Mostly sunny skies are expected throughout Tuesday, with a high of 89 degrees and a low of 68 degrees.
Wednesday: High 87, low 68, AM thunderstorms, 50 percent chance of rain.
Thursday: High 89, low 69, Scattered thunderstorms, 50 percent chance of rain.
Friday: High 91, low 69, PM thunderstorms, 50 percent chance of rain.
Saturday: High 92, low 71, PM thunderstorms, 50 percent chance of rain.
Sunday: High 88, low 68, mostly cloudy, 20 percent chance of rain.
LAURENS - U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan is making his yearly tour of fire stations and 911 centers to thank first responders in his district.
The Republican will make five stop, starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Laurens County 911 Call Center.
Duncan will also visit fire stations in Ware Shoals, Fountain Inn and Liberty and the Pendleton Town Hall to thank fire fighters, police officers, paramedics, 911 operators and other first responders in Anderson County.
Duncan says the tour is important to thank people who work stressful jobs at odd hours to keep people safe.
NORTH CHARLESTON - Police in N0rth Charleston are investigating separate shootings that killed two people.
Police spokesman Spencer Pryor told local media outlets that officers were called around 12:30 a.m. Monday to a hotel parking lot.
Pryor said officers found one man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital in Charleston where he died.
The man's name has not been released.
Officers were called to a shooting at an apartment complex around 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Police say a suspect got into an argument with the victim. Police said the shooter feared for his life and no charges are planned. The victim's name has not been released.
Police say 14 people have been killed in North Charleston this year. Nineteen people were killed in 2015.
COLUMBIA - The Richland County coroner has released the name of a woman whose body was found in the Broad River.
Coroner Gary Watts said in a statement that the body of 37-year-old Lindsay Kellam McKay was found in the river about 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Watts says an autopsy shows McKay drowned.
Sheriff's deputies were called to a boat ramp on the river near Interstate 20 about 9 p.m. Saturday. Lt. Curtis Wilson says the Columbia Fire Department recovered McKay's body.
The sheriff's department is still investigating the death.
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.
To read more, click bit.ly/1TSQXN4.
Aiken will get its first Cook Out fast-food restaurant if all plans are accepted and approved by the Aiken City Planning Department.
City Planner Marya Moultrie confirmed plans have been submitted and are currently under review for the proposed Cook Out.
To read more, click bit.ly/1Z9muvA.
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."
To read more, click bit.ly/1THFv4l.
Aiken County deputies charged a Graniteville man Wednesday in connection to an armed robbery near the Sage Creek subdivision that occurred earlier this month.
James Badger III, 22, of Red Rock Way, is charged with armed robbery, second-degree assault and battery, carjacking and violation of probation, according to jail records.
To read more, click bit.ly/20QNb8B.
Three Aiken girls have fought their way from a small, backyard boxing complex on Shiloh Heights Road - all the way to next month's Junior Olympic and Prep National Championships.
To get to Dallas, Tyriona Hankinson, Avonnie Simmons and Jabreiona Hankinson advanced through state and regional competitions, and now they have the opportunity to take on the best in the country.
"It's been good because you get to see new people, and it's going to be a great competition," said Tyriona, 13.
To read more, click bit.ly/1O0rvG8.
ROCK HILL - Four people in kayaks have been rescued from the Catawba River near Rock Hill.
Fire Department Battalion Chief Trey Hovis says four people riding in three kayaks called emergency officials about 8 p.m. Monday reporting they were in distress.
Hovis says two women were on the riverbank on one side of the river and two men had beached their kayak on the other side of the river.
Hovis says the people on the kayaks had no lights and firefighters got to them through voice contact.
The firefighters and Carolina Dive and Rescue helped the kayakers safely to shore. Hovis says no one was hurt.
COLUMBIA - Gov. Nikki Haley has vetoed legislation exempting teacher evaluations from public disclosure.
The Republican governor says she recognizes the bill's intent is to protect sensitive information and promote a more candid evaluation process. But she contends the bill is too broad.
The one-sentence bill exempts educator evaluations with "personally identifiable information" from the state's public records law.
Haley says that allows school districts to withhold any record related to an evaluation, including information on teacher misconduct she says should be publicly available.
Overriding her veto would take two-thirds approval in both chambers.
The bill passed the House unanimously last year. The Senate passed it 35-1 two weeks ago.
Haley says she's working with state Superintendent Molly Spearman on legislation that would protect teachers' privacy while also allowing "reasonable public access."
NEW YORK - When customers at Indigo Books in Johns Island, South Carolina, ask for a good beach read, Mary Alice Monroe's "A Lowcountry Wedding" is an obvious choice. Not only does Monroe live nearby, her book is set along the South Carolina coast.
"It's a surefire hit," says Indigo owner Linda Malcolm, who also recommends Louise Penny's upcoming "A Great Reckoning" and John Sandford's "Extreme Prey."
With summer approaching, bookstores are offering local favorites and national hits, faraway adventures and stories quite close to home.
- At Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida, store owner Mitchell Kaplan recommends John Dufresne's latest Wylie Coyote detective caper, "I Don't Like Where This is Going," calling it a "hilariously inventive and funny whodunit." Kaplan also likes the latest novels from James Grippando, James W. Hall, and Brad Meltzer, and puts in a word for Florida's Carl Hiaasen, whose books "we read anytime of the year."
- Barnes & Noble, where outlets range from Gulfport, Mississippi, to the heart of Manhattan, provided a list of reads featured at stores around the country. Suggestions include Richard Russo's "Everybody's Fool," his sequel to the acclaimed "Nobody's Fool," and Louise Erdrich's "LaRose," along with novels that actually take place on a beach, among them Dorothea Benton Frank's "All Summer Long" and Nancy Thayer's "The Island House."
"Everyone has their version of the beach whether they are going to the lake, the park or dreaming of the beach so 'beach reading' is more a place of mind than literal from our perspective," explains spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating.
- At Forever Books in St. Joseph, Michigan, where you can see Lake Michigan just by stepping out the back door, store owner Robin Allen cites the best-selling "The Second Life of Nick Mason," by crime writer and Michigan native Steve Hamilton and Mary Kubica's popular "Don't You Cry," a thriller set in a Michigan harbor town more than a little like St. Joseph. She also likes Jessica Brockmole's "At the Edge of Summer," noting that "anything with the word 'summer' in the title does really well."
- On Cape Cod in Massachusetts, manager Val Arroyo of the Brewster Book Store says that she likes to recommend the historical fiction of Sally Cabot Gunning, whose "The Widow's War" is set in colonial Cape Cod. Elin Hilderbrand is another perennial best-seller and her upcoming novel, "Here's to Us," takes place on the nearby island of Nantucket. Arroyo also has hopes for Yaa Gyasi's "Homegoing," which begins in Ghana in the 18th century and continues into the present.
"It's just so beautifully written, and it's by a first-time author, which I love," she said.
- Some stores take you right to the water, but don't quite lead you in. At Small World Books, on the Venice boardwalk in California, store owner Mary Goodfader says that customers are as likely to be poets as beachgoers. The current top seller is a classic indoor read, Don DeLillo's chilly "Zero K."
"We don't really have anything designated beach reads," she says. "People don't come in for that. They get their 'Moby Dick' or Charles Dickens instead. Not since "Fifty Shades of Grey" did we have a summer beach read."
Aiken County deputies arrested an Aiken man Sunday after witnesses said he fired a small gun in front of four children, according to police records.
Larry Smith, 68, of Union Street, is charged with discharging a firearm in the city, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, four counts of unlawful conduct toward a child and disorderly conduct, according to jail records.
Smith remained in the Aiken County detention center Tuesday afternoon.
A judge issued a bond of $262.50, according to court records.
Aiken County Sheriff's Office deputies responded Sunday afternoon to a Union Street home after witnesses said the suspect shot a small handgun in the front yard, according to an Aiken County Sheriff's Office incident report.
A deputy located the suspect in the back yard, behind a truck, where he was ordered at gunpoint to come from behind the vehicle, the report said.
The deputy retrieved a Titan .25 Auto during a search of the yard, the report said.
Witnesses at the scene said the suspect was "upset over something," when they realized he had a gun in his hand, according to the report.
When witnesses tried to calm the suspect down, he began yelling, saying his gun was real and it would fire, later raising his arm and firing the gun in a direction away from the witnesses, the report said.
The deputy reported three people on scene, including four juveniles, witnessed the incident.
Maayan Schechter is the digital news editor with the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @MaayanSchechter.
NEW YORK - Conservative host Glenn Beck has been suspended by SiriusXM satellite radio for agreeing with an author who asked hypothetically "what patriot will step up" to remove Republican Donald Trump from office if he's elected president and oversteps his authority.
SiriusXM said Beck's program was suspended for this week and the company was "evaluating its place" in the lineup.
The comments "may be reasonably construed by some to have been advocating harm against an individual currently running for office," SiriusXM said in a statement.
During an interview May 25, author Brad Thor said he was "about to suggest something very bad" before citing a weak Congress and asking "what patriot will step up" to stop President Trump if he tried to exceed the powers of his office.
"I would agree with you on that," Beck responded.
Thor, a frequent guest of Beck's and an author of thriller novels, said in a statement to The Associated Press that he and Beck "were discussing a speculative future America under a dictator."
"Safeguarding the Republic against a dictatorship is a topic of conversation that dates back to the Founders. If we had to unseat a president without the backing of the Congress, we would need a patriot along the lines of George Washington to lead the country from tyranny back to liberty," he said.
A representative for Beck didn't immediately return a request for comment.
Beck created a subscription website and a syndicated radio network after leaving his Fox News television program in 2011. Beck's show on Fox ended amid a boycott of advertisers after Beck said Democratic President Barack Obama had "a deep-seated hatred for white people."
PHILADELPHIA - A few police agencies in the U.S. have begun rewarding officers for showing restraint in the line of duty, putting the tactic on par with bravery.
More than 40 Philadelphia officers have received awards since December for defusing conflicts without shooting, clubbing or otherwise using maximum force against anyone. The Los Angeles Police Department recently created a Preservation of Life award. And later this year, the U.S. Justice Department's new Community Policing Awards will recognize officers who prevent tense situations from spinning out of control.
The awards reflect a growing emphasis on "de-escalation" in police work, a trend driven in part by the deadly shootings of blacks in such places as Ferguson, Missouri; Cleveland; Chicago; and North Charleston, South Carolina. The killings have given rise to accusations of excessive force.
"An officer going home is of paramount importance to us, but everybody should have an opportunity to go home if that presents itself," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. "This is an effort to slow down situations for the sake of everybody concerned."
Advocates say that encouraging de-escalation as part of police culture can help establish trust with the public and that such tactics can be especially useful in handling suspects who may be mentally ill or on drugs.
But critics warn that the emphasis on de-escalation could lead officers to hesitate in life-threatening situations.
Philadelphia Officer Eric Tyler was recognized for using a stun gun instead of a firearm on a suspect who threatened to shoot Tyler's colleague in February. Tyler, who has never shot anyone in his 12-year career, said he considered using deadly force but made a split-second decision not to.
"I thought better of it, and our training took over," Tyler said. "With everything that's going on in policing, sometimes you have to think to de-escalate things. Somebody has to be a calming force."
The suspect turned out to be unarmed.
The Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement think tank, has found that officers receive significantly less training in de-escalation than in firearms or self-defense.
Increasingly, agencies are discussing and adopting de-escalation tactics, including slowing down confrontations and using distance and cover to defuse situations.
The establishment of Philadelphia's award was one of the recommendations issued by the Justice Department after it investigated a 2013 increase in shootings by the city's police.
Such awards are key to changing the mentality inside law enforcement, said Phillip Goff, director of the Center for Policing Equity, a think tank.
Ronald Davis, director of the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, said more local agencies should institute such an award: "It says that force should be a last resort and that we value this."
The idea has met resistance from critics in law enforcement who fear officers might second-guess themselves with tragic consequences. The Los Angeles police union called the award "a terrible idea."
"It suggests that officers must go above and beyond their normal activities to avoid harm; or put another way, that officers will be penalized for resorting to an appropriate, lawful use of force," the Los Angeles Police Protective League's Board of Directors said in a blog post in November.
"This award will prioritize the lives of suspected criminals over the lives of LAPD officers and goes against the core foundation of an officer's training."
Rich Roberts, spokesman for the International Union of Police Associations, said his organization supports de-escalation techniques, provided they don't interfere with an officer's ability to make split-second decisions if those efforts don't work.
Tyler said his de-escalation training hasn't made him hesitate on the streets.
"I was put in a situation where I thought using a Taser was better," he said. "If a different situation arises ... I won't second-guess myself, because I have to protect myself and my fellow citizens."
According to reports provided by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office:
An Aiken woman reported Monday an Aiken man took $10 from her Taylor Drive home for drugs.
An Aiken woman reported Monday that an Aiken man followed her down the road to her Rushton Road home and made harassing comments in her driveway.
Deputies responded to a fight in progress Monday on Missy Lane after an Aiken woman accused an Aiken man of having sexual relations with her mother.
An Augusta woman reported Monday another Augusta woman punched her on Sand Bar Ferry Road.
A Bath woman reported Monday someone stole her dog from her Railroad Street home.
An Aiken man reported Monday a man body slammed him outside of an Edisto Road home.
A Windsor woman reported Sunday someone struck her Stillwater Road mailbox with an object.
An Aiken man reported Monday a woman took his phone out of his car on Edgefield Highway.
An Aiken man was arrested Monday after a caller said the man was harassing customers at a Bettis Academy Road business.
A Salley man reported Monday three people met him on the porch of his Windsor Road home and said they were sent by another person to threaten him. The man also reported one person flashed a handgun from their waistband.
According to reports provided by the Aiken Department of Public Safety:
A 56-year-old Aiken man was arrested Monday for driving under the influence and simple possession of marijuana after being pulled over on Pine Log Road.
A 61-year-old Aiken man called police Monday after he witnessed a juvenile driving recklessly on Aldrich Street. The man said he heard squealing tires and saw the juvenile driving at a high rate of speed.
Police were called to Jehossee Drive on Monday after a 70-year-old Aiken woman said her front yard was damaged during the repossession of her vehicle.
Police responded Monday to a store on Iris Lane, where a 42-year-old Aiken woman and a 48-year old Aiken man were seen fighting inside the store, knocking over display items.
These are the bookings recorded for the Doris C. Gravat Detention Center for May 28-30, 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.
Johnny Markel Thomas, 24 - hold for Columbia County Sheriff's Office, simple possession of marijuana, littering, no driver's license
Jeremy Carlton Smith Sr., 42 - domestic violence first degree, malicious injury to a tree, house trespass upon real property, failure to pay child support, driving under the influence second offense, driving under suspension first offense
Natasha Virginia Virola, 29 - breach of trust with fraudulent intent value $2,000 or less
Dennis Daniel Garrett Jr., 43 - receiving stolen goods value $10,000 or more
Joshua Ryan Thompson, 33 - possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of ecstasy, possession of other controlled substance first offense two counts, hold for South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services
Naecolbi Dionte Crumley, 30 - domestic violence second degree, false information to police/fire, hold for South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services
Cassius Mohammed Williams Jr., 17 - malicious injury to animals or property $1,000 or less
Samuel Wayne Smith Jr., 38 - disorderly conduct/gross intoxication
Sandra Elaine Riddle, 48 - driving under the influence, open container of beer/wine
Christopher Lee Basnight, 33 - possession of a stolen pistol, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person convicted of a violent felony, receiving stolen goods value $2,000 or less
Dewayne Lamont Johnson, 42 - failure to pay child support
Johnny Dixon, 54 - public disorderly conduct bench warrant two counts
Tyreik Jacquan Jones, 20 - driving under the influence
Larry Daniel Smith, 68 - discharging a firearm in the city, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, unlawful conduct toward a child four counts, disorderly conduct
Cody Edward Robbins, 25 - breaking into motor vehicle or tanks, pumps where fuel, lubricants are stored two counts
Adrian Jakwon Williams, 19 - simple possession of marijuana, carrying a concealed weapon
Tracy Alan Jeffcoat, 48 - disorderly conduct/gross intoxication
Darryl Jonah McKinney, 51 - driving under suspension, shoplifting bench warrant
Paula Denise Weeks, 39 - simple larceny $1,000 or less
Gary Kenneth Toole, 43 - simple larceny $2,000 or less two counts
William David Arthurs, 42 - simple larceny less than $2,000
Joshua Douglas Moeller, 22 - shoplifting first offense
Joseph Lee Smith, 31 - assault and battery third degree, assault and battery first degree
Joe Thomas Wigley, 26 - domestic violence first degree
Richard Marquell Simpkins Jr., 30 - hold for Saluda County Sheriff's Office
Stephen Wade Berry, 30 - possession of 28 grams or less of marijuana bench warrant
Joshua Nathan Grizzard, 29 - trespassing after notice
Yolanda Felicia Morris, 42 - disorderly conduct/gross intoxication
Tyrecus Butler, 17 - shoplifting less than $2,000
Cynthia Ann Ecret, 52 - driving under the influence
Jeffery Clayton Moment, 59 - driving under the influence, open container of beer/wine
Michael Edwards, 48 - domestic violence third degree, disorderly conduct/gross intoxication, domestic violence third degree bench warrant
Benzswula Nigeria Minus, 21 - simple possession of marijuana first offense
Samuel Keith Cheek Jr., 32 - family court violating an order two counts
Phaedra Sirlene Mays, 38 - family court violating an order
Jose Gilberto Sanchez, 44 - assault and battery third degree
Kristen Caiola, 34 - false information to police/fire
Jeffrey Lewis Decatur, 28 - false information to police/fire, leaving the scene of an accident
Brian Eric Kneece, 56 - driving under the influence first offense, simple possession of marijuana
Ashley Maureen Hattaway, 31 - assault and battery third degree
Randall Craig Hamil, 58 - domestic violence third degree
The Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic Committee awarded four Aiken Technical College student veterans with Bridge the Gap sponsorships totaling $8,000 during a ceremony May 18.
"It's not like your normal scholarship where you use it only for books and tuition ... The Bridge the Gap sponsorship is designed to bridge the gap between what you get in your (VA education benefits) and what it costs you to go to school," said Rita Malloy, secretary of the nonprofit organization. "It's for living expenses, supporting your family - for things that you need to make it easier for you and to reduce your stress level while completing your education."
Recipients are nursing student Brian Butler, $2,500; computer technology-networking student Alexander Gantt, $2,000; nursing student Autumn McIntyre, $2,000; and nursing student Michael Dove, $1,500.
The students had to complete an in-depth application process which provided great insight into who the students are and their goals, said Malloy.
"(The application) requires you to take a look at yourself, what you have done, what you are doing, what your goals are, and where do you want to be in 10 years," she said.
Butler, a resident of Wagener, said the funds will help cover his transportation expenses and living expenses.
"I want to say thank you for reaching out and helping veterans," he told the group. "There are a lot of expenses when you go back to school that (VA education benefits) don't pay for, so I really appreciate this sponsorship."
Dove, a resident of Augusta, also shared his gratitude for the organization and why he decided to apply.
"It was important for me to cover my expenses whether it was gas, living expenses, food. It will help bridge the gap between (what VA education benefits cover) and the expenses that aren't taken care of," he said. "This is something I needed and it's definitely appreciated."
Aiken Tech President Dr. Susan Winsor thanked the organization for being supportive of the college's student veterans and advocates for education.
"It's amazing what a gift like this means to students," Winsor said. "One of the things I'm always humbled by is what our students are able to do with all of the demands in their life and how they are able to persevere, keep their eyes on the goal and continue on."
She also thanked the students for their service and provided encouraging words as they continue their studies.
"I thank you both for choosing us and letting us help you be successful in your careers," she said.
The Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic Committee raises funds for sponsorships primarily through an annual golf tournament. It also receives charitable donations throughout the year from individuals and organizations in the area to benefit student veterans.
An Aiken equine veterinarian has been found not guilty of inappropriately touching a young boy in Mississippi.
Juan Carlos Gamboa, 55, was indicted by a Mississippi grand jury on March 3, 2014, on the charge of touching a child for lustful purposes, according to the indictment provided by the Harrison, Mississippi Circuit Court.
The indictment stated the incident took place sometime between Feb. 1 and March 1 in 2013. During that time, the male victim was under 16 years old, the indictment states.
After a four-day trial last week, Gamboa and his attorney Aaron Walsh walked away from Harrison County with a not-guilty verdict on May 27.
The jury deliberated and came back with the statement, "We, the jury, find the defendant, Juan Carlos Gamboa, not guilty of unlawful touching of a child for lustful purposes," according to a court order provided by the Circuit Court of Harrison County.
Walsh described Gamboa in 2014 as a well-respected community member and said he maintains his innocence.
"He has no history of any criminal activity," Walsh said. "He came to this country with nothing, legally. Since then, he has learned English, gone to veterinary school, became an American citizen and then became an American success story."
Gamboa also was found not guilty in Aiken County in July 2015 after being charged with two counts of lewd acts upon a child under 16.
"The South Carolina judicial system failed big time," Gamboa said in describing his January 2014 arrest in 2015. "I was considered guilty from the very beginning. My reputation was affected in horrible ways."
During the 2015 Aiken County trial, witnesses testified Gamboa touched the accusers at separate times when the children in question were 8 years old. He was found not guilty on both counts after the jury deliberated for only about an hour.
Gamboa operates a veterinary office on Gamboa Place in Aiken, which focuses mainly on equine health.
Originally from Colombia in South America, he has been a veterinarian for 24 years, according to his office's website; he became a U.S. citizen in the early 2000s.
Tripp Girardeau is the crime and courts reporter with the Aiken Standard.
Evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs will be implemented in all public middle schools and high schools in Aiken County beginning with the 2016-17 school year.
The high school program, Making Proud Choices!, will target ninth-graders. The curriculum will encourage abstinence, but also will provide information about the use of condoms for teenagers who decide to become sexually active.
"We know that abstinence is the first and best choice as far as risk reduction, but we also know that all students won't make that choice, so the program also will focus on teen pregnancy prevention, as well as disease prevention," said Kandace Cave, director of community programming for Helping Hands.
A different program, Nu-CULTURE, will be used in the middle schools, and it will have separate curriculums for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
"Contraception won't be discussed at all in the middle schools," Cave said. "They'll talk about abstinence and diseases, but they won't talk about condoms."
Cave, Helping Hands CEO Carmen Landy and Beth DeHart of the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy spoke about the plans for local sex education during a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Helping Hands.
Funding for the middle school and high school programs will come from a five-year, $7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Adolescent Health. Aiken, Anderson and Orangeburg counties are sharing the money, which was awarded last year.
Locally, Helping Hands and its Aiken Youth Empowerment program are serving as the coordinators at the community level for the grant-funded initiative, which is called Expanding the Reach of Effective Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs in High Need South Carolina Communities.
DeHart is the project manager for Expanding the Reach.
Also involved are the Aiken County Public School District and the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, or DHEC.
In 2014, the teen pregnancy rate in Aiken County was 34.3 per 1,000 females 15 to 19 years of age. That figure was above South Carolina's overall rate of 28.5, and it was the 22nd highest among the Palmetto State's 46 counties.
"Aiken County was one of three counties identified as a priority where no other large-scale teen pregnancy initiative was already in place," DeHart said.
The teen pregnancy programs chosen for Aiken's middle schools and high schools had to be in compliance with South Carolina's Comprehensive Health Education Act.
Both the School District's Comprehensive Health Education Advisory Committee and the Aiken County Board of Education approved the programs, which came from a list provided by the Office of Adolescent Health, Cave said.
In addition, the instructors for the programs will be physical education teachers and "health professionals in the School District," Cave said. They will receive special training, and the goal is to have two instructors per school.
There also are plans to implement evidence-based teen pregnancy programs at local health centers run by DHEC and Rural Health Services and at Helping Hands, which provides a home for abused, abandoned and neglected youngsters.
"We believe wholeheartedly that it (Expanding the Reach) will have a huge impact on the issue of teen pregnancy in Aiken County," Landy said.
The Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy recently commissioned the University of South Carolina's Survey Research Laboratory and Core for Applied Research & Evaluation to conduct surveys and focus groups in Aiken, Anderson and Orangeburg counties to collect information about how adults, parents and teens feel about teen pregnancy prevention.
Locally, 84 percent of adults believed that sex education that emphasizes abstinence as the first option and also provides information about the benefits of contraception should be available in public schools. Sixty percent of adults strongly agreed that schools should be doing more to prevent teen pregnancy.
Teenagers said they wanted to receive more information about healthy relationships, the prevention and identification of sexually transmitted diseases and condom use in their sex education courses.
"Those results demonstrate support for this initiative in Aiken County," DeHart said.
Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
On Tuesday night, Aiken County Human Resource Director Gayle Wolman presented the results of the Hay Group study at an Aiken County Council work session, where council members learned, among other things, how its current employees' salaries are impacting turnover rates.
The study shows turnover for the County in 2015 was almost 20 percent, considerably more than the national average, Wolman said Tuesday. The human resource director said cost of the annual turnover is almost $4 million a year.
The County has been transitioning to a new classification and compensation system developed by the Hay Group, a national consultant group, Aiken County Administrator Clay Killian wrote in the proposed fiscal year 2017 budget message this month.
Officials reviewed all of the County's positions and the results show there is a need for "significant adjustment for employees in nearly every sector of our organization," Killian wrote.
Not every position showed up as being underpaid, however, according to the county administrator, who pointed out some positions are competitive.
The findings of the study show that non-competitive pay ranges result in high turnover but also impacts the County's ability to hire and hire in a timely manner, she said.
"But the third thing, and the one that troubles us the most, is the one about sub-optimizing our services in the community," Wolman said. "If we cannot hire the best person for the job, then we end up hiring the best we can afford for the job.
"That means there are sometimes errors in the work, the work gets done at a slower rate and it's not as efficient," she continued. "It also means if we are hiring people who are junior in their job, they use Aiken County as their training ground and then they leave us in two to three years to get the higher paying job in the private sector or they go out on their own."
This can be seen in several departments, Wolman said, including the Aiken County Detention Center, which she said is dealing with a 25 percent turnover rate.
Employees take exit polls when they decide to leave and, she said, "People are only leaving for two reasons: either they're terminated or they're leaving for money. They're not leaving for any other reason."
The County has around 900 employees. At least fifty-four percent of them are covering families. Recommendations Wolman presented would be to award the County's good employees, adjust appropriately for new hires based on how long they've been with the County and poor employees would get little to no adjustment.
Christina Cleveland is the county government reporter at the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @ChristinaNCleve.
For the first time, the SRS Community Reuse Organization and the Savannah River Site management team have jointly received a 2016 Energy Sustainability Award, a prestigious U.S. Department of Energy recognition.
Each year, the Energy Department acknowledges outstanding performance by sites and individuals who contribute significantly to governmentwide programs. SRSCRO often uses excess and operating resources at SRS to benefit local communities - a positive example of sustainability.
The partnership has provided an opportunity for thousands of pieces of no-longer-needed equipment and other excess government-owned items to be made available for beneficial use to local governments, nonprofits and private businesses.
"To give you an idea of the range of items that have been donated and put to good use over the years, we're talking about piping, a waste debris pelletizer, electronics, furniture, copper wire, motor generators, air conditioners and even an air boat and locomotive engine," said Parodio Maith, DOE-Savannah River community assistance manager. "If items are not needed somewhere within the DOE complex or at another U.S. government agency, these excess items are made available to the SRSCRO."
Items not selected are sold for profit that may be used to promote local business development and the Energy Department mission. In 2014, SRSCRO disbursed about $1 million for infrastructure improvement projects in its region.
In 2015, DOE-SR and the site's management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions initiated an agreement with SRSCRO on new "assets for services" projects to remove difficult-to-manage excess and surplus items.
Through the program, SRSCRO disassembled 12 large transformers and four oil-filled circuit breakers from a now-closed power plant within the site's D Area for recovery of 678,000 pounds of copper and other metals and 56,921 gallons of transformer oil.
SRSCRO also is removing 38 excess office trailers and 653 excess refrigerant units including icemakers, heating and ventilating components, refrigerators, water coolers and fire retardant held in 31 cylinders.
Savannah River personnel singled out for recognition were Maith, John Harley, Andrew Albenesius and Rick McLeod.
Temperatures will dip back into the 80s in Aiken County on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service expects a high of 89 degrees, with a low 68 degrees and mostly sunny skies.
Thursday: High 89, low 69, PM thunderstorms, 40 percent chance of rain.
Friday: High 92, low 70, partly cloudy, 20 percent chance of rain.
Saturday: High 93, low 71, partly cloudy, 20 percent chance of rain.
Sunday: High 89, low 68, PM thunderstorms, 90 percent chance of rain.
- Zumba classes with Bobbie will be held at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Burns Dance Studio, 831 Neilson Road. The cost is $5 per class or $40 for 10 classes. For more information, email bobbie5115@aol.com or visit bobbiefarmer.zumba.com.
- Yoga classes are offered at 5:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. Thursdays at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, 1700 Whiskey Road. The cost is $41 for 10 tickets, and out of city charges apply. Classes are led by Nancy Hansen and Denise Eisele. New students may join at any time. For more information, call 803-647-7631.
- 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.
LEXINGTON - A Lexington County man has been sentenced to life in prison in the 2015 death of a man whose burned body was found in Orangeburg County.
The State newspaper reported (http://bit.ly/1Y2fceD) that 27-year-old Michael Sulier III of Cayce was sentenced Tuesday in Lexington after he pleaded guilty to what prosecutors said was a revenge killing for the death of Sulier's friend.
Prosecutors said Sulier felt that 22-year-old Adam Berry's brother was responsible for killing 24-year-old Jamie Galloway.
Sulier said he shot Berry on March 4, 2015, near Gaston and set Berry's car on fire in Orangeburg County.
Berry's younger brother, Nicholas, is awaiting trial on charges of killing Galloway.
Prosecutors said Galloway was stabbed to death during a party in Pine Ridge in May 2014 while fighting the Berry brothers.
MYRTLE BEACH - A 24-year-old man and 19-year-old woman have been arrested following a deadly shooting at a Myrtle Beach motel last week.
Citing online jail records, The Sun News of Myrtle Beach (http://bit.ly/1UtP8pQ) reports that Lourie Earl Maurice Pearson was charged Sunday night with murder in connection with the slaying of 23-year-old Pierre Allen.
Horry County Deputy Coroner Darris Fowler says Allen died at a hospital shortly after being shot early Friday at the Fountainbleau Inn.
Jail records show that Tysheria Di Quaysia Salters is charged with accessory after the fact to a felony and was also arrested Sunday. It's unclear whether they have attorneys.
The shooting occurred as the city was beginning to greet visitors for the annual Atlantic Beach Bikefest. Police have not said whether the shooting is connected to the festival.
COLUMBIA - Richland County sheriff's deputies have arrested a man and charged him in the drowning death of a Columbia woman.
Sheriff's deputies told local media outlets that 33-year-old Michael Jason Pate has been charged with murder.
The Columbia Fire Department recovered the body of 37-year-old Lindsay Kellah McKay about 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Sheriff's deputies say McKay drowned in the Broad River near Interstate 20 on Saturday.
Sheriff Leon Lott said in a news release that Pate's girlfriend called deputies about 8 p.m. Saturday about a drowning.
Lott said Pate told McKay they were going to the river to go fishing. The sheriff said investigators think the two got into an argument, which turned into a physical fight, and ended with McKay's death.
It was not clear if Pate has an attorney.
Aiken City Council moved forward Tuesday with the future development of a Krispy Kreme and discount tool and equipment store on Whiskey Road.
Council agreed in a 6 to 0 vote to approve a development agreement between the city and Henbell LLC for the doughnut and tool shop's proposed site at 2270 Whiskey Road, the former Ladd Britt Auto Sales property.
Council member Steve Homoki was not at the meeting.
Development plans include the roughly 4,000-square-foot Krispy Kreme with a drive-thru, and behind, a nearly 15,000-square-foot Harbor Freight Tools.
Council also unanimously approved annexing the 2.76-acre property, currently owned by Ladd Britt, into the city and zoning it planned commercial.
The annexation was first approved earlier this year, but was held up due to stormwater retention issues, later resolved by the city and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, officials said.
Assistant City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said the city invested between $150,000 and $200,000 in the project, which included work surrounding George's Pond.
Property developer Dennis Trotter said their goal is to break ground on the property within the next 15 days. A ribbon cutting would be held around late October, Trotter said.
Krispy Kreme would employ around 20 to 25 full- to part-time employees, with Harbor Freight Tools employing around 12 to 14 people, according to Trotter.
Later in the meeting, discussion revolved around whether Krispy Kreme would abide by the city's sign ordinance, to which Trotter said there shouldn't be any glaring issues.
"Krispy Kreme is a really unique situation, because in the eyes of their business model, their sign, the "Hot Doughnuts Now," is an integral part of their business," Trotter said. "They sell doughnuts around it. ... In a lengthy review, we made sure we could make it work."
Council and city officials discussed another obvious topic of debate - Whiskey Road traffic.
As part of the agreement, council and developers agreed to create a second cut through on the southeast side of the property.
Council member Philip Merry said the cut through would have some benefit in the future, once more properties are developed, allowing motorists to avoid parts of Whiskey Road.
A traffic study, commissioned by the developer, recommended a single entrance and exit out of the property, allowing for "full movement" across Whiskey Road, according to city documents.
The study lists the morning peak hours on Whiskey Road to be between 7 and 8 a.m., with afternoon peak hours between 4:45 and 5:45 p.m. The site is expected to generate approximately 2,616 trips per day, and about 45 percent of those trips will be from vehicles already on Whiskey Road, the study said.
The study also says, during the peak morning hour, the site is expected to generate 98 exiting trips and 104 entering trips, where at the afternoon hour, the site is predicted to create 87 exiting trips and 101 entering trips.
The study also recommends having two exit lanes onto Whiskey Road, one to turn left and one to turn right.
Council member Reggie Ebner thanked city staff and developers involved for taking their time with the project, adding there were "a lot of touchy things" to make the project happen.
Maayan Schechter is the digital news editor with the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @MaayanSchechter.