Being a UGA grad, I find it very difficult find something praiseworthy in the Florida Gators. But, I came accross this article today about Tim Tebow, the Gator’s heisman quarterback.

Many Gator fans may think that Tim Tebow is a “miracle” quarterback, but his parents say he was actually a miracle baby.

Bob and Pam Tebow were Christian missionaries in the Philippines in 1987 when Pam, Tim’s mother contracted amoebic dysentery, the leading cause of death in the country. She was pregnant with Tim—her fifth child—at the time, very dehydrated and very sick when she went to her doctor who advised her to abort the baby because of the powerful medicines she would have to take to survive. But they decided against abortion and instead prayed. Both mom and baby survived.

“We thought we lost the baby about four times,” Tim’s dad, Bob, says. “He’s a miracle baby, so we’ve reminded him of that hundreds of times.” full article

Dear LHA Members,
  
Reduced Flows Update
As you know, LHA has been asking elected officials to urge the Corps to maintain reduced flows from
Thurmond Dam (from 3600cfs to 3100cfs) during extreme drought conditions or at least until adverse impacts
were reported. Several legislators and other leaders have contacted the Corps in support of the flow reductions. 

In spite of these efforts, the Corps announced it would end the 3100cfs flow reductions on 1 February. 

In response, Mike Massey, LHA Legislative Chair for South Carolina, sent an email to US Congressman Gresham 
Barrett (SC) asking him look into the “inconclusive” data used to justify increasing flow rates to 3600cfs. 
  
Congressman Barrett investigated and shared his findings in a letter that is now posted on the LHA website.  
Please read his letter in its’ entirety to gain an understanding of the role that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Agency (NOAA) Marine Fisheries Service plays in the Corps management of our precious water resources.

Action Requested
Members are encouraged to contact Mary Glackin, Deputy Under Secretary for NOAA, at (202) 482-4569 
or email her at mary.glackin@noaa.gov, to inform NOAA of the adverse impacts of their decision to increase
Thurmond Dam flow rates and to enlist their support for reduced flows during Extreme Drought conditions. 

Please share this email with  friends and neighors and encourage them to contact NOAA and also their elected officials.

To send a note of thanks to Congressman Barrett for his support to date, please click on this link to his official website.

We will keep you posted on any further significant developments.

As always, thanks for your ongoing support!  
       Herb Burnham
       LHA President

Gov. Sanford Issues Statement on House’s ESC Reform Bill

Columbia, S.C. – February 4, 2009 – Gov. Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on H.3442, a bill that would bring accountability to the state Employment Security Commission by making it a Cabinet agency reporting directly to the governor:

“It’s been clear over the course of recent events that the Employment Security Commission is out of control and unaccountable to the people it serves,” Gov. Sanford said. “Time and time again in state government, we’ve seen that when everyone is in charge, no one is in charge – and to that end we’d give real credit to Speaker Harrell and Rep. Bingham for moving so quickly to introduce this bill. Our understanding is that the Senate is working toward a similar bill, which we hope ultimately means that we’ll have a bill on our desk making the ESC a Cabinet agency sooner rather than later.”

“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” 

By the late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931- 2005, former Pastor Bellview Baptist Church, Memphis, T