Wofford holds 164th Commencement Exercises

 Dr. Douglas E. Wood, a 1990 Wofford College graduate and a senior fellow on justice and equity at the Aspen Institute, delivered the address at the college’s 164th Commencement Exercises  on Sunday, May 20, in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

 During the event, 418 degrees were conferred to 392 graduates – who received bachelor of arts degrees, bachelor of science degrees or both – and honorary degrees were awarded to the Hon. Dennis W. Shedd, a 1975 Wofford graduate and a judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth District, and Michael LeFever, president and CEO of South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU).

 The Philip Covington Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Humanities and Social Sciences was awarded to Dr. A.K. Anderson, associate professor and chair of the Department of Religion. The Roger Milliken Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science was presented to Dr. Kaye S. Savage, associate professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies.

 The college also presented the prestigious Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award to graduating senior Joshua Stone Crawford, a religion major from Norcross, Ga., and Mike Ayers, former Wofford Terriers head football coach.

 The student recipient of the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award was senior Farahnaz Afaq, a mathematics major with a minor in economics and a concentration in Middle Eastern and North African Studies from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Spartanburg, S.C. The non-student recipient was Kathy Dunleavy, CEO and president of the Mary Black Foundation in Spartanburg.

 Katherine Grace Beuerlein of Knoxville, Tenn., and Turner Lynn Rainwater of Florence, were recognized at the honor graduates, receiving a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout their college careers. Beuerlein received a degree in biology with a concentration in neuroscience, and Rainwater received a degree in biology. Both women graduated summa cum laude.

 Members of the Class of 1968 participated in the weekend’s activities, including a class reunion and participating in the processional and other events surrounding the Commencement Exercises. 

Keurig Green Mountain investing $350 million in Spartanburg County, creating 500 new jobs

 Columbia - Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig), a leader in specialty coffee and innovative single-serve brewing systems, on May 18th announced plans to construct a new, state-of-the-art roasting and packaging facility in Spartanburg County. The company is projected to bring $350 million of capital investment and create 500 new jobs.

 With a history dating back to 1981, Keurig's products are utilized in 25 million homes throughout North America. More than 50 leading global coffee, tea and cocoa brands have partnered with Keurig, offering customers approximately 500 varieties.

 "The Keurig Green Mountain business continues to grow. As we plan for the future, we're pleased to locate our newest facility in Spartanburg County to support our growth. We view the region's talented employee base and attractive business environment as the right place to invest," stated Keurig Green Mountain Chief Supply Chain Officer Richard Jones.

 South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster added, "We couldn't be more excited that Keurig Green Mountain has chosen to call Spartanburg County home. The 500 new jobs this investment means for our people will make a big difference in the lives of South Carolinians, and I congratulate this great company on all they've achieved."

 "South Carolina's favorable business environment, skilled workforce and unparalleled infrastructure offer a recipe for success. I'm excited to welcome Keurig to Team South Carolina, and we look forward to seeing the difference these 500 new jobs will make in the community," added Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

 Located in the Tyger River Industrial Park in Moore, the company's new production facility will primarily house coffee roasting and packaging for Keurig's single-serve K-Cup® pods, along with the potential to support beverage distribution and warehousing in the future.

 The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project, as well as a $3,850,000 grant to Spartanburg County to assist with the costs of site and infrastructure improvements. 

During the 24-hour celebration, the global Furman community showed support by wearing purple, giving to the university and gathering with students, alumni and friends.

Dins Day 2018 raises over $1.5 million for Furman University

 By Mary Goodwin

 The Furman University community banded together April 24 for the fourth annual Dins Day, a 24-hour celebration of what it means to be a Paladin.

This year, alumni, students, parents and friends of the university contributed 2,380 gifts totaling $1,523,015. Altogether, the four Dins Day events have raised more than $4.8 million in support of Furman students, programs and initiatives.

“The generosity of the Furman community will continue to have a tremendous impact on many of the university’s top priorities, including scholarships, research and internships, study away experiences, athletics and more,” said Rebecca Bilott, associate director of development communications and coordinator of the campaign. “We extend our deepest appreciation to Paladins across the globe for their support.”

Students donned their purple and Paladin pride across campus, participating in a variety of events and activities, while Furman faculty and staff celebrated employee giving at the university’s annual employee appreciation luncheon. Alumni, parents and other supporters joined the festivities by taking part in giving challenges, and sharing photos on social media, using the #DinsDay.

The university hosted special events in Atlanta, Birmingham, Charleston, Charlotte, Columbia, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham and Washington, D.C. There was also a daytime event at M. Judson Booksellers in downtown Greenville where alumni and friends celebrated with special guests, including Furman First Gentleman Charles Davis, who signed copies of his cookbook “In the Kitchen at White Oaks.” The event culminated in a Dins Day happy hour and ribbon cutting of Furman on Deck, the newly renovated picnic pavilion at Fluor Field. 

Healthy Bucks returns to Spartanburg County to help stretch produce budgets

 The incentive program that allows SC SNAP recipients to double their SNAP dollars to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets or from participating farmers returns this summer. Administered by the South Carolina Department of Social Services, the Healthy Bucks Incentive Program features 30 vendors in 20 counties this year. One of our many goals is to provide accessibility and additional benefits to our clients in obtaining healthy, local and non-locally grown nutritious foods.

The program is available to all SC SNAP EBT clients. Clients can go to a participating farmer or farmers market and make an EBT purchase of at least $5. Upon making the purchase, the client will receive $10 in Healthy Bucks tokens to purchase additional fresh fruits and vegetables. Clients are able to receive the $10 incentive (1) once per market day.

The locations in Spartanburg County are:

· Hub City Farmers Market (Saturday Market) 498 Howard Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303

(Wednesday Market), On Wall Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306

Notes

· SNAP recipients who purchase at least $5 of goods with their SNAP EBT card, will receive $10 in Healthy Bucks tokens.

· SNAP recipients can receive additional fresh fruits and vegetables with their tokens.

· The program is for SNAP recipients only.

· The tokens can only be used to redeem fresh fruits and vegetables.

· The tokens can be redeemed the same day or at a later date, depending on the farmer and the farmers markets days and hours of operation, or seasonal months.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, natural origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

You may also file a complaint of discrimination by contacting DSS. Write DSS Office of Civil Rights, P.O. Box 1520, Columbia, S.C. 29202-1520; or call (800) 311-7220 or (803) 898-8080 or TTY: (800) 311-7219.