Students in Aiken High's German program, taught by Art and Lisa Lader, once again have excelled on the National German Exam in the state.

Twenty-one students from the program received gold, silver or bronze medals for their achievements on the test, administered by the American Association of Teacher of German Inc. Also, 14 students placed in the top 10 in levels 2, 3 and 4 among high school German students in South Carolina.

"In our program, we don't do anything fancy. We work," said Art Lader, who has been an educator for 35 years. "We have a little fun, but we work, and we work, and then we work some more. They're wonderful kids, and we're proud of them."

Aiken High students who placed in the top 10 statewide were as follows:

- First place - Elena Hansen

- Second place - Mohsin Rizvi

- Third place - Isabella Hill

- Fourth place - Izzy Pyle, Bryan Melvin and Sophia Gerstenberger

- Sixth place - Katie Clamp and Stephen Carlisle

- Seventh place - Brynne Berry

- Ninth place - Timothy Siler

- 10th place - Charlton Hill, Emma Sargent, Erik Fallon and Ashton Dorman.

While the Laders' students scored well in the state, their program has scored a reputation for being one of the state's best.

Thomas Baginski, a professor of German at the College of Charleston, said Aiken High's German program is "hands-down the No. 1 German program in South Carolina."

"Our German program here at the college has immensely benefited from Art and Lisa's superbly trained and educated Aiken High School students who came to study at the College of Charleston and subsequently graduated from C of C with a major or minor in German studies," Baginski said. "I can even say without hesitation that the Laders' German program at Aiken High is among the top three German high school programs in the entire Southeast."

Parents of Aiken High German students agreed.

Gail Clamp's son, Cameron, completed five years of German, including AP German, with the Laders, and her daughter, Katie, is about to complete her third year.

"I think what makes the Laders' program so effective is that they make their instruction very 'real life,'" Clamp said. "The students not only learn to write the language; they must learn to speak it. In fact, both of our children regularly communicate in German with friends they met in the German exchange (program)."

Kaneez Rizvi's two children also studied and study German with the Laders. She said the program has helped them not only learn the language but also respect other cultures.

"My kids are not only learning the language at school but also speaking it to each other at home," she said. "The Laders teach the language in a way that kids enjoy it and want to speak it. Through their German exchange program, my kids have had an opportunity to grow in confidence and maturity. They have made lasting friendships while learning to understand and respect other cultures."

Rizvi said her daughter, Zahra, "speaks German, cooks German food, is making plans to go back to Germany next summer, all because of the German class she decided to take."

"Taking German is not just a class, it's a way of life," Zahra said.

Larry Wood covers education at the Aiken Standard.

Aiken City Council will convene a special meeting Tuesday, to consider the second and final vote, plus a public hearing on a pair of ordinances designed to move forward with the Whiskey Road site earmarked for Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

The special meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers, in the Aiken Municipal Building, 214 Park Ave.

Council is expected to move forward on a development agreement for 2270 Whiskey Road, the former site of Ladd Britt Auto Sales. That site has been proposed to house a Krispy Kreme.

Council is also expected to discuss and consider the second of two votes of an ordinance to annex the 2.76 acres located at 2270 Whiskey Road into the city and zone it planned commercial. The property is owned by Ladd K. Britt.

Development of the property has been on hold since January as the City laid stormwater and sanitary sewer pipes from George's Pond behind Cracker Barrel to the proposed Krispy Kreme site three doors down.

Pipe construction has progressed on schedule, said City Manager John Klimm.

In December 2015, plans for a potential Krispy Kreme doughnut restaurant were proposed for the Whiskey Road location.

The requested annexation was approved by the Planning Commission during its December 2015 meeting and sent to Council for final approval.

Construction on the stormwater and sanitary sewer pipes have been completed and await DHEC approval, according to Klimm. Should permitting be approved, groundbreaking could happen as soon as Wednesday.

Trotter said construction should take five to six months following the groundbreaking.

Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon said the partnership with Krispy Kreme is a great opportunity for Aiken.

"This agreement will help the development of the former Ladd Britt Auto Sales site as we move forward with the Krispy Kreme project," Osbon said. "We're excited about bringing Krispy Kreme to Aiken."

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

Aiken County has been awarded federal funds under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program through the United Way of Aiken County.

Aiken County has been chosen to receive $77,502 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the area.

The selection was made by a National Board that is chaired by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and consists of representatives from The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, United Jewish Communities, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and United Way of America, which will provide the administrative staff and function as fiscal agents. The Board was charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

A local board made up of representatives of the community will determine how the funds awarded to Aiken County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service organizations in the area. The local board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds available under this phase of the program.

Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local governmental or private voluntary organizations chosen to receive funds must be nonprofit, have an accounting system, practice nondiscrimination, have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and, if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. Qualifying organizations are urged to apply.

Any qualifying organization wishing to apply for funding through this program may pick up an application at the United Way of Aiken County office, 235 Barnwell Ave. N.W. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Applications are due back to the United Way by June 13.

For information, call the United Way of Aiken County at 803-648-8331.

In other United Way of Aiken County-related news, Publix Supermarkets Charities, a charitable foundation established by George Jenkins to serve communities in which Publix Supermarkets operate, presented the United Way with a check for $62,100 representing their corporate match of employee contributions for the 2015 United Way campaign.

This donation, combined with those of the Aiken and North Augusta Publix employees, brings the total to $146,900. Both John London, of the Publix Supermarket in North Augusta, and Randy Blankenship, of the Publix Supermarket in Aiken, serve on the United Way of Aiken County's board of directors.

"We are grateful for Publix and their dedication to serving others," said United Way President Sharon Rodgers. "Their support to our annual campaign significantly impacts the ability for us to provide the services necessary to meet the needs of our community."

Melissa Goldman, whose son, Ryan, will be a freshman at Aiken High in the fall and is in the marching band, said she would favor a proposal in the state Senate to make participation in marching band a physical education credit in state schools.

"We're considering holding off taking PE just in case the proposal becomes law," Goldman said. "If band becomes a PE credit, that would be great."

S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, who sits on the Senate Education Committee, said there was no opposition to the bill in the Senate, where S. 1204 passed three readings. It was sent May 26 to the House, where the bill awaits first reading.

Because the bill was filed late in the legislative session, it will be difficult but not impossible for the bill to pass three House readings by Thursday's deadline. Young said the bill could still pass by then if it's taken up without reference.

"There was no opposition to it (the bill)," Young said. "If you observe a high school band in full uniform and hot weather, there's pretty strenuous exercise involved."

Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, introduced the bill in early April.

In a story in the Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston, Sheheen said he introduced the bill after witnessing the long practices in the heat his youngest son goes through while participating in marching band.

Sheheen said he proposed the amendment to state law to get more kids into music and also recognize the work they put in.

"My observation is that my son, who is in marching band, consistently for a longer period of time gets more exercise than my sons who have just one semester of PE, which is the requirement," Sheheen told the Post and Courier. "When these kids get into marching band, unlike a semester of PE, they end up staying three, four years. So they're getting the exercise over that longer period of time."

Goldman agreed.

"With band, it's not so much physical exercises, such as jumping jacks, but it's precise and coordinated movement you do over and over again," she said. "My son plays the baritone, which is a big, heavy instrument, and his upper arm strength this past year increased tremendously."

Marching band practice starts before school begins in August and continues through Christmas, when marching bands participate in local parades, Goldman said. Practice picks up again after spring break.

Goldman said the exercises Aiken High band director Greg Priest has his students do during band camp are particularly strenuous.

"The students lie on their backs, lift their legs no more than six inches off the ground and do a scissors motion," she said. "Their muscles and their core, wow, it gives them endurance. You have to have endurance to march a show and play and carry your instrument."

Currently, students can enroll in an ROTC program to fulfill their PE credit. PE classes are yearlong, two semester courses.

Sheheen's proposal cleared the Senate Subcommittee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education with amendments in mid-May.

The Senate sent the bill to the House on Thursday. However, the bill did not move to the House before May 1, the crossover deadline. After that day, any legislation that clears either the House or Senate requires a two-thirds majority to be debated by the other body this year.

If the House does not vote to hear the bill, it could not pass this year.

Representatives from the Aiken County Public School District declined to comment on the proposed bill.

To follow any further progress on the bill in the State Legislature, visit www.scstatehouse.gov, mark "Bill Number" under "Quick Search" and type in 1204, the Senate bill number, in the field above.

Larry Wood covers education for the Aiken Standard. Aiken Standard Executive Editor Michael Smith contributed to this report.

When Aiken High German exchange students Elena Hansen and Sophie Steindorf arrived in America and Aiken, both for the first time, they had the same impression.

It was like being in an American movie, they said.

"My host family picked me up, and when we drove home, everything - the streets and the street signs and the streetlights - it was just so American. I was, like, wow," Steindorf said. "It was exactly like a movie out of the car window. It was crazy."

Hansen arrived in Aiken at night but had a similar experience.

"I was sitting in the car, and I went, 'I'm in the U.S.,'" she said. "I was freaking out. It was so cool."

Steindorf has been in Aiken since Aug. 12, living with her host family, Kayla and John Hostetler. She will fly to Boston to visit family friends before returning home to Constance, Germany, in early June.

Hansen arrived in January to stay with her host family, Jimmy and Emily Moore and their three daughters. She will return to Kappeln, Germany, on June 8.

Hansen and Steindorf, both sophomores, speak near flawless English - Steindorf with barely an accent. Learning English in German schools is mandatory, they said.

Steindorf attended an English kindergarten and started studying English in fifth grade. Hansen began English classes in third grade.

Education probably is the biggest difference between their home country and America, Hansen and Steindorf said. Students attend school for 12 years in Germany but take more subjects, and classes are more rigorous.

"I would have had 13 subjects this year," Steindorf said. "Every year we have physics and chemistry and English and German and math - all kinds of math in one year. It just gets harder with each year."

Another difference between American and German schools? Prom.

German schools don't have the traditional American rite of passage.

I really, really liked prom," Steindorf said. "I went with a couple of friends, and the dancing was great. The big group dancing, that was awesome."

Hansen got ready for prom with friends and experienced a distinctly Southern tradition before the big dance: dinner at Waffle House.

"It was so great," she said.

Both Steindorf and Hansen have become active at school and in the community during their visit.

Steindorf joined the cross-country team at Aiken High. Hansen worked backstage at the Aiken Community Playhouse, where Jimmy Moore is a board member. She also worked on Aiken's annual Heart Show, which Moore's dad, Jim, writes.

"I did the spotlight," Hansen said. "I had never experienced that before. I love theater."

Hansen and Steindorf said they will miss their host families and the friends they've made when they return home.

"And school sports, which aren't big in Germany," Steindorf said. "And the school spirit, too. The pep rally was awesome."

"I'm going to cry when I leave," Hansen said. "We just got our yearbooks, and everyone wrote in them. I'm going to miss them so much."

Although they live about as far away from each other as possible in Germany - Hansen in the north near Denmark, and Steindorf in the south a few minutes from Switzerland - they plan to stay in touch and maybe return to Aiken one day at the same time.

"I really like it here," Elena said. "I like the region, the country, the culture, and everybody is so friendly. Germans are not unfriendly, but they're not so open. Americans are just friendlier. That's what I'm going to miss."

"One of the reasons I chose to come to the states as an exchange student was the friendliness that I had heard about Americans, that they are really open and friendly," Steindorf said. "That's been very true. Americans are just really, really nice."

Larry Wood covers education for the Aiken Standard.

"The longest yard sale of the year" will return June 3 and 4.

The yard sale that runs for 44 miles on S.C. Highway 23 through seven towns, from Batesburg-Leesville to Modoc, is in its 11th year. The event is rain or shine, and people can expect to find "everything from clothing, jewelry, furniture, household items and many more items," according to the event's website.

There is no specific start or end time for the event, but according to the website, many individuals begin around 6 or 7 a.m. and end around 4 or 5 p.m.

This year, the Edgefield Inn, 702 Augusta Road, Edgefield, is offering a discount to those who stay overnight if the yard sale is mentioned when booking.

Each individual town has its own contact information, but there is some general information that everyone should know:

- Get permission from land/store owner before setting up your space (Ridge Spring rents out spaces.)

- Set up your display to attract passersby and display prices clearly

- Make sure your space is clean after breakdown and all trash is picked up

- Consider donating leftover items to Goodwill or other organizations in the area.

For more information, visit peachtree23.com, call Donna Livingston at 803-275-0010 or email info@edgefield countychamber.org. More information also can be found by contacting the individual towns.

Aiken High seniors who will receive their diplomas this week will graduate not only with academic abilities, but also real-world skills taught by business executives to prepare them for the workplace.

For three weeks this spring, six volunteers from SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, met with classes to prepare the seniors for life after high school.

Specifically, they taught students three skills they will need when looking for a job: how to fill out a job application, how to act during a job interview and how to determine business expectations to identify what will be expected of them when they get hired.

At the end of the three weeks, every senior at Aiken High had rotated through each of the three sessions.

"The goal for all of our seniors is to make sure that they're prepared when they graduate so they can go out and get a job, whether it's a job because they're not going to college or a job because they're in college and need spending money or money to support themselves," said Jennifer Kolmar, one of Aiken High's four assistant principals. "At one point, everybody has to be able to do the three things we identified."

Kolmar said having the retired business executives talk to the students gives them inside information from people who have reviewed job applications and conducted interviews - information teachers might not have.

For example, the business leaders could give students hints about how best to fill out an application to highlight their skills, Kolmar said.

The business executives also could tell the students what they have looked at specifically when they received an application.

The executives also conducted mock interviews for different kinds of jobs, Kolmar said.

"We wanted to tell our students that these are the people who are going to be hiring them," she said. "We wanted to use their experience to help our students be successful."

The students also asked the executives specific questions about the interview process, such as how to shake an interviewer's hand properly, how long to shake and who lets go first, Kolmar said.

"We don't teach those skills," she said. "If someone doesn't tell our students before going into an interview, they might not know and be caught off guard."

The focus of the program was helping students be successful beyond high school, Kolmar said.

"Our seniors are leaving us, and we want to do anything we can do to help them," she said. "We know that they have their diplomas. We know they have their curriculum and standards for what was required to get their diplomas, but we also want to make sure we give them the real-life skills so that now that they have their diplomas, what are they going to do with them?"

Larry Wood covers education for the Aiken Standard.

A little rain couldn't keep two Aiken churches from coming together to help raise money for the Glover Grove Baptist Church, destroyed last year by a fire.

The St. Thaddeus Episcopal and the St. Augustine of Canterbury churches of Aiken planned a combined "Fifth Sunday" service Sunday in Hopelands Gardens, but weather from tropical storm Bonnie caused a change of plans. The Rev. Grant Wiseman and The Rev. Dale Klitzke moved the service indoors to St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church on Pendleton Street in Aiken.

"We had to make the call to move the service inside," Wiseman said, "But that's OK. It will still be a great service."

The packed sanctuary of combined parishioners listened to a wide selection of hymns and songs during the near 90 minute service, which included the usual sermons and a call for help to those who had experienced misfortune.

"Those who have given their lives for this great country that we live in, and to those families who have lost loved ones in service of their country," Wiseman said.

Klitzke preached about a gap being in the gospel.

"Breaking ground on the new church is set in two weeks," Wiseman said, explaining the day's offering procedure. "While they don't have enough to finish the church yet, they do have to get it started, and this is what they're doing."

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

According to Wiseman, the Episcopal Church as a whole gave more than a $1 million to the six churches that burned down last year.

"We have given more than $200,000 in donations to Glover Grove to help them rebuild," Wiseman said.

The anniversary of the church fire is June 26, less than a month away. 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 to raise money for the church.

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

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," he said.

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.

As the St. Thaddeus/St. Augustine joint Memorial Day Sunday service began, a moment of silence was observed for those who served, and especially those who gave their lives in the ultimate sacrifice.

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 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.

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

The Aiken Civic Ballet is helping mark Memorial Day with its performance during the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department's 2016 Hopelands Gardens Summer Concert Series.

The performance will be at 7 p.m. today at the Roland H. Windham Performing Arts Stage in Hopelands Gardens, 135 Dupree Place.

Audience members are asked to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets and can bring picnic dinners. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed at the event.

In case of inclement weather, the performance will be moved inside to Gym Two of H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, 1700 Whiskey Road.

If this is suspected to occur, guests may call the rainout hotline at 803-643-4661 for more information.

Pets that are well-behaved are allowed but must remain on their leashes.

Handicap parking is available at the Rye Patch parking lot, 100 Berrie Road, and the Hopelands Gardens parking lot. All other attendees can park at the Green Boundary Club, 780 Whiskey Road.

For more information, call 803-642-7631 or visit Experience Aiken's Facebook page.

Stephanie Turner graduated from Valdosta State University in 2012. She then signed on with the Aiken Standard, where she is now the features reporter. She primarily covers health topics, arts and entertainment, authors and restaurants.

When Krystal Green, of the Columbia Urban League, asked Luke Morris to tell her a little bit about himself, 16-year-old Morris was ready with an answer.

"I'm very optimistic," said the rising junior at South Aiken High School. "I like to see the best in everything, and I like trying to make what I can out of different situations."

Later, when Green asked Morris why he would be a good job candidate, he replied, "I take pride in what I do. I'm very committed to anything that I take on."

After the interview was over, Green praised Morris' performance and offered some advice.

"You did an excellent job," Green said. "I loved the fact that you had a firm handshake. Your eye contact was good, and you dressed very well. You need to brush up your responses so you elaborate a little more and work on coming up with an elevator speech, which is a little 90-second spiel about yourself."

Morris was among the 40 participants in the Columbia Urban League and Aiken Youth Empowerment's Level Up program who had the opportunity to do mock interviews with 12 representatives of businesses and agencies at St. John's United Methodist Church on May 25.

"'Level Up' is a career readiness program that also focuses on leadership skills," said Kandace Kave, director of community programming for Helping Hands, which is Aiken Youth Empowerment's parent organization. "The students in Level Up range in age from 14 to 21. They can go to workshops throughout the school year - at least two per month. Then they are assigned jobs in Aiken County during the summer, and they work for six weeks."

Morris was happy about how his mock interview went.

"I've been looking forward to this," he said. "I was more excited than nervous. It gave me a chance to better myself, and she (Green) gave me some things I can work on, like preparing an elevator speech."

Quyon Forrest, a 17-year-old rising senior at Aiken High School, talked to Sara Sowers, a branch manager for Security Federal Bank, during his mock job interview.

Sowers told Forrest that responsibility, patience and understanding were the qualities that made him stand out as a job candidate.

Forrest also discussed what was important to him about a job.

"I want to make sure that I actually like what I'm doing, that I'm not just doing it for the money," he said. "I want to be able to help someone."

Sowers was impressed.

"I like your attitude," she said. "For me, attitude goes far. You can train just about anybody to do anything, but you can't change their attitude."

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

A bill that would allow concealed weapons permit holders to carry between South Carolina and Georgia could be in jeopardy due to a proposed amendment that would allow South Carolina to have reciprocity with all states, according to State Rep. Bill Hixon.

Sen. Lee Bright, R-Roebuck, is pushing the amendment that is also being supported by the National Rifle Association, said Hixon, R-North Augusta.

"We do not have the votes in the Senate to pass that," Hixon said. "We have the votes to pass my bill clean."

Hixon's constituents frequently cross the Georgia and South Carolina border, a reason why he has been championing the bill, H. 3799, which would grant reciprocity between the two states. He said lawmakers in support of the original bill are attempting to get the NRA to back down from the amendment in hopes to pass it in its current form.

For support, Hixon said he's reached out to his constituents, U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., and the National Wild Turkey Federation, a national nonprofit conservation and hunting organization, according to its website.

If the bill fails, Hixon said "he's laying at the feet of the NRA." The General Assembly's final day for action on bills is Thursday.

Last April, the House passed H. 3799 by 101-5. The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 21-0 vote last month and it has been placed on special order in the Senate.

It also has received support from members of the Aiken County Legislative Delegation. In the Senate, Sens. Shane Massey, R-Edgefield; Tom Young, R-Aiken; and Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, have all said they support the legislation.

Concern surrounding the bill has involved the differences between South Carolina and Georgia's CWP applications and requirements, namely training, which Georgia does not require.

Hixon said Georgia, which issues CWP's through probate court, checks if permit applicants have been charged with crimes like domestic violence or any revokable offense.

He said there are "zero statistics" that show CWP permit holders in South Carolina and Georgia are regularly "committing crimes and being arrested."

"That's not proven anywhere," he said.

The Post & Courier, of Charleston, has reported Sen. Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston, drafted 80 amendments on the bill hoping "to show senators why the bill is bad legislation," also mentioning training.

Kimpson also told the newspaper he was concerned with Bright's amendment. Efforts to reach Kimpson for comment were unsuccessful as of press time Sunday.

Hixon said South Carolina recognizes nearly two dozen states, as far as Alaska but not neighboring Georgia. If the bill fails to pass, the North Augusta lawmaker said it will be the first piece of legislation he files next session.

FOIA legislation

A bill designed to reform the state's Freedom of Information Act now has new life, said Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken.

Taylor, a champion of the House legislation, H. 319, said lawmakers employed a "unique legislative strategy" to get the original FOIA reform bill back on the calendar. The bill has been blocked in the Senate after Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews, D-Colleton, placed a minority report on it in March.

Last week, the House amended the Senate's dash cam bill, S. 913, performing what Taylor said is called a "strike and insert." Representatives "took the dash cam part out and inserted the main FOIA legislation we've been working for years," he said.

The legislation would reform the costs and response times for public record requests and also create a special division within the state's Administrative Law court to mediate FOIA disputes, which are currently heard in Circuit Court.

Lawmakers are expecting the Senate to not concur with the amendment, forcing it to go to conference committee, said Taylor.

"We said on the House floor, we're all for the dash cam FOIA bill (and) we had to reassure our members, we took it out so they have to put it back in and then we go to conference committee to work it out," he said.

The dash cam bill would require the release of dash cam footage when it "involves an officer-involved incident resulting in death, injury, property damage or the use of deadly force," according to the legislative website.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin, R-Pickens, is the lead sponsor of the bill, which came in the wake of the July 2015 officer-involved shooting that left 19-year-old Zachary Hammond dead.

Seneca police Lt. Mark Tiller shot and killed Hammond at a Seneca fast-food restaurant while assisting with an undercover narcotics investigation. Following the incident, Seneca police said Hammond failed to comply and drove his vehicle at Tiller.

The incident was captured on the officer's dashboard but the footage wasn't released until October when 10th Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams decided Tiller's actions were not criminal.

Martin told the Aiken Standard last Thursday he does not want to lose the dash cam bill, adding it also has "very important language about last utterances being out in public domain."

"When you have a person making a 911 call and they die, when they make that phone call, and they have that broadcast to the world, that's tough for the family," he said.

Martin said legislators won't have a lot of time this week to take up amendments between the two chambers. He said he's talked to some House members who have indicated to him they won't be difficult to work with, adding it could be worked out if it gets to a conference committee.

"It's a very important bill, and I don't want to see it get lost because of the differences in the House and Senate on the main FOIA legislation," he said.

A third reading on the bill will be held Tuesday, according to Taylor.

Roads

Three senators and three House members are a part of a conference committee that will work on the differences on H. 3579, a bill that would reform the governance of the State Department of Transportation. A finance committee bill, S. 1258, also is in the House and could reform DOT and provide revenue to repair state roads and bridges.

Taylor has told the newspaper that S. 1258 would generate $32 million for road resurfacing projects in Aiken County, $14 million for Edgefield County and $15 million for Barnwell County. Also a part of the bill is an additional $52 million to resurface 1-20 from Exit 5 to the Georgia state line, according to Taylor.

Setzler said Friday legislators "desperately need to pass" a roads funding bill before the end of the session. He also added it's important the appropriations bill gets passed. Massey said he's optimistic about roads reform, while mentioning he's hopeful ethics reform also will be able to be pushed through.

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

A veteran archaeologist said Hitchcock Woods was a vibrant archaeological artifact resource that spans more than 17,000 years of history.

Carl Steen, president of the Diachronic Research Foundation in Columbia, talked about what his group has found so far in the forest, how much of the artifacts that have been gathered and how far back in history they reach.

Pretty far, Steen told a full house at the Aiken County Historical Society's spring general meeting Sunday.

"Hitchcock Woods is a very active site, archaeologically speaking," Steen said. "An average active archaeological survey will contain one site for every 30 acres. Hitchcock Woods has one site for every 17 acres. There are a lot of artifacts down there."

Steen, a Charleston and Goose Creek native received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and his master's degree in Anthropology from William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virgina.

Steen and his associate, Bobby Southerlin, of Archaeological Consultants of the Carolinas in Clayton, North Carolina, are in charge of the survey, which began in the winter of 2015, and is in its second year of a three-year survey.

Steen, Southerlin and their team are searching for artifacts and sites of historical significance. They have discovered Native American projectile points that are thousands of years old and remnants of plantations and freedmen settlements.

"What we are trying to do is identify and assess all the cultural resources out there," Steen said. "I'm not interested in going out and finding the good prehistoric sites or historic sites, I want to produce a long range historic plan."

Steen said his team has found artifacts putting Native Americans in South Carolina as far back as 50,000 years.

"We've found artifacts dating back 12,000 years and we were met with some arguments," he said. "Then, we found artifacts placing Native Americans as far back as 17,000 years and those were met with arguments, as well. We have found signs of life as far back as 50,000 years."

Steen called this prehistoric time, the Paleo-Indian period - "the very earliest tribes to inhabit the area, consisted of small, hunter-gatherer groups."

Steen and Southerlin also have examined several collections of items that people have picked up and dug up in Hitchcock Woods through the years.

"People have some pretty amazing collections of two-notched arrowheads and glass bottles from the 18th century, plus an old still that included some of the first signs of use of 55-gallon metal drums in the distillery process."

Steen said the introduction of the cotton gin forever changed the lives of those living in the area at the dawn of the 19th century.

"Invention of the cotton gin forever changed Aiken and New Windsor," he said. "With the invention and utilization of the cotton gin, short staple cotton could be grown anywhere that could sustain it. Aiken's dry, sandy soil doesn't handle cotton well, but the cotton gin made such crops possible here.

Aiken County's population tripled from 1790 to 1820 as a result of the introduction of the cotton gin.

Aiken was founded as a town in 1835 and was named after William Aiken, the president of the South Carolina Railroad. During the Civil War, Aiken served as a refugee camp for Charleston plantation and slave owners.

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

Corn farmers in Windsor have filed a civil action to close and abandon portions of two unpaved roads in Aiken County along their property, saying they are being vandalized and speeding has become an issue, but at least one resident has said the closure would inconvenience nearby residents.

The road abandonment action was filed March 10 in the Court of Common Pleas.

The plaintiffs are named as Canadian River Farms Ltd., Colt Farms Inc., B C Farms Inc., now known as B C Farms of South Carolina Inc. and Outback Farms Ltd. The defendants are named as Becky J. Gonshorowksi, South Carolina Department of Transportation and Aiken County, South Carolina.

A hearing on the case is scheduled to be held before the Master in Equity at 10 a.m. today in his office at Park Avenue, according to court records. The complaint demands a non-jury trial.

According to the action, each farm owns an undivided percentage interest in property abutting the roads that are proposed to be abandoned and closed together with the remaining plaintiffs.

Gonshorowksi and DOT are abutting property owners whose property would be affected by the abandonment and closure of the roads and Aiken County is named as a party in the action because it currently maintains the roads as a part of its roadway system "despite the fact that there is no formal dedicated right of way to the County," it states.

The plaintiffs are seeking permanent closure and abandonment of public, county-maintained roads, states the document.

This includes "all that certain portion of unpaved county roadway, Oak Ridge Club Road, located between Charleston Highway, or U.S. Highway 78, and Cedar Branch Road, being 10,576 linear feet more, or less," according to the complaint.

Also, "together with all that certain portion of unpaved county roadway Old Bell Road, located between Oak Ridge Club Road and Weyerhaeuser Road, being 6,034 linear feet, more or less," it states.

6,034 linear feet equals around 1.14 miles and 10,576 linear feet equals around 2 miles.

The plaintiffs ask in the complaint that the portions of the roads be "forever abandoned, discontinued, vacated and closed as public County-maintained roads and that the maintenance of such roads by the County be terminated; that fee simple title to the road be vested in the owners of the property over which the roads pass; and for such and further relief the court may deem just and proper."

According to state law, Chapter 9, Section 57, "any person, the state or its political subdivisions may petition a court to abandon or close any street, road or highway, whether opened or not."

Before filing the petition, the law states, notice of intention to file must be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper published in the county where the road, street or highway is situated.

The complaint shows a notice of filing petition for abandonment was published once a week for three consecutive weeks in the Aiken Standard on Feb. 16, Feb. 23 and March 1.

Notice also has to be sent by mail requiring a return receipt to all abutting property owners that would be affected by the change, the law says. These also are shown in the complaint.

In the action, the plaintiffs state they believe it is in the "best interests of all concerned" that the roads be abandoned and closed because they are experiencing vandalism to their property adjoining the roads, which they say would likely be mitigated if the roads were abandoned and closed. The property shown is 1,853.25 acres.

Plaintiffs also state traffic is driving down the roads at an "extremely high and dangerous rate of speed that is well in excess of the posted speed limit" and states given the number of slow moving farm machines that cross the roads between the fields, a "severe and tragic accident is imminent," according to the document.

The plaintiffs say the closure of the roads will not deny any land owner access to their property and Aiken County would be "freed of the burden and responsibility to maintain the roads, particularly given that is has no dedicated right of way for the roads."

Carolyn Barrett, a resident on Old Bell Road, has lived in the area since 1995. She told the newspaper if the bottom section of Old Bell Road is closed, she would live on a dead-end street.

"We would have no quick access to Highway 78 and we would actually have problems coming and going from Windsor," she said. "It's not a dead-end street. We use the road to go to Windsor. We use the road to go to the state park. ... To go around it, it's several miles."

She is also worried about the amount of time it would take emergency vehicles to get to residents if it were closed. Barrett said of her neighbors, "nobody wants the road closed."

Court records show Barrett filed a letter March 15 regarding the road closure that said approximately 50 residents don't want the road closed or taken away.

The potential road closures are adding to the growing concerns from Windsor residents about commercial farming in the area, said Barrett.

She also mentioned Walther Farms, a Michigan-based potato farm also in Windsor that previously caused environmental concerns due to plans to annually withdraw billions of gallons of water from the South Edisto River. A compromise in January 2014 cut the irrigation level, the newspaper previously reported.

The road closures, however, are the most pressing issue, Barrett said.

Tyler Stone, an independent contractor for the plaintiffs named in the road abandonment complaint, said the farmers are separate entities from Walther Farms.

Stone said they are corn farmers and are growing most of the corn for Amick Farms near Monetta.

Attorney for the plaintiffs, Mary Guynn, did not comment on the pending litigation.

Stone said the plaintiffs made the decision to seek closure late last year because people have been dumping trash and tires, as well as doing doughnuts in the field and trespassing in the fields on the dirt roads. He also reiterated that speeding is a real concern from a safety standpoint and a liability for farmers.

"They are concerned that at some point, somebody is going to hit a piece of farm equipment, a piece of irrigation equipment and somebody is going to get hurt," Stone said.

Barrett disagrees.

"It's all the equipment; the people that are working on the farm is the problem," she said. "Residents don't speed on that road."

Aiken County Attorney Jim Holly said County Council passed a resolution in February that stated it did not object to the roads being closed.

They are roads that the county traditionally maintained and the public has used, Holly said. Part of the resolution also states "motorists have alternative means of traversing the area."

In an answer to the complaint filed on April 19, the County states it has no objection to the relief sought in the complaint and prays the court "inquire into the matters raised in this action and issue such orders and judgment as it determines is supported by the law and facts."

In a letter filed April 7, Gonshorowski writes to Guynn she agrees with paragraph six of the complaint that states she is an abutting property owner whose property would be affected by the abandonment and closure of the roads but wrote she does not agree with paragraph 15 of the complaint, which lists the plaintiffs' reasons why the roads should be closed.

"It is not in my best interest that the roads be abandoned and closed," she wrote. "That would change a way of life I have had for over 40 years. I will also be losing property value because of losing a substantial amount of road frontage. Also, closing the roads will change the way my home is accessed. Therefore, in my best interest, the road should stay open."

SCDOT said in its answer filed on April 20, it lacks sufficient information either to admit or deny the allegations of the complaint, later stating the agency does not "claim any interest in the subject road and interposes no objection to this road closure action." It states DOT prays the court issue whatever order it deems in the best interest of all concerned.

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

As the City of Aiken finalizes its fiscal year 2016-17 budget, officials say some hard decisions need to be made regarding Aiken's Northside parks.

Primarily, just how much of a building will Eustis Park get?

Currently, there is not enough money to build the proposed Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center as it is designed. City funding has fallen about $2 million short to complete the proposed $5.4 million building. City Council learned in a Capital Projects Sales Tax presentation in May there is about $3.4 million in CPST round two funds earmarked for the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center, according to CPST Supervisor Joy Gillespie.

Moving forward

City Manager John Klimm wants to move forward on the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center, in addition to several others over the next year.

But for now, he wants Council to put a stake in the ground on the Senior/Youth Center as soon as possible.

"We want to knock out as many of these projects as we can over the next 12 to 18 months," Klimm said. "We want to finish Eustis Park, but we need to make some hard decisions about the size of the building. We are $2 million short at $3.4 million of giving you the type of building you want."

Klimm added the City has one shot to get the new Senior/Youth Center right.

"It's one thing to build the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center, which we are going to do, but it's another thing to do it right," he said. "The additional acquisition of land makes extraordinary sense."

In March, the City purchased an additional 5.5 acres from Aiken County Public Schools to increase the size of Eustis Park from 9 acres to more than 14 acres.

Klimm added while the Senior/Youth Center was always a part of the City's plans, the additional 5.5 acres makes the design phase much easier.

The $425,000 purchase price will come from the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center line item from Capital Project Sales Tax II account.

The closing date on the sale will be July 1.

Both parks critical

Council members Lessie Price and Gail Diggs, who districts cover the city's Northside, want to know where the money went for both parks.

"There used to be $5 million allocated for the Senior/Youth Center at Eustis Park, what happened to it?" Price asked in May. "I can't express the depth of my feelings and frustrations about these projects. We had $5 million set on these projects and now we're down to $3 million. Where does the money go?"

When presented with a choice about the park Price and Diggs felt was most important, both said the question of choice was not acceptable.

"Both Northside and Eustis parks are equally important," Price said. "Don't ask us to choose between one park or the other, because both Eustis Park and Northside Park are critical."

Klimm said he didn't want to spend anymore money on the parks until Council knew exactly what it wanted.

"Our top priority is the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center, but the reality is there is not enough money to give you the kind of building you want," Klimm said. "And we don't want to spend more money on architect's fees until we know exactly what we want."

Diggs said Aiken's taxpayers shouldn't be forced to choose between one park or the other.

"How can you ask me to decide which park is more important," she said. "They are both equally important. They are both long overdue. Aiken needs both parks. Not one over the other. It's very frustrating when each day passes and there are no parks."

Building a showcase facility

Klimm said the potential for building a showcase facility exists at Eustis Park.

"We need to turn this around and make this project something we can be really proud of," he said. "We were trying to shoehorn this building into a site it wasn't suited for. Now we have 14 acres. We just need to figure out the budget and what we want to spend and make a decision and then we're off to the races."

The decision rests on what will be included in the Eustis Park facility, and whether the center is constructed as originally proposed and what amenities will be scaled back to fit the $3.4 budgeted amount.

Price said Helping Hands wants to be included in the Senior/Youth Center, adding the agency will pay for a wing that they will pay for and maintain.

Council will hold a final vote on the 2016-17 budget during its June 13 meeting.

The new fiscal year begins July 1.

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

Thursday Night Market in the Alley, between Laurens and Newberry streets, returns this week. This is the third year that the farmers market has been put on by the City of Aiken and the Aiken Downtown Development Association.

Through August 11, visitors can expect "live music, S.C. grown produce, artisan goods and crafts, food vendors and cooking demonstrations," according to a news release.

All the products at the market - everything from strawberries to cuts of beef and lotions to jewelry - are South Carolina-produced, according to the release.

The farmers market is open from 5 to 7:30 p.m. each night, and free sno-cones will be given away to children on opening night.

Businesses in the Alley, including Plum Pudding, Mellow Mushroom and Cyndi's Sweet Shoppe, also will be selling goods during the market.

For more information, visit www.VisitAikenSC.com or call 803-644-1902.

Charnita Mack is a general assignment reporter with the Aiken Standard. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.

Aiken County Council will meet for a budget work session tonight to continue to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2017 budget.

At its previous work session, council received proposed amendments for the budget that included around $285,000 out of the general fund for a .5 percent increase in retirement, a satellite office in Wagener and department requests for the registration and elections, sheriff and detention center and solicitor, including a data service administrator to manage data that would come from police body cameras.

A public hearing and second reading on the proposed budget are expected in June.

Before the work session, a County audit committee will meet at 4 p.m. to interview firms that responded to the request for proposal, or RFP, for auditing services, according to County Administrator Clay Killian.

The firm will complete the annual financial audit for the current fiscal year.

The County has received eight proposals and has recommended the audit committee interview four. The evaluation criteria in the proposal included compliance with RFP, the firm's background, staff qualifications, experience and cost.

A staff review committee has ranked the firms on the content of their proposal and the audit committee will interview during executive session today. The firms being considered are Cherry Bekaert, Elliott Davis, Martin Smith and Mauldin and Jenkins.

Killian said the County currently uses audit firm, Cherry Bekaert.

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

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

A 27-year-old Wagener woman called police Sunday claiming her 26-year-old husband assaulted her during an argument at their Cline Taylor Road residence.

A 30-year-old North Augusta woman reported Sunday the father of her son showed up without permission at her Apache Drive home and demanded to visit with their son.

A man and woman from Aiken County were arrested Monday for active warrants after they were observed causing a disturbance outside a Jefferson Davis Highway hotel.

A 26-year-old Beech Island woman called police Sunday claiming a 32-year-old Evans, Georgia, man broke her television after an argument at her Boyd Pond Road residence.

A Warrenville couple were arrested Sunday for larceny after they were caught stealing items from a woman's Ruby Street home.

A 27-year-old Clearwater woman called police Sunday claiming a Bath man, the father of her child, assaulted her during a fight over who was taking custody of the child at a Lanier Road residence.

A 48-year-old Aiken man was arrested Sunday for disorderly conduct after deputies observed him intoxicated and stumbling on Williams Lane.

A 35-year-old Aiken woman reported Sunday a 37-year-old man harassed and threatened her with a gun while on her way to work on Trolley Line Road. She said the two had gotten into an argument over a diet soda.

Using her four years of culinary training at Aiken High, senior Molly Gordon raised the heat at a recent cooking competition and brought home the school's best-ever finish.

Gordon placed second in the state at the SkillsUSA culinary arts competition at Virginia College in Greenville. The previous best finish by an Aiken County student was 19th place.

"I put my heart and soul into it," Gordon said.

For the contest, Gordon had to prepare a salad, soup and entrée without recipes in four hours while also demonstrating advanced culinary techniques. She also took a written test.

Gordon had to slice a chicken into eight parts - the breasts, the thighs, the drumsticks and the wings - and had to demonstrate knife cuts and other cooking methods.

She also performed a concasse, a French word that means to crush or grind.

"I was so intimidated when I heard the word because it sounds so fancy, but you take a tomato and score it at the bottom and put it in boiling water for a few seconds and it boils off the skin," Gordon said.

Gordon performed another French technique, a mirepoix, which is a rough chop of 50 percent onion, 25 percent carrots and 25 percent celery. She mixed the vegetables with the chicken bones to make her stock.

For her presentation, Gordon prepared a hot chicken soup with her stock; a salad with an emulsified vinaigrette dressing with red wine vinegar, using a pasteurized egg so the oil and vinegar would not separate; and a sautéed airline chicken breast with the wing bone still attached. She also prepared mashed potatoes, piped from a pastry bag; glazed julienne carrots; and sautéed broccoli.

The judges rated the students on accuracy, technique, time management and sanitation.

"You don't have to be the best at everything, but you have to know a little bit about everything," Gordon said.

The judges' requirements were exacting. For example, the judges made sure no usable meat remained on the chicken bones, and they measured the vegetables for precise cuts.

"They used a ruler and measured my potatoes to make sure they were a cubic centimeter and the onions were equal in size so they cooked at the same rate," Gordon said.

Gordon scored particularly well on timeliness.

"I had practiced and memorized my recipes, and I actually got done with my entrée, soup and salad with an hour to spare," she said. "By the time the competition was done, my station was clean; my equipment was packed up; and I was walking out the door."

For placing second, Gordon received a $750 scholarship to Johnson and Wales University, where she will be a freshman at the Charlotte campus in the fall.

Gordon plans to complete a bachelor's degree in culinary arts and food service management and then add a year at the school to complete a master's in education.

When she's finished, she will be certified to teach in a high school or career center, or she could return to teach at Johnson and Wales or another university.

Although she loves cooking and her family has a history in the restaurant business, Gordon said she doesn't "want to be cooped up in the kitchen" where she can't interact with the diners.

"I love people," she said. "I had a really good high school experience with my teacher, Jean Gorthy. If I can go back to a high school or career center and help those students like me become successful, that is something I would love to do to give back."

Larry Wood covers education for the Aiken Standard.

Residents gathered Monday evening at Hopelands Gardens to enjoy performances by the Aiken Civic Ballet for Memorial Day.

The event is part of the Hopelands Summer Concert Series sponsored by Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch, said Deedee Vaughters, president of the Aiken Civic Ballet.

There were 19 Aiken Civic Ballet Company dancers ranging in age from 13 to 18 performing Monday, Vaughters said.

There also were junior company dancers and the competition team, increasing the number of dancers performing to be around 40.

"This has become part of our tradition and we look forward to it every year," Vaughters said. "The kids have all worked very hard for this performance. We all met up here (Monday) morning at 10 a.m., in the heat, and did a walk-thru."

She said the dancers have been practicing for Monday's performance since they performed "The Nutcracker" back in November and December.

"I really enjoyed the performance today," said Jane Byrd, of Aiken. "It was perfect weather out here at Hopelands and all the kids did a wonderful job."

The Aiken Civic Ballet Company produces and performs original ballets and contemporary dance works under the direction of Artistic Director Diane Toole Miller.

There were 10 separate productions performed Monday evening.

"I really liked the costumes they wore," said Caitlyn Shealy, 8. "I want to dance like they do one day."

Vaughters also made it a point to extend a thank you to Mary Lou Wallace during the show Monday.

"Wallace has given 28 years of service to our organization," she said. "The Aiken Civic Ballet would not be where it is today without her invaluable service."

The 2016 Hopelands Summer Concert Series continues next week on June 6 with the Aiken Community Playhouse Youth Wing.

For more information about the concert series call 803-642-7631.

Tripp Girardeau is a general assignment reporter with the Aiken Standard.

Events to attend on Tuesday, May 31, 2016:

- Storytime in the Gardens will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesdays in Hopelands Gardens through May. Children must be accompanied by an adult. In case of rain, storytime will be held at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, 1700 Whiskey Road. For more information, call 803-642-7631.

- The Edgefield County Theatre Company will hold a theatre camp from 9 a.m. to noon June 13 through 25 at the Joanne T. Rainsford Discovery Center, 405 Main St., Edgefield. Camps are open to rising third- through eighth-graders, and will feature classes in acting, music and dance, and games. The cost is $125. Forms are available at the Edgefield General Store, 102 Courthouse Square, Edgefield.

- The Aiken Singers will perform their concert Home and Away at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, at First Presbyterian Church, 224 Barnwell Ave., N.W.

- The third annual Wreaths Across America Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 6, at the Houndslake Country Club, 901 Houndslake Drive. The four-person captain's choice tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The cost is $75 per person and includes golf, cart, range balls and a fried chicken and barbecue lunch. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place, and closest to the pin. There also will be raffle prizes and a silent auction. All proceeds will go toward placing wreaths on the graves of veterans buried in Aiken County. The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 31. For more information or to register, call Tony Venetz at 803-648-5885 or email tonyv033@atlanticbb.net.

- The Edgefield County Theatre Company will hold auditions for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1, in the Joanne T. Rainsford Discovery Center, 405 Main St., Edgefield. Perfomance dates will be July 14, 15 and 16 at midnight.