Spratt in a statement said quote “Wayne Wingate does not speak for me in saying that there are voters who vote Republican even if the candidate were Osama Bin Laden.  Though made in jest, it is a terrible attempt at humor, which is offensive and insulting and in no way reflects my views about voters in the Fifth Congressional District” Spratt goes on to say “I disagree with and denounce his remarks, and apologize to anyone offended.”

Spratt is facing Mick Mulvaney in the November election, the two are set to debate on Tuesday at the River Hill Lions Club at 8 p.m.

This is South Caroline Pride week, organized by the gay and lesbian organization SC Pride. Events have taken place in Columbia all week. Saturday events include a noon march down main street Columbia, and a free festival in Finlay Park afterwards which is open to the public, featuring 1980′s pop star Taylor Dayne.

The civil rights organization South Carolina Equality Coalition was established in 2002 as a statewide non-partisan coalition of local and state gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organizations including SC Pride.

That organization’s new Executive Director Christine Johnson served two terms in the House of Representatives for the State of Utah before coming to South Carolina one month ago. She says SC Pride events including Saturday’s march and festival are for all members of the community, gay and straight.

You can’t help but notice the beautiful rainbow flags hanging on Main and Gervais. Pride week is an opportunity to celebrate authenticity, reward ourselves and allow the community to get a glimpse of us and see what we’re like and see that we’re present in the community, and involved in every part of the community at large.

Johnson says attitudes toward the gay community are changing gradually and she encourges gays and lesbians to “come out.”  But she says it takes gay and straight people pushing for equality. Johnson says a change in attitude across South Carolina is possible, but it will happen one conversation at a time.

AUDIO: Johnson on gay rights and the growth of understanding (2:15)

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. South Caroline lies in the middle for the number of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer each year, but it has one of the highest death rates from the disease. That’s according to Dr. Mark Merlin of RC Cancer Centers of Atlanta. Merlin appeared in Lexington recently speaking before a “Men with Purpose Group” about the importance of the early diagnosis of the disease. Merlin says the dispartiy of the disease between African American and Caucasion males is significant.

Merlin says there are many factors that are presumed to lead to advanced prostate cancer for all men regardless of race. Merlin says challenges to early detection include lack of screening, lack of awareness of options, and patients not getting into the healthcare system soon enough.

Merlin says the main message is that men need to get tested annually because prostate cancer can be treated successfully if detected early. Testing options are predicated primarily on a man’s age, race, and family health history.

Merlin says apprehension, fear, and lack of time are the primary reasons men don’t get screened periodically for the disease.

 AUDIO: Dr Merlin says ealry detection is key to successfully treating prostate cancer 1:55

A local festival billed as a “generation-to-generation” event in South Carolina’s Atlantic Beach has recently undergone changes that officials say brings back a time and place that was once enjoyed by generations gone by.

Atlantic Beach Reunion, a brand new event, has been joined with the Gullah Geechee Festival, now in its eighth year.  Together they’re being held Saturday and Sunday, September 4 and 5.

The Atlantic Beach Town Manager William Booker says they are ready to show off their community.

We just want to invite people back to the beach to see some of the changes that have occured. We’re going to recreate some of the things that existed back in its heyday.  We’re going to have some food vendors and some entertainment for the kids, and of course, we have the beach!

Booker says they’re working hard to position Atlantic Beach as a Gullah Geechee site.

The U.S. Congress has designated that area from Jacksonville, Florida, to Jacksonville, North Carolina, as a Gullah Heritage Trail, and plans are to place various heritage sites along that path.  And the hope is that Atlantic Beach can be selected as one of those sites.

When some people think of good times at the beach, dancing comes to mind. Booker says that they’ll be celebrating the re-creation of what was once a local institution of Atlantic Beach:  Punk’s Patio.

Punk’s Patio is basically a dance floor with color, where people in the day, back in the day, used to go. There were several patios. Punk’s Patio. And it’s really basically a dance hall.

Booker says there’s a lot to see and do during the weekend celebration.

For those who used to come to Atlantic Beach, they’re all invited back. For those who never came because they weren’t here, because of the social environment in the day when Atlantic Beach was in its heyday, you’re also invited. So everyone’s invited.  Bring the family. We got the beach, we got activities on the beach, activites on the town, we’re looking to have a good time.

After the last wave of state budget cuts cost teacher jobs and grew the size of some classrooms, financial help would be appreciated by any South Carolina schools.

Spartanburg Charter School is vying for half a million dollars through a competition on the Facebook internet social network. Anyone can vote for the school online, but only until 12:59 a.m. Saturday. The Spartanburg school was ranked 20th in the nation and is the only South Carolina school in the top 100.

It’s sponsored by Kohl’s department stores. Facebook users can connect to The Kohl’s Cares for Kids contest.  Information is also available on the education department’s website.  The school has already received more than 112,000 votes.

Clay Eaton, director of special programs for the South Carolina Public Charter School District, says charter schools in South Carolina are in a statewide charter school district and it receives the least funding of all charter schools in the nation.

In this state we don’t have “backpacking” where the money follows the child.  We don’t do that here meaning that when a child goes to a charter school the funding stays in the district that child came from.

Eaton says Spartanburg Charter School survives on per-student funding which is one third of the state average and one fourth of the national average.

Eaton says Spartanburg Charter is competing largely against private schools and is one of only 20 public schools in the competition.

AUDIO: Eaton on school competition (1:00)

Eaton says a group of Spartanburg County parents took an old school building that was built in the 1930s and refurbished it using much of their own money to open a public charter school in 2009.

Spartanburg Charter School currently serves 300 students and would use the prize money to renovate the second floor of the school to add more grades for next year.

Miranda Lambert's airstream trailer is filled with congratulatory bottles of Dom Perignon for her CMA Awards nominations. Photo courtesy of http://twitter.com/Miranda_Lambert.

Miranda Lambert: @Miranda_Lambert    Dom for nom’s!!!! Celebration in the airstream!!!

Martina McBride: @martinamcbride    Playing “Secret Agents” with my 5 year old is pretty much as good as it gets…

Brad Paisley:  @BradPaisley    Recording with Darius today. Its between a song we wrote and a Bluegrass version of Ebony and Ivory. Tuff choice.

Laura Bell Bundy: @LauraBellBundy    I just met Satan. She works at American Airlines

Whitney Duncan: @whitneyduncan    Booty Pop…really?! Who needs extra junk n the trunk? That’s like false advertising & just plain weird.

Jack Ingram: @JackIngram    2 things that suck 2day: 1. I had Disney Radio on (kids) and heard JoBros new song Biggest Fan. 2. They referenced a girl by the term Shorty!

Darryl Worley photo courtesy of http://twitter.com/darrylworley.

Darryl Worley: @darrylworley    The ground in Alaska is very fertile. That is a 902 pound pumpkin.

John Rich: @johnrich   God Bless BrooksNDunn! Thx for all the GREAT country music over the years.thx4 letting me tour with you and being my friend! You’ll be missed!

Katie Armiger: @katiearmiger  My trainer told me months ago that I would one day love working out. Hmm. I’m anxiously waiting for that day.

Blake Shelton: @blakeshelton  Ever had a conversation with someone so dumb that you thought their bad breath could be caused by the brain rotting inside their head?

ShareThis