by Bill Hixon

Dear Friends,

 

On October 13, my mother Elizabeth Hixon, celebrated her 90th birthday! I hope that at her age I have half of her strength and endurance. In additional to church every Sunday and Wednesday, she still works at our office each weekday and enjoys her ladies night on Friday nights. Her compassion and kidness extend to everyone who has met her. We love you Mama!

 

 

Also, please visit the 29th Annual Jack-o-Lantern Jubilee on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This family-oriented festival will be held downtown North Augusta on Georgia Avenue. Activities include live entertainment, great food, a variety of arts and crafts, children's games and rides, BBQ cook-off and children's costume contents. For more information, please visit their website by clicking here. I hope to see you there! 

 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – October 25, 2013

 

 

The state of South Carolina has partnered with CSID to provide eligible South Carolina taxpayers and businesses up to one year of CSID Identity Theft Protection services for free beginning yesterday, October 24, 2013. The deadline for enrollement is October 1, 2014.

 

 

Individual taxpayers, their dependents, and businesses who filed an electronic tax return between 1998 and 2012 may be eligible for CSID Identity Protection services. You can find more information on the SC Department of Revenues website by clicking here.
 
There are two ways to enroll in CSID's Identity Protection services:
  • Option One: Enroll online at  

     
     If you enroll online, all future notices from CSID will be sent to you by email.

  • Option Two: Call CSID's call center toll free at 1-855-880-2743. You will speak with a CSID specialist. All future notices from CSID will be sent to you by postal mail.

What does CSID Identity Protection Include:

  • Credit Monitoring: Monitor for credit inquiries, delinquencies, judgments and liens, bankruptcies, new loans and more.
  • Child Monitoring: Monitor all known addresses and aliases associated with your child's social security number, and alerts you if your child's personal information is being bought or sold online. Children of enrolled participants under age 18 are enrolled  for up to one year.
  • CyberAgent®: Monitor websites, chat rooms and bulletin boards 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to identify trading or selling of your personal information.
  • Court Records: Know if and when your name, date of birth, and social security number appear in court records for an offense that you did not commit.
  • Non-Credit Loans: Know if your personal information becomes linked to short-term, high-interest payday loans.
  • Change of Address: Monitor to see if someone has redirected your mail.
  • Sex Offender Report: Know if sex offenders reside in your zip code, and ensure that your identity is not being used fraudulently in the sex offender registry.
  • Social Security Number Trace: Know if your social security number becomes associated with another individual's name or address.
  • Identity Theft Insurance: Receive insurance against expenses in the event that your identity is compromised with a $1 million insurance policy.
  • Identity Restoration: Work with a certified identity theft restoration specialist to restore your identity and let you get on with your life. This service is available for eligible SC taxpayers even if you do not enroll in the CSID's identity protection plan.  
  • Enterprise Threat Intelligence (ETI): Businesses that filed taxes electronically with the state of SC between 1998 and 2012 may be eligible for this service for free. This service enables a business to proactively watch for data compromise through monitoring for malicious devices and company credentials and alerts you in the event that compromised data is found.
What if you enrolled last year?
If you completed the registration online or by phone last year, then you enrolled through Experian's Protect my ID program. You are probably receiving letters and emails stating that your subscription is expiring and that you must pay to continue the service. SC is now offering the FREE credit monitoring program through the new company CSID. For more information on CSID or to register, click here.
 
Ithaca Gun Company
Ithaca Gun Company, an Ohio-based firearms manufacturer, has announced their decision to expand their manufacturing operations to the Myrtle Beach area. Founded in 1883, Ithaca is recognized as an American leader in the development and manufacturing of premiere multiple gauge shotguns and the Model 1911 pistol. The $6.7 million investment will create 120 new, high-skilled jobs to include machine operators, gunsmiths, engineers and assemblers. For more information on Ithaca Gun Company click here.

 

Ithaca will construct a new 20,000-square-foot facility at Horry County's Cool Springs Business Park located near Aynor, SC. Production is expected to be underway in 2014. Factors that contributed to the company's site selection included the quantity and quality of the area labor force, proximity to technical colleges for training workers in Conway and Florence and quality of life.

 

Since January 2011, SC has recruited more than $9 billion in capital investment and more that 26,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector. Bringing this project to the state involved coordination between the SC Department of Commerce, the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation, North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA), the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SIMT) located in Florence, Horry County Council, Santee Cooper, the Horry County legislative delegation and Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

 

For more information, please read the October 17, 2013 article that appeared in The State newspaper by clicking here.

 

 

Please be sure to stay up to date with all that is going on in Columbia. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, I am always available.