Ladies' Auxiliary of Denmark Fire Department hosts blood drive

Mallory D. Biering, Staff Reporter

The Ladies' Auxiliary of Denmark Fire Department partnered with Shepeard Community Blood Center to host a blood drive in honor of Wayne Gibson on Saturday, May 4th, at the Denmark Fire Department (DFD).

Gibson was a victim in a propane explosion in January of 2010, when he was assistant fire chief at the DFD. After many years of volunteering at the department, his life was taken so unexpectedly, but the ladies auxiliary and the firefighters wish to keep his memory alive.

This yearly blood drive has been held, and will continue to be held according to Anna Jennings, head chair of the DFD Ladies' Auxiliary. Worries that the bad weather would keep folks from coming out to support the blood drive, caused mixed feelings about the success of the event, but according to Jennings there were 24 donors, making the event, "very successful." For every pint of blood donated that day (and every time a pint of blood is donated), three lives were saved.

Gibson's father, Ronnie, said he really appreciated the fire department and Shepeard Community Blood Center for hosting the blood drive in memory of his son. "It really means a lot to me and my family," said Ronnie.

Not only did the ladies' auxiliary have refreshments available, but they also helped to sell tickets for a Benelli Nova 12-gauge shotgun to be raffled off at the business meeting on Thursday, May 13th. Tickets were sold $5 for one or $10 for three.

Jennings said, "I would like to thank the firemen and the ladies auxiliary for helping to make the event such a success."

The Middle Place May Day & Grand Opening

Jerry Durgan, Contributing Writer

Hundreds gathered Saturday for the grand opening of the new Middle Place Learning and Information Station.

As the ribbon cutting for the new Middle Place Learning and Information Station opened doors to the new facility, one walked into a bright, open meeting room and to the left a small museum with a replica school room and mannequins seated in rustic school desks, representing turn-of-the-century young black students.

Willie Cam Nimmons, executive director for the nonprofit Middle Place Learning and Information Station Inc., said the school was a major part of the community's rich heritage.

"The blacks of the community in the late 1800s and early 1900s realized they wanted an education ... they could get further and do more with an education. So the men of the community got together after the Civil War and built the one room schoolhouse," she said.

Not only was the building used to educate black children in grades one through six; it also served as a Sunday School and as a night school for railroad workers, Nimmons said. Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, founder of Voorhees College in Denmark, taught for a while at Middle Place, she explained.

"The school districts decided they would either sell or donate the rural schools to the community, and my father bought the Middle Place School," William Nimmons said. The schoolhouse stood on the original plot of land until November 2008, when it was determined by engineers and contractors that it could not be salvaged because of extensive termite damage. Because the schoolhouse was beyond renovation, it had to be leveled. The Middle Place community decided to replicate the old one-room schoolhouse on the same spot. Construction was completed May 2013. A brick memorial wall has been added, which will include the names of former students and former and present residents of the Middle Place community.

AJA softball team

Mike Hall, Contributing Writer

The AJA softball team had a tough week last week recording three loses. On 4-30 vs. Clarendon Hall, Clarendon Hall defeated AJA 10-0.

For AJA, Cassidy Hall had two hits and Emily McCallister one hit in the loss. On 5-1 vs. Colleton prep, Colleton Prep took an 18-0 win over the Lady Confederates. For AJA, Jordan Osborne, Brooke Barr, and Heather Platt each had one hit. On 5-3 vs. Dorchester Academy, Dorchester Academy would take a close
7-6 win over AJA. AJA (7-9,2-6) was led at the plate by Brooke Barr who went 2-4 in the game. Savannah Stone, Gabby Sease, Emily McCallister, and Cassidy Hall had one hit each. Jordan Osborne went the distance on the mound striking out seven.

Teen Reported Missing

A Gilbert teenager, formerly of Bamberg, is missing. Haley Madison Glover, 15, was last seen around midnight on April 26th. It is possible she is a runaway, authorizes say. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Office released a description of the missing teen. Glover is described as being 5-feet 1 inch tall, weighing 118 pounds, with a short thin build. She is Caucasian with blue eyes, long, straight and dyed dark brown hair (naturally blond) with fair complexion. When last seen, she was wearing dark American Eagle blue jeans, Sperry shoes and carrying a pink Vera Bradley purse. The Lexington Police Department asks that anyone with information as to Glover’s whereabouts contact their office at 803-785-8230 or by dialing 911.

Red Raider track athletes put forth strong effort

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

The slogan on the SCHSL website says “an athlete is not crowned unless he or she competes.” That truism can be said of the effort put forth by members of the Bamberg- Ehrhardt High School Varsity Boys and Girls Track teams at the Class AA Lower State Track and Field qualifying meet held at Woodland High School this past Saturday. Though both squads fell short of placing an athlete in next week’s state championships at Lexington High School, most of the athletes improved on or bettered his or her time in the Region 5-AA Finals a week ago.

Kirkland Lee Rizer, finished in 9th place in the grueling 3200 meter run in a time of 11:53.20 and finished 14th in the 1600 meter run in a time of 5:27. The boys’ 4x400 meter relay team of senior Nick Halmon, A. J. McDonald, LaSamuel Davis and Savalas Cann finished in 10th Place with a time of 3:44.96, which was a three second improvement on their qualifying time. In the boys shot put Kevin “K.C.” Crosby just missed qualifying for the state finals, finishing in 6th Place with a toss of 45-07.00.

In the girls’ 400 meter dash Olivia Hyland finished in 8th place with a time of 1:06.38. Brooke Thomas finished in 11th place in the 1600 meter run in a time of 6:43.22. The girls’ 4x400 meter relay team of Kierra Folks, Alicia Johnson, Olivia Hyland and LaShaye Clark finished in 11th place with a time of 4:44.66. The girls’ 4x800 meter relay team of Emily Benton, Dielcie Singleton, Brooke Thomas and LaShaye Clark finished 13th in a time of 13:39.25. Akayla Frazier finished in 8th place in the girls’ shot put with a toss of 29-09.00.

B-E begins spring football practice

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

The football coaching staff started spring football practice last week with a good number of players on hand dressed only in shorts and helmets for the first few days. Job number one for this year’s staff will be replacing two- 1,000 yard rushers on offense in Demetrius Odom and DeVondree Williams and fullback Sean Paul Morais, who was an excellent blocker out of the backfield. On the offensive side senior clutch wide-out Landon Sandifer will have to be replaced. On the defensive and offensive lines Larry Cann Jr. who led the team in sacks must be replaced along with K'oshae McMillan. On defense the Red Raiders will lose the team’s second leading tackler in Mark Moody, along with the versatile Lan Hiers, kick return specialist and defensive back Maurice Duggans, Malcolm Jones and hybrid defensive back Nick Halmon, who signed with UNC Charlotte.

The Red Raiders will have a wealth of talent returning led by the pass and catching duo of quarterback Sumner Cooler and consensus All-America K.C. Crosby at tight end and linebacker. On the offensive line Lavares Singleton and Drew Wilson will be counted on to provide leadership. On defense the team’s leading tackler in Marcus Moody and Jeremy Davis return for their senior year. Other names Red Raider fans should become very familiar with next year include LaSamuel Davis, Garrett Zeigler, Tav Schwarting, A. J. McDonald, Keyontay Orr, Rayquan Brown, Keyshawn Orr, Brandi Thomas, Matt Maxwell, Jeff Graham, Hayden Scharber and Savalas Cann just to name a few. All in all it should be another exciting year of Red Raider football when August rolls around.