Jamison and Griffin file

Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Writer

Two more candidates have emerged to fill two vacant seats on Bamberg City Council in the April 7th 2009 city election.

In Bamberg City Council District Four; Paulette Bamberg-Jamison, has filed to run for a four year term to replace Buck Fralick, who didn’t file for reelection. Buzzy Bunch filed last week for Seat 4 as well.

In District Six, Bo Griffin is the lone candidate to file for the seat left vacant by Buddy Sandifer, who is running for a six year term as a commissioner on the Board of Public Works.

Candidates that have already filed to run for office in the April 7th election are for Mayor: Alton McCollum, Janeth Walker, and Lisa B. Stokes.

In district five Nancy Foster is unopposed in her bid for reelection.

Bob Clary and Buddy Sandifer will square off for a six year term as a commissioner on the Board of Public Works.

The deadline for candidates to file for the Tuesday April 7, 2009 city of Bamberg nonpartisan general election is 12:00 noon on Thursday February 5, 2009.

Drug Arrest

According to Sheriff Ed Darnell of the Bamberg County Sheriff's Office an undercover operation by the Bamberg County Sheriff's Office and the Denmark Police Dept. and agents with Dept. of Natural Resources resulted in the arrest of Anthony Lamont Major, 29, of Denmark and Lachanda Feyetta Simmons, 30, of Denmark.

Both subjects were charged with Trafficking Crack Cocaine, Trafficking Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Distribute MDMA or Ecstasy. Additional warrants were obtained on Trafficking Crack Cocaine within Proximity of a School, Trafficking Cocaine within Proximity of a School and Possession with intent to Distribute MDMA or Ecstasy within Proximity of a School.

Both subjects were arrested and placed in the Bamberg County Detention Center with a Bond Hearing January 24.

Head Tiger in town

There was a definite buzz of excitement in the air Thursday morning January 29 as the campuses of Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School and Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School took on a decided shade of orange and purple. With less than a week before national signing day on February 4, Clemson Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney and Assistant Coach Chris Rumph were in the area winding up recruiting and decided to stop by the school to meet with students and faculty members and sign a few autographs for diehard Tiger fans.

B-E’s Cann receives multiple offers

With the recruiting wars for 2009 football talent in its last throes, colleges are now turning their attention to the class of 2010. Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School is a “small football program” that has produced some big-time talent over the years, and is again at the tip of the spear in the recruiting war for Division 1 talent.

The latest example to come out of the B-E program is (6-3, 260) rising senior OL/DL standout Aaron “A. J.” Cann. An article published in scout.com on Wednesday January 28 stated “Aaron A. J. Cann “Is on fire, and his recruitment is off to a fast start, and from the looks of things it won’t be slowing down anytime soon,” the article said. Presently Cann has offers from The University of South Carolina, Clemson, Middle Tennessee State, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, and is expected to pick up an offer from Alabama in the very near future.

Reports are that Cann doesn’t plan to rush the process in making his choice of schools despite earlier reported comments that he is considering an early commitment.

City of Bamberg-Smoke free?

Whether to be a smoke free city or not, is the question that Bamberg city officials are seeking answers to. The city will hold a public meeting on whether to implement a ban on smoking in public places in the city, at 7:00 P.M. on February 5, 2008 at the Bamberg Civic Center.

After hearing a presentation by Bamberg County Health Official R.N. Beulah Hand, at a recent city council meeting, doing research on the issue, and receiving comments “pro and con” from citizens of Bamberg, the Bamberg Smoke Free City Committee agreed that holding a public meeting would be the best way to get the public’s input on the controversial issue.

Denmark-Olar School Board

Jerry Durgan, Contributing Writer

On Saturday, January 24, 2009, the Denmark-Olar Board of Trustees interviewed 6 of 11 applicants for the position of Superintendent of Education for the Bamberg School District Two top slot. The Board eliminated three of the six candidates last week.

The Board of Trustees named three finalists in its search for a new District Superintendent, with the following candidates named as finalists: Ms. Carole J. Carey , current Warren County (Ga.) School District superintendent of Appling, Ga., Dr. Jake Sello, former Stupski Foundation program manager and Dr. Myrtis Y. Walker, federal Title 1 coordinator for the Edgefield County School District.

County D.A.R.E. Program

The D.A.R.E. (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) program is doing well in its 25th year of operation nationwide and 18th year in the county of Bamberg.

Captain Adrienne C. Blume D.A.R.E. instructor for Bamberg County and the first female D.A.R.E. instructor in the state of South Carolina recently graduated three new classes representing Denmark- Olar Elementary School, Andrew Jackson Academy, and Richard Carroll Elementary School.

Blume said that the D.A.R.E. curriculum for the first time included the study of over the counter and prescription drug abuse, along with lessons on bullying and how to deal with it in a positive way.