Bamberg School District One breaks ground

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

The long anticipated ground breaking ceremony for the new Richard Carroll Elementary School was held on Thursday morning, May 12th at 10:00 a.m. at the building site on Highway 301 North in Bamberg.

“This is an exciting day and time,” Dale Collier President of BrownStone Construction Group, the Owners Representative for the building project, told the group of Bamberg District One Officials, architects and contractors for the project and supporters of the school district in attendance.

Collier noted that the groundbreaking ceremony was actually being held on the 6th grade wing of the school, which he described as “a pretty big school.”

The BrownStone Construction President called the construction of the 120,000 square feet elementary school that will cost approximately $15 million dollars when complete “an interesting project.” He noted that a “key component” of the new construction was the collaboration with Bamberg School District One Officials and the Bamberg School District One School Board, adding that Bamberg School District One “is one of my favorite districts to work with.”

“This is a day that we’ve been looking for, for a long time, Bamberg School District One Superintendent Phyllis Schwarting told the audience, in introducing members of the District 1 Board of Trustees and thanking them for their hard work. “We believe our students deserve the best. We’re looking forward to the day when the construction is complete.”

Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony was achieved when voters in Bamberg School District One went to the polls on March 16, 2010 and voted 826 to 797 for the district to precede in acquiring $29 million in General Obligation Bonds which will be used to build the new elementary school and do significant renovations to Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School and Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School. “I commend the community for voting to move forward on this project,” Collier said.

The Pre-K through 6th grade building was designed by Jumper Carter Sease Architects, P.A. of Columbia and the general contractor of 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.

B-E track athletes compete in state track and field meet

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

In sports it’s not always quantity that matters as much as quality. That fact was proven out on Saturday for the B-E track team that had only two athletes to qualify for the South Carolina High School League State Class A Track and Field Meet Championships at Spring Valley High School’s Harry Parone Stadium. Before the Class A competition began, B-E Head Track Coach Kevin “Butch” Crosby lamented that this year’s pair who qualified for the state competition was the smallest number he had in some time to qualify for the state meet.

However, a strong performance by B-E rising senior Nykia McDonald, who finished fourth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.14 and fourth in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.80 propelled the Red Raiders to an overall 20th place finish out of 28 teams.

After a two hour rain delay because of severe weather and three false starts by several members of the talented 100 meter field, McDonald finished 4th in the 100 meter dash behind St. John’s High School senior Zorel Heyward-Fludd 10.94, Hemingway standout Jabril Solomon 10.96, and North Central’s Shawn Thomas 11.13.

“It threw everybody’s concentration off. I was ready to go,” McDonald said Monday of the three false starts. And of the two hour rain delay. “ It didn’t affect me much, it kind of made me lazy, but after we got warmed up I was ready to go.”

Later in the meet McDonald would come in 4th at 22.80 in the 200 meter dash behind Heyward-Fludd 21.99, Solomon 22.09 and USC football signee Jerrell Adams of Scott’s Branch 22.68.

In fact, McDonald’s effort in accumulating (10) points for the Red Raiders track team was higher than athletic powerhouses: Chesterfield, Timmonsville, Burke, Scott’s Branch, Southside Christian and Lewisville.

McDonald said his strong performance on the big stage at Harry Parone Stadium will serve as motivation going into his senior year. “ I will be back next year,” McDonald said.

In the girls Class A competition B-E’s Brittany Hughes finished in 7th place in the 1600 meter run with a time of 6:38.70. The final results for Region 5 A teams Boys Events: Allendale-Fairfax 7th; Ridgeland 13th ; Hardeeville 14th and Bamberg-Ehrhardt 20th. In girls competition the finals results of Region 5-A teams were: Allendale-Fairfax 3rd, Estill 32nd and Bamberg-Ehrhardt 31st.

Manufacturing Meth

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

A magistrate set a $25,000 surety bond for a Bamberg County man charged with manufacturing methamphetamines.

Sheriff Leroy Ravenell says on Monday, May 9th , officers of the Special Operations Team found components of a meth lab in a mobile home and a wooded area behind 640 Comos Rd., Neeses. Brad Thomas Allen, 23, 1757 Hunter’s Chapel Road, Bamberg, had set up the lab capable of manufacturing several ounces of meth at once.

The investigation is ongoing.

Morris Animal Society

Mary Ann Morris Animal Society, Inc., Bamberg, now has help in protecting dogs against canine influenza virus (CIV), a highly contagious disease that spreads easily from dog to dog, especially those in close proximity. The shelter received a grant for the vaccines as part of a Petfinder.com Foundation program to build community immunity against this respiratory infection.

Because CIV is relatively new, most dogs have not built up immunity to the disease. Dogs can get the disease by being exposed to those that have it, as well as playing with toys or drinking from bowls used by other dogs. People can also unwittingly spread the germ if they come in contact with infected dogs.