SCANA, the holding company of utility subsidiary South Carolina Energy & Gas, or SCE&G, filed a petition May 26 with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina for updates to the construction costs and schedule of its Virgil C. Summer nuclear power plant near Jenkinsville.

SCE&G's project at the site, located northwest of Columbia, is building two new Westinghouse nuclear power generators, known as Units 2 and 3. The SCANA company serves more than 700,000 South Carolina electricity consumers, including in Aiken.

The updated cost petition is related to a 2015 contract for the projects that allowed for a so-called fixed-price option. SCE&G has notified Westinghouse of its intent to elect that option. But according to SCE&G spokesman Eric Boomhower, as a public service utilities company the election and subsequent updates are subject to oversight from the Public Service Commission of South Carolina. He also said that construction costs are reflected in consumer rates.

"Rates include everything involving SCE&G customers - construction, meters, putting up poles; everything is a part of the rates," Boomhower said.

He also noted that SCE&G has already been adjusting rates on an annual basis for incurred project costs. The petition requests approval to update costs by $852 million. According to SCANA's news release on the matter, the majority of that money, $505 million, comes from costs related to the fixed price option. The petition says that electing the option will essentially cement the total price of the project once it is approved.

While costs will trickle down to SCE&G customers, it is not currently clear just what kinds of changes customers can expect. Changes will apply to customers statewide, though, including those in Aiken County.

The petition says the fixed-price option sets the overall project cost at $3.345 billion, but that figure does not include what are referred to as "time and materials" costs, which are currently valued at approximately $38.3 million. That cost also only includes SCE&G's portion of the total cost, which it shares with Santee Cooper, state-owned utilities provider.

The time and materials costs are not fixed and the petition says they are subject to potential changes and are "owner-directed or based on changed circumstances."

Tom Clements, director of SRS Watch, a nuclear watchdog group in Aiken, said, "The claim that the cost is fixed is very misleading as it's clear that there can be future cost increases, all of which would be passed on to the consumer if allowed by the (Public Service Commission)."

The petition also requests to move construction milestones, including completion dates for the units' construction. According to Clements, that could put the project in danger of missing its completion deadline of December 2020, which would result in hefty fines. Unit 3 has the latest projected completion milestone and is currently set for Aug. 31, 2020, while Unit 2 is expected in August 2019.

SCE&G is the majority owner of the project, but state-owned energy provider Santee Cooper has a stake in the project as well. Its affiliation prompted the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina to file a petition to intervene in the matter.

In the petition from the Electric Cooperatives, of which Aiken Electric Cooperative is one, it alleges that its members would bear a large part of Santee Cooper's costs because of an agreement for electricity distribution that rendered the Electric Cooperatives responsible for a significant portion of Santee Cooper's capital costs.

According to Michael Couick, president and CEO of Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, the association of coop's in the state, the cost share at the project can be represented in a single dollar. The SCE&G cost is 55 cents for every dollar spent, Santee Cooper's cost is 15 cents and the remaining 30 cents per dollar are borne by the cooperatives.

SCE&G also filed a notice with the Public Service Commission of its intention to file a revision of its rates within 30 days of May 26, and Couick said the cooperatives have anticipated the cost of the fixed-price option trickling down to the consumers. The Public Service Commission of South Carolina scheduled hearings for the construction project updates for Oct. 5 to 7.

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

NORTH AUGUSTA - North Augusta High School head softball coach Gerald Brown knew Karly Heath would be a special player as soon as she stepped on the field for the Yellow Jackets.

"When she came out her seventh-grade year, it was evident right then and there that she would make an impact," said Brown, who was an assistant coach for North Augusta before becoming the head coach this season. "As soon as we had her out there her seventh- grade year, I knew it would be good. Any time you can come up as a seventh-grader, it shows a lot."

Flash forward three years, and the now rising junior has fulfilled Brown's vision and then some.

Heath capped her sophomore season with a .500 batting average, school-record 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and 23 stolen bases, while also sporting an 8-1 record in the circle with a 1.72 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 56 innings, earning her a spot on the Class AAAA All-State team and 2016 Aiken Standard Softball Player of the Year honors.

"I'm very honored to get the award, and I'm excited about it," Heath said. "This season I did pretty good; my hitting and pitching was good, (but) sometimes (my pitching) could have been better. It feels good to represent North Augusta and Aiken County."

Brown, who in addition to coaching Heath during her four years as a Yellow Jacket also coached her in recreation and travel ball, said part of what makes Heath a standout player is she doesn't rest on her natural ability.

"She's physically talented and gifted, but she doesn't rest on that; she keeps working," Brown said. "I've had the pleasure of coaching her early on, and just seeing her develop into the player she is now has been cool to watch."

Another factor that both Heath and Brown mentioned in being crucial to her success is the help of her teammates. Heath said having grown up around her teammates and playing with them through the years helped form a strong relationship throughout the team that contributed to both her and the Jackets' solid season.

"It helped me because I grew up with these girls, and all through the years we've had a good relationship and bond and that helped on the field for us to have a good season," she said.

This season, the Yellow Jackets compiled a 22-4 record, including a 10-0 mark in region play, and advanced to the District 6 title game in the playoffs.

Heath, who is a University of South Carolina commit, also said playing under Brown has played a role in her success.

"He's been able to help me on and off the field. Off the field, he's a great mentor, and on the field, he's a great coach," Heath said. "I've been lucky to have him through all these years."

Heath said her goal for next season is to build off this year's success both individually and as a team.

"My goal as a team is to win state, and individually, I want my ERA to stay down like it has, have less walks and more strikeouts, hit more home runs and try to help out the team any way I can," Heath said.

Brown also said he has high hopes for next year, and thinks Heath has the potential to improve on her stellar sophomore season.

"Her batting average should increase again. It sounds horrible to say, but .500 was an off year for her. The power was there, but I expect her batting average to come up," the coach said. "Knowing her talent, I know she can hit more home runs and bat higher. It's a compliment to the type of player that she is."

Nick Terry is the sports and general assignment reporter for The North Augusta Star and is a USC Aiken graduate.

He was fast of fist and foot - lip, too ­- a heavyweight champion who promised to shock the world and did. He floated. He stung. Mostly he thrilled, even after the punches had taken their toll and his voice barely rose above a whisper.

He was The Greatest.

Muhammad Ali died Friday at age 74, according to a statement from the family. He was hospitalized in the Phoenix area with respiratory problems earlier this week, and his children had flown in from around the country.

A funeral will be held Wednesday in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The city plans a memorial service Saturday.

"It's a sad day for life, man. I loved Muhammad Ali, he was my friend. Ali will never die," Don King, who promoted some of Ali's biggest fights, told The Associated Press early Saturday. "Like Martin Luther King his spirit will live on, he stood for the world."

With a wit as sharp as the punches he used to "whup" opponents, Ali dominated sports for two decades before time and Parkinson's Syndrome, triggered by thousands of blows to the head, ravaged his magnificent body, muted his majestic voice and ended his storied career in 1981.

He won and defended the heavyweight championship in epic fights in exotic locations, spoke loudly on behalf of blacks, and famously refused to be drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War because of his Muslim beliefs.

"He was the greatest fighter of all time but his boxing career is secondary to his contribution to the world," promoter Bob Arum told the AP Saturday. "He's the most transforming figure of my time certainly. He did more to change race relations and the views of people than even Martin Luther King."

Despite his debilitating illness, Ali traveled the world to rapturous receptions even after his once-bellowing voice was quieted and he was left to communicate with a wink or a weak smile.

Revered by millions worldwide and reviled by millions more, Ali cut quite a figure, 6 feet 3 and 210 pounds in his prime. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," his cornermen exhorted, and he did just that in a way no heavyweight had ever fought before.

He fought in three different decades, finished with a record of 56-5 with 37 knockouts and was the first man to win heavyweight titles three times.

He whipped the fearsome Sonny Liston twice, toppled the mighty George Foreman with the rope-a-dope in Zaire, and nearly fought to the death with Joe Frazier in the Philippines. Through it all, he was trailed by a colorful entourage who merely added to his growing legend.

"Rumble, young man, rumble," cornerman Bundini Brown would yell to him.

And rumble Ali did. He fought anyone who meant anything and made millions of dollars with his lightning-quick jab. His fights were so memorable that they had names -- "Rumble in the Jungle" and "Thrilla in Manila."

But it was as much his antics - and his mouth - outside the ring that transformed the man born Cassius Clay into a household name as Muhammad Ali.

"I am the greatest," Ali thundered again and again.

Few would disagree.

Ali spurned white America when he joined the Black Muslims and changed his name. He defied the draft at the height of the Vietnam war -- "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong" -- and lost 3 1/2 years from the prime of his career. He entertained world leaders, once telling Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos: "I saw your wife. You're not as dumb as you look."

He later embarked on a second career as a missionary for Islam.

"Boxing was my field mission, the first part of my life," he said in 1990, adding with typical braggadocio, "I will be the greatest evangelist ever."

Ali couldn't fulfill that goal because Parkinson's robbed him of his speech. It took such a toll on his body that the sight of him in his later years -- trembling, his face frozen, the man who invented the Ali Shuffle now barely able to walk -- shocked and saddened those who remembered him in his prime.

"People naturally are going to be sad to see the effects of his disease," Hana, one of his daughters, said, when he turned 65. "But if they could really see him in the calm of his everyday life, they would not be sorry for him. He's at complete peace, and he's here learning a greater lesson."

The quiet of Ali's later life was in contrast to the roar of a career that had breathtaking highs as well as terrible lows. He exploded on the public scene with a series of nationally televised fights that gave the public an exciting new champion, and he entertained millions as he sparred verbally with the likes of bombastic sportscaster Howard Cosell.

Ali once calculated he had taken 29,000 punches to the head and made $57 million in his pro career, but the effect of the punches lingered long after most of the money was gone. That didn't stop him from traveling tirelessly to promote Islam, meet with world leaders and champion legislation dubbed the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. While slowed in recent years, he still managed to make numerous appearances, including a trip to the 2012 London Olympics.

Despised by some for his outspoken beliefs and refusal to serve in the U.S. Army in the 1960s, an aging Ali became a poignant figure whose mere presence at a sporting event would draw long standing ovations.

With his hands trembling so uncontrollably that the world held its breath, he lit the Olympic torch for the 1996 Atlanta Games in a performance as riveting as some of his fights.

A few years after that, he sat mute in a committee room in Washington, his mere presence enough to convince lawmakers to pass the boxing reform bill that bore his name.

Members of his inner circle weren't surprised. They had long known Ali as a humanitarian who once wouldn't think twice about getting in his car and driving hours to visit a terminally ill child. They saw him as a man who seemed to like everyone he met -- even his archrival Frazier.

"I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world just to call him my friend," former business manager Gene Kilroy said. "If I was to die today and go to heaven it would be a step down. My heaven was being with Ali."

One of his biggest opponents would later become a big fan, too. On the eve of the 35th anniversary of their "Rumble in the Jungle," Foreman paid tribute to the man who so famously stopped him in the eighth round of their 1974 heavyweight title fight, the first ever held in Africa.

"I don't call him the best boxer of all time, but he's the greatest human being I ever met," Foreman said. "To this day he's the most exciting person I ever met in my life."

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay on Jan. 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali began boxing at age 12 after his new bicycle was stolen and he vowed to policeman Joe Martin that he would "whup" the person who took it.

He was only 89 pounds at the time, but Martin began training him at his boxing gym, the beginning of a six-year amateur career that ended with the light heavyweight Olympic gold medal in 1960.

Ali had already encountered racism. On boxing trips, he and his amateur teammates would have to stay in the car while Martin bought them hamburgers. When he returned to Louisville with his gold medal, the Chamber of Commerce presented him a citation but said it didn't have time to co-sponsor a dinner.

In his autobiography, "The Greatest," Ali wrote that he tossed the medal into the Ohio River after a fight with a white motorcycle gang, which started when he and a friend were refused service at a Louisville restaurant.

The story may be apocryphal, and Ali later told friends he simply misplaced the medal. Regardless, he had made his point.

After he beat Liston to win the heavyweight title in 1964, Ali shocked the boxing world by announcing he was a member of the Black Muslims -- the Nation of Islam -- and was rejecting his "slave name."

As a Baptist youth he spent much of his time outside the ring reading the Bible. From now on, he would be known as Muhammad Ali and his book of choice would be the Koran.

Ali's affiliation with the Nation of Islam outraged and disturbed many white Americans, but it was his refusal to be inducted into the Army that angered them most.

That happened on April 28, 1967, a month after he knocked out Zora Folley in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden in New York for his eighth title defense.

He was convicted of draft evasion, stripped of his title and banned from boxing.

Ali appealed the conviction on grounds he was a Muslim minister. He married 17-year-old Belinda Boyd, the second of his four wives, a month after his conviction, and had four children with her. He had two more with his third wife, Veronica Porsche, and he and his fourth wife, Lonnie Williams, adopted a son.

During his banishment, Ali spoke at colleges and briefly appeared in a Broadway musical called "Big Time Buck White." Still facing a prison term, he was allowed to resume boxing three years later, and he came back to stop Jerry Quarry in three rounds on Oct. 26, 1970, in Atlanta despite efforts by Georgia Gov. Lester Maddox to block the bout.

He was still facing a possible prison sentence when he fought Frazier for the first time on March 8, 1971, in what was labeled "The Fight of the Century."

A few months later the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction on an 8-0 vote.

"I've done my celebrating already," Ali said after being informed of the decision. "I said a prayer to Allah."

Many in boxing believe Ali was never the same fighter after his lengthy layoff, even though he won the heavyweight championship two more times and fought for another decade.

Perhaps his most memorable fight was the "Rumble in the Jungle," when he upset a brooding Foreman to become heavyweight champion once again at age 32.

Many worried that Ali could be seriously hurt by the powerful Foreman, who had knocked Frazier down six times in a second round TKO.

But while his peak fighting days may have been over, he was still in fine form verbally. He promoted the fight relentlessly, as only he could.

"You think the world was shocked when Nixon resigned," he said. "Wait till I whup George Foreman's behind."

Ali won over a country before he won the fight, mingling with people as he trained and displaying the kind of playful charm the rest of the world had already seen. On the plane into the former Congo he asked what the citizens of Zaire disliked most. He was told it was Belgians because they had once colonized the country.

"George Foreman is a Belgian," Ali cried out to the huge crowd that greeted him at the airport. By the time the fight finally went off in the early morning hours of Oct. 30, 1974, Zaire was his.

"Ali booma-ya (Ali kill him)," many of the 60,000 fans screamed as the fight began in Kinshasa.

Ali pulled out a huge upset to win the heavyweight title for a second time, allowing Foreman to punch himself out. He used what he would later call the "rope-a-dope" strategy -- something even trainer Angelo Dundee knew nothing about.

Finally, he knocked out an exhausted Foreman in the eighth round, touching off wild celebrations among his African fans.

"I told you I was the greatest," Ali said.

That might have been argued by followers of Joe Louis or Rocky Marciano or Sugar Ray Robinson, but there was no doubt that Ali was just what boxing needed in the early 1960s.

He spouted poetry and brash predictions. After the sullen and frightening Liston, he was a fresh and entertaining face in a sport that struggled for respectability.

At the weigh-in before his Feb. 25, 1964, fight with Liston, Ali carried on so much that some observers thought he was scared stiff and suggested the fight in Miami Beach be called off.

"The crowd did not dream when they lay down their money that they would see a total eclipse of the Sonny," Ali said.

Ali went on to punch Liston's face lumpy and became champion for the first time when Liston quit on his stool after the sixth round.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," became Ali's rallying cry.

His talent for talking earned him the nickname "The Louisville Lip," but he had a new name of his own in mind: Muhammad Ali.

"I don't have to be what you want me to be," he told reporters the morning after beating Liston. "I'm free to be who I want."

Frazier refused to call Ali by his new name, insisting he was still Cassius Clay. So did Ernie Terrell in their Feb. 6, 1967, fight, a mistake he would come to regret through 15 long rounds.

"What's my name?" Ali demanded as he repeatedly punched Terrell in the face. "What's my name?"

By the time Ali was able to return to the ring following his forced layoff, he was bigger than ever. Soon he was in the ring for his first of three epic fights against Frazier, with each fighter guaranteed $2.5 million.

Before the fight, Ali called Frazier an "Uncle Tom" and said he was "too ugly to be the champ." His gamesmanship could have a cruel edge, especially when it was directed toward Frazier.

In the first fight, though, Frazier had the upper hand. He relentlessly wore Ali down, flooring him with a crushing left hook in the 15th round and winning a decision.

It was the first defeat for Ali, but the boxing world had not seen the last of him and Frazier in the ring. Ali won a second fight, and then came the "Thrilla in Manila" on Oct. 1, 1975, in the Philippines, a brutal bout that Ali said afterward was "the closest thing to dying" he had experienced.

Ali won that third fight but took a terrific beating from the relentless Frazier before trainer Eddie Futch kept Frazier from answering the bell for the 15th round.

"They told me Joe Frazier was through," Ali told Frazier at one point during the fight.

"They lied," Frazier said, before hitting Ali with a left hook.

The fight - which most in boxing agree was Ali's last great performance - was part of a 16-month period on the mid-1970s when Ali took his show on the road, fighting Foreman in Zaire, Frazier in the Philippines, Joe Bugner in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Jean Pierre Coopman in Puerto Rico.

The world got a taste of Ali in splendid form with both his fists and his mouth.

In Malaysia, a member of the commission in charge of the gloves the fighters would wear told Ali they would be held in a prison for safekeeping before the fight.

"My gloves are going to jail," shouted a wide-eyed Ali. "They ain't done nothing -- yet!"

Ali would go on to lose the title to Leon Spinks, then come back to win it a third time on Sept. 15, 1978, when he scored a decision over Spinks in a rematch before 70,000 people at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Ali retired, only to come back and try to win the title for a fourth time against Larry Holmes on Oct. 2, 1980, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Ali grew a mustache, pronounced himself "Dark Gable" and got down to a svelte 217 1/2 pounds to beat Father Time. But Holmes, his former sparring partner, mercifully toyed with him until Dundee refused to let Ali answer the bell for the 11th round.

"He was like a little baby after the first round," Holmes said. "I was throwing punches and missing just for the hell of it. I kept saying, 'Ali, why are you taking this?'

"He said, 'Shut up and fight, I'm going to knock you out.'"

When the fight was over, Holmes and his wife went upstairs to pay their respects to Ali. In a darkened room, Holmes told Ali that he loved him.

"Then why did you whip my ass like that?" Ali replied.

A few years later, Ali said he would not have fought Holmes if he didn't think he could have won.

"If I had known Holmes was going to whip me and damage my brain, I would not have fought him," Ali said. "But losing to Holmes and being sick are not important in God's world."

It was that world that Ali retreated to, fighting just once more, losing a 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas.

With his fourth wife, Lonnie, at his side, Ali traveled the world for Islam and other causes. In 1990, he went to Iraq on his own initiative to meet with Saddam Hussein and returned to the United States with 15 Americans who had been held hostage.

One of the hostages recounted meeting Ali in Thomas Hauser's 1990 biography "Muhammad Ali -- His Life and Times."

"I've always known that Muhammad Ali was a super sportsman; but during those hours that we were together, inside that enormous body I saw an angel," hostage Harry Brill-Edwards said.

For his part, Ali didn't complain about the price he had paid in the ring.

"What I suffered physically was worth what I've accomplished in life," he said in 1984. "A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish anything in life."

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Elizabeth Allen Hazlewood, Kaitlyn Nichole Heath, Trevor Anthony Helgesen, Gary Justin Henderson, Joseph Anthony Heyward, DeTaja Breanna Tryan Hickman, Eric Conrad Hogue, Hannah Lee Holbrook, Dalton Alexander Holdren, Hannah Chase Hood, Logan Louise Hudson, Zachary Thomas Hunter, Hanna Cecelia Hyder, Go Iwayama, Jesus Fernando Izquierdo, Daeonna Shantrelle Jackson, Destiny Renee Jackson, Eunice Unique Jackson, Nyela Daytrell Jackson, Jaylen DeGuan Johnson, Tiana Mashay Johnson, Tyra Nicole Johnson, Brittney Kiana Jones, Gladen Durell Jones, Kaylee Ann Jones, Dylan Christopher Justus, Alexander Karl Karius, Ashlee Nicole Kay, D'Layzia Tyzee' Kearse, Sydni Alesha Kearse, Kra'shawn Tariq Kemp, Rachel Lindsay Kestin, Allie Logan Hall Kirkland, Jessica Rosalind Kirschner, Joshua Allen Kiser, Jordan Laura Kneece, Zalair George Knowles, Emma McPhearson Koger, Rina Kojima, Angela Claire Kranjc, Mina Faye Krohn-Vernon, Allison Isabella Langford, Alexandria Grace Lee, Sarah Gabrielle Lee, Nathaniel Keith Leonard, John Christopher Hunter Lewis, Walter Roland Lewis, Kristen Meredith Livingston, Rion Garret Longfellow, Barbara Taylor Lowe, Bennett Martin Lunn, Alexa Anne Luszcz, Mikka Talisic Maja, Xavier Savon Major, Zachary Joseph Markiewicz, Alejandra Paola Martinez, Ricardo Antonio Martinez de Andino, Alicia Romaine Masters, Martin Cole Matthews, Paul Mazzell III, Brice Avery McCormick, Russell Roberts McElroy, Hannah Faith McKinnon, Chaunayshia Sadia Mcknight, Natalie Anne McLemore, Savanna Leigh McNeill, Grace Elizabeth Meadows, Shumeca Tysheria Means, Cameron Franklin Meares, Kylie Lynn Meckes, Sarah Elizabeth Mell, Marco Antonio Mendez Lopez, Jose Javier Mendoza II, Collin Alexander Mills, Claire McLaurin Mims, Olivia Claire Minolfo, Thomas Henley Mixson, Haley Marie Moler, Jamie Sheree Moore, Diego Anthony Morales, Jeffery Clayton Moseley, Camilla Grace Moyer, Sheila Michelle Murguia, Liliana Frias Myers, Owen Charles Myers, Liana Thuy-Lan Nguyen, Selena Janez 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Gennie Lucille Roberson, Andrew Jacob Robinson, Bre'Asia Shantel Robinson, Michael Thomas Robinson, Noah Ray Rodriguez, James Spencer Ross, Robert Hawk Ross, Helen Christine Rowell, Tyler Allen Sanborn, Garrett Wade Savell, Anne Marie Schwenker, Julianna Marie Scott, Daikel Javaris Scott-Mitchell, Chandler Manay Seawright, Madeline Ann Seconi, Raymond Clifford Selden, Jillian Christina Shanahan, Kimberly Elizabeth Sharpe, Steven Gerald Sheets, Victoria Nahal Shekastehband, Preston Nicole Siegler, Harmony Unique Simmons, Tamara Tyana Simmons, Ashley Denise Simmons-Blair, Adarius DeAnte Simpkins, Marquez Deon'tre Simpkins, Logan Michael Sims, Bowen Buchanan Smith, Breandria Armani Nychol Smith, Joshua Russell Smith, Harrison James Smoak, Seth Garrison Stephens, Grant James Stevens, Jennifer Helen Stewart, Tyler Vincent Stone, Cassidy Elizabeth Stuart, Aubreyanna Lorraine Swearingen, Kayla Diane Swilling, Sarah Elizabeth Swygert, Connor Ring Taylor, Symone Jenai Taylor, Nancy Caroline Thames, Audrey LeeAnn Thomas, Brooke Ansley Thomas, John Preston Tiffany, Clyde Holland Tilson Jr., Abbie Anne Elizabeth Truesdell, Kaitlyn Melissa Turner, Alexis Ni Jae' Tyler, Kristen Remler Ulmer, Joshua Kyle Van Overstraeten, William Christopher Varnadore Jr., Jorge Vasquez, Jonathan Vasquez-Francisco, Kaya Sade Walker, Silva Breana Na'sha Walker, Jakyla Nikita Wallace, Emily Grace Walter, Robert Andrew Watford Jr., Madeline Corine Watson, Deanna Paige Webb, Janna MaKenzie Whaley, Connor Wright Whitley, Savannah Marie Wideman, Jonathan Cornelius Williams, Karon Angelo Williams, Malcolm Tobias Williams, Shelby Ann Willis, Preston Christopher Wise, Destiny Christine Woodard, Deangelo Tavarius Wooden, Layton Ray Woody, Audrey Elizabeth Wright, DuRuo Yang, Sean Thai Yeung, Haleigh Carson Young and Wei Jie Zheng

Leo James Antuna Jr., Christopher Paul Armstrong Jr., Malcolm Jamal Axen, Dalton Ellis Bagshaw, Derek Arthur Barnhart, Joshua Davis Barton, Titus Cordell Bean, Quianna Renee Berry, Aleshia Moquita Blacks, Aliya Porscha Blacks, Jermiah Christopher Blocker, Samuel Jackson Blythe III, Brittney Elizabeth Boatwright, Marquis Anthony Brooks Jr., Caitlyn Brice Brown, Keati DeVarje Buchanan, Aaliyah Shavon Buckhanon, Shuron Al-Keim Burt, Tyasia Symone' Burton, Kayla Denise Bush, Kaelah Hasana Bussey, Kyler Garvin Bussey, Tannor Allen Byrd, Brook Alexandria Caldwell, Cordell Tabiyas Cannon, Ashlee Nicole Carroll, Xavier Raquan Carson, Henry Taylor Cartrett, Hunter Lee Cartrett, Lashawn Willie Chinn III, Corley Seth Christie, Dakota James Clark, Tamera Tyliqua Clark, Kayla Ann Cleveland, James Madison Coleman, Keeson Tajriq Coleman, Keitrez Rasheed Coleman, Kelsey Lauren Cook, Gabrielle Salina Cooks, Desmond Mazzini Cooper, Grayson Holmes Cornwell, Cody Morris Crow, Taylor Leigh Culver, Correy Sherod Cunningham, Elizabeth Marie Dickerson, Amber Nicole Dingess, Gerardric Malik Dobbs, Lauren Marie Dolph, Lisa Brooke Easler, Lanora Nishell Edwards, Vicente Esparza, Cassidy Camille Farrer, Beatrice Carolyn Faust, Shelby LeRene Faust, Hailey Michelle Foster, Mallory Elizabeth Fulmer, Stadaysia Domonique Gantt, Chad Everett Gilchrist Jr., T'Mara Yamedra Gilchrist, Joshua Thomas Godfrey, Alexis Latrice Gordon, Michael Jeffrey Green, Hailey Alexander Haggerty, Johnathan Austin Hall, Kenneth Wayne Hall III, Alan Paul Hampton Jr., Jazwaniqua Teana Harris, Shaquera Domoniqua Miriah Hartley, Autumn Latrice Henley, Hunter Davis Herrin, Kristal Lynn Herrin, Julia Kathleen Hightower, Desiree' Alexis Holloway, Tyrree Makia Holmes, Shaniyah Artrail Hood, Tayten Kristofer Howard, William Eugene Hurt III, Justin Wayne Hutchins, Elisha Aaron Israel, Geddings Lyle Jhant, Jessica Marie Johnson, April Shantell Jones, Jaquilla Monique Jones, Jacquel Manisha Josey, Daisha Keiante' Kenley, Harley Lynn Kirkland, Faith Lauren Lowe, Aaron Leonard Mathis, Christopher Deonte Mathis, Tanysia Chantell Mathis, Logan Levon McCain, Eric James Logan McCauley, Keysharia Treilan McKinney, Jalen Leroy Merriweather, Taylor Lorenza Merriweather Jr., Elizebeth Eyvonne Mikell, Shelby Denise Mims, Karla LaRae Moore, Roneisha Dechelle Moore, Lacee Anna Morgan, Terrance Allen Morton, De'Andrick Malik Nicholson, Tori Chante' Nicholson, Me'sha Renee O'Conner, Javon Steve Oliphant, Christian Fredrick Padgett, McKayla Natasha Padgett, Spencer Lanier Padgett, Carroll Mark Parkman Jr., Brendyia Da'Lencia Parks, Bailey Nicole Pedersen, Catherine Kay Peeples, Leticia Pena, Austin Lee David Phillips, Tierra Shantese Pixley, John Austin Noel Polatty, Lateria Santhony Poole, Samantha Victoria-McKenzie Prescott, Zandria Latrice Preston, Dakota Blackwell Quarles, MaKenzie RaNae Quarles, Brandon Michael Ralphs, Richard James Rauschert, Zachary James Revert, Hunter Patrick Reville, Bianca San Juanita Rios, Joseph Deviontrey Robertson, Breana LaQuwan Robinson, Chesnee La'cole Robinson, Shaneka Iesha Robinson, William Weger Rodriguez, Desmond Cardell Rowe, Destinee Lennell Rowe, DeAndre' Nashiem Ryan, Samuel Michael Scott, Zeolkanay Onarious Seago, James Carroll Seawright, Rachel DeAnne Seigler, Katelyn Danielle Sexton, Johnathan Jerome Sharpton Jr., Scott Edward Sherman Jr., Sanchez Saxton Singleton, Shontavious Keiuna Smith, Dante Marcell Stover, Padgett Edwards Sumner, Chandlor Talbert, George McClain Terry, Brianna Nicole Thomas, Alana Victoria Thurmond, Kylee Nichole Ticknor, Lyric Alessandria Tillman, Ashley Marie Toole, Jaylin De'Angelo Toole, Marcos Trejo, Olivia Sierra Tucker, Brittany Nicole Turner, Haley Cooper Ussery, Ayanna La'Daisha Valentine, Elfego Alexis Vera Arteaga, Alexia Ariana Williams, Destiny Leondrea Williams, Devontae' Jamel Williams, Franquilla Keelon Williams, George Edward Williams Jr., Marcus Jamal Williams, Michael Avery Williams, Pressley Elizabeth Wilson, Avery James Wise, Elizabeth Lauren Yonce and Superior Fantasier Young

As the race for the Democratic presidential nomination carries on, some South Carolina Democrats say the two remaining candidates deciding to stay in the race will unite the party.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is continuing his campaign ahead of what appears will be a competitive California primary Tuesday, while media outlets such as CNN and The Associated Press report former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton currently is poised to clinch the nomination.

Sanders plans to compete in the final contest, the District of Columbia primary June 14, AP reported.

Though some Democrats have expressed it may be difficult for Clinton and Sanders supporters to back one candidate after a nominee is chosen, RaShad Gaines, a Sanders delegate for the Democratic National Convention, said whether the Vermont senator is the nominee or not, he believes the Democrats "taking the run all the way to the end" will unite the party.

"I'm a real politico, and I believe the best elections are healthy, competitive elections," said Gaines, who also is the national chairman of the Black Caucus of Young Democrats for America and treasurer of the Aiken County Historical Commission.

It's a great move for the election process to be "fielded until the end," he said, and added he doesn't think candidates should suspend their campaigns after the caucuses and primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

"That's not fair - those four states don't represent the whole country," he said.

Gaines also believes Clinton is more of a centrist and said the former secretary will have moved more to the left because Sanders decided to keep running.

"If she's going to be our candidate and our nominee, she will be a better candidate because Bernie stayed in the race to the end," he said. "We're going to get as much as a real Democrat out of her because of Bernie."

Sanders is the candidate of Gaines' choice because he said his rhetoric aligns with his views as a young black man from the South.

After former President Bill Clinton stumped in Aiken for his wife ahead of South Carolina's primary in February, Aiken City Council member Lessie Price said in an interview that Hillary Clinton is "concerned about common people and common people's interests," which she said "touches the heart."

Clinton overwhelmingly won the primary and was largely supported by African-American voters. Statewide, Clinton received 73.4 percent of the vote and Sanders garnered around 26 percent. In Aiken County, Clinton received around 70 percent in Aiken County and Sanders, 29.3 percent.

Both candidates have received endorsements from party leaders and politicians in the Palmetto State and each campaign made a stop in Aiken ahead of the state's primary from Bill Clinton's appearance to Sanders' rally at the USC Aiken Convocation Center last fall.

Efforts to reach South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison for a comment on the race were unsuccessful as of press time, but in a February news release after the primary, Harrison announced an endorsement for Clinton.

Harrison said in the statement he had told South Carolina Democrats he would pledge his endorsement to the candidate who won the state's primary.

"South Carolina Democrats have voted and have spoken convincingly. Palmetto State Democrats believe that Hillary Clinton is the best candidate to be the 45th President of the United States and best suited to build upon the legacy and achievements of Barack Obama," Harrison's statement reads. "Therefore, it's my honor to follow South Carolina Democrats and join my mentor Congressman Jim Clyburn to support Hillary Clinton for President of the United States."

The Aiken County Democratic Party, however, has not made an official endorsement, said first vice chairwoman Teresa Harper.

"We did not endorse because we've got some Hillary people and some Bernie people and most of us are happy with either one," Harper said Friday.

She pointed out 2016 is not much different from the competitive race in 2008 when Clinton ran against Obama, then a U.S. senator of Illinois.

"If you look back, it's about the same," Harper said. "It's just the way it is, and I don't think it's going to hurt the Democratic Party. Maybe there's hurt feelings right now, but you just listen to Donald Trump speak.

"We are all going to vote against Trump," she earlier said.

Of the New York businessman, Gaines said: "Donald Trump being the nominee for the GOP shows you how much we have not grown in America."

In May, Trump earned the number of delegates needed for the GOP nomination with 1,237 delegates. In South Carolina, the presumptive nominee has been backed by the S.C. GOP Chairman Matt Moore and recently, U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

To win the Democratic nomination for president, 2,383 delegates are needed, according to AP. AP's count as of 2 p.m. Saturday states Clinton needs "67 delegates to reach the 2,383 needed to win - Sanders needs 836 delegates to clinch the nomination."

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

NORTH AUGUSTA - It's going to be a busy Monday for North Augusta City Council

North Augusta City Council will meet in executive session prior to Monday's regularly scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. to discuss matters relating to Project Jackson's Master Development Agreement, according to the agenda. Council meets in the Municipal Building Conference Chambers, 100 Georgia Ave.

Council held the first reading of the agreement in October 2015, but have tabled discussions until everything is in order for the final deal.

"Second reading will not occur until we have all the private sector elements aligned and ready," North Augusta Mayor Lark Jones said.

An agenda for Monday's study session also lists an executive session for the receipt of legal advice concerning a lawsuit filed by Aiken Communications, which publishes the Aiken Standard and North Augusta Star, as well as other pending litigation.

Aiken Communications filed suit in 2015 seeking the release of dashcam footage from the vehicle pursuit of Ernest Satterwhite Sr.

Former North Augusta public safety officer Justin Craven fatally shot Satterwhite in 2014 after a brief vehicle chase. The dashcam footage was released after Craven pleaded guilty to official misconduct in office in April.

Council also will consider designating Southern Bank & Trust as the Financial Institution and South Carolina and TSYS Merchant Solutions as the Merchant Service Provider for the City of North Augusta during its regularly scheduled meeting, according to the agenda.

In other business, Council also will consider for approval three text amendments recommended by Planning Commission regarding farmers markets and mobile food vending, as well as recognizing a proclamation of June as Scoliosis Early Detection Awareness Month.

NORTH AUGUSTA - North Augusta's first off-leash dog park is slowly but surely making progress toward becoming a reality.

Members of Leadership North Augusta met May 27 at the location of the proposed Bark Park to discuss progress made with fundraising, as well as to walk and survey the property.

Located just behind the North Augusta Department of Public Safety headquarters, the property sits across from the Sertoma Club pavilion. The 30,000 square-foot property has a small stream that runs along the side of it, and the park's fence would sit 25 feet from the water to comply with the Clean Water Act.

"It's a very underutilized part of the Greeneway," said Mary Anne Bigger, of Leadership North Augusta.

The group discussed options to meet their fundraising goal for the park.

"Our original estimate was really conservative at about $55,000 ... but now we're thinking closer to $30,000," Bigger said, adding that right now they are trying to get the dog park in place with just what's required, and the group envisions the park being improved upon in the future with nicer amenities.

"We're doing bare bones, just what's required. So over the years, we envision nicer things and play equipment (being added)," she said.

"As of (May 27), we have a little over $5,000, and that's just individuals," Bigger said. "We just started going to corporate sponsors and we are going to write grants."

Bigger said some local veterinary offices have shown interest in the park, some inquiring about sponsorships.

Elisabeth Artis, a vet tech and manager at Veterinary Healthcare Associates, expressed interest in possibly sponsoring a water fountain or a bench to help the cause.

"(The park) definitely will help bring people together ... it would be good for everyone, I think," Artis said. "It would be good for the pets, to give them exercise and keep them healthy."

For more information or to donate, visit facebook.com/barkparknorthaugusta or gofundme.com/nabarkpark.

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

The roads were busy Saturday along S.C. Highway 23 for the Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale, the 44-mile long event that runs through seven towns.

It was the 11th annual year for the yard sale, which ran Friday and Saturday, through Batesburg-Leesville, Monetta, Ridge Spring, Ward, Johnston, Edgefield and Modoc, said Donna Livingston, Edgefield County Chamber of Commerce administrator.

"I'm having a good time out here, it's my first time," said Randy Reeves, of Modoc. "Its fun to just be out here goofing off - looking for something extraordinary. My wife says I'm a sucker for other people's junk."

The items that often are available range "from clothes to furniture, dishes, knick knacks, books, shoes, children's toys," to "glassware, outdoor furniture, beer bottle collections, pottery, metal work, cast iron (wash pots, cannons, etc.) coins, plants, craft items, farmers market items (vegetables and fruits), baked goods and food vendors," Livingston said.

"Everything you want to find, you can find on the "Peachtree,'" said Pat Asbill, former mayor of Ridge Spring.

There also was Farmers & Artist's Markets carrying fruits and vegetables in season, and all kinds of amazing one-of-a-kind trinkets made by hand.

Cecil Slade, 80, of Aiken, was selling handmade wooden clocks, tables and benches on the side of the road Saturday.

"I've been making these things for over 40 years now," Slade said. "I saw a bunch of artist craft shows when I was younger and when I first saw wooden crafts I thought, well, I could make those. So, here I am now, all those years later."

Pat Martin, of Edgefield, was mainly selling a wide variety of unique plants off the porch of her house. She said she's been participating in the Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale since the beginning.

"I've participated every year for 11 years," Martin said. "Every year I say it's going to be my last, but here I am again. However, I mainly just focus on plants now."

Richard Ellison had a spot set up in the small community of Ward. He said it was his first year and business was good.

"It's been great getting to meet really nice people from all over the area," Ellison said. "I'll probably come out and do it again next year."

Once the two-day event is over, many of the participants will donate their leftover items to places like Goodwill, Salvation Army, ECCHO or other well-known organizations in the area.

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

Staff from the S.C. Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Program will be on site at the Aiken County Treasurer's Office on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a news release.

The purpose is to provide free unclaimed property searches. South Carolina residents are encouraged to stop by the Aiken County Treasurer's Office to see if property is being held in safekeeping for them by the State Treasurer's Office, the release said.

"I want every South Carolinian to be aware of our unclaimed property program and our commitment to connecting citizens to the property they rightfully own," State Treasurer Curtis Loftis said in prepared remarks. "The service is free, and it takes just minutes to find out if you or your business has money waiting to be claimed."

The State Treasurer's Office serves as custodian of more than $500 million in unclaimed property and holds it in safekeeping for the citizens of South Carolina.

Last fiscal year, unclaimed property staff processed over 32,000 accounts worth more than $18 million for South Carolina individuals and businesses.

Examples of unclaimed property include dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks (including paychecks), unclaimed insurance proceeds, forgotten utility deposits, uncashed dividend checks, abandoned and matured U.S. savings bonds, as well as unexchanged shares of stock.

"I would like to thank Treasurer Loftis and his staff for working with us to provide Aiken County citizens the opportunity to learn about and make claims through the Unclaimed Property Program," Aiken County Treasurer Jason Goings said in a statement.

If you are unable to attend the event Tuesday, free online searches are available at any time by visiting treasurer.sc.gov.

The Aiken County Treasurer's Office is located at 1930 University Parkway, Suite 2700.

For more information about the Unclaimed Property event in Aiken, call Jason Goings at 803-642-2092 or email Trea surer@aikencountysc.gov.

Though the audience was quaint, Everett Campbell strummed his guitar at the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum Saturday and sang American folk music that told the story of railroad and the history of the men and women who were a part of it.

In between turning the pages of his sheet music, Campbell took time to explain he was missing two fellow musicians who normally play alongside him.

The musicians perform at other places such as nursing and convalescent homes, as well as the train museum, he said.

"We do it especially here, because it's a museum and I just sort of warmed up to it when I arrived here because I've been doing these kind of songs for many years and this is the best place to do them," Campbell said.

He sang the historic rail songs including "The City of New Orleans," written by Arlo Guthrie and other tunes written in the 1800s and 1900s. Other songs he performed were written by well-known country guitarist and singer Johnny Cash.

The Panter family, originally from France, watched on as Campbell sang.

Nell Panter said her father, Gilles, recently moved to the area to work at the Savannah River Site. The family said they are enjoying Aiken and Saturday's event acted as a way to usher in the summer holiday.

Grandmother Eliane Panter admitted her English wasn't the best but she was still enjoying the music.

"Country and folk is the language of the people, the grassroots, as they say," Campbell said. "The story is the same in any language (and) in any part of the world. That's the good thing about it."

Campbell said he has played guitar since age 17 and has learned from others along the way. He said early on, his father had a guitar at his home.

"I picked up on it and I've never been able to put it down," he said.

Roads n' Rails dates can be found at visitaikensc.com

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

The Aiken County Public School District will offer free online courses in keyboarding and computer applications this summer to rising seventh- through 12th-grade students.

Both courses can be taken concurrently for full high school credit. In addition to allowing students to earn credits, this program also is intended to provide more opportunities for students to participate in advanced technology courses during the regular school year.

"We're excited to provide access this summer to courses that will allow students to accelerate learning and provide the acquisition of foundational skills necessary for higher-level coursework in high-interest technology areas such as coding, networking and cyber security," Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford said.

Online registration will continue through Thursday, and the Virtual Academy session will be held from June 13 through July 27.

Parents and students can access more information from their school guidance counselors online at the Aiken County Public School District website at www.acps.schoolfusion.us.

The North Augusta Chamber will host its second Power Lunch of the year Tuesday at the Palmetto Terrace.

The event will feature nationally recognized leadership and communication coach Justin Patton as he presents "It Starts With Me: Energy Trumps Everything." Patton is a high-energy international speaker and coach. The event will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

His personal stories of both struggle and failure will challenge you to think differently about how you lead, work and love. He combines both humor and real-life examples to get you thinking about how you show up and how you can learn to see what most people miss.

Patton's journey took him from teaching high school English and creative writing in Kentucky to coaching leaders in Fortune 500 companies across the country.

He managed the national sales training department for Anthem BlueCross BlueShield where he coached top sales performers on how to communicate with stronger impact.

Additionally, Patton facilitated leadership and communication skills programs in Russia, Canada and throughout the United States for Yum! University.

After starting his own company, he was hired to teach the largest RGM leadership program in Taco Bell's history, and he is now a faculty member for the Institute of Organizational Management. Some of Patton's clients include Taco Bell, General Electric, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Fifth Third Bank, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Humana and Leadership Louisville.

At the Power Lunch, Patton will speak about the importance of knowing how important the energy you bring truly is in both professional and personal relationships.

"Here's the truth: Your lack of awareness will keep you playing small. Leadership is not just about driving results, but it's focusing on how we go about getting those results. The energy you show up with every day will determine your leadership legacy," Patton said.

Patton promises attendees will leave this workshop with a new mindset on how they lead, love and communicate.

The Power Lunch Series provides Chamber members the opportunity to stay informed on issues relevant to the business community, along with promoting connections with other business colleagues.

This provides a great platform to discuss the importance of business in our local, national and global economy. The Chamber strives to connect and engage fellow professionals at our events. We believe creating and fostering business connections are key to our community's success and economic growth.

Pre-registration is required for this event. To register, visit northaugustachamber.org or call 803-279-2323.

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

An Aiken man reported he was robbed of his moped while attempting to purchase narcotics. He then fled from the seller who threatened to shoot him and called EMS for chest pain due to previously ingested cocaine.

A Warrenville pair reported several men in a station wagon fired shots at the vehicle they were driving. No injuries or damage were reported.

An Aiken woman reported a break-in, burglary and vandalism at her home. She reported clothes had been thrown on the floor and doused in bleach. Responding officers noticed several broken household items and strong odors of bleach.

A Beech Island man reported being assaulted by being punched in the mouth after he opened his door when the assailant knocked. A suspect has not been named.

A Bath woman reported a domestic assault following an altercation at her home. She reported being punched by the father of two of her children. Officers noted visible evidence of violence and took photographs. Another child witnessed the event and verified his mother's story. Officers initiated a search and the subject was apprehended.

Locals will be able to see the Aiken Community Playhouse's Youth Wing perform today.

The performance is part of the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department's 2016 Hopelands Gardens Summer Concert Series.

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

In case of inclement weather, the performance will be moved inside to Gym Two of H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, 1700 Whiskey Road. The rainout hotline is 803-643-4661.

For seating, guests can bring lawn chairs or blankets.

They may also bring picnic dinners but can not bring alcoholic beverages.

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

Handicapped-accessible 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.

The Aiken County Board of Education will hold a special called meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the District office at 1000 Brookhaven Drive.

The Board will meet in executive session to discuss administrative appointments.

School Board to discuss administrative appointments

Barely a week into the official hurricane season, South Carolina is again expected to bear a target on its back as the season's third storm churns in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Depression 3 crossed the wind speed threshold of 39 mph and became Tropical Storm Colin on Sunday evening.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm is moving north-northeast toward the Big Bend region of Florida and is expected to make landfall there Monday afternoon or later that evening. The system is expected to traverse Georgia and South Carolina on Monday evening and reach the coast near Charleston by Tuesday morning.

Although some forecast models don't predict rain to venture too far inland, South Carolina residents from the Eastern Midlands, through the Lowcountry and all along the coast could see impacts, according to Tenia Morrison, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Columbia.

And, with the sometimes hard-to-predict nature of these systems and the already wet ground from weekend thunderstorms, dangerous situations could arise quite quickly.

Morrison said, "Heavy rains and flooding are certainly possible. Flooding is going to be the biggest threat."

According to Morrison, coastal erosion also is a concern, as with any storm, and a storm surge is also expected along the both the Florida Gulf Coast and the east coasts of South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. However, current models don't forecast how high the surge might get.

The system is not expected to reach hurricane strength and is forecast to move away from the East Coast after its journey through the lower Southeastern states. But, the National Weather Service is reminding residents to stay vigilant and watch for updates.

A tropical storm watch was issued Sunday evening for much of Florida's Gulf Coast and from Georgia's Altamaha Sound through Flagler County, Florida, north of Daytona Beach.

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

From Labor Day 1955 to the present day, Waffle House has dotted the American landscape, from small towns to interstates, and the grand opening of store No. 2195 on York Street. carries that image forward.

The diner officially oiled up the grill and opened for business May 31. According to division manager Cheryl Beaver, with only one week on the books, business is good.

"The neighborhood has been very receptive. We've met a lot of people who were eagerly waiting for us to open," she said.

The chain of corporate-led diners has tagged and copyrighted itself as "America's Place to Eat" under the motto "Good Food Fast."

"We are all about culture, the culture of the restaurant and the customers," Beaver said. "We are in the people business."

Aside from their short-order menu and coffee, Waffle House also brings a number of new jobs to the community. A banner on the window tells passers-by that applications are being accepted.

"We are always hiring," said Beaver.

"We have stores all over the area, and we need more team members and managers," she added.

The crew of No. 2195 will keep the store open every hour of every day of the year, including holidays. She also said the diner would meet the challenge of keeping grills hot, even if it requires a generator in the face of an ice storm.

Beaver said the Aiken area Waffle House restaurants were some of the only places to get hot food, albeit with very crowded lobbies, during the early parts of 2014's iconic storm. While that may seem daunting, Beaver said it runs like a family.

"My favorite part of the job is the customer," she said. "Things are different every day, but you get to see all the regulars that come in. You get to know them and they become part of the family. Customers I saw come in as children when I started 20 years ago are now grown and married and bringing in their children."

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

Aiken City Council will meet tonight in a work session to discuss future plans for two proposed Northside parks, following a vote on the city's 2016-17 budget.

The public work session in Room 204 will follow a 5 p.m. meeting in Council Chambers in the Aiken Municipal Building, 214 Park Ave.

City documents state Council and staff will discuss plans for the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center and Northside Park.

What amenities the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center will have and how big the facility will be is still to be decided, as city officials are in the beginning stages of financing the park. Recently, officials said the park is $2 million short of funds to complete the estimated $5.4 million building. The Council agenda states there is $3.8 million from rounds two and three of Capital Project Sales Tax funds allocated for the project.

The city has already purchased more property for the park. In March, the city purchased an additional 5.5 acres from the Aiken County Public School District to increase the size of the park from nine to 14 acres.

The Northside Park, proposed to be developed on roughly 112 acres off Columbia Highway, is just beginning its phase-one designs.

The Council agenda states there is currently just under $3 million allocated for this project.

Phase one would include infrastructure and side work, that includes drainage, the septic system, water lines and electrical service, officials said.

Proposed amenities at the park include a large playground, a walking trail, large picnic pavilion with restrooms, a splash pad and a 4,000-seat football field.

During the regular meeting, Council will hold the first of two votes on setting the city's millage rate, or property tax rate, for fiscal year 2016-17.

The Council agenda states the city is prepared to continue with the current millage rate of 62 mills. However, after reassessment figures are provided, the city will need to adjust their property tax rate, the agenda states. Council will also hold the first of two votes to adopt the 2016-17 budget.

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

On June 1, the Reserve Club at Woodside held its annual Colors of Hope Tournament to benefit CanHope. CanHope, formerly the Savannah River Cancer Foundation, supports local women and men who need assistance in their fight against cancer.

Colors of Hope is organized by the Reserve Club's Women's Golf Association but is a club-wide fundraising effort that involves both men and women in golf, tennis and pickle ball tournaments. The day concluded with an awards party and luau at the Reserve Pool Pavilion, where Georgina Riley, CanHope board president, was presented with a check for $12,507 by co-chairs Lenore Dileo and Ava Powell and Committee Heads Sandra Arbuckle, Cleo Dalson, Kitty Lopez, Polly Stimmel, Deborah Sullivan and Katie Williams.

Honda Cars of Aiken was a major sponsor for the event. Other local business sponsors were Aiken Design Center, Carolina Signature Homes, Designer Builders, Fusion Capital, Guillebeau's Interior Design, Pat Roberts/ Woodside-Aiken Realty, Prestige Appliance, L. Dieter Voegele MD, Woodside Development, York Cottage Antiques and Sen. Tom Young. Individual sponsors were Jim and Kathleen Bennett, David and Daria Carney, Friends of Gini Sayers, Bruce and Connie Jarzmik, Bruce and Margaret Jobe, George Krist, Rafael and Kitty Lopez, Pete and Billie Messina, The Reserve Club Blue Tee Group, Gene Sullivan, Jack and Katie Williams, and Larry and Susan Wittenmyer.