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Kemet completes acquisition of Niotan Inc.
Feb. 21, 2012
Staff Report Kemet Corp., a Simpsonville-based
manufacturer of tantalum, ceramic, aluminum, film, paper and electrolytic capacitors, said it has completed its acquisition
of all of the outstanding shares of Niotan Inc., a manufacturer of tantalum powders,
from an affiliate of Denham Capital Management LP. As previously
announced, Kemet paid an initial purchase price of $30 million at the closing of the transaction, and will make additional
deferred payments of $45 million over a 30-month period after the closing. Kemet said it also will be required to make quarterly royalty payments for tantalum
powder produced by Niotan after the transaction's closing, in an aggregate amount equal
to $10 million by Dec. 31, 2014. The new Kemet subsidiary, which
will be named Kemet Blue Powder Corp., has its headquarters and primary operating location in Carson City, Nev., company officials said.
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WYFF4.com
SC Roads: Potholes, Cracks, Broken Shoulders. Needed Highways Repairs
To Cost Billions
UPDATED: February 21, 2012
GREENVILLE, S.C. --
If your ride to work has felt a little bumpy lately, there's a reason for that: South Carolina roads are starting to crumble.
In fact, one-third of the state's primary and interstate highways and one-half of all secondary roads
are in "poor" or "mediocre" condition, according to the SC Department of Transportation.
But none of that comes as a surprise to drivers.
"Cracks in the road. Potholes," said Janie Williams,
describing the roads near her house.
"Potholes. You hit them every day and it's so aggravating," said
Sandor Keleman, talking about his commute to work.
"The sides of the road have started crumbling," said
Megan Williams, a stay-at-home mother.
For some drivers, like Joey Lowe of Pauline, it's been more than an inconvenience.
"She didn't even realize what she hit," Lowe told News 4's Tim Waller.
Lowe said his wife was driving
along state highway 56 in Spartanburg County when her two right tires ran over a broken shoulder. The tires and both rims
were destroyed.
"It cost me about $800 in repairs," Lowe said.
Lowe filed
a claim with SCDOT, but his claim was denied for a reason that struck him as odd.
"The reason they (gave)
was a state law that says if the DOT didn't know about the poor road condition that did the damage, they're not liable for
it," Lowe said.
Apparently, a lot of vehicles have been damaged while traveling along South Carolina roads.
DOT says the average motorist in the state spends "$265 per year in vehicle repairs due to poor
road conditions."
The state owns and maintains 41,500 miles of roads in South Carolina. That's 62 percent
of the roads in the state. Other states own and maintain only a third of that amount. In addition
to primary and secondary roads, SCDOT is responsible for several dirt roads, a road leading to the front door of a church,
the drop-off lane in front of a school and the parking lot of a business.
Officials say
there are too many roads to keep up.
"We can maintain the interstates, the bridges that we have and the primary
routes that we have throughout the state. We just can't maintain the secondaries and all the other
routes that we're responsible for at this time," said Eddie Adams, chairman of the SCDOT Commission.
Adams
said there isn't enough money to repair all the roads under SCDOT's watch, especially since the gas tax that accounts for
90 percent of the agency's funding hasn't been raised since 1987. Adams said raising the state's 16.7
cent gas tax by one penny would generate an extra $31 million per year.
But he does not believe a penny tax increase
is likely.
"It's very unrealistic right now," Adams said. "There are a lot of issues (facing the legislature)."
Many lawmakers blame the SCDOT commission for the condition of South Carolina roads. This year, there are several
bills to eliminate the commission altogether and give more highway oversight to the governor and legislature.
There is also a bill called "fix it first" that would do exactly what its name implies.
"The
goal is to have our highway department spend our tax dollars first on the roads and bridges that are already in trouble,"
said Democratic Senator Vincent Sheheen, of Kershaw.
Another bill introduced this session
would close the loophole that caused Joey Lowe's claim with SCDOT to be denied. The bill by Republican Senator Lee Bright of Spartanburg would make the highway department liable for vehicle damage caused by poor road conditions.
"It should be up to the highway department to keep our roads safe. If they're not keeping them safe, folks are
paying through their fuel taxes and their taxes through the general fund to keep these roads straight,"
Bright said.
But officials with the state highway agency says drivers don't pay enough in fuel taxes to keep roads
properly maintained. Adams said we've been fortunate this year with a mild winter, but fears that
may not be the case next year.
"We're going to see what we saw two years ago with a very hard winter,"
Adams said. ""It's going to be devastating to the state and we've just got to prepare for that."
Upstate family making
money with bunny business
Updated: Feb 21, 2012
By Joe Gagnon, Reporter
FOUNTAIN INN, SC (FOX Carolina) - For the Hayward
family, what was once a simple pet to help fertilize their garden, has become a booming business capturing photos of bunnies.
Garden Gate Cards started a few years ago with Loretta Hayward when she started taking pictures of her rabbits, and they became
such a hit with her family and friends that she began
selling cards and calendars through the internet.
"I love what I do," Hayward says, "taking these photos
of rabbits and putting them on cards or making children's stories is fun for me, and sometimes it gets kids to enjoy reading for the first time." Garden Gate sells children's books, cards and calendars
on their website, gardengatecards.us, but they also allow families to tour their Rabbit Park in Fountain Inn.
Parents and their kids can see and pet dozens of rabbits and watch the stars of these colorful
photographs and stories
Ali Rogers wins Miss Laurens County
Written by Rachel
Ham
Saturday, 18 February 2012 After
winning the Miss Laurens County Teen title in 2009, Laurens native Ali Rogers was named Miss Laurens County 2012 at the annual
pageant on Saturday.
Rogers was one of 12 contestants who took the stage to compete for the opportunity to represent
Laurens County as either Miss Laurens County or Miss Laurens County
Teen. The judges tallied points in the categories of on-stage question, lifestyle and fitness, evening wear, swimsuit and
talent. The contestants showed off their skills with singing, lyrical
dance, clogging, piano playing and jazz dance.
As the judges had the difficult task of choosing who to best represent
the county, the audience also voted on their favorite contestant in the People’s Choice awards.
In the Teen division, Victoria Fleck was the People’s Choice winner. Carolyne Brooks
received the top number of audience votes in the Miss division to win People’s
Choice.
Natalie Ray was chosen as first runner up in the Teen division. After winning both the talent and lifestyle and
fitness categories, Bry Atchison was crowned Miss Laurens County Teen
2012.
In the Miss division, Analouisa Valencia took the top prize in talent and was named first runner up. Rogers was
crowned Miss Laurens County as well as earning the most judges’
points for lifestyle and fitness.
Rogers previously represented Laurens County in the Miss SC Teen competition and was
crowned queen in 2009. She finished in the top 10 at the Miss America Outstanding
Teen pageant.
This year, Rogers will move on to the Miss South Carolina pageant as Atchison competes in Miss SC Teen.
Circus coming to Laurens County
Fairgrounds
Written by Rachel Ham
Monday, 20 February 2012 As part of its 2012 tour, the all-new “Circus, Circus and
more CIRCUS” is coming to Laurens.
The newest production from Walker International Events will dazzle and delight
adults and children of all ages. The 90-minute show will include breathtaking aerialists, acrobatics, magic, tons of comedy and an astonishing array of circus acts.
The circus
will arrive in Laurens on February 24. Showtimes will be 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Laurens County Fairgrounds.
Adult
tickets can be purchased through Walker International Events or at the circus box office on the day of the show. Special pricing
includes two children (14 and under) admitted
free with the purchase of one adult ticket and coupon. Children’s coupons can be found at various local businesses.
For additional information, please call 1-800-528-6577.
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AGENDA CITY OF FOUNTAIN INN COUNCIL MEETING
COUNCIL CHAMBERS – CITY HALL Upcoming Events
April 15th, Statement of Economic Interests Report Due (electronic filing
only) Tuesday, June 12th – June Primary Tuesday, June 26th
– June Runoff (if needed) Tuesday, November 6th – General Election Performing Arts Center events – www.ficiviccenter.org
Upcoming Meetings
March 8, 2012 – 6 pm Council Meeting April 12, 2012 – 6pm Council Meeting
May 10, 2012 – 6pm Council Meeting June 14, 2012 – 6pm
Council Meeting July 12, 2012 – 6pm Council Meeting August
9, 2012 – 6pm Council Meeting
AGENDA OF THE SIMPSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL Simpsonville
City Council Meetings:
The Simpsonville City Council meets twice each month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.
Meetings are in the Council Chambers at City Hall and begin at 6:30 pm. At the first meeting of each month City Council conducts
its official business. The second meeting of each month is a workshop session for City Council.
Citizens are afforded
an opportunity to sign up to address City Council at any meeting. To sign up, interested citizens should either call the City
Clerk at least one week prior to a scheduled Council meeting or arrive at least 20 minutes before a scheduled Council meeting
and sign up at the door. Citizens that call the City Clerk ahead of time are typically allowed to take up to four minutes
in their address to Council; citizens that sign up at the door are typically allowed to take up to two minutes in their address
to Council. Simpsonville Planning Commission:
The Simpsonville Planning
Commission meets once each month on the 1st Tuesday. Meetings are in the Council Chambers at City Hall and begin at 6:30 pm.
Citizens are afforded an opportunity to commment on any agenda item during the public hearing portion of that particular
agenda item. No sign up is required for particiupation in a public hearing. Simpsonville Board
of Zoning Appeals:
The Simpsonville Board of Zoning Appeals meetgs once each month as needed on the 3rd
Tuesday. Meetings are in the Council Chambers at City Hall and begin at 7:30 pm.
Citizens are afforded an opportunity
to comment on any agenda item during the public hearing portion of that particular agenda item. No sign is required for participation
in a public hearing
SIMPSONVILLE POLICE
REPORT FOR 2/15/2012: **Traffic Enforcement Focus** This weeks traffic focus
will again be Fairview Rd. This is due to the high traffic volume and large number of accidents that occur on this road. This
will end on 2-19-2012.
There will also be a traffic safety checkpoint on Fairview Rd. on February 17, 2012
from 10pm to 2am. Lt. Kevin Threlkeld
Investigation Division
Simpsonville Police Dept.
405 E. Curtis
St.
Simpsonville, SC 29681
Office 864-967-9541
Fax 864-963-8955
ltthrelkeld@simpsonvillepd.co
SIMPSONVILLE REC REPORT:
Upcoming
events for Simpsonville Recreation:
On Friday, February 17, there will be a Sweetheart Covered Dish
Dance at the Simpsonville Activity & Senior Center from 6:00 - 9:30pm. Come enjoy a night
of ballroom dancing with the "Top Hat" band and a delicious
covered dish dinner. Dinner starts at 6:00pm and the dance starts at 7:00pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance for the dinner for $10.00 per person or $15.00
at the door. The Center will provide the meat (ham & chicken fingers) and drinks, but please bring a covered dish to go with it. To attend the
dance only, you may pay at the door at 7:00pm - $8.00 per person or $15.00 per couple.
For more information, please
call Jamie Brown at (864) 419-6268 or the Activity Center at (864) 967-9533.
----------
On Friday, March 9,
there will be a Mother Son Date Night at the Simpsonville Activity & Senior Center from 6:30 - 8:30pm. Mothers can
bring their sons (ages 3-13) for
a candlelit dinner and enjoy dancing to their favorite tunes by a DJ. Pictures will be taken by Pro Shots. Tickets
are $25 per couple and $10 for each additional
child. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are on sale now until the last one is sold. For more information,
please call (864) 967-9533. ---------- Spring baseball and softball registrations are
currently being taken at Heritage Park through February 27. Spring volleyball registrations are also be taken online
until March 7. Please call
(864) 228-0022 for more information or visit their website www.simpsonvilleheritagepark.com to register.
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SOUTH CAROLINA STATE NEWS:
Legislators will not fully
fund local governments Budget
talks are heating up in the legislature. A committee voted Tuesday to not fully fund local governments in South Carolina.
State law requires 4.5 percent of the
state budget to go towards counties and towns, but legislators have not reached that mark the past few years due to less tax
revenue.
It was a party-line 15-8 vote, with Democrats saying the move is unfair to counties, which often have to pay
for things required by the state. St. Matthews Democrat Harry Ott:
Columbia Democrat Joe Neal said legislators should give local governments the power
to cut back on their services if they're not going to be fully funded.
Charleston Republican Jim Merrill said there's
not enough money this year to fully fund local governments.
He accused Democrats of trying to score political points.
Pickens Republican B.R. Skelton said the state needs to eliminate that 4.5 percent requirement.
The committee will
spend this week crafting the budget, which will probably reach the House floor next week.
BP donates children's reading bus for USC
A USC
literacy project got a jumpstart from a major corporation
Gov. says gas prices could help SC tourism Governor Nikki Haley spoke this/Tuesday morning at the Governor's conference on
Tourism and Travel ...being held in Greenville this year.
We asked the governor about the how rising price of gas could
effect tourism:
Tourism generates nearly $15 billion a year in South Carolina..The conference ends tomorrow.
Tom Sponseller is still missing Authorities continue to search for Tom Sponseller, the
CEO of the South Carolina Hospitality Association, who has been missing since Saturday.
Today, Chris Stone the President
of the Greenville convention and Vistors Bureau, commented on his disappearence at the Governor's conference on tourism and
travel being held in Greenville.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Sponseller is asked to call 888-CRIME-SC.
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NBA:
ATLANTA HAWKS: 2/22-ATLANTA HAWKS @ NY Knicks 7PM! 2/23-ATLANTA HAWKS vs Orlando Magic 7PM! 2/24-26--NBA ALL STAR WEEKEND - ORLANDO FLORIDA!
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS:
2/22-CHARLOTTE
BOBCATS vs Indiana Pacers 7PM!
2/24-26--NBA
ALL STAR WEEKEND - ORLANDO FLORIDA! 2/29-CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
@ Detroit Pistons 7:30PM!
NHL: 2/20-CAROLINA HURRICANES vs Washington Capitials 7:30PM! 2/23-CAROLINA HURRICANES vs Anaheim Ducks 7PM!
2/25-CAROLINA HURRICANES vs
Florida Panthers 7PM! 2/28-CAROLINA
HURRICANES vs Nashville Predators 7PM!
MLB: WFIS PREPARES FOR ANOTHER GREAT SEASON OF ATLANTA
BRAVES BASEBALL ON 94.9FM & 1600AM! (More details yet to come!) 2/20/2012--BREAKING
NEWS: WFIS HAS NOT YET DETERMINED IT WILL BE AIRING BRAVES BASEBALL THIS YEAR DUE
TO LACK OF ADVERTISERS! To place your ad contact Joe LaStringer on 982-4487!
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL:
CLASS AAAA BOYS
PLAYOFFS: Upper State: Dorman 81 Lancaster 62 Gaffney 59 Irmo 58 Lower State: Aiken 50 Wando 40 Lexington 56 White Knoll 43
PAA announces 2012 class of
Hall of Fame inductees
Feb. 12, 2012
By Willie T. Smith III The 20th annual Piedmont Athletic Association Banquet and Hall of Fame induction
ceremony will take place March 24 at Embassy Suites. The
PAA, which was established in 1991 to preserve and promote the history of the five former all-black high schools in Greenville
County, has announced the 2012 class of Hall of Fame inductees.
The five high schools represented are Sterling, J. E. Beck,
Bryson, Lincoln and Washington. Athletes honored from
Sterling are Thelma W. Mike-Pinson, U.J. Thompson, Lillie Ruth Workman and Rev. Richard “Chop-Chop” Curry.
Honorees representing Bryson are Shirley B. Neely, Menton Berry
and James Edward Simmons, Jr., while Lincoln will feature Annie Bell Hunter, Frankie E. Whiteside and Sandra Anderson Williams. Washington
High School Hall of Fame inductees are Janice Beaty, William McIntyre and Rev. Rayford Nance. Bobby Chapman and Rev. Carroll Austin will represent Beck. Legendary college football coach Willie Jefferies will also be honored at the event, by being placed in the
PAA Hall of Fame Ring of Honor. Jeffries played at Sims
High School in Union, which competed against the Greenville County Schools. Born Jan. 4, 1937, Jefferies compiled a 179-132-6 record in 29 years as a college football coach, including
19 at S.C. State. He also coached five years each at
Wichita State and Howard. Jefferies became the first
African-American head coach of an NCAA Division 1-A football program when he took over at Wichita State. He is the winningest coach in the history of South Carolina State and owns
more Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victories than any other Bulldog coach. Jefferies is also the only college head coach to coach against legends Eddie Robinson of Grambling and Paul
“Bear” Bryant of Alabama. He was inducted
into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. The field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium was named after Jeffries also in 2010.
Woodmont football coach resigns. Indiana native takes job near home
Feb. 15, 2012
By Bob Castello Chad Dockery has resigned after two seasons as the
football coach at Woodmont High School to accept the same position at Mooresville (Ind.) High School outside of Indianapolis.
Dockery, who led the Wildcats to a 3-19 record, is a native of Evansville, Ind. He and his wife Stephanie have three children
ranging from 7 years old to four months. “All of our family is back in Indiana,” Dockery said. “It’s
important to me that my kids know their grandparents and are around the rest of their family. This is an opportunity that
came along at a high school that does not normally have a coaching change. We kind of jumped at the opportunity to make the
move. “That’s one of the things we talk to our players about all the time -- the importance of family and
making sure you organize your priorities the right way. In order to keep preaching that to the kids I’m working with,
its important that I’m doing that, too.” Dockery coached the freshman team at his high school alma mater
– Evansville Memorial -- for four years before heading south. He spent one year as an assistant at Wade Hampton and
four at Berea before taking the head coaching position at Woodmont. Former University of South Carolina quarterback
Steve Taneyhill has been named the football coach at Union County High School. Taneyhill replaces David Lipsey, who
resigned after heading the program since the consolidation of Union, Blacksburg and Lockhart high schools before the 2007
season. Taneyhill spent the past seven seasons as the coach at Chesterfield, having led the Rams to a 71-21 record and
consecutive Class A Division I state titles from 2007-2009. Jet Turner is the new football coach at Broome High School.
Turner replaces Todd Staley, who resigned after five seasons during which he compiled a 21-34 record. Turner served
as the head coach at Wilson Hall in Sumter in 2011. He made previous head coaching stops at Ware Shoals and Clover and led
Clover to the Class AAAA Division II state title in 2007.
Hillcrest High
School Wrestling Rams wrestlers defeat Lexington
in 6th tie-breaker. Rams defeat Lexington in 6th tie-breaker
Feb. 12, 2012
By Bob Castello COLUMBIA — It took six tie-breakers to decide the match, but the result was Hillcrest’s second straight
Class AAAA state wrestling championship. “This is so much better than last year,” said Hillcrest coach Tommy Bell,
whose Rams beat Lexington 27-26 in a rematch of the previous year’s state final Saturday night at Dreher High School.
“Last year, all the pressure was on us, and it was more just a relief to win. This year, this is unbelievable. Lexington
is better than us. I don’t have any problem saying that. They are experienced, and they are tough. We won tonight. If
we did a best-of-seven, I don’t know if we could win that.” Third-ranked Hillcrest (21-2), minus seven all-state
wrestlers from last year’s team, took it right down to the wire against No. 1 Lexington (30-3). The Rams led 26-23
heading into the final match between heavyweights Justin Boozer of Hillcrest and Joey Perrotta of Lexington. “We
knew back at about 170 it was heading (toward a tie-breaker),” Bell said. “We knew early enough that we were able
to give Justin enough time to understand, ‘You just have to lose by decision, and we win.’ That’s very hard
for an ego. He did a great job.” Boozer needed to do no worse than lose by decision. He did just that, by 5-4 in overtime.
That tied the score at 26-26. The first five tie-breakers didn’t settle the match. It went down to the sixth:
most technical falls. Hillcrest had the only one of the match; senior Devin Horgan won 15-0 at 132 pounds. Lexington
won the first two matches of the night, but Hillcrest sophomore Grant Snyder won by decision at 120. Also for Hillcrest,
Joel Madak won by decision at 145, junior Ellison Sanders by pin at 160, sophomore Landon Sayegh by decision at 170, senior
Bronson Delgado in overtime at 182 and senior Matt Errington by decision at 195. Delgado outlasted Lexington’s
Joe DeGenova for a 4-3 victory in overtime. “I figure if my sisters can do this, why not?” said Delgado,
whose sisters, Brittany and Brieana, are standouts at Oklahoma City University. “I was thrilled just to have all the
confidence of my team behind me. To know I helped my team, that’s all that matters.” Errington, who held
on for a 7-6 decision against Andrew Carnes, wrestled despite spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee Monday
night. “The doctors told me three to six weeks before I should come back,” Errington said. “I told
them I had to wrestle on Saturday. There was no choice. I wanted to win a state title with my team this weekend.”
Belton-Honea Path, which trailed 30-21 with three matches to go, rallied for a 35-30 victory over Chapin in the Class AAA
fional. Bamberg-Ehrhardt and Hanahan repeated as state champions, B-E with a 52-23 win over Abbeville in Class A and
Hanahan with a 40-34 victory over Emerald in Class AA.
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