Elgin News - 7A 2023

Letter Submissions

It is the policy of The Elgin News to encourage reader participation on its editorial page. Diverse and varied opinions are welcomed. Because of space limitations, we must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Letters of 200 words or less will be published unless they contain language or content that the editors feel is inappropriate.

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• Poor taste.

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• Personal attacks.

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We welcome your input. You may write to us by e-mail at elginnews@gmail.com or by regular mail at:

Letters to the Editor

The Elgin News

P.O. Box 152

Elgin, SC 29045

KCSD Registration Now Open

The Kershaw County School District (KCSD) has opend its online registration portal for the 20232024 school year.

Families of returning KCSD students—including families who completed their kindergarten students’ initial enrollment this spring—will receive registration codes and instructions via email to complete the online registration process. Families of returning students who did not receive student registration codes by July 11, should contact their students' schools for assistance.

Families of students who are new to KCSD and who have not already made contact with their students' schools should do so as soon as possible, but should note that schools are closed on Fridays. More information for new students is available at www.kcsdschools.net/new.

Schools will be open for an in-person Registration Help Day on July 19 — from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. for families who do not have internet access or who need assistance.

KCSD will use the information provided to develop student schedules and determine teacher assignments that will be sent to families electronically before the first day of school on August 3.

All students in Kershaw County School District will receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2023-2024 school year as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program (See page 11). Parents will no longer be asked to complete a Free and Reduced Meal Application during online registration.

New Assistant Principals for Camden Middle, Stover Middle

Two veteran Kershaw County School District teachers will assume new roles for the 2023-2024 school year. Lynley JonesBlankenship will serve as an assistant principal at Camden Middle School and Jennifer Hoiland will serve as an assistant principal at Leslie M.Stover Middle School.

Lynley Jones-Blankenship began her teaching career at Leslie M. Stover Middle School in 2011 as a sixth-grade science and mathematics teacher. In 2020, she joined the staff at the Continuous Learning Center as an elementary and middle school teacher, also serving as the testing, 504 and MTSS coordinator, and as a student advisor. Since 2022, Jones-Blankenship has served at Camden Middle School as a seventh-grade math teacher, sixthgrade math interventionist, mentor teacher, testing coordinator, SIC and PTO representative, and stand-in administrator.

Jones-Blankenship earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in teacher leadership from the University of Phoenix, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Western Governors University, and a master’s degree in education administration from Grand Canyon University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in teacher leadership in digital transformation from Capella University.

In 2021, she was named a KCSD Honor Roll Teacher. JonesBlankenship completed the Kershaw County Developing Administrators Program and is a member of the Palmetto State Teachers Association.

Jones-Blankenship and her husband Trent reside in Elgin and are the proud parents of Haisley.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, See Page 11 >>

The Elgin News builds community and brings people together by informing everyone about local businesses, services, schools organizations, government, activities, events and other information useful for becoming involved. It helps those who live and work in Elgin to get to know each other as people and to become friends.

The Elgin News accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements or articles. Advertisements and articles are accepted with the full responsibility of the advertiser for worth and accuracy. Readers who wish to comment or have concerns regarding advertisements contained herein are urged to phone the Elgin News at (803) 513-5108 or (803) 466-4604. The Elgin News will discontinue accepting advertising from firms of alleged dubious reputation.

Rates are net - discount agreements must be reflected on the publication order. Invoices due on receipt. Tearsheets and proofs available upon request. Advertising setup, changes and publication verification are provided at no charge. 15% agency comm. is 30-days firm. Photography charges negotiable. By-line articles are the property of the contributor and may not be reproduced without permission.

The Elgin News, PO Box 152, Elgin, SC 29045 · (803) 513-5108 Cate Goff, Editor · Fred Davidson, Sales Manager · Email: elginnews@gmail.com

Jones-Blankenship Holland

From the Chief's Desk

In this Chief’s desk I would like to address an issue that we are having at Potter Park. It seems that we are having more and more problems with late night visitors to the park. We have posted signs on the covered picnic area and will also be installing signs around the park advising that the park is off limits after dark. This is for your safety and for respect of our citizens that live next to the park.

So please be mindful of the park hours, and please don’t give our Officers a hard time when they ask you to obey the park rules and hours. They are just doing their jobs. And please be courteous to the neighboring homes that surround our park. Thank you.

Elgin Police Department Incident Reports

Phone Calls - Obscene/Harrassing: On 07-03-2023, Victim stated that she has been getting a lot of phone calls from an unknown male telling her to quit calling him. On the date of the Incident Report, Victim stated the unknown male threaten to come over and "beat her a#$." Officer got the messages on my BC. Officer was told its been going on for a couple of weeks but this was the first time she was threaten. Officer called the number that was given to me and the number is no longer in service.

Towed Vehicle/Private Property: On 06/28/2023, around 0730 am, we received a report of a gold in color GMC truck parked in the yard at Cherry Lane address. Cpl. DeLong and I, Chief Anders responded, the truck had driven through the front yard entering from Church St. and was left parked, unlocked. The SC tag was clear, and came back to a Sumter address on a 2002 GMC Denali extended cab. The home owner did not know the owner or recognize the truck and wished to have it removed, Elgin rotation was called, Eddie Roberts Towing responded and towed the vehicle.

Attempted Theft/Assisting Another Agency: On 06/28/2023, I, Officer Handy, was contacted via the radio by a Richland County Deputy requesting assistance. Richland County Deputies stated that they were following a Penske rental truck on Highway 1 that was entering into the town limits of Elgin. Deputies stated that they had been following this vehicle and this vehicle had been involved in several thefts of recycled cooking oil from local

restaurants throughout Richland County. The vehicle was located behind the China Wok restaurant located at 2546 Main St. The driver of the vehicle was identify by his New York driver's license as Subject and the juvenile passenger was identify as Juvenile Subject. The vehicle bearing an Indiana tag #2682922 that came back as not on file. I asked Subject why was he at this location and he stated to get the cooking oil. I asked Subject if he had permission and he stated "yes". I asked from whom, and his reply was the owner. After telling Subject to call the owner to verify he had permission, Subject later admitted that he did not have permission to be there, but stated he thought it was ok to take the oil, because the oil container was outside of the building. I advised him that was not true and I informed him that he could not take any recycled oil from any business in the Town of Elgin. Field interview was completed and both occupants were identified. Body camera footage is attached to this report.

Failure to Maintain Property: On 6/26/2023, I Cpl. Delong responded to 1101 Railroad Ave., the vacant lot on the corner of Ross St. and Railroad Ave. in the Town Limits of Elgin in reference to complainants of unkempt property. Upon my arrival, I noticed the grass and trees are overgrown and there are six abandoned and unregistered vehicles on the back of the property. The owner of the property, Subjet, will be notified by mail and given 30 days to clean the property and remove the vehicles.

Freedom Isn't Free

By: Liz Simon, Staff Writer

Less than eight miles north of Camden, on August 16, 1780, was the worst American defeat during the Revolutionary War. It was a bloodbath in a thick forest of tall pines when more than 2000 British troops under General Lord Cornwallis met and defeated over 4000 American patriots commanded by General Horatio Gates at The Battle of Camden. The British lost 324 lives that day and more than 900 Americans lay dead. Over 1000 American soldiers were captured.

Facts that I had studied in history classes became very real as the Camden Battlefield Trust and the Camden Burials turned history lessons into reality. Camden, the oldest inland city in South Carolina, and Kershaw County have residents who honor their heritage. I have attended activities at Historic Camden and visited buildings and homes listed on the National Register and observed their pride and patriotism.

I will never take for granted our American freedoms and the sacrifice others have made for us. After serving as a docent with my friend Susan Baskin at the recent Revolutionary War burial service at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Camden, I felt the magnitude of the day and all the symbolisms (even the red fire hydrants painted to resemble an American soldier from that era) surrounding us. I arrived early Saturday morning April 22 around 8:15. There was a light mist of rain falling. Programs had been printed for my group to hand to the guests who would attend the ceremony.

Reverend Josie Holler of the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, Kingstree and The Reverend William Owens, Jr. of the St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church, Camden led the thirty-minute funeral service. The Kings Counter

the Revolutionary War) were on hand to supervise the handling of the soldiers’ coffins for burial. The lumber for the thirteen wooden coffins was made at Historic Camden from boards from the old Burns Hardware.

Twelve of the soldiers were believed to be from the American Continental Army. These were America's first veterans. I did not see them as men rather young boys who had begun their lives. I wondered what these soldiers were thinking 242 years ago.

The remains of two men who fought on the British side were also exhumed from the battlefield. One was a North Carolina Loyalist who was either from the Lumbee or Catawba tribes. There was also a Highlander from the Scottish troops, the British 71st regiment of foot soldiers.

As the church bells tolled the hour, the breeze brought raindrops from the trees. The Frasier Highlander's coffin was draped with the flag of the United Kingdom while all the other coffins were covered with the American flags. The Native American loyalist was not a part of this service.

The Daughters of the American Revolution committee chaired by Kathleen Richards of The Camden Archives had planned all aspects for the Bethesda funeral ceremony. Susan and I met twice with Kathleen and others for over an hour to discuss preparations for the memorial services. We began each meeting with prayer honoring the soldiers who lost their lives on Camden’s battlefield. The forensic scientists were able to determine two soldiers were teenagers by their growth plates. They were also able to determine the units were from Maryland and Delaware by the buttons on the uniforms.

The DAR members were encouraged to wear hats for the ceremony, and we were furnished with white gloves. I heard many visitors who came from New Jersey and as far away as California comment, “This is a day in time we will never see again.”

As I heard the drum beat and saw the horse drawn caissons arriving at the churchyard that Saturday morning, my eyes began to water at this never-

It has been ten days since we celebrated July the 4th. “The Camden Fourteen” as they have been called and April 22, 2023, will always be a reminder to me to be thankful for my freedoms that are not free!

7th Annual Kids' Fourth of July Parade

Books on Broad and the Downtown Camden Cultural District recently co-sponsored the 7th annual Kids' Fourth of July Parade. Patriotically decorated bicycles, scooters, and wagons arrived in front of Camden City Hall at 10:00 am for pre-parade events and then traveled down Rutledge Street at 10:30 am.

KCSD's Backpack Book Buddies Program

This summer, Kershaw County School District organized the Backpack Book Buddies program as an integral part of its annual Camp RISE (Reading Inspires Students to Excel), a 96-hour summer camp to 100 at-risk rising Kindergartners and 100 at-risk third-graders.

Through a Community Partnership Grant, third grade campers buddied up with our CERDEP 4K summer campers to help these younger students bridge the transition to Kindergarten by providing a robust mentoring program called Backpack

Book Buddies. Organized by KCSD librarians, the Backpack Book Buddies program allowed our third grade students to mentor and read to rising Kindergarteners.

At the camp's conclusion, students received a backpack full of reading and writing materials to share with their book buddies.

All three campsites have collaborated with Ker-

partnership with the Kershaw County Parks and Recreation affords our students free summer recreation programming.

Local high school students, some of whom are prospective teachers, lead these daily PE lessons. Meals have been provided through the Kershaw County School District Food Service summer feeding program in partnership with the local United Way. Our hope is that at the conclusion of camp that our third grade mentors will be reader leaders in fourth grade!

REHABILITATIVE CARE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

Midlands Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Elgin can help you regain your independence after an injury.

Our inpatient rehab hospital has 40 all-private rooms and treats those recovering from disabling injuries or living with chronic illnesses, such as:

• Strokes

• Brain injuries

• Spinal cord injuries

• Orthopedic injuries, including hip fractures

• Major multiple trauma

• ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Parkinson’s disease

• Amputations

• Neurological conditions

To learn more about our services, visit our website at MRRH.ernesthealth.com.

MRRH.ERNESTHEALTH.COM

20 Pinnacle Parkway • Elgin, SC 29045 • ph: 803.438.8890

Constable Rick Miller

Retires From Elgin PD

Constable H. Rick Miller has been a State Constable for 26 years, and has been assigned to Elgin Police Dept. for over 20 of those years.

Rick worked almost every weekend and every event that Elgin held throughout the year, every year.

In order to become a State Constable, one has to find, and pay for their own law enforcement training. After successfully completing the lengthy training, they then, have to purchase all of their equipment, and then get approval from an agency head to work in that jurisdiction. State Constables receive no pay for their service, time or all mandatory continuous learning. They do it because they want to make a difference, help others and most of all, serve their community.

Rick is the definition of service. Rick has stamped his soul on the Elgin community and will be greatly missed by all, we hope that he enjoys every second of his well earned retirement.

American Legion Post 195 Monthly Spaghetti Dinner

Support Post 195 at their monthly dinner on Friday, July 28th, from 5 - 7 pm at 534 Wildwood Lane (at the corner Sandwood Drive) in Lugoff. Price: $8.00/meal. Meal Items: Spaghetti with meat or vegetable sauce, parmesan cheese, garlic bread, salad w/choice of dressing, dessert, and tea or lemonade.

Outstanding conversation is also available, free of charge. Eat in at our big, green meeting hall, or take out.

So, avoid cooking and clean-up Friday night, get a great meal for an amazingly low price (feed a family for less than the price of one at a chain restaurant), AND support your community and its veterans.

Galatians 6:2 Non-Profit Seeking Volunteers

FOOD PANTRY COORDINATOR: In charge of food pantry operations every 2nd and 4th Monday and Tuesday. This person will need to pickup the groceries on the Monday prior to food pantry and bag the food. On Tuesday, food pantry day, they will need to be in the office to distribute food 9 AM to 4 PM. This person would also coordinate with other volunteers to come in and assist with preparation and distribution. Must be able to lift and load.

STORAGE INVENTORY AND ORGANIZE: Two or three strong individuals to inventory and reorganize our storage units. Project will likely take a few days as we have four storage units with furniture and household items as well as thrift store inventory. This team will coordinate amongst one another to organization our inventory so that it can be better distributed and accounted for.

THRIFT STORE ATTENDANT: One or two people willing to sit in the office several times a week Tue-Thurs for a few hours (flexible times). This person(s) will take phone calls, issue emergency food and handle thrift store sales. ( it doesn't get very busy).

FURNITURE/HOUSEHOLD GOOD PROGRAM: Individual needed to deliver or issue furniture and household goods to in need newly housed Veterans/Domestic Violence Victims. This person will have need to designate at least one day of the week they can deliver and or pickup furniture/household items. This person would also monitor our storage space and inventory and receive request for assistance. Must be able to pull the trailer, load and unload furniture. Can coordinate assistance from volunteers or day laborers. (Limited funds available to support hired help).

For more information contact support@galatians62.com

Thank you for your continued support!

Back To School Event

Potter Community Park

Saturday, July 22, 2023 | 10 AM – 2 PM

Blanketing Families is partnering with local churches and businesses for the Potluck Collaboration Giveaway in Elgin. This event is free to our community. Join us for fun and free hot dogs. Rain location is Blaney Baptist Church Gym in Elgin.

Potter Park Community Center Meeting

Tuesday, July 18th | 6pm | Town Hall

The Elgin Town Council is hosting an informational meeting regarding plans for the Community Center that will be added to Potter Park. Stop by to learn more about the plans, and ask questions.

Staggered Start For Kindergarten

Four- and five-year-old kindergartners will begin school on a staggered start schedule for the 2023-2024 school year.

Under Proviso 1A.62, Kershaw County School District is implementing an innovative approach to helping students adjust to difficult transition years with a 2023-2024 school calendar that provides a staggered start for fourand five-year-old kindergarten students.

This staggered start schedule for the first week of school will allow students to experience a smoother transition and allow staff members time to build strong relationships with students and parents in support of continued academic and social emotional growth.

These adjustments will help new students to elementary school reduce anxiety, build community, and start their formal education in Kershaw County School District in a smaller educational setting with more individualized attention. This time will allow teachers an opportunity to get to know students better and understand their personal strengths and needs through individual

assessments, such as the state-mandated DIAL-4 and Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA).

All KCSD four- and five-year-old kindergarten students will participate in a staggered entry process for the 2023-2024 school year and will attend school using the following schedule:

August 3: Last names beginning with A–L attend school

August 4 Last names beginning with M–Z attend school

August 7: All four- and five-year-old kindergarten students attend school.

All 4K and 5K students will fully begin the school year and attend school daily on Monday, August 7, 2023.

Please note: This staggered start schedule does not apply to students in preschool special education programs at the following locations: Doby’s Mill Elementary, North Central Elementary, Pine Tree Hill Elementary and Wateree Elementary. These students will begin school on Thursday, August 3.

National Night Out Set for August 1st

We are excited to announce this year's National Night Out will be held on August 1st at the Lugoff-Elgin Middle School. We plan to kick the event off with a 6:30pm parade of first responders.

After the parade, there will be a "touch-a-truck" & "back-to-school bash" with free pizza, bounce house, KCSO K-9s, firetrucks, ambulances, etc. This event will be fun for all ages.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to

make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August.

Free School Lunch During 2023-2024 School Year

Kershaw County School District is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2023-2024 school year. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reducedprice meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.

Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs.

You may contact your Nutrition and School Food Service Coordinator Misha Lawyer at 803432-8416 for additional information.

Parents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Misha Lawyer on an informal basis.

Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to whose address is: 2029 W Dekalb St. Camden, SC 29020 for a hearing to appeal the decision.

An experienced educator, Jennifer Hoiland has served as a sixth and seventh teacher at Leslie M. Stover since 2008, where she teaches World History and Geography. She has served on the school’s leadership team since 2010, and currently serves as a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Team Lead.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Sam Houston State University, a master’s degree in instructional accommodations from Francis Marion University, and a master’s degree in education administration from the University of South Carolina.

She is certified in physical education K-12, middle level social studies, and in secondary administration.

Hoiland completed the South Carolina Department of Education Foundations of Leadership course in 2014 and participated in the Kershaw County Developing Administrators Program during the 2022-2023 school year.

Hoiland, her husband Nathan, and their son reside in Elgin.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, Continued from Page 2

Attorney Dennis N. Cannon, Jr.

Attorney Arien Cannon