KIDS YOGA 1B 2A OPINION 4A OBITUARIES 7A SPORTS 2B PUZZLES 3B BOOKINGS 5B CLASSIFIEDS QUOTE ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ EDMUND BURKE Vol. 143, No. 27 NTWO SECTIONS e• 14 PAGwES s&PreESTAs BLISHsED 1874 75¢ JULY 5, 2017 Darlington, S.C. WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET Council votes to continue with Rubicon treatment services single local agency – public or private – Health as their sole provider. This spe - Program), nurturing parenting classes substance abuse, social work, or as By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer as the sole agency for drug and alcohol cial meeting was scheduled to hear geared toward those involved with DSS LPCs (Licensed Professional [email protected] abuse planning and programs and dis - from representatives of both agencies and Child Protective Services, multi- Counselors) Darlington County Council held a burse to that agency the yearly excise and weigh the county’s options. family groups to treat addiction as a Council member Joyce Wingate special meeting Monday, June 26 to tax revenues. First up, Rubicon director Denise family disease, programs for adoles - Thomas asked about Rubicon’s office hear presentations from two local Over the past few years, members of Cooper summarized the programs and cents and children, substance abuse hours (Monday to Thursday, from 8:30 agencies regarding the provision of Council have repeatedly asked for serv - services her agency provides, noting counseling groups, individual counsel - a.m. - 8 p.m.) and wondered why the drug and alcohol treatment in the ice reports and audits from Rubicon that Rubicon offers a variety of coun - ing, and intensive outpatient therapy agency has a short week. Cooper county. At stake was about $104,000 in Family Counseling Services (the coun - seling options for people dealing with for those who need three or more ses - replied that counselors work a ten- annual funding, revenues collected ty’s longtime designated provider) and everything from substance abuse to sions per week. hour day, four days a week to accom - from the South Carolina Mini Bottle been less than pleased with the lack of family difficulties. Cooper said all Rubicon clinicians modate clients, but they are on call Excise Tax. response. At Council’s June 5 meeting, She listed a number of programs, are certified by the South Carolina 24/7 and will schedule appointments According to Ordinance 17-03, they discussed the possibility of ending including women’s groups, trauma- Association of Alcoholism and Drug as needed. Darlington County must designate a their relationship with Rubicon and specific therapy, a DUI program called Abuse, and the majority of Rubicon cli - instead designating Pee Dee Mental ADSAP (Alcohol-Drug Safety Action nicians are dual certified in the fields of COUNCIL ON 3A Darlington Middle School Cheer Camp Coker, Florence- Darlington Tech form partnership By Melissa Rollins Editor “A lot of our students [email protected] During a joint press confer - want to stay local when ence Tuesday, June 27, Coker they transfer. This gives College and Florence- them another opportu - Darlington Technical College announced that the two educa - nity and I know that tional institutions are partner - you guys have initiated ing for a bridge program. some scholarship money Coker President Dr. Robert Wyatt and FDTC President Dr. to help those folks so we Dillard signed the bridge are very excited about agreement and talked about this. It is a very historic what the partnership means for their colleges. event, I think, for our “Thank you on behalf of our two institutions to come students for making this hap - together and partner.” pen,” Wyatt said. “Thank you President Dillard for your lead - FDTC President Dr. Dillard ership to help us jump through some of the hoops to get this about this. It is a very historic done. We are elated to have event, I think, for our two institu - More than a dozen young ladies spent their week at the arrived at this point now and, tions to come together and part - Darlington Middle School Cheer Camp having fun and learning again, it is a good thing for all ner.” some new skills. Cheer coach Tammy Capers said that the camp of our students.” When a student transfers was for young ladies ages 6 -12; the youngest ones at the camp Dillard said that he was happy from one college or university to were eight-years-old. Several girls currently on the middle school to finally have the program in another too often credits don’t, cheer squad came to the camp to help. place after working on it for six leaving a student with additional “They worked on cheer motions, high v’s, low v’s,” Caper said. months. classes required to graduate and “These are the motions they will use in their cheers.” “We appreciate the opportu - money wasted. With the bridge There is one thing that comes to mind for many people when nity to partner with you guys,” program, once a student is they think of cheerleading. Dillard said to Wyatt and other accepted, there are 70 different “We are also teaching them the most famous move: the toe Coker administrators gathered at courses that they can take which touch,” Capers said. “We haven’t advanced to any other jumps but Tech for the signing. “A lot of our are guaranteed to transfer. we did teach them the toe touch.” students want to stay local when Dr. Suresh Tiwari, Vice The camp, which ran Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to they transfer. This gives them President for Academic Affairs noon, had a variety of things for the girls to do. another opportunity and I know at FDTC, said that this program “Just like the middle school girls, they come in and do warm- that you guys have initiated will benefit a lot of students. ups,” Capers said. “We played a few games. We are going to have some scholarship money to help those folks so we are very excited a program for parents where they will show off everything that PARTNERSHIP ON 3A they’ve learned.” Campers went home with new friends and a t-shirt to remem - ber all the fun that they had. Lamar passes water rate increase (radio frequency) models. By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer In May, the town was noti - [email protected] fied that they will receive a Lamar Town Council held a $500,000 grant from South special meeting on June 26 to Carolina Rural Infrastructure finalize their 2017/18 budget, Authority to paint and rehab which contained an 8 percent two water towers. At the June increase for municipal water 12 meeting, Council member service. Mike Lloyd said that according At their June 12 regular to Hanna Engineering, it is pos - meeting, members of Council sible the project could be com - disagreed about the amount of pleted within a year. Grant this year's increase, but all administrator Jannie Lathan of agreed that a rate hike was nec - Lathan Consulting, LLC added essary in order to keep the town that while the project timeline in consideration for grants and Members of Hartsville City Council thanked Street Department employees Kevin Garner (center left) and Alfie Jermaine Ross (center, right) was originally estimated at 18 funding from state and federal months, a 12-month timeline for helping a homeowner whose house was on fire. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES agencies. could be feasible. The Town of Lamar has been At present, the town's Water purchasing all of its municipal Department is running on thin Hartsville finalizes budget, honors local heroes water from the Darlington margins while purchasing a $9.9 million General Fund hearings, and Council voted vehicle and ran to the home, County Water and Sewer water from DCWSA and track - By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer budget, a Water and Sewer unanimously to approve all knocking on doors and win - Authority (DCWSA) since ing down over 1 million gallons [email protected] Utilities Enterprise Fund budgets, which take effect dows to alert anyone inside of February of 2016, when South of unbilled water per month, Carolina DHEC shut down the Hartsville City Council budget of $3,976,500, an when the new fiscal year the danger. As the smoke chiefly lost through costly leaks second of Lamar's two water convened a special meeting Infrastructure Fund budget of begins on July 1. thickened and they still and faulty meters. The final wells due to trace radium detec - on June 29 for to hold public $654,000, a Solid Waste Fund Also at this meeting, Mayor received no response, a budget for 2017/18 estimates tion. hearings and final readings budget of $1,437,000, a Mel Pennington presented neighbor told the men that department income of Lamar is now pursuing a on city budgets for the Hospitality Fee Fund budget Hartsville Street Department there was someone in the $326,925 and expected expen - comprehensive loan/grant 2017/18 fiscal year. of $994,500, an employees Kevin Garner and home. At Ross's urging, ditures of $304,226, leaving package to finance over $2.6 The budget package in Accommodations Tax Fund Alfie Jermaine Ross with the Garner kicked open the front only $22,699 to cover broken million in repairs and updates Ordinance 4296 also includes budget of $185,000, a Debt Hartsville Medal of Valor door, found the homeowner water line repairs and any other Service Fund budget of Award for going above and inside, and they helped her for its water system. The project issues that may crop up. $165,000, a Storm Water beyond their duties to help a exit the home.