BEHS Student Dies in Accident

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

A respected, well liked, an all around student at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School was killed in a one-vehicle wreck Saturday morning. According to published reports, Kendra Rochelle Stewart, 17, a rising senior at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School, was killed July 16, on Howells Mill Road in Bamberg County.

Kendra Rochelle Stewart of Stewart Road, Branchville, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 7:45 a.m. wreck, about 12 miles east of Bamberg. According to the report, South Carolina Highway Patrol spokesman Lance Cpl. Judd Jones reported that Stewart, who was driving westbound in a 2000 Ford Explorer, ran off the road on the west side and lost control.

The vehicle overturned and Stewart, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected. Responding to the scene were: Bamberg County Coroner Willard “Billy” Duncan, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Hunter’s Chapel Fire Department and the Bamberg Rescue Squad. The accident is still under investigation.

More Downsizing for Hospital?

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter

The Bamberg County Hospital Board of Trustees authorized CEO/CRO Mike Morgan to begin further restructuring of the hospital at a joint meeting with Bamberg County Council on Monday, July 11th. The restructuring could include additional employees’ layoffs as well as reorganization of hospital departments and staff transfers. On June 16th, the hospital board voted to file a petition for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Code of Laws as it worked to restructure the hospital’s debt.

Hospital CFO Derek Pierce reported at last month’s board meeting that for the last eight month period and year-to-date the hospital has experienced a $2.1 million loss.

Also during Monday night’s board meeting:

• The board also voted to pay out any outstanding employee dental insurance claims and end employee dental coverage.

• The Hospital Board authorized Stan McGuffin, the attorney handling the hospital’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy case, to submit an order to the Bankruptcy Court that any UHS Pruitt obligations that are a part of the filing be removed since those obligations were between Pruitt and Bamberg County Council.

Swogger Appointed VP

Tobul Accumulator Inc. announces the promotion of Ed Swogger to the newly created position of Vice President Manufacturing, assuming overall responsibilities for manufacturing for Bamberg SC. and Houston TX. Ed Swogger started his career with Tobul in 1987 as a machinist, and has gained experience as Quality Control Manager, Engineering, Customer Service/Sales, Purchasing Manager, Safety Officer, and most recently Plant Manager. “The company has grown quite a bit over the years and I am proud to have been a part of it. I hope that contributions that I make in my new position can help Tobul to continue to grow and become an even stronger leader in the industry,” said Ed Swogger.

e-SMART Program

During time of year when students’ brains usually shut off, Voorhees College is busy helping students learn more about science and technology through its Environmental Science, Mathematics and Related Technology (e-SMART) Day Camp for high school students.

Through a $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Voorhees designed a program to improve environmental science education for students and increase the number of students pursing degrees in environmental science, mathematics, biology and computer science at the institution.

“In keeping with Dr. Sellers’ vision of building a community of scholars, the e- SMART program is helping to achieve that goal,” said Barbara Nimmons, program director. “The e-SMART participants are high school students with a 3.0 grade point average or higher, and they are mostly from Bamberg County and the surrounding communities.”