CHARLESTON - Plans to finish Interstate 526 through Charleston's western suburbs have hit a dead end.

Local media outlets report the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank on Thursday pulled the $420 million it had set aside for the contentious project.

Members of the bank board meeting in Columbia discussed the $725 million project for three hours before voting 4-1 to pull the money.

Last December, the bank gave Charleston County until the end of March to come up with a plan to cover the county's share and the board said the county failed to do so.

Last month Charleston County asked the bank to give officials until the end of the year to come up with the plan. Local leaders envisioned a combination of tolls and taxes to pay for the work.

TRENTON, N.J. - Three New Jersey men and another from South Carolina have been sentenced to state prison after pleading guilty to human trafficking charges involving a 14-year-old girl allegedly forced into prostitution.

Michael McLeod, a 25-year-old Jersey City man who led the ring, was sentenced to 18 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking and facilitation of human trafficking.

Tyree Jeter and David Powell, both of Jersey City, were sentenced to six years in prison. Demetrius Hayward, of Summerville, South Carolina, was sentenced to five years in state prison.

Authorities say McLeod used threats and violence to force the girl and an 18-year-old woman to work as prostitutes. The two each had sex with up to 10 men per day, with all the money going to McLeod.

GRANITEVILLE - This spring has been a bit of a whirlwind for new Midland Valley head football coach Andrew Jenkins since being hired two weeks ago.

He had an abbreviated spring with his new team, but on Thursday he got another chance to see where his players stood after spring practice in the team's spring game.

"I'm starting to kind of feel them out, but our kids are understanding the speed with which we want to do it," Jenkins said. "Now, do we have all our install in yet? No. Do they know the whole system on both sides of the ball? No, but we were flying around pretty good today, and I was pleased with that."

Jenkins replaced longtime head coach Rick Knight, who retired in April.

Jenkins was the offensive coordinator at Seneca prior to taking the reins at Midland Valley. He was part of a staff that led the Bobcats to a 12-1 record while averaging more than 46 points per game and racking up more than 6,000 yards of offense.

It was evident on Thursday that he wants a high-powered offense at Midland Valley as well.

The offensive unit got off to a slow start in the game with some early turnovers, but then the group started to click. D.J. Boyd found some open receivers for touchdowns, and there was some success moving the ball on the ground in the running game as well.

Jenkins was pleased with the offense's resolve after the early mistakes as well as the competitiveness his team displayed. He's hoping that competitiveness will be a big part of the winning recipe for the Mustangs this season as they make the leap to Class AAAA.

"We are ultra competitive ... That's what you have to have to win championships. I've been very impressed with the winning attitude," Jenkins said.

Overall, Jenkins considered it a successful spring and a successful transition into his new job.

"I've been down here everyday since I've been hired, pretty much. This community has embraced me. I've had multiple people call me from the community just to tell me that they're glad I'm here and welcome me and all that stuff," said Jenkins, who is still commuting from Seneca. "It's been so exciting. I told them the best part of my day - I'm so excited when I come down Highway 81 down here to see them."

Eric Russell is the sports editor at the Aiken Standard. Contact him at 803-644-2396.

ATLANTA - State health officials say a woman confirmed as having the state's first sexually transmitted case of the Zika virus has recovered.

Georgia's Department of Public Health announced Friday that the woman got Zika from her male partner, who contracted the disease while traveling in Brazil. He also recovered.

The woman wasn't pregnant and hadn't traveled outside the U.S.

A man with Zika can pass it to a sexual partner before, during or after symptoms appear. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 11 sexually transmitted cases of Zika have been confirmed in the U.S.

The CDC has confirmed 591 total cases of Zika in the U.S., all associated with travel outside the country. The virus is primarily spread by mosquitoes. Scientific research has found it causes severe birth defects.

MIAMI - U.S. government forecasters expect a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season, after three relatively slow years. But they also say climate conditions that influence storm development are making it difficult to predict how many hurricanes and tropical storms will arise over the next six months.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's outlook Friday called for a near-normal season with 10 to 16 named storms, with four to eight hurricanes and one to four "major" ones with winds reaching 111 mph and up.

The long-term season averages are 12 named storms, with six hurricanes and three major ones.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1, but tropical weather got a head-start this year: Hurricane Alex made an unseasonable debut in January over the far eastern Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center says an area of low pressure between Bermuda and the Bahamas had a high chance of brewing into something bigger Friday or Saturday.

Hurricane hunter aircraft will investigate the disturbance Friday, and communities along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas should monitor its development, said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan.

FORECAST CHALLENGES

While they can't predict whether any storm will strike the U.S., and more tropical storms are expected than in the last three years, NOAA officials said significant variables are at play.

It's unclear whether a decades-long high-activity era for Atlantic hurricanes has ended, said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Meanwhile, El Nino is dissipating while La Nina looms for the season's peak from August through October.

El Nino is the natural warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide. That tends to reduce hurricane activity in the Atlantic, while La Nina tends to increase it.

The active storm era associated with warm Atlantic temperatures and stronger West African monsoons began in 1995, but recent hurricane seasons showed shifts toward a cooler phase marked by colder waters and a weaker monsoon, Bell said.

Each era can last 25 to 40 years, and it might take years to determine whether the transition has happened, Bell said.

The last transition to a less active hurricane era happened in the 1970s, without the data and computer models that forecasters have now. "We're watching it for the first time with very new eyes," Sullivan said.

2015 TALLY

The 2015 season was slightly below average with 11 named storms, including two tropical storms that made landfall and caused flooding in South Carolina and Texas. Hurricane Joaquin, one of two storms to reach major hurricane strength, killed all 33 mariners aboard a cargo ship that sank off the Bahamas in October.

During U.S. Coast Guard investigative hearings this month into the sinking of the El Faro, one federal investigator characterized the disaster as "a colossal failure" of management.

Initial forecasts for Joaquin also were wildly inaccurate. Sullivan said NOAA is on track to meet storm track and intensity forecast improvement goals, and a new weather satellite launching this fall will produce much sharper images of hurricanes and other severe weather.

COASTAL RISKS

The last major hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland was Hurricane Wilma, which cut across Florida in 2005. Wind speeds, not damage estimates, determine whether a hurricane is classified as "major" -- that's Category 3 and up on the hurricane wind scale .

Since 2005, the population in the 185 coastline counties most threatened by hurricanes has grown 8.7 percent to 59.2 million people, according to U.S. Census estimates. Overall, 143.6 million people -- 44.7 percent of the U.S. population -- from Maine to Texas could be living in harm's way.

Other Census figures hint at the potential financial risks throughout those states: 60.1 million housing units and 3.3 million business establishments with 52.3 million paid workers.

Ferocious storm winds aren't the deadliest threat. According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, storm surge and rainfall flooding combine for three-quarters of all U.S. deaths from hurricanes, tropical storms or tropical depressions.

MAJOR DAMAGE

In the Bahamas, Joaquin caused over $60 million in damage, according to the hurricane center. The islands reported widespread flooding that contaminated drinking water, cut off an airport and swamped a local fishing fleet.

Even "minor" storms can leave misery behind. After Tropical Storm Erika swept through the Caribbean last year, damage estimates on the island of Dominica ranged up to $500 million for homes, roads, bridges and infrastructure, and Puerto Rico reported $17.4 million in agricultural losses for plantains, bananas and coffee.

The Northeast was wracked by catastrophic flooding, first from Hurricane Irene in 2011 and again from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Damage estimates tallied in the tens of billions of dollars.

Due to the financial hardships left in Sandy's wake, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Monday that it's overhauling its appeals process for flood insurance claims with more transparency and oversight. Homeowners will be able to take disputes directly to FEMA instead of first going through the insurance companies they're fighting.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Rising sea levels are expected to increase the vulnerability of coastal communities to flooding from tropical systems. Recent research indicates climate change is likely to make hurricanes more intense in the future.

Improved computer models show that warming atmospheric conditions may hinder tropical cyclone development worldwide, says David Nolan, a University of Miami professor of atmospheric sciences.

But the hurricanes that do form could grow more intense because ocean temperatures will be higher, Nolan says. Warm ocean waters feed hurricanes like fuel in an engine.

"The ones that do occur could be a little bit stronger," Nolan says, "but the changes over the next 10, 20, 30 years would be very small, almost undetectable."

A Ridge Spring man has been charged by Aiken County Animal Enforcement after a horse collided with a motorcycle on I-20 Thursday, killing its passenger.

Three horses traveled nearly 15 miles from their farm before colliding with the motorcycle around 5:40 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 20 westbound near mile marker 29, said Code Enforcement Director Paige Bayne.

Bayne confirmed Eugene Rhinehart has been issued a citation of animals creating a nuisance, because the horses were running at large.

Bayne said the citation is a misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $1,092.50, or 30 days in jail.

Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton identified the deceased as Chequita Snow Burgess, 30, of Orangeburg.

Burgess was pronounced dead at the scene and died from multiple body trauma, Carlton said.

Lance Cpl. Judd Jones, with S.C. Highway Patrol, identified James Burgess, 29, of Orangeburg, as the driver of the 2008 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle.

James Burgess was taken to GRU in Augusta with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. He is now in stable condition, Carlton said.

Both individuals were wearing helmets, Judd said.

Carlton met with Chequita Snow's family Thursday night, calling the incident a "pretty sad deal."

The Burgess' were on their way to St. Louis, Missouri, when their motorcycle collided with the horse, that also later died.

Bayne said Rhinehart began looking for the horses once he and his wife realized they were missing.

"They heard about the accident on I-20, and they are completely distraught," Bayne said. "They came to the scene and were able to identify the horses."

The other two horses were captured by the median 2 to 3 miles down from the accident.

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

Technology plays a vital role in political decisions around the world, and developments connected to the Savannah River Site are certainly no exception.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, last week, including an amendment that could include the use of technology developed by Savannah River National Laboratory.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., cosponsored an amendment that would require the sitting president to notify Congress when any Iranian activity involving ballistic missiles is uncovered or detected. The amendment comes less than a year after President Barack Obama's administration struck a deal with Iran, lifting economic sanctions in exchange for transparent and limiting nuclear activity by the Iranians.

In a news release from his office, Wilson said, "Since the dangerous Iran Deal went into effect, the regime in Tehran has been increasingly aggressive and conducting frequent intercontinental ballistic missile tests - without facing repercussions. This bipartisan amendment will hold the Administration accountable and require a timely and thorough report on our response to Iran's hostile actions."

Iran has test fired ballistic missiles as recently as March. According to Iranian Fars News Agency, those missiles were marked with a Hebrew phrase which translated into "Israel must be wiped off the Earth." Israel, about one-third the size of South Carolina, is a key strategic ally for the United States and is reportedly within reach of Iranian missiles.

While the deal aims to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, officials said it doesn't remove the threat of what is commonly referred to as a dirty bomb.

Mike Johnson, executive director of Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, said, "A dirty bomb is constructed differently than a nuclear weapon. The nuclear material can be placed around the conventional explosive and the goal is to spread radiation."

The radiation can quickly make its way into food or water sources, creating dangerous scenarios. According to Johnson, just about any nuclear material can be used in a dirty weapon, even some used nuclear medicine sources.

Technology developed at SRS plays an international role in detecting nuclear materials.

SRNL recently developed a tamper-proof detection device, called TRI-ACE, that detects radioactive particles in the atmosphere, and its research and development is working with national agencies to advance and operate other detection capabilities.

The national laboratory at SRS also is working on underwater detection, according to a statement from the NNSA's Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation.

The statement also says the technology provides information about dispersal of radioactive materials that could reveal key information about upstream facilities.

Another key strategic technology for nonproliferation provides enhanced abilities to find and observe clandestine, small-scale nuclear processing facilities or identify the improper use of declared full-scale nuclear processing facilities - technology that could be used in Iran.

Johnson said while Iran's ability to deliver a nuclear or "dirty" weapons payload to Israel depends on the booster capacity of a missile, he agreed with Wilson that the Iran Deal is potentially dangerous.

"Billions of dollars were freed up by the lifting of sanctions," he said. "There is free money for Iran to buy technology and billions of dollars can buy a whole lot of technology."

Iran is complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. It said the deal has increased the agency's abilities to monitor Iranian nuclear activities and ensure the nation is operating nuclear sites with peaceful intentions.

Thomas Gardiner is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard. Follow him on Twitter @TGardiner_AS.

Nearly a year after it was destroyed by fire, Glover Grove Missionary Baptist Church will begin rising from the ashes.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for noon June 11 on the church's property on Project Road in Warrenville.

The anniversary of the blaze is June 26. Not long after the fire was extinguished, Glover Grove's pastor, the Rev. Bobby Jones, expressed confidence that the church would survive the tragedy.

"We're definitely going to rebuild, and it's going to be better, and the Lord's going to bless that, too," he said.

Local community and religious leaders created the Glover Grove Phoenix Project Steering Committee and the Glover Grove Phoenix Fund.

"At this point, there is $215,000 in the Phoenix Fund," said Steering Committee Chairman John Lindsay.

John Watkins, of Architectural Design Associates, of Columbia, created the plans for the new church. It will have a sanctuary that will seat 138 worshipers and 29 choir members, a baptismal pool, a fellowship hall, classrooms, offices, a warming kitchen and a pantry.

The construction project also has a manager, Stan Harmon; a contractor, J E Trowell Builders, of Aiken; and a building permit from Aiken County.

Lindsay estimated that the new church would cost approximately $500,000.

"With the $215,000 in contributions in the Phoenix Fund and the $200,000 in insurance money that Glover Grove is getting, we are moving down the road," Lindsay said.

More efforts to raise funds are planned. They are scheduled to include an event called "Forgiveness to New Life."

The Rev. Bob Byrne, who recently retired as senior pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, has offered to walk from Charleston's historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church to the site of Glover Grove in October, when Lindsay hopes the new Glover Grove building will be finished.

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, known as "Mother Emanuel," is the site where nine black parishioners, including a state senator, were shot to death on June 17, 2015. Dylann Roof has been charged in the shooting.

Like Glover Grove, "Mother Emanuel" is a predominately black church.

"People will be able to make contributions on behalf of Bob Byrne for so much per mile or segment or whatever, and other people will be able to join him in walking and get their own pledges," Lindsay said. "We also want to get a lot of churches and civic organizations involved. The walk should take the better part of eight days to complete."

"Forgiveness to New Life" was chosen as the event's name because of "how 'Mother Emanuel' and its congregation demonstrated forgiveness and then that leads to a new life, which is the new life of Glover Grove," Lindsay said.

Jones couldn't be reached for comment Friday, but his wife, Lois, said Glover Grove's congregation is looking forward to the groundbreaking.

"We can't wait; everybody is really excited," she said.

Agents with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division were unable to determine the exact origin or cause of the Glover Grove fire. They also "observed no element of criminal intent," according to a news release.

Contributions to the Phoenix Fund still are being accepted, and they can be made at any branch of Security Federal Bank or by mailing donations to Security Federal Bank, P.O. Box 810, Aiken, S.C. 29802.

For more information, call 803-761-3109.

Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard.

Dr. Mendi Tucker has been named the new principal at Gloverville Elementary School.

Tucker, who is a master instructional coach in Edgefield County, has more than 20 years of experience as an educator.

Members of the Aiken County Board of Education approved Tucker's appointment Tuesday at their regular meeting.

"Dr. Tucker has many years of documented success in reading instruction and a great deal of leadership experience," Aiken County School Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford said. "We are excited to welcome her to Aiken County."

Tucker will follow current Gloverville Elementary School Principal Michelle Padgett, who will become the new principal at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School in August.

Tucker earned her doctorate in educational leadership with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction in 2008. Her dissertation was a program review titled "Evaluation of a Preschool Program Design to Improve Readiness Skills and Reduce the Achievement Gap."

Tucker earned a Master of Education degree in elementary education in 1994 from Lander University and a Bachelor of Education degree in early childhood education from USC Aiken in 1992. She also completed superintendent certification and received administration and supervision certification.

Tucker started her career in 1992 as a fourth-grade teacher at Hollywood Elementary School in Saluda County, where she held various roles for more than a decade.

In 2002, she was recognized as the Distinguished Reading Teacher of the Year in Saluda County. The following school year, she was named Teacher of the Year at Hollywood Elementary School.

Tucker was the director of Adult Education in Saluda County before moving to Lexington County, where she was an assistant principal at Gilbert Elementary School.

Tucker also assisted at the State Department of Education in Columbia with programs to help and develop aspiring school-level administrators.

She completed the Principal Induction Program in 2011 and was a building principal from 2012 to 2015.

Friends of the Animal Shelter will participate in this year's Memorial Day Parade along with a selection of the Aiken County Animal Shelter's adoptable dogs and puppies.

FOTAS also announced that its half-price adoption discount for U.S. veterans and active U.S. military personnel will continue as a year-round special. This helps both the veteran or active U.S. military personnel and the homeless dog or cat getting adopted.

The discount was launched on Veterans Day of last year and, due to the positive response, FOTAS has decided to make the special available as a permanent program.

"It is a small way for us to thank the men and women who have served or are currently serving our country," said FOTAS Communications Director Bob Gordon. "FOTAS pays for half the adoption, so the program is completely funded by community donations. Our organization also helps find service dogs for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other health issues that can result from military service."

FOTAS Aiken County is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization created in 2009 to supplement the resources of the Aiken County Animal Shelter. FOTAS is wholly funded by private donations.

The mission of FOTAS is to support the Aiken County Animal Shelter by promoting animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and the elimination of euthanasia of all adoptable animals.

According to reports provided by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office:

An Augusta man reported Thursday a Beech Island woman struck his car with her hands after he dropped off diapers at her Westminster Way home.

A Windsor man reported in March someone stole his car from his State Park Road home. The man told police the car was not locked.

A Wagener man reported Thursday another man climbed over his barbed wire fence on his Browns Pond Road property and pointed a gun at him.

An Aiken woman reported Thursday someone tried to open the rear door of her Edgefield Highway home. The woman told police she saw the person run toward the woods.

A Graniteville woman reported Thursday someone kicked in the front door of her Rainbow Falls home and stole her Xbox game system.

A man reported Thursday that two Aiken men he lived with chased him out of their Banks Mill Road home over rent money. The man told police the two men chased him with a shotgun, though the men denied that claim.

Deputies reported Thursday four juveniles were pulled over on Anthony Drive in Bath. Three of four of the juveniles said they were smoking marijuana. The car also didn't have a tag.

According to reports provided by the Aiken Department of Public Safety:

An employee with a York Street business called 911 Wednesday after a man and woman picked up a bag of grapes and walked out of the store without paying. The employee told police the pair walked back into the store approximately 10 minutes later to retrieve a bag.

An Aiken man reported Wednesday someone opened the center console of his vehicle while it was parked on Sand Fox Place and took a CD case, a phone charger and an FM transmitter.

An Aiken man reported Thursday someone opened the center console of his vehicle while it was parked on Donegal Drive and stole a cellphone.

A man was arrested for shoplifting Thursday after police said he stole five packages of AAA batteries from the Kroger on Whiskey Road.

Police responded last week to an Augustus Road facility after receiving a complaint that a Wagener woman allowed an elderly Aiken man to crawl on the floor toward his chair before helping him into the chair.

A Warrenville man has been arrested after police said he shot 10 to 13 rounds into a car in the parking lot of Waffle House on Richland Avenue on Thursday night. The man told police he shot at the car because he found out his ex-girlfriend was seeing another man while they were dating.

These are the bookings recorded for the Doris C. Gravat Detention Center for May 26, 2016. 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.

Shannon Latoya Broadwater, 31 - fraudulent check checks or stop payment $500 or less first offense three counts, fraudulent check less than $1,000, breach of trust with fraudulent intent less than $1,000, violation of probation, sale of beer or wine to a person under 21

Stephen Levon Carlisle, 27 - possession of other controlled substance first offense, possession of stolen goods

Hunter Jay Barker, 21 - trespassing after notice

David Lee Hennings, 29 - possession of 28 grams or less of marijuana or 10 grams or less of hash bench warrant

James Edward Collier, 55 - assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature

James Bernard Oakman Jr., 56 - violation of a restraining order issued in magistrate court personal two counts

Peter Alan Johann, 38 - violation of probation driving under suspension license not suspended for driving under the influence third or subsequent offense, reckless driving, unlawful operation of an unsafe or improperly equipped vehicle

Leonard Phillip Loadholt, 33 - hold for Aiken Department of Public Safety awaiting warrants, hold for Fairfax Police Department per National Crime Information Center

Clayton Lane Dean, 46 - shoplifting second offense

Kristin Renee Hudson, 35 - driving under suspension license not suspended for driving under the influence bench warrant

Michael Brad Moseley, 47 - failure to pay family court

Jennifer Nicole Crane, 30 - nuisance common bench warrant

Thomas Robert Lirley Sr., 34 - hold for Aiken Department of Public Safety warrants

Democrats Phil Black and Arik Bjorn are in the June 14 primary race for the U.S. House of Representatives District 2 seat.

Bjorn is a public librarian from Columbia and formerly managed the South Carolina SmartState Program.

He has named infrastructure, education and economic development among the issues he would address if elected.

Following a speech at a Democratic meeting in May, Bjorn told the Aiken Standard that the Savannah River Site is essentially a fuel infrastructure center, and though fuel and energy changes over time, what shouldn't change is that the site is important to fuel research.

Regardless of what fuel is used years from now, Bjorn said it's important that jobs are maintained in the area and that USC Aiken and technical colleges continue to be the "important economic development machines that they are."

Black also has supported SRS, saying the federal government has an obligation to Aiken County "to clean up" the site.

On infrastructure, Bjorn has said "roads couldn't be worse," pointing out how the state is still recovering fallout from last October's flooding.

"It's not just congestion. It's not just the roads. It's the airport. It's the bridges. It's the whole kit and caboodle," Bjorn said. "Congress needs to fund infrastructure nationally, from sea to shining sea, and in doing so, put people back to work. There would be no unemployment in this country while we repair."

Ahead of the primary, Bjorn has publicly challenged Black filing as a Democrat. Black has run three times as a Republican against incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. On Thursday evening, the S.C. Democratic Party endorsed Bjorn.

Black told the newspaper this week the District 2 lines were changed in 2012 and he ran as a Democrat to garner crossover votes.

"I don't know what a Democrat is, really," he said. "I think it goes down to the individual. What you get is what you see about me and I would never say anything bad about my opponent."

Asked if he identified with the party's principles, he said Democrats help to take care of the people who can't take care of themselves.

"So, yes, I identify with that," he added.

The country "needs to get back to basics," according to the candidate, who is a business owner residing in Lexington. Black said the country should get back to its religious roots and also focus on business ingenuity.

"We need something we can sell to get people jobs," said Black. "Once we get jobs back to the general public, families have pride."

After filing, he said not much has changed from his previous campaigns. He continues to emphasize the importance of improving the economy, creating more jobs, specifically in agriculture and manufacturing, and improving the education system.

Black said he previously served on two school boards - in Barnwell and Lexington - and noted it's important to encourage vocational training for students who do not go to college.

"I feel like if I can get to Washington, do something for young people, and the country itself, I can go to my grave and say at least I tried," he said.

Wilson and American Party candidate Eddie McCain also have filed for the seat.

Christina Cleveland is the county government reporter at the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @ChristinaNCleve.

NORTH AUGUSTA - Students at Hammond Hill Elementary School were in for some hands-on learning.

From seeing live reptiles and hissing cockroaches, to making slime and taking a hovercraft for a spin, the school's Science Day offered a wide variety of learning experiences.

Experts and hobbyists alike volunteered their time and knowledge to provide interesting and fun lessons for students May 20.

In one room, Carol Eldridge, from the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, carried around a 3-year-old alligator for students.

In another, the sound of hammers banging down nails filled the room, as students and fathers of students constructed future homes for birds.

"Lowes donated 150 birdhouses," third-grade teacher Robin Patterson said. "A team of our dads helped put them together."

Amy Hunter is the news editor for The North Augusta Star.

She graduated from Augusta University in 2014 and previously worked as a copy editor and page designer for the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @AmyHunterNA.

The sound of crashing bowling pins only briefly interrupted the joyful laughter and conversation of patrons at the Fort Gordon bowling alley.

The year was 1968 and a young Bill Patterson had recently been named the alley's manager. It had only been four years since the Gulf of Tonkin incident between the U.S. and North Vietnamese forces. Patterson was a U.S. Army reservist.

"Reservists weren't being called to active duty very much back then, it's common these days," Patterson said.

He was initially trained as an infantryman, but was assigned to the 319th Transportation Company in Augusta as a driver. Early in 1968, he found out that the 319th was to be deployed to Vietnam at the height of American involvement in the war.

Typically, soldiers receive official orders or notification from their unit about deployments, but Patterson and crew found out through radio and television reports.

"I don't think any one of us wanted to go to that war. But no one really wants to go to war," he said.

Patterson said that it felt as though American forces were just treading water, and it didn't seem like there was an end goal to the war.

"Our country was in the right, though. We were trying to help the Vietnamese people just like over there now (Iraq and Afghanistan). But I don't think we should have ever let that war go on for that long," he said.

Patterson's unit is known as "Troxler's Trucks," named for company commander Capt. Drew Troxler. It was responsible for carrying important cargo, such as ammunition, to forward posts where combat operations were ongoing.

Troops drove more than 1 million miles as a unit during their deployment and faced a number of ambushes, including enemy contact in a major ambush along the Cambodian border. They were stationed at Long Binh, about 10 miles north of Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City.

"It was a lot of miles, considering we were driving about 15 miles an hour and the roads were either dirt or beat up pavement," Patterson said.

He also remembered the weather being very hot, with stifling humidity that didn't let up because of the country's proximity to the equator.

Patterson also said that the unit was very blessed that they all knew one another. One of the soldiers even went by the name "Modoc" because he grew up in the small South Carolina town of Modoc.

"Everyone was from the Augusta area, some of the guys even grew up and went to school together," he said.

Deployments, or tours, in Vietnam were typically yearlong. However, Troxler's Truckers were only in the country from September 1968 to August 1969. The shortened tour came as an announcement from then-President Richard Nixon.

"I was listening to the military radio station out of Saigon on a little, old portable radio, Patterson said.

"President Nixon announced a list of five reserve units in Vietnam that were being brought home early. Well, ours was No. 5."

Patterson said there are 50 or 60 veterans from the unit still in the area who reunite every so often. Patterson is taking part in Aiken's Memorial Day Parade today in commemoration of the fallen soldiers, including the 319th's sole casualty, Spc. Roy Miller.

Thomas Gardiner is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard.

There is something to be said about a small graduation ceremony.

They are infinitely more intimate.

Lacking the number of graduates of larger schools, you get to know the graduating seniors by the time the ceremony has completed.

You get to know their hardships, their challenges, their successes and their failures over the course of their high school careers.

By ceremony's end, they become more than just names in a program. They become three dimensional. They take on substance and personality.

They become real.

Mead Hall Episcopal School at the Aiken Prep campus celebrated its 100th anniversary with a graduation ceremony in its gymnasium Friday honoring six seniors who are moving on to the collegiate ranks in the fall.

Graduating seniors Alexis Rae Dominguez, Lauren Brandt Guillebeau, Daniel Jacob Harrington, Ella McGregor Morton, Brody William Muir, and Caroline Courtney Wolcott earned their high school diplomas and said goodbye to their scholastic families in a ceremony filled with laughter and tears, from students, parents and even the faculty and staff.

Kitty Gordon, the Head of School at Mead Hall, said on more than one occasion as she described attributes of each graduate, "I didn't mean for this to be funny."

The laughter provided levity and broke some tension during the solemn ceremony, where it was OK to laugh, which made it even more OK to cry.

These were the big brothers and big sisters of Mead Hall closing the book on this chapter of their lives and waiting to open the door to the next. Headed for Clemson, South Carolina, Furman and beyond, the graduates made promises among themselves, to come back and visit the underclassmen next fall, being reminded through reminiscences among classmates, these are friendships that last beyond the issuing of diplomas.

"Resiliency is the ability to bounce back," Gordon said. "The great thing about bouncing back is that we grow a little bit stronger each time."

Aiken Prep was founded in 1916 by Louise Hitchcock, wife of American polo pioneer Thomas Hitchcock and mother of international polo star Tommy Hitchcock Jr.

For most of its existence, Aiken Prep was a junior boys' boarding school from fourth through ninth grade. In 1989, through a merger with the Aiken Day School, the school transitioned to move toward a day school format.

During the summer of 2012, Aiken Preparatory School merged with Mead Hall Episcopal School. While the campus will continue to be referred to as the 'Aiken Prep' campus, Aiken Preparatory School is now officially known as Mead Hall Episcopal School.

There are 375 students at Mead Hall Episcopal School, running from 3K through 12th grade.

The Rt. Rev. Andrew Waldo, Episcopal Bishop, of Upper South Carolina, provided the commencement address.

"We are like a loaf of bread," he said. "Created out of dust, nurtured with water and forged by fire. Like a loaf of bread, we can only be shared once we are broken."

The processional and recessional music was provided by the Mead Hall School Band.

"Just remember to enjoy the journey," Gordon said to close the ceremony.

Dan Brown is the city government reporter for the Aiken Standard.

When Jake Harrington received his diploma from Mead Hall Episcopal School on Friday morning, he carried on a tradition four generations in the making.

His great-grandfather, Harold Fletcher, was the headmaster at Aiken Preparatory School, which merged with Mead Hall in 2012, from 1938 to 1971. His grandfather, Bob Harrington, was headmaster at Aiken Prep from 1971 to 1988.

His father, Rob Harrington, attended the school and is now Mead Hall's alumni relations director. His brother, Zach, graduated in 2013.

The main building at Mead Hall's campus on Barnwell Avenue is named Harrington Hall.

"This school has become a home for me. I've grown up here," said Jake, who started kindergarten at Aiken Prep. "Everything I've learned academically, athletically, everything I've accomplished, I owe it to the school and the people who have worked here, and having my grandfather and my father here made it seem even more like a home."

Jake estimated he has spent 2,000 hours on the campus.

"If you do the math, it's almost two full years. It's a huge portion of my life," said Jake, who will attend the Honors College at USC Columbia in the fall to major in geology. "It's been a great experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Rob Harrington said coming back to the school about 14 years ago was like coming home, too.

"It was nice having my grandfather live next door when I was here and seeing him and my father at all the meals, and it was so nice to see Jake and Zach throughout the day and coach them in soccer and just watch them grow up. I've been very blessed."

Rob Harrington said Mead Hall has kept many of Aiken Prep's traditions, such as a declamation contest and dividing the school into green and white teams for sports competitions. It also has celebrated the founding of Aiken Prep 100 years ago throughout this year.

"It's been nice being able to do those things I used to do and share it with my kids today and give that gift to them," he said.

Although he's retired, Bob Harrington, who is on Mead Hall's board, said he still comes to the school just about every day, and for the past 17 years, one of his grandsons has been there.

"I check on Rob and see if there is anything I can do to help him, and I always check on what Jake is doing," he said. "I've enjoyed watching him grow here and all of his athletic and academics abilities. It was a great thrill to see Jake graduate. I'm just so proud of him and my whole family."

Larry Wood covers education for the Aiken Standard.

The Corner of Union and Park: A Memorial Day parade is a uniquely classic American event.

During a Memorial Day celebration Saturday, municipalities across the country paused to honor those who have fallen, and mourn those who did not return home.

In Bath, more than 50 veterans, and civic and religious officials turned out for the laying of the wreath ceremony at the war memorial monument.

More than 50 former members of the military, Legion members and State Sen. Shane Massey were on hand as Langley-Bath-Clearwater American Legion Post No. 153 honored America's fallen soldiers during a wreath-laying ceremony and memorial service.

Featured speaker, American Legion Post 153 member Walt Worsham, said he had never seen a more patriotic county than Aiken.

"The reason why we're fortunate to live in safety and freedom in this country is due to the millions of service men and women who defend our country," he said.

In downtown Aiken, the crowd gathered early this Saturday morning, with more than 100 parade entries lined up along Union, Kershaw and Horry streets waiting their turn to fall in line as the parade began its march down Park Avenue to Laurens Street.

Around the historic Train Depot where the parade gathered for the start, the strains of bagpipes and drums echoed among the treetops, with the pipe and drum marching band playing more contemporary tunes such as the theme of the Starz TV hit "Outlander," to the more traditional "Amazing Grace."

Joe Watson, 93, a World War II veteran and Grand Marshal for the 2016 parade, confessed this was his first Memorial Day parade in which he had ridden.

"This is a great American event, the parade," he said. "And it's my first one, riding in one."

Co-Grand Marshal, First Lady of the Parade, Bessie Ruth "Becky" Wahnee, the widow of Ralph Wahnee, who served during World War II as a Comanche code talker, rode in the car directly behind, clutching a tissue in one hand, while waving with the other. This is still an emotional moment for her as she nodded with the teary-eyed smile.

Sometimes words aren't necessary.

Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon drove by, looking for his spot in the parade lineup, which was at the front of course. He rode shotgun.

Osbon enjoyed the experience of his first parade as mayor with his family.

"Aiken is a city that has always had men and women who serve our country," he said. "Memorial Day is a time we remember and honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. To have the opportunity to participate in this parade, more than any other, is special. This parade brings people together from all over our city for a common cause, to pay respect."

Political candidates were sprinkled among the parade's 100 entries. Heroes, both young and old, and high school bands, both marching and concert band variety, dotted the parade route.

American flags were everywhere, in every shape and size, some even fashioned into articles of clothing. Red, white and blue dandelions sprouted on the asphalt lawn of Park Avenue.

The crowd, decked out in all their red, white and blue finery began lining the parade route a full 90 minutes before the parade's 11 a.m. start.

There were bicycle and motorcycle riders.

Golf carts of every shape and imaginable size sped by before the parade's start, and inserted themselves into the procession along the route.

There were puppies and dogs, both watching the parade, and along for the ride.

Kids rode in wagons and strollers.

Veterans stood at attention honoring their comrades with military personnel riding in the parade returning their salutes.

On the opposite side of Park Avenue at the corner of Union Street, a United States Navy veteran stood and saluted as every member of the military marched or rode by. He struggled to rise from his wheelchair to stand as veterans rode past, but his back was as straight as a 2x4 and his salute as crisp as a starched shirt. He stood at attention until each had passed.

A single, riderless horse, with boots reversed in the stirrups, a tradition dating back to the time of Genghis Khan meant to symbolize fallen soldiers, followed behind the parade.

He did not stand this time, but instead buried his face in his hands and cried.

For him, the loss remained painfully fresh, a poignant reminder of the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and comrades that never returned home.

Not only are the fallen remembered.

They are mourned.

Dan Brown is the city government reporter.

Surprise visits from Savannah River Remediation, or SRR, employees left Aiken County elementary school teachers with educational grants to advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, curriculum in their classrooms.

Teachers in five Aiken County elementary schools applied for and won Students/Teachers Achieving Results, also known as STAR grants, to provide funding for innovative approaches to teaching in STEM areas.

Overall, SRR, the liquid waste contractor at the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site, awarded 10 elementary school teachers with STAR grants in Aiken and Barnwell counties, as well as Columbia, and Richmond counties in Georgia.

Unbeknownst to the teachers, SRR representatives traveled to the schools to surprise the teachers with the grant checks in front of their principal and students.

Tom Foster, SRR president and project manager, said awarding elementary school grants is one of the ways the company shows appreciation to teachers in the community.

"Teachers notoriously give extra time and resources, often their own, to provide opportunities for their students above the standard curriculum," Foster said. "We want to help teachers excite students about math and science with these grants and make STEM-related concepts more hands-on in the classroom."

He said, "This early introduction to STEM is important to us since SRR is a technology-based company. Our future workforce depends on it."

A team of SRR employees reviewed the grant proposals submitted this year and selected the best entries to receive the grants. SRR has provided more than $47,000 in grants since the company began awarding grants in 2010.

The 2016 SRR STAR grant winners in Aiken County are:

- Christi McWaters and Susan Gerstenberger, East Aiken School of the Arts, Aiken

- Sarah Emerling, Hammond Hill Elementary School, North Augusta

- Kathleen Langston, Redcliffe Elementary School, Jackson

- Amy Edwards and Theresa Spieker, Mossy Creek Elementary School, North Augusta

- Tonya Sawyer Gordon, Byrd Elementary School, Graniteville.

Republicans John Pettigrew and incumbent Sen. Shane Massey are running for the S.C. Senate District 25 seat.

Pettigrew is a small businessman in Edgefield and owner of Pettigrew Properties, according to a campaign news release.

He previously was elected Edgefield mayor and served in the S.C. House of Representatives from 1987-88. He also was Edgefield County administrator and was on the staff of Sen. Strom Thurmond, his release states.

Pettigrew has said the "status quo" in Columbia is not getting the job done, adding he believes the needs of the state are being neglected.

"We need proven, mature leadership to get in there and fight for the people," he said.

And one of the issues he said he would tackle if elected is term limits for state legislators, including himself.

"Too many people with good intentions go to Columbia and after a few years they get comfortable and become a part of the system and drift away and stop serving the people," said Pettigrew, who has proposed an eight-year term limit for lawmakers. "I'm going to work for that when I get elected. I would limit myself for eight years."

Other issues that are a part of his campaign include fixing the state's infrastructure, judicial reform and ethics reform. Pettigrew said his plans for roads includes eliminating the DOT commission and state infrastructure bank, allowing the governor to appoint the secretary of transportation, making fixing existing roads a priority rather than building new roads, and completing the aforementioned without a gas tax increase.

On judicial reform, he believes the legislature should not be allowed to elect every circuit judge, court of appeals or supreme court justice. Regarding ethics, he said the house and senate ethics committees should be abolished and favors an independent ethics commission to investigate ethics complaints against lawmakers, as well as prosecute and punish them.

Massey is an attorney from Edgefield and has served the district since 2007. He announced his plans to seek re-election in April.

In his re-election announcement, Massey said since being elected, he has demanded recorded votes on every bill so voters can hold senators accountable, criticized "irresponsible spending decisions" by the General Assembly, denounced deficits at several agencies and South Carolina State University, and also spoke against defenders of the "status quo."

"Leaders must step forward and do the hard work it takes to move our state forward," Massey said. "Many politicians would rather keep doing things the way we've always done them, but we are not going to make real progress in our state unless we have the courage, vision and determination to change the status quo."

Among the issues he's addressed include stronger ethics laws, an expansion of educational opportunities and a "permanent and fiscally responsible fix" for the state's infrastructure

On roads, Massey said on his website he opposed lawmakers' plans for a tax increase, instead organizing and leading a small group of Republican senators "to propose a conservative alternative." Massey said the first step is to reform the State Department of Transportation and eliminate the commission, allowing the governor to be responsible for the agency.

He is calling for more transparency from SCDOT and said the agency should have regular audits. Massey said the General Assembly must find a consistent funding source to prepare the infrastructure and expand interstate capacity but said he does not support an increase in the gas tax for roads until DOT is reformed and any increase is offset with other tax relief for residents.

Regarding ethics, he said state law should require elected officials to disclose who pays them and that an independent body should investigate ethics complaints against lawmakers. He calls education the top issue for the state and has stated he supports Gov. Nikki Haley's education reform initiatives that include recruiting teachers to work in underperforming districts and allowing the governor to appoint the superintendent of education.

Massey was elected as Senate Majority Leader in April.

Christina Cleveland is the county government reporter at the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @ChristinaNCleve.