with two other dancers for a quick, two-minute round. Yet they are competing separately, and the judges have only a minute to gauge their performances.

She will return to Ireland soon for another major competition.

"There's a lot of pressure," Regan said. "It's gotten more mentally challenging, but I do it because I love it."

Still, Regan will end her competitive career in a few years. She plans to major in business during college with a goal of owning her own academy - making sure all her future students do well like her coaches have helped her. Her mother is confident Regan will do just that.

"It's her passion," said Michele. "It's wonderful to watch the support she gives to other girls and see how they respect her ability. I couldn't ask for anything more."

Senior writer Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter.

Paul Volz, an outspoken advocate for the homeless, no longer works for the The Salvation Army of Aiken as the director of its shelter on Park Avenue.

Capt. David Phelps of the Salvation Army said Tuesday that Volz was "terminated" on July 20.

When asked why Volz was relieved of his duties, Phelps replied, "I can't say the reason."

The Salvation Army hasn't found a replacement for Volz.

"We are taking applications," Phelps said. "We have someone who is an employee that is taking care of those responsibilities. We asked her to kind of fill in, but it's not in an official capacity."

Volz appeared in Aiken Standard stories about the homeless and a food shortage at the Salvation Army shelter's soup kitchen earlier this year.

Firefighters responded to a structure fire at 300 Rosier Circle just before 3 p.m. Tuesday.

No one was injured in the fire.

Lt. Karl Odenthal, with the Aiken Department of Public Safety, said when he arrived at the scene there was not much left of the trailer.

"We don't know for sure just yet what caused the fire, but from what the residents tell us, it was a grease fire on the stove," Odenthal said. "They tried to put out with water and the fire just spread, very quickly."

Odenthal said firefighters arrived minutes after the fire had started, but by the time they had arrived the trailer had already "vented." He said once a fire starts to vent, it gets extremely hot and spreads rapidly.

The residents of the home told officers they had no fire insurance, according to Odenthal.

He said Red Cross was coming to help the family and find them a place to stay.

Tripp Girardeau is a beat reporter with Aiken Standard. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, Columbia.

Family attorney wants federal probe of Seneca teen's death

SENECA — The family of a Seneca teenager shot and killed by police during an attempted drug bust wants federal authorities to be part of the investigation into the shooting.

Attorney Eric Bland said in a statement released Tuesday to media outlets that police violated 19-year-old Zachary Hammond's rights.

Lt. Mark Tiller says he shot Hammond during the bust the night of July 26 because he felt threatened as the teen drove his car at him.

Hammond's family says autopsy results show Hammond was shot through the driver's side window from behind, indicating there was no danger to the officer.

Both the officer and the teen are white.

The State Law Enforcement Division has released little about its investigation and will send findings to the local prosecutor.

Teacher accused of sexual assault while driving car for Uber

CHARLESTON — A North Charleston middle school teacher has been accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman while working as a driver for the popular ridesharing company Uber.

Multiple media outlets report that according to an arrest affidavit, 39-year-old Patrick Aiello of Charleston on Sunday night demanded sexual favors from a 23-year-old intoxicated female passenger in his car. The woman says Aiello attacked and sexually assaulted her before kicking her out of the vehicle.

Aiello, a teacher at Zucker Middle School, was arrested Monday on charges of kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Charleston County School District spokesman Daniel Head says Aiello has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Uber spokeswoman Kaitlin Durkosh says Aiello has been removed as an Uber driver. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

Graham's presidential campaign spends 3rd day in SC

ROCK HILL — U.S. Sen Lindsey Graham is continuing a presidential campaign swing through his home state with a stop at a Republican lunch in York County.

Graham is scheduled to speak Wednesday at noon to the York County GOP lunch at The Mayflower Seafood Restaurant in Rock Hill.

Graham spent Monday in the Upstate talking about how he is against President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran.

On Tuesday, he was in Columbia, criticizing the president's foreign policy choices again and announcing members of his South Carolina National Security Coalition.

Three longtime friends and Aiken High School graduates arrived at Aiken Technical College's orientation Tuesday for new students - all three with clear ideas for their education goals.

Charles Thomas plans to complete core courses and move on to Georgia Regents University to study radiation therapy.

Austin Copeland has family members who have had health issues related to the brain; as a result, he wants to study neuroscience after completing two years at ATC.

Nigee Dennis will continue his education to obtain a four-year degree in mass communications.

"It's cheaper here and a good way to start my college career," Dennis said.

ATC President Dr. Susan Winsor agreed the lower cost is a significant factor for students, as well as the educational opportunities they will receive.

"We have a very talented and caring faculty and staff," she said. "My first step after high school was a two-year college. ... It provided a good foundation for me, showing the importance of that solid first step."

Classes will begin Monday. The orientation program was intended to introduce the new students to the university, along with the resources it provides on campus.

Following the opening session, the students were scheduled to visit departments with specialized services. The Academic Success Center provides a wide range of tutoring programs available from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Help is also available online.

The new students include many non-traditional students - those above age 25.

Nancy Walker and Jamie Cook acknowledged with smiles they are quite a few years older than that. Walker has worked in many health-related jobs and is employed by Aiken Regional Medical Centers. She attended ATC in the past and can use those credits to pursue an associate degree in parent education.

For the first time, Cook has enrolled in college, planning to earn an associate degree in nursing.

"I've been in the workforce for 30 years, and I've wanted to do this for a long time," she said. "Both my children have graduated from college, so this is the right time. I want to get my ADM and move on from there. It's exciting to be here; and, one day, I'll reach the end of my journey."

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

WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign casts her decision to turn over her personal email server to the Justice Department as cooperating with investigators. Her Republican critics suggest that the move and new revelations about classified information points to her malfeasance as secretary of state.

Two emails that traversed Clinton's personal system contained information that had been designated "top secret" and "Sensitive Compartmented Information," one of the government's highest classification ratings, U.S. officials said.

Federal investigators have begun looking into the security of Clinton's email setup after the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence agencies said that classified information may have passed through the system. There is no evidence she used encryption to prevent prying eyes from accessing the emails or her personal server.

"It's about time," House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement after the front-runner for the Democratic nomination announced that she was directing that the server be relinquished. "Secretary Clinton's previous statements that she possessed no classified information were patently untrue. Her mishandling of classified information must be fully investigated."

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said: "All this means is that Hillary Clinton, in the face of FBI scrutiny, has decided she has run out of options. She knows she did something wrong and has run out of ways to cover it up."

For months Clinton refused calls to give up the home-brew email server she used in her suburban New York City home to send and store email through a private account. She has defended her use of the server, saying she used it as a matter of convenience to limit the number of electronic devices she had to carry. She has said the server account never held classified information.

Officials are investigating whether classified information was improperly sent, though it's not clear if the device will yield any information. Her attorney said in March that no emails from the main personal address she used while secretary of state are on the server or back-up systems associated with it.

Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said Tuesday that she has "pledged to cooperate with the government's security inquiry, and if there are more questions, we will continue to address them."

In March, Clinton said she exchanged about 60,000 emails in her four years in the Obama administration, about half of which were personal and were discarded. She turned over the other half to the State Department last December. The department is reviewing those emails and has begun the process of releasing them to the public.

On Tuesday, Clinton attorney David Kendall gave to the Justice Department three thumb drives containing copies of work-related emails sent to and from her personal email addresses via her private server.

Kendall gave the thumb drives, containing copies of roughly 30,000 emails, to the FBI after the agency determined he could not remain in possession of the classified information contained in some of the emails, according to a U.S. official briefed on the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. The State Department previously had said it was comfortable with Kendall keeping the emails at his Washington law office.

Also Tuesday, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said two emails that traversed Clinton's personal system were deemed "Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information" -- a rating that is among the government's highest classifications. Grassley said the inspector general of the nation's intelligence community had reported the new details about the higher classification to Congress on Tuesday.

Those two emails were among four that had previously been determined by the inspector general of the intelligence community to have been classified at the time they were sent. The State Department disputes that the emails were classified at that time.

"Department employees circulated these emails on unclassified systems in 2009 and 2011 and ultimately some were forwarded to Secretary Clinton," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. "They were not marked as classified."

The inspector general for the intelligence community had told Congress that potentially hundreds of emails containing classified information are among the cache that Clinton provided to the State Department.

Earlier this week, Clinton said in a sworn statement submitted to a federal judge that she has turned over to the State Department all emails from the server "that were or potentially were federal records." The statement, which carries her signature and was signed under penalty of perjury, echoed months of Clinton's past public statements about the matter.

Wade Brodie, chair of the community-based, private nonprofit Aiken Corp., announced Wednesday morning he will resign as head of the group Oct. 14.

Brodie has served as chair for 19 years, since the inception of the organization in 1996.

He said during the organization's monthly meeting Wednesday that he felt the announcement was the right decision after serving for nearly two decades and noticing the transition going on in the city with the recent hiring of City Manager John Klimm and with Aiken set to have a new mayor for the first time in decades.

Mayor Fred Cavanaugh announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election after serving as mayor since 1991.

Brodie said he hopes to continue to serve on the board but felt it was time for a new person to head Aiken Corp.

"There are a lot of questions that still need answered. We're in the process of trying to get those answered now. I think it's going to be some time before we get a firm grip on what direction to be in," Brodie said, pointing to initiatives to grow downtown through affordable housing, additional parking options and increased business activity.

Aiken Corp.'s goal is to diversify and expand the city's economic base and improve the quality of life in Aiken, according to its website.

Brodie said Aiken Corp. essentially serves as a facilitator for projects that the City may otherwise not be able to do.

"The Aiken Corp. was a spin-off. We did the Aiken 20/20 project, and this was a spin-off. We raised $3.5 million there," Brodie said. "At the time that was going on, it was felt that we needed a larger footprint then just the downtown area, so that's when the Aiken Corp. was organized."

Other members of the board voiced support Wednesday for having a new chair in place by the date of Brodie's resignation of Oct. 14, which is also the date of Aiken Corp.'s annual meeting.

Michael Ulmer is a North Augusta native and the opinions page editor for the Aiken Standard.

The Aiken County Republican Party will hold its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The guest speakers will be U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken. Both will be giving "town-hall reports" with a question-and-answer period, said Party Chairman K.T. Ruthven.

The meeting will be held at the Aiken County Historical Museum, 433 Newberry St. S.W.

The event is free and open to the public.

Representatives from the following 2016 presidential campaigns will also be in attendance: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; former Texas Gov. Rick Perry; U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; businesswoman Carli Fiorina and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Michael Ulmer is the opinions page editor for the Aiken Standard.

Tickets are on sale now for an event celebrating the football rivalry between South Carolina and Georgia state schools.

The 22nd Annual Border Bash will be held Sept. 18 with gates opening at 4 p.m. at Augusta Golf and Gardens in downtown Augusta.

Border Bash was created to celebrate the football rivalry between border state schools - the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia - while supporting CSRA children's charities and clubs.

Over the years The Border Bash Foundation has contributed more than $800,000 to worthwhile causes across the area, according to a press release.

This year's Border Bash will feature former football players from both schools in addition to the University of Georgia and University of South Carolina cheerleaders.

Additionally, mascots Cocky and Hairy Dawg will be on hand throughout the evening performing and taking pictures with fans.

The celebration of the return of college football season includes vendors, food, drinks and games.

After seven years as the Border Bash House Band, the Joe Stevenson Band will takeover the headlining slot at this year's event. However, they won't be alone.

Stevenson and his band welcome guest performers including; Kevn Kinney of Drivin' N' Cryin', Patrick Davis, Edison Project, People Who Must, Bobby Houck of Blue Dogs, Patrick Blanchard and more.

Opening the show are Big Machine recording artists Waterloo Revival and local favorites The Unmentionables.

Tickets are on sale now at borderbash.net and across the CSRA at Communigraphics and all area Circle K locations.

General admission tickets are just $10 in advance, $15 at the gate and children 12 and younger receive free general admission with a ticketed adult.

VIP tickets, which include preferred viewing, food and drinks are available for $50 per adult and $20 per children online only. Limited parking is available on site for a fee.

ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter announced he has been diagnosed with cancer in a brief statement issued Wednesday.

"Recent liver surgery revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body," Carter said in the statement released by the Carter Center. "I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare."

The statement makes clear that Carter's cancer is widely spread, but not where it originated, or even if that is known at this point. The liver is often a place where cancer spreads and less commonly is the primary source of it. It said further information will be provided when more facts are known, "possibly next week."

Carter announced on Aug. 3 that he had surgery to remove a small mass from his liver.

Carter, 90, was the nation's 39th president. After leaving the White House, he founded the center in Atlanta in 1982 to promote health care, democracy and other issues globally.

He has remained active for the center in recent years, making public appearances at its headquarters in Atlanta and traveling overseas including a May election observation visit to Guyana cut short when Carter developed a bad cold.

Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo called the surgery earlier this month "elective" and said Carter's "prognosis is excellent for a full recovery." She declined to answer further questions at the time.

A local pastor ran across Aiken County to raise awareness of the fight against Lou Gehrig's disease Wednesday.

The Rev. Dr. Franklyn V. Beckles Jr., pastor and director of the Beckles Christian Academy, started in Clearwater and ran along the Aiken-Augusta Highway to raise funds to go toward research to cure ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, according to the ALS Association's website, alsa.org.

Beckles' father, the Rev. Franklyn V. Backles Sr., is suffering from the deadly disease.

"I just want to help raise awareness of ALS to help research and find a cure," Beckels Jr. told the Aiken Standard after completing his road run.

Donations for ALS research can be sent to ALS Association Georgia Chapter, 5881 Glenridge Drive, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30328 or ALS Association South Carolina Chapter, 7499 Parklane Road Suite 144, Columbia, SC 29223.

Resident runs for ALS awareness

Within the next 10 years, Savannah River National Laboratory Director Dr. Terry Michalske anticipates that nearly 50 percent of the lab's personnel will be new.

Through a partnership with USC Aiken, the Savannah River Nuclear Laboratory will award, in a pilot program, a total of 10 scholarships of $4,000 each to high-achieving students pursuing degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering and math.

"We won't be just rehiring," said Michalske. "We'll be creating the lab of the future."

USCA, SRNL and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions administrators worked together to establish a University Scholars Program. The agreement was formally approved in a brief ceremony Tuesday. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is the management and operations contractor of the Savannah River Site.

The Board of Directors with SRNS is funding the program.

This partnership makes good sense, bringing together USCA faculty, students and SRNL scientists and engineers, said USCA Chancellor Dr. Sandra Jordan.

"It's so meaningful that the lab and SRNS have an unwavering support for K through 12 and higher education," Jordan said. "We're both committed to innovation and research endeavors to benefit our community ... and in the case of the national lab, the entire nation."

SRNL has many talented men and women, Michalske said - working on environmental initiatives, securing the nation from nuclear threats and helping the country in developing sustainable energy.

"But it's really about the people," Michalske said. "This partnership will bring new ideas. This is a tremendous scholarship program, giving us the opportunity to build relationships with the university."

Joining Jordan and Michalske at the signing ceremony were Bruce Stanski, the SRNS Board of Directors chairman; and Carol Johnson, the SRNS president and CEO. Following the pilot at USCA, the board has authorized an allocation of $400,000 to extend the program to the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, Georgia Regents University and Georgia Tech.

Three companies make up SRNS, said Stanski - Fluor, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Honeywell.

"This program is an endorsement of all the progress the lab has made," Stanski said in a press release, "... making SRNS an even greater scientific, technical and economic asset to the region."

The scholarships are open to juniors and seniors for two semesters; five students are expected to be selected for the 2015-16 school year. They can match their own research efforts with faculty and with those at the national laboratory. They can apply for summer internships at the lab to work more directly with scientists and other mentors.

The University Scholars Program will make a difference in many ways, said Johnson.

"We have rural areas surrounding us," she said. "For those individuals who get a $4,000 scholarship, it may make the difference in going to school or not. This can advance their lives and careers, to be good citizens and hopefully continue in this area."

Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter.

Drivers in Aiken County have had several options this week for buying gasoline at less than $2 per gallon for regular unleaded, and the trend is likely to continue.

Residents around the state are expected to see the lower prices during the next few weeks, according to a senior petroleum analyst with gasbuddy.com.

Gregg Laskoski, based in Tampa, Florida, touched on current data and trends Wednesday afternoon, when gas prices around Aiken County were averaging $2.07.

The Aiken-Augusta area, as of Wednesday morning, was averaging $2.27, according to data from AAA Carolinas.

In Aiken, as of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, there were 17 gas stations around the city with gas for less than $2 a gallon, according to southcarolinagasprices.com.

"It's definitely good news for folks in South Carolina," Laskoski said. "We see the statewide average (Wednesday) is $2.16 a gallon. It's come down 7 cents a gallon just in the past week. A month ago the state average was $2.40 a gallon, and a year ago it was $3.16 - exactly a dollar more than what you're seeing today."

AAA's data, as of Wednesday afternoon, indicated a statewide average of $2.18 for South Carolina and a national average of $2.59.

Averages from elsewhere around the country are $3.56 for California, $2.43 for Florida, $2.47 for Minnesota, $2.79 for New York, $2.49 for Ohio, $2.38 for Texas and $2.82 for Utah.

South Carolina's statewide low, as of Wednesday, was in Rock Hill, at $1.87.

"South Carolina is one of about nine or 10 states that currently have at least a few gas stations that are below $2 a gallon, and a lot of this has to do with the basic supply-and-demand fundamentals," Laskoski said.

He described the United States' supply of crude oil and gasoline as "pretty healthy," and the current situation points to general weakness in the economy, in some observers' assessments.

"I couldn't argue that fact, because the supply surpasses the consumer demand. This is something that's happening not just in the U.S. It's happening on a global scale," Laskoski said.

The summer driving season, he said, has about three more weeks, with Labor Day weekend representing the point at which consumer demand for gasoline will begin to take a significant dip, he said.

"What happens then is that by mid-September, refiners are able to put back in the market the cheaper gasoline, and that's called the winter-blend gasoline," he said, adding that the switch from summer to winter variety means more savings for customers.

The end result, Laskoski said, is likely to be a statewide average below $2 per gallon in about a month.

"If not by Sept. 12, maybe just another 10 days later," he said. "It's almost certain that by the end of September, you'll be seeing an average below $2."

Bill Bengtson has worked for Aiken Communications since 1996.

NORTH AUGUSTA — Summerfield Park plays host to plenty of pedestrian traffic during the summer months, and it got an overflow crowd Tuesday with the annual wrap-up of Cross Connections, North Augusta City Councilman Pat Carpenter's Bible study for kids.

In keeping with tradition, the summer program concluded with a hotdog cookout and a giveaway of donated school supplies - 130 backpacks, along with age-appropriate items for kids a few days before the start of classes.

This is the program's 22nd year, Carpenter said.

Major boosters this year included the Sertoma Club, Communigraphics, Grace United Methodist Church and Carpenter's own congregation, First Baptist Church of North Augusta.

"I've just had a lot of community and church support this year," Carpenter said.

"At the beginning of the year, teachers obviously need a lot of supplies, and this will help the kids get excited about school," said First Baptist member Paige McLemore, now the reading coach at Jefferson Elementary, with a background that includes teaching each grade from kindergarten through fifth.

"They have brand new things to bring to school," she said. "They can take pride in that they have supplies, and they don't feel like they're underprivileged or they're not with the other kids that come to school with tons and tons and tons of new things."

Bill Bengtson, is a native of Florence, Alabama, and has worked for Aiken Communications since March 1996, helping cover events for the Aiken Standard and The Star.

Rick Perry returns to South Carolina for events in Upstate

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) -- Rick Perry is back in South Carolina this week for several events in the Upstate, days after his campaign stopped paying its staff.

On Thursday, the former Texas governor is taking part in a town hall meeting with the Anderson County Republican Party.

The Republican is touring Anderson's Haven of Rest Ministries on Friday before a meet and greet at The Beacon restaurant in Spartanburg.

Earlier this week, Perry's campaign announced it had stopped paying its staff.

But Perry has well-funded super PACs that say they're ready to step in and keep his message afloat at least through the Feb. 1 caucuses in Iowa, where Perry has spent more time than any other White House hopeful.

Two school officials on leave amid grade-tampering accusations

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (AP) -- A Berkeley County high school principal and athletic director are on administrative leave after being accused of tampering with a student-athlete's grades.

WCIV-TV (http://bit.ly/1Tw7eEU ) reports that Acting Berkeley County Superintendent Michael Turner on Wednesday informed school board members in a letter that Goose Creek High School Principal Jimmy Huskey and Athletic Director Cynthia McBride had a student's grades changed last week.

According to the letter, the two officials directed a guidance counselor at the school to change a student-athlete's grades from "failure due to absences" to passing grades.

Turner says Assistant Principal Jim Haynes has been named the school's acting principal, pending an investigation.

Huskey was not available to talk to the television station Wednesday night, according to a woman who answered his phone. McBride could not be reached for comment.

Historic Columbia leading night tours of downtown cemetery

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- One of Columbia's oldest cemeteries is coming to life after dark.

Guides from Historic Columbia are leading evening tours Thursday of Elmwood Cemetery in downtown Columbia. Established in 1854, Elmwood covers nearly 170 acres and has a section devoted to Confederate soldiers.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Historic Columbia tours start at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Tickets range in price from $4 to $8 for Historic Columbia members and $6 to $12 for non-members.

Yellow transit buses in Myrtle Beach must be repainted

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) -- It seems yellow is just the wrong color for the buses that the regional transit authority in the Myrtle Beach area recently bought.

The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports (http://bit.ly/1DLd2sl ) that Coast RTA earlier this year bought five buses from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit agency. But now the local transportation agency has to spend an additional $25,000 to repaint the buses.

It seems the buses were painted yellow.

That may be fine in Texas but in South Carolina there's a law that any bus that carries more than 14 people may not be painted yellow unless it's a school bus.

Justices asked to toss out domestic violence law

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- The South Carolina Supreme Court is being asked to rule the state's Domestic Violence Law unconstitutional because it does not protect unwed same-sex couples.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reports (http://bit.ly/1L7VdWZ ) attorneys petitioned the court Wednesday after a Richland County judge earlier refused to give a restraining order to a woman who was hit by her former fiancée who is also a woman.

The woman seeking the order said she felt threatened.

But the court denied the request because the law says domestic violence victims are defined as a "household member" who is a spouse, a former spouse, people who have a child in common or men and women who are living together or formerly did so.

The petition said same-sex, unmarried couples don't have the same protections.

New court documents allege details on Clemson student death

PICKENS, S.C. (AP) -- There are new details about the death of a Clemson University fraternity pledge last year.

Local media outlets report that new court documents in a $25 million lawsuit filed by his family say Tucker Hipps was forced to walk along a narrow bridge railing before falling to his death in September.

An autopsy showed Hipps died from injuries consistent with having hit rocks in the shallow water near the end of a bridge over Lake Hartwell.

Hipps' family believes the university, the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and three of its members are to blame for the death, and tried to cover it up after the fact.

The defendants deny any responsibility and have blamed Hipps for his own death during an early morning run involving fraternity members and pledges.

The smile on George Blackburn's face slowly phased into a prideful expression of humility as he reflected on his 40 years working at the historic H Canyon, one of the oldest and most significant facilities operating at the Savannah River Site.

Blackburn wasn't alone during Wednesday's 60th anniversary celebration of H Canyon - the only chemical separations facility still in operation in the United States.

Several other SRS retirees joined current workers, lawmakers and friends to celebrate right outside the facility in a tightly secured area inside the 310 square miles of the site.

Looking back, Blackburn said he was trained to take orders and was one of the operators on line at the facility.

H Canyon first produced nuclear materials in support of the nation's defense weapons programs. After the Cold War, the mission changed to assisting in disposition and stabilizing nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel from legacy cleanup. The canyon is used in missions domestically and internationally.

"We worked hard, and we played hard. But we got the job done, and that's No. 1," Blackburn said.

He added that there's also a feeling a pride knowing that the site helped win the Cold War. Workers at the facility produced the plutonium necessary to defend the country.

"Defend it, we did," Blackburn said. "One blessing that came out of this is that none of the plutonium we generated here was ever used in an act of war."

In addition to Blackburn, others spoke about various issues surrounding H Canyon. For example, state Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., spoke about the collaborative efforts each year to provide adequate funding for the facility.

"There has to be an understanding of how unique this facility is," Wilson said. "So it's crucial year after year."

Jack Craig, who was recently brought on as site manager, said the significance of the facility is huge because of the treaties and agreements with other countries to take materials that are of potential risk and process them so they are no longer a threat.

After 60 years in operation, Craig said another challenge is keeping H Canyon in good standing to continue missions.

"It's an aging facility, so the maintenance and infrastructure dollars we need to keep it safe and operating is a high priority for us, too," he said.

Department of Energy officials were also on hand Wednesday, as well as officials from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the site's management and operations contractor.

Carol Johnson, president and CEO of the contractor, said H Canyon has created a legacy of serving the nation; she worked as a lower-level manager at H Canyon in 1991.

"It was a tremendous experience for me. I worked around some great people," Johnson said. "And now, to me, it's all about the legacy and moving into the future."

H Canyon was originally constructed in the 1950s and began operations in 1955. Today, about 600 employees have some form of a work connection to the facility.

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.

As the football season gears up it is uncertain if former Barnwell High School star running back Shakur Chisolm will be able to compete in his senior season. Chisolm transferred to Allendale-Fairfax High School during the offseason and was planning to suit up for the Tigers this year. That all changed the week of Aug. 3 during a training camp held by the football team in Orangeburg.

Chisolm alleges that he was beaten by 15-20 teammates as part of an "initiation" hazing tradition involving freshman, new members of the team and transfers. Chisolm's family and his legal team suggests that the hazing was part of a tradition on the football team that was encouraged by the coaching staff. According to claims, the teammates even used boxing gloves provided by the coaching staff.

Chisolm's attorneys S.C. Rep. Justin Bamberg and Fatima Zeidan held a press conference in Allendale on Wednesday, where they called for the resignation of Allendale-Fairfax head football coach Eddie Ford and said a civil lawsuit will be filed. Bamberg reiterated those sentiments later in the day in a phone interview with the Aiken Standard.

"Given the allegations and given the fact that our understanding is this is a ritual put in place and given the go ahead by coach Ford, we feel it's a problem and it raises to the level to where he should resign," Bamberg said.

Bamberg represents Chisolm and Demetrius Drayton. Drayton, a rising sophomore, also alleges he was beaten at the camp held in Orangeburg.

Chisolm has withdrawn from Allendale-Fairfax, and Bamberg said it is his understanding that Drayton will also withdraw from the school.

Chisolm has been recruited by several NCAA Division I schools and is now faced with the possibility of not having a chance to showcase his skills in his senior season, something his attorneys also say will be addressed in the lawsuit. Bamberg said the suit will be filed "sooner rather than later."

"We're planning on attempting to evaluate the situation with the High School League. There are rules in place, some by the League and some by the schools themselves, but I find it difficult to believe that the rules are so rigid that there's nothing to be done for a situation like this to allow him to play his final season of football."

Bamberg also stressed that while hazing is often a topic of discussion at various levels this is much different than some of the other instances in the fact that it seemed to be "put in place and ordained by the coaches and adults in charge." He went on to say that these type of traditions must be stopped.

It isn't the first time an area athlete has alleged to have been a victim of a tradition of hazing. Last year former Aiken High School soccer player Haley Hunt filed a lawsuit against several members of the Clemson University administration and teammates from her time as a member of the women's soccer program.

"People seem to look at these type of situations and say 'it doesn't seem that bad,' or 'it doesn't seem as bad as a situation were a kid dies,' but the fact of the matter is that the next year we could find ourselves in a position where we are talking about the death or paralysis of someone's 14-, 15-, 16- or 17-year-old child," Bamberg said. "There are inherent risks, and it is the responsibility of the adults who are supervising to ensure nothing like this happens, and definitely make sure they aren't the ones putting it in place."

Bamberg, who grew up in Bamberg, played football, basketball and baseball in the area, and his teams played Allendale and Barnwell. He said football is more than just a sport in the area, which makes it even more shocking that the alleged incident would go on in his back yard. He and the Chisolm family say that it isn't their intention to try to cancel the Allendale-Fairfax football season. However, Bamberg said that will likely come down to whatever investigatory body takes on the issue. They are asking that an independent investigation happens. A day before the press conference, Superintendent Leila Williams told other media outlets that she and the Allendale-Fairfax principal were investigating the claims.

Attempts by the Aiken Standard to reach the superintendent were unsuccessful.

Eric Russell is the sports editor at the Aiken Standard. Follow him on Twitter at @EricJ_Russell.

A Warrenville man reported Wednesday that he saw a man holding a road flare and stealing items out of his neighbor's shed located on Swallowtail Lane.

The man told deputies that, after he saw the man "plundering" through the victim's property, he walked outside to confront the subject, who was attempting to leave with boxes in his hands, according to an incident report provided by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies reported speaking to the victim, a 68-year-old woman who claimed the man had stolen items that belonged to her husband, who had died the day before.

The items reported to have been stolen from the shed were a gold necklace and cooking equipment, which combined was said to be worth just under $2,000, according to the report.

Deputies then reported that the 37-year-old Warrenville man accused of stealing the items spoke with them via telephone, saying the victim had sold him narcotics that night, and he was in the shed looking for items of his that he had left in the shed.

The victim denied selling the subject any narcotics and told deputies she wanted to pursue criminal charges against him, according to the report.

No one has been arrested as of yet.

The Southern Steel Guitar Convention is returning to Belvedere.

Most recently, the event took place in February. It's returning on Saturday with a jam session from 7 to 11 p.m. On Sunday, the event will kick off at 9:30 a.m.

This convention is dedicated to the memory of Buddy Walker and Charles Reece. Guests will include Ron Elliott, a Hall of Famer and former steel player for Jack Greene, Jeannie Seely, Stonewall Jackson, Ray Price and more.

Admission is $15, and it will be at the Belvedere Jaycee Building, 98 Johnson Road. It is roughly two miles from Exit 5.

For more information, email Jerry Reece at jdr7356@yahoo.com or call 803-593-0454 or email Joe Turner at turnbren8@aol.com or call 864-940-8170.

To learn more about the convention, visit www.southernsteelconvention.com or find the convention on Facebook - Southern Steel Guitar Convention.

Few tickets remain to see Elvis tribute artist Jason Sikes' "Elvis: That's the Way It Was" concert Saturday.

The first half will feature "tributes to Roy Orbison, Pasty Cline, The Supremes, Johnny Cash and The Everly Brothers," Sikes said.

Elvis' stepbrother Rick Stanley, who is a pastor that lives in Trenton, will come on and speak about Elvis during the second act.

The local Sassy Brass Showband will also perform.

Tickets are $25.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m., at the URS Center for Performing Arts, 126 Newberry St. S.W.

"We are really excited about bringing this to Aiken once a year," Sikes said.

For more information, call 803-257-5563 or 803-648-1438 or visit www.aikenplayhouse.us.

Stephanie Turner has been the Aiken Standard's arts and entertainment reporter since 2012. A few months prior, she graduated with her journalism degree from Valdosta State University. She currently lives in Evans, Ga.