Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced South Carolina airports will receive $4.8 million in federal grants for improvements. Bamberg County Airport Bamberg County will receive $233,344 for the construction of a partial parallel taxiway. Beaufort County Airport Beaufort County will receive $66,500 for the installation of a runway vertical/visual guidance system, and the installation of a supplemental wind indicator. Chester Municipal Airport Chester County Airport Commission will receive $1,425,000 for runway rehabilitation. Columbia Owens Downtown Airport Richland County will receive $150,000 for continued construction of a new terminal building. Conway-Horry County Airport Horry County will receive $150,000 for the installation of perimeter fencing. Florence Regional Airport The Pee Dee Regional Airport Authority will receive $120,000 to install runway lighting. Greenwood County Airport Greenwood County will receive $128,250 for runway rehabilitation, and to design taxiway rehabilitation. Hartsville Regional Airport The city of Hartsville will receive $60,000 to remove obstructions in the Runway 21 approach area. Lancaster County-McWhirter Field Lancaster County will receive $96,767 to improve the runway safety area, and to design the installation of an Automated Weather Observation System. Orangeburg Municipal Airport The city of Orangeburg will receive $90,000 to design an expansion to the apron, and for the installation of weather reporting equipment. Robert F. Swinnie Airport Georgetown County will receive $1,212,955 to rehabilitate the runway and improve runway safety areas. Rock Hill/York County/Bryant Field The city of Rock Hill will receive $150,000 to acquire land for development, design an expansion of the apron, and conduct a feasibility study for a proposed extension to the runway. St. George Airport Dorchester County will receive $54,000 for runway and apron rehabilitation design. Saluda County Airport Saluda County will receive $76,950 to acquire easements for approaches, and to support the design phase of a proposed runway, apron, and taxiway rehabilitation project. Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport The city of Spartanburg will receive $183,633 to install taxiway lighting. Summerville Airport Dorchester County will receive $546,000 to design and construct taxi lanes to hangar facilities. State of South Carolina South Carolina will receive $118,360 for obstruction mapping, specialized photography, and airport safety inspections at various airports throughout the state. The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. ####

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today toured the manufacturing plant of Technical Solutions Group (TSG) in Ladson. TSG, a subsidiary of Force Protection, Inc., manufactures and markets vehicles designed to both protect troops, equipment and detonate and remove mines. The company combines a proprietary capsule design with American automotive technology to produce vehicles with a high level of protection, visibility, load carrying capacity, interior space and parts availability- all critical qualities in military vehicles. TSG was recently awarded a contract to provide twenty-one Buffalo Mine Protected Clearance Vehicles to the U.S. Army. In addition, Graham assisted in securing $6.4 million in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Appropriations Act to provide additional Buffalo vehicles to the armed forces. “Our state is the tip of the spear for our nation’s armed forces,” said Graham. “South Carolina is a leader in military technology and plays a vital role in the war on terrorism. I am proud to be from a state that is invaluable to America’s fighting force. We provide the human assets and support systems that make the U.S. military the world’s premier fighting force.” “Our men and women in uniform deserve the best equipment and training available,” said Graham. “The Buffalo will help protect our soldiers from landmines and roadside bombs as they carry out their duties in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s an important vehicle helping our soldiers fulfill critical missions.” “The development of this cutting-edge technology is vitally important for our armed services,” said Graham. “The production of these vehicles serves the interests of the military and the community. It’s a winning situation for all involved.” Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been an advocate for additional armed vehicle protection for U.S. soldiers and Marines in the global war on terror. ####

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Sharon Axson (843-747-4175)

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and U.S. Representative Henry Brown (R-South Carolina) today announced Horry County Schools will receive a $981,562 grant to improve teaching programs in American history. “This is an innovative program that will allow American history teachers to continue their education and hone teaching skills,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. “Professional development for South Carolina’s teachers provides a better education for our students.” "This grant showcases one of the more creative components of the No Child Left Behind Act," Brown said. "At the same time, it illustrates the program's direct impact on classroom instruction." The funds will be used to improve the quality of history instruction by supporting professional development for teachers of American history. Each summer, 40 teachers will participate in a staff development program that includes the study of primary source documents, backward planning unit design, and online seminars, as well as training in the Paideia instructional model. Seminars will focus on the latest historiography, major historical debates, and primary documents. The project’s goals are to (1) design, pilot, and institutionalize a three-year staff development model; (2) develop methods for working with school administrators to support this model; and (3) design and implement an instructional review process. For this three-year project, Horry County Schools will team with the National Paideia Center, Southeastern Region Vision for Education (SERVE), the National Humanities Center (NHC), the Center for Gifted Education, Francis Marion University, Furman University, and Coastal Carolina University. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced Allendale County Alive and the University of South Carolina Research Foundation will receive federal grants. The grants total more than $383,000 and will assist business and economic development efforts in Allendale and the surrounding communities.

• Allendale County ALIVE will receive a $250,000 grant to establish a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). The RLF will be used to assist entrepreneurial activities and business expansions in Allendale County and the towns of Allendale, Fairfax, Sycamore, and Ulmer. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• The USC Research Foundation will receive a $133,841 grant to provide support for the USC Salkehatchie Leadership Center (SLC) in Allendale. The center provides training in leadership development, support services to agencies and non-profit organizations, and, runs a small business development center. The SLC serves Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, and Hampton Counties. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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