District One broke ground on new elementary school

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on the new Richard Carroll Elementary School in Bamberg School District One was held on Thursday, May 12th at the building site on Highway 301 North.

“This is a day that we have anticipated in Bamberg School District One for many months. There has a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work taking place, and on Thursday the citizens of the Bamberg and Ehrhardt communities will actually see ‘dirt moving’– and from this time until the completion of the new Richard Carroll Elementary School, activity will be almost non-stop at this site.” Superintendent Phyllis Schwarting said about the project.

The Pre-K through 6th grade building was designed by Jumper Carter Sease Architects, P.A. of Columbia and the general contractor for the project is H. G. Reynolds Company, Inc., based in Aiken, South Carolina.

The new school is projected to be completed in time for the start of the 2012-2013 school year.

Red Raider baseball team advances to lower state finals

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

For the seventh consecutive year, the Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School Red Raider baseball team (24-4) is headed to the Class A Lower State Baseball Finals. The “Big Red Machine” earned its latest trip to the lower state finals by cruising to a 19-3 win over the Lamar Silver Foxes on Wednesday at David Horton Field to claim the Class A Division V Championship. The Red Raiders took a 3-0 lead after the first and built a 12-0 lead after the third. The Raiders held a 19-0 lead after the fourth. The Silver Foxes lone runs would come in the fifth.

Chris Sweatman was the winning pitcher for B-E in the win over Lamar, recording seven strikeouts, on three hits in five innings . Leading the Red Raiders at the plate were: Landon Sandifer 3-3 3 RBI’s; Mitch Whetstone and Joe Crosby 2-2 and Randon Sandifer and Will Medlin 2-3. Other hitters for B-E in the win over Lamar were: Kodi Jamison, Chris Sweatman, Sumner Cooler, Brandon Whetstone, Garrett Zeigler and Calder West.

In the first game of the Class A Lower State Finals on Saturday, the Red Raiders came back from a 3-2 deficit in the top of the seventh inning to record a 5-3 win over District VIII Champion Latta. Randon Sandifer (9-0) was the winning pitcher for B-E allowing two hits after coming on in relief in the third. B-E was led at the plate by Randon Sandifer 2-3 and Landon Sandifer 1-3, 4 RBI’s.

Playoff Update: In game 4 of the Class A Lower State Baseball Championships the Lake View Wild Gators defeated the Red Raiders 5-4. The loss by the Red Raiders sets up a game 5 match with Latta.

Historic Building falls

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

A building that had seen thousands of students pass through its hallways over the years fell victim to progress this week as the historic E. P. Allen Building (the only two- story building in the district) on the campus of Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle was leveled to make room for new classrooms as part of the $29 million Bamberg School District One construction and renovation project.

According to information obtained in “A History of Bamberg, South Carolina” on the internet after the public school building burned in November 1907 classes were held temporarily in the courthouse. The Cornerstone of the new school was laid on May 7, 1908, and E. P. Allen became school superintendent, serving in that capacity for 40 years.