Content about Social Issues

Hands Outstretched to People Everywhere is what H.O.P.E. stands for. Debbie Bishop, a member of the Clarendon Baptist Church in Alcolu came up with the catchy name.

“We were on our church’s couples retreat talking about creating an outreach program locally, and this is the name that came to mind,” Bishop said. “This is something that we want to do to help all people who need assistance in our community.”

COLUMBIA - Hester Ann Rantin, 90, died Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at National Health Care Center, Columbia.

Born Oct. 29, 1919, in Clarendon County, she was a daughter of the late Edmond and Charlotte House Rantin.

More than 24 million children in the United States grow up without a father in the home. That is why one church in Manning has been trying to combat the problem for the last 22 years.

Every June, on Father’s Day Weekend, volunteers from the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church gather for a two-day event at Manning High School with children and young adults, ages 10 and up. They have special presentations on gang violence, HIV and AIDS Awareness, parenting skills, health and nutrition, stress management and interview techniques from different experts in those fields.

In the last two weeks Alvin Michael Greene has become a national media sensation.

With much focus being devoted to his filing fee and his felony obscenity charges, we still don’t know his whole story or what he represents.

The Clarendon Citizensat down with Greene to attempt to get a better understanding of the first African-American nominated in South Carolina for the U.S. Senate, since the Reconstruction Era.

Emma Marshall “Aunt Pete” Boyce

“There was a lot of comfort in the fact that you could leave your children with her and know that they were in good hands,” said Brenda Keels, who had two kids who were raised by “Aunt Pete.”

On Monday, June 7, 2010, Emma Marshall “Aunt Pete” Boyce, 82, wife of Hazel Ethredge Boyce, died at McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence.

Anyone who has attended a parade in our community has witnessed Shriners in action. They zoom across the street in their too-tiny cars in high formation, thrilling their audience with their mastery.

But ask just about any Shriner what their real work is about and they will tell you, “raising money for our Children’s Hospitals.”

The Legislature is moving closer toward the conclusion of this year’s session. We have not yet finalized the State Budget and will take another pass at it the week of June 14.

If you have questions or concerns about any of the reports below, please let me know. Have a great week.

More than 50 years ago, Mental Health Awareness Month was created to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental wellness for all.

One’s mental health consists of many everyday aspects of our lives including family, finances and health. Our mental health consists of how we feel, think and act when we deal with positive and stressful situations. When our mental health is challenged, it can affect many of our health issues.

A variety of problems vex people today, leaving them feeling lost and alone.
People struggle with substance abuse – drugs, alcohol, food or prescription medication; behavioral issues – addictions to gambling, pornography or anger management; and relationship problems including co-dependency, abusive or other unhealthy relationships.

Few individuals have gone through life without a brush with one of these issues. Many are able to rely on their faith, their families or their community to find their way out of the darkness.

“While many firms are closing their doors, Select Labs has chosen Clarendon County to be a permanent home,” said Clarendon County Chairman Dwight Stewart, welcoming the medical testing facility to the county on April 27.

“We know that healthcare will continue to be a growing sector for our citizens and throughout the region,” he added. “We just want you to know how much you are appreciated.”

Following a disastrous first go at an animal control ordinance last October, Clarendon County Council elected to scrap the original plan and convene an advisory committee to help set the tone and direction of a new plan.

Representatives of the Animal Shelter and its volunteers, as well as members of the hunting community, met on March 31 to review and rework the ordinance.

“The overall intent of the original ordinance stayed the same,” said County Attorney David Epperson, who oversaw the work of the advisory committee.