– Program to be piloted in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region

– More than 3,000 second graders expected to participate

– Program reflects a $400,000 investment by Duke Energy

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Duke Energy and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy organization, are partnering to minimize the summer slide and improve the reading proficiency of more than 3,000 current second graders in South Carolina.

The program will be available in 36 Title I elementary schools in the Pee Dee region in northeast South Carolina.

“Our philanthropic investments in childhood literary proficiency are aimed at giving children a chance to succeed throughout school and into adulthood,” said Shawn Heath, president of the Duke Energy Foundation. “Reading proficiency is the foundation to help children succeed and get excited about science, technology, engineering and math.”

As part of RIF’s Read for Success program, the students will receive eight summer books of their choosing and a book bag of items to take home.

In addition, teachers will receive a collection of 35 fiction and nonfiction books for the classroom and school library; printed and online access to enrichment and instructional activities; and in-person and online professional development to effectively implement the program model.

Families in participating South Carolina schools will be encouraged to take part in the summer book distributions and share stories together to help students develop a love of reading and experience the magic of books.

RIF will also have available supplemental booklists and fun activities for families to experience reading throughout the summer.

“The unfortunate reality is that many children do not have access to books, especially at home; this is something most of us take for granted,” said Carol Rasco, president and CEO, Reading Is Fundamental. “The eight books students receive at the end of the school year to own and take home really motivate them to read over the summer.”

During the summer months, all children are at risk of losing some of the learning and skills they’ve acquired over the school year. If the summer learning slide is not addressed at an early age, some children may fall behind as much as three years in reading comprehension by the end of fifth grade. In addition, existing research shows that 75 percent of students who read poorly in third grade, a benchmark for literacy skill building, remain poor readers in high school.

“The Read for Success program has been tested over two years among 33,000 students,” Rasco said. “Results show it can reverse the trend of summer reading loss for more than half the participating students.”

School districts in the South Carolina program include: Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg.

“Once again, Duke Energy has stepped up its level of commitment to public education,” said Dr. Eddie Ingram, superintendent of Darlington County School District. “We deeply appreciate the partnership between Duke Energy and Reading Is Fundamental, and the resources they are so unselfishly providing. Fostering a lifelong love of reading is paramount to develop a child’s ability to create, communicate, collaborate and problem solve. Our teachers and students are very excited about the new books.”

The results of the program will be evaluated in the fall as part of Duke Energy’s ongoing efforts to support childhood literacy in the states it serves.

About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.

Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

About Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) transforms lives through the power of books. By providing children in need with access to books of their choosing, RIF empowers young minds to embrace the world of reading and develop a love of learning. As the nation’s largest children’s literacy organization, RIF has provided more than 412 million books to 40 million RIF kids over 50 years, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow. Visit us online to learn more at www.rif.org.

Anne Sheffield, Duke Energy
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
anne.sheffield@duke-energy.com

Tracey Beeker, Reading Is Fundamental
202.536.3458
tbeeker@rif.org

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Publsihed April 13, 2016 by Marlboro County School District

Jontavius Loyd, Tyqueshis Bridges, Fredrick McCray, and Joey McCray of Marlboro County High School proudly display their trophy after winning 1st place in the “Mystery Challenge” during the 2016 SC 4-H Engineering Challenge held at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in Orangeburg, SC on April 9, 2016.  The students were chaperoned by Ms Maria Maderal, TAP STEM Master Teacher, Mr Selase Fianu and Dr Genaro Alderite, science teachers at the high school.

Selected students of Marlboro County High School participated in the 2016 SC 4-H Engineering Challenge held at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, Orangeburg, SC on Saturday, April 9, 2016.  The event was an opportunity for students to learn, have fun, demonstrate the STEM skills and compete for individual and team honors. This was also an opportunity to expose the students to the STEM fields and to prepare them for effective involvement in an increasingly technological society. The MCHS students participated in the Bridge-building Challenge, GPS Challenge, Energy Challenge, Rocketry, and Mystery Challenge where the team of Jontavius Loyd, Tyqueshis Bridges, Fredrick McCray, and Joey McCray won 1st place. This is MCHS’ first time to participate in this statewide challenge.

The challenge was presented by enLIGHTenSC with support from Science on the Move-a SC 4-H initiative; Clemson Cooperative Extension, S2 STEM Centers and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

Front row, L-R: Ms. Maria Maderal, TP STEM Master Teacher, Kalia Thomas, Laqueshia Bridges, Kelifa Gillespie, Tyqueshis Bridges, Joey McCray, Jontavius Loyd, and Dr Genaro Alderite, Science teacher

Back row, l-R: Mr Selase Fianu, science teacher, Noah Harper, Dylan Quick, Leigh Oxendine, Arian Garner, Cedric Little, Bobby Morrison, Trashoan Cain, and Xavier Smith.

April 1, 2015 – Jefferson, SC – Sandhil ConNEXTions has acquired the cable assets in Marlboro County from MetroCast Communications. Sandhill is a well established provider of high-speed internet, digital television, voice, security, and wireless solutions.

The same great service that MetroCast has been providing of television, internet, and phone will continue with only minor changes initially. We will provide more info in the near future of plans for the community’s service. Some of these plans include the addition of the AMC Network, adding more fiber capabilities for business in the area, and reaching previously unserved areas of the County.

“We are committed to providing the people of Bennettsivlle, Tatum, McColl, and Clio with affordable, reliable services and great customer service. Our number one priority is caring for our customers by meeting their needs with the latest technology,” said CEO/General Manager Lee Chambers. “We’ve been providing local service for over 60 years and look forward to adding the communities and people of Marlboro County to our service area.”

Existing MetroCast customers and non-customers alike are encouraged to contact the local office in Bennettsville at 843-479-4063 to learn more about what is available.

Sandhill ConNEXTions is a subsidiary of Jefferson-based Sandhill Telephone Cooperative, a cooperative owned by its members since 1951. Sandhill is a technology advanced telecommunications provider serving residential and business members with an array of services that include local phone, long distance, high-speed broadband, cell phone service, digital television and security systems.

The town of McColl moved its operations into a brand-new building at 300 South Main Street in late January. The spacious new facility replaces the old city hall on Gibson Avenue and was made possible by the generosity of the late Dr. C.W. Love’s family.

Today in Florence, the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) – a nine county regional economic development organization – hosted site selection consultant Woody Hydrick.

Hydrick specializes in finding sites for large-scale manufacturing facilities and has worked with companies such as Shell Oil and Pfizer.

Hydrick said that his company, Global Location Strategies located in Greenville, S.C., is running a number of projects in the Florence region and believes the region is a good fit for manufacturing.

Existing infrastructure and utilities are some of the region’s greatest assets according to Hydrick.

For more information, email NESA at info@nesasc.org.

The North Eastern Strategic Alliance is a regional economic development organization that serves a nine-county region in the northeast corner of South Carolina including Marlboro County.

NESA’s primary objective is to significantly enhance the quality of life for residents of the region by creating additional jobs and capital investment within the existing industry base, recruiting new companies and expanding tourism-related development.

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Emily Fitzpatrick Palmetto Workforce Connections

In the coming months, you will be hearing quite a bit about building a workforce pipeline through Sector Strategies.

But this is not “just another program,” says Cheryl Stanton, executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

What it is, however, is a regional, industry-focused approach to building a skilled workforce pipeline through regional collaboration between industry, education and government. Sector Strategies is proving to be one of the most effective ways to address the talent needs of employers.

This initiative is slated to be rolled out around mid-April, but the roll out is only the beginning, said Stanton, during the Workforce Development Symposium held recently in Columbia.

The goal is to build regional talent pipelines in critical industries to address workers’ skill shortages and to create career pathways for workers in specific industry sectors. All industry across the state will benefit from this effort.

This is happening through the analysis of data and on-the-ground intelligence to drive career pathways and talent pipeline development strategies. This allows for customized solutions by economic region rather than a cookie-cutter approach for all.

In order to have world-class Sector Strategies, there must be a shared vision in each region, it must be guided by industry that validates competency needs and partners in the programs’ designs, and it must lead to strategic alignment, which allows students and workers to move seamlessly between academic and career technical programs, to and from work, and to advanced credentials.

As part of this plan, the state has been divided into four regions. They are Upstate, including Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg and Union counties; Central, including Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Lexington, Orangeburg and Richland counties; Pee Dee, including Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Kershaw, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter and Williamsburg counties; and South Coast, including Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester Hampton and Jasper counties.

The plan has also identified five critical industries in the state. They are diversified manufacturing, which includes metal and metal fabrication, textiles, lumber and wood products and chemicals, rubber and plastics; business information technology services; health care; transportation, logistics and wholesale trade; and construction.

“The end result of the intentional and thoughtful process of Sector Strategies and data-driven planning is where all business in South Carolina benefit – and that is the end of the pipeline,” Stanton said. “By matching individuals’ strengths and life stage with the demands of South Carolina’s industries, businesses can continue to find the employees they need in order to grow and compete.”

Monday night’s meeting of the Marlboro County Board of Education had a celebratory tone, as Janice Henson, principal of Wallace Elementary/Middle School, appeared with the following message: “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

She referred, of course, to the new Wallace school, which had opened that very day. She said students and staff alike were thrilled with the new school, and she expressed gratitude to the board and administration for making it possible.

“We have a school that we can be proud of, and that our children deserve,” said Henson.
In response, the district superintendent, Dr. Helena Tillar, thanked Henson and her staff, as well as the district’s technology, maintenance and custodial staff, for a smooth transition to the new school.

The public will have the chance to see it very soon, as an open house has been scheduled for Sunday, February 28, at 3 p.m.

In her monthly report to the board, Tillar said the district must decide how to dispose of equipment that remains in the old Wallace school and will not be moved to the new school.

Board member Danny Driggers pointed out that the old Blenheim school gym, which Marlboro County now owns and operates for recreation, needs an HVAC unit and could benefit from the old one in Wallace.

Tillar said the district may donate items such as the HVAC unit to government entities. Some items may also be used in other schools as needed. And she suggested an auction to deal with the remaining items.

Click on the link to view the most recent Community Newsletter from AT&T:

http://southcarolina.att.com/Manage/Secure/Media/CampaignFiles/77/ExportCommunityInvestmentOnePagerReport_2016_2_2.pdf

You can also learn more about AT&T in South Carolina by visiting:  http://southcarolina.att.com

Hundreds of people turned out on Saturday, January 9, for an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony at Scotland Health Care System’s new Marlboro Medical Complex in Bennettsville.

It was standing room only at the complex, located at 957 Cheraw Street, as officials talked about the project and its importance to the community, then cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the new facility.

“What a blessing this is today,” said Jane Rogers of Bennettsville, who serves as vice-chair of the Scotland Health Care System Board of Trustees.
Rogers was one of a handful of speakers, along with Scotland Health Care System President and

CEO Greg Wood, Board of Trustees Chairman Mike Vinson, Dr. David Howell of Marlboro Family Practice and Urgent Care, Bennettsville Mayor Heath Harpe, Marlboro County Council Chairman Ron Munnerlyn and the Hon. Patricia Henegan of S.C. House of Representatives District 54.

According to Vinson, Scotland Health Care System got its start nearly 70 years ago, in 1946, when local community leaders recognized the need for healthcare and worked to establish the original hospital in Laurinburg.

From there, the health care system grew to include a network of physicians’ offices in five counties, including Marlboro. Local OB/GYN Dr. John Nobles joined the system in the mid-1990s, and Scotland opened its first Marlboro County primary care practice in McColl in 1998, followed in 2000 by a practice on the U.S. 15-401 By-pass in Bennettsville.

Vinson described the NC/SC line not as a border but as “a seam that binds two like-minded communities together.”

As Scotland’s presence here grew, Marlboro County residents were added to the board of trustees; Rogers first, in 2010, followed by Dr. John Nobles, Bobby Hinson and Cam Stone over the next few years.

In 2010-11, Scotland Health Care System purchased the land on Cheraw Street with the intention of moving its primary care practice from the by-pass to that location. But regulatory and licensing issues caused the project to be put on hold for several years.
During that time, changes occurred, including the bombshell announcement a little over a year ago that Marlboro Park Hospital would be closing.

Wood said Scotland officials and board members spent many months agonizing over the best way to bring needed medical services to Marlboro County.

The result is the 9,000 square foot Marlboro Medical Complex which opened in mid-December 2015. This complex represents a $2.5 million investment by Scotland Health Care System, according to Wood.

Marlboro Family Practice and Urgent Care brings together five providers, Drs. David Howell, Jadene Lowry and Haynes Cain, and Nurse Practitioners Gye Mitchell and Gail Cain.

The Urgent Care is an experimental project, according to Wood, that is currently open to walk-ins between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, with the potential for weekend hours in the future.

Open only since December 15, the complex has already 600 patients, including appointments with the family practice and urgent care walk-ins, and officials anticipate serving more than 12,000 patients per year.

In addition to the family practice and urgent care, the complex also houses surgical and orthopedic specialities (Marlboro Surgical Associates and Ortho-Carolina Scotland),  Scotland Regional Hospice and Carolinas Laboratories, which provides on-site laboratory and X-ray services. Howell said the hope is to add other specialities and mobile mammography in the future

“This is an exciting new chapter in health care for Marlboro County,” said Howell, who has practiced here since 2002.

It is especially exciting, according to local leaders, because the closure of Marlboro Park Hospital in April 2015 left this as one of few communities in the state without a hospital.

“There were some dark days before and after the hospital closed,” said Harpe. “Now we have a new partner committed to healthcare in Marlboro County…Scotland has stepped up to the plate and made a significant investment in our community.”

Adding to that, Munnerlyn reflected that, while other providers chose to leave the county, “Scotland stayed with us…Thank you for what you’ve done for the county.”

Henegan cited Marlboro County’s high rates of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers,

illustrating why access to health care is so important here.

“This facility is critical to Marlboro County,” she said. “It is a treasure and a safety net…Today’s open house is a celebration of leadership, foresight, careful planning and philanthropy.”

The Marlboro Chamber of Commerce welcomes Brittany M. Jones as the new Chamber Pesident.   Brittany has been a resident of Bennettsville for most of her life and attended Bennettsville Middle School and Marlboro County High School, where she graduated as a 2003 honors graduate.

She received her bachelor of arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communications, Visual Communications from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.  While at the University of South Carolina, Brittany worked at the Carolina Alumni Association serving as the public relations officer for the Student Alumni Program.

She also served as the campus President of Habitat for Humanity, Carolina Alumni Student Advisory Board, Student Advertising Federation, Senior Class Advisory Board, Student Gamecock Club, and the Carolina Service Council.

Since graduating, she has worked as an administrator and communications director for Marlboro Adult Day Health Care in Bennettsville.

Brittany later went on to receive her master of business administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. While there she was a member of the 2014 Social Entrepreneurship Conference Business Plan Competition Graduate Team.

Jones is an active member of the Marlboro County community serving as a member of several boards and organizations.  She currently serves as the president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Upsilon Sigma Omega Chapter in Bennettsville. She was appointed to the Lake Paul A. Wallace Authority in 2015, where she serves as the board secretary.  She has also served on the Friends of the Library for the Marian Wright Edelman Public Library and the Marlboro Arts Council.

Jones believes that the Chamber’s work is vital to the county’s business community and looks forward to working with the board and volunteers to grow the organization and represent the interests of local businesses.

Increasing the visibility of the Chamber and encouraging more businesses and individuals to join and become active participants is of utmost importance to her. She is looking forward to hearing from residents on how the Chamber can better support their business, whether they are considering starting up a new business or already own a business in town, the Chamber is here to assist them.