A2
SECOND FRONT THE ITEM
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2013 Contact the newsroom at 803-774-1226 or e-mail news@theitem.com
Per-student pre-K spending lowest in decade BY PHILIP ELLIOTT The Associated Press WASHINGTON — State funding for pre-kindergarten programs had its largest drop ever last year and states are now spending less per child than they did a decade ago, according to a report released Monday. The report also noted that South Carolina spent less than $2,000 per child. The researchers also found that more than a half million of those preschool students
are in programs that don’t even meet standards suggested by industry experts that would qualify for federal dollars. And 10 states don’t offer any dollars to pay for prekindergarten classrooms. “The state of preschool in America is a state of emergency,” said report author Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. That assessment — combined with Congress’ reluctance to spend new dollars —
complicates President Obama’s effort to expand pre-K programs across the country. Until existing programs’ shortcomings are fixed, it is likely to be a tough sell for Obama’s call for more preschool. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius joined Barnett on Monday in Washington to release the report and acknowledge the challenges in educating the nation’s youngest students within the
existing and widely varied systems. Both Cabinet secretaries tried to portray the report’s dire verdict as a reason to push forward with a federally backed preschool program. “This year’s report has some pretty grim news, but I think it also highlights the urgency for the historic investment in early education that the president called for in his State of the Union,” said Sebelius, whose department runs the Head Start programs for the poorest
April brings awareness to occupational therapists
LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS | FROM STAFF & WIRE REPORTS
Hydrant flow tests Wednesday, Thursday The city of Sumter will perform fire hydrant flow tests on Broad Street, Terry Road, Lower Lake Drive, Broad Water Drive, Water Oak Lane, Girard Drive and Carter Road between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Maintenance to water mains on North Main Street and East Brewington Road will be performed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Water customers in these areas may experience temporary discolored water. Direct any questions or concerns to the city of Sumter Public Services Department at (803) 436-2558.
BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com April is Occupational Therapy Month. It brings awareness to a profession often confused with others. “I would love to raise awareness,” said Gretchen Floyd, an occupational therapist at Sumter Physical Therapy Clinic. “I remember when I was a student at the hospital, I went into a room and told the patient I was there for his occupational therapy, and he told me, ‘I’m not trying to get back a job. I’m retired.’” In fact, even some current practitioners had trouble learning about the career. Christina Ratchick started as a massage therapist, who then became interested in physical therapy but met and shadowed an occupational therapist. Floyd knew since the sixth grade she wanted to be a therapist, but she didn’t settle on occupational therapy until baby sitting a child with cerebral palsy. Occupational therapist Megan Floyd’s inspiration came from seeing how her grandfather’s stroke changed the dynamic of her entire family. “He was not able to do anything for himself,” she said. “At that point, he had a physical therapist, a speech therapist and an occupational therapist. He didn’t get back to 100 percent, but he got enough back that he still felt like a man, like he was head of the family.” While she was in school, Megan Floyd volunteered with Joe Crisler, who has been an occupational therapist in Sumter for 17 years. He is one of the owners of Sumter Physical Therapy Clinic and a certified hand therapist with knowledge in wound care and burn management. “If you think that you have a loss of function or are having dysfunction and you’re not happy with your quality of life, OT definitely can help restore that in your life,” Crisler said. “I suggest you visit your primary care physician to identify what is really wrong and for a referral. I love helping people get back to what means the most to them, be it holding their child or getting back to work.” James Shaw had his hand crushed in an industrial accident, and he has been going to the clinic and mostly working with Crisler since February. “It’s going pretty good,” Shaw said. “I can move two fingers a little bit. I need to use my hand again, so it means a whole lot.” Crisler and others in the clinic have also been helping him with pain management where the nerves in his hands are causing his shoulder to hurt. “A majority of people come in after
REGULAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home Delivery — Tuesday through Sunday: One year $144; Six months - $75.25; Three months - $40; Two months - $27.50; One month - $13.75; EZPay - $12 per month. Saturday and Sunday: One year - $72; Six months - $36.75; Three months - $18.50; One month, $6.25. Mail — One year - $249; Six months - $124.50; Three months - $62.25; one month - $20.95. OUTLYING RURAL ROUTE SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home Delivery — Tuesday through Sunday: One year -
young students. Added Duncan: “The news here isn’t as good, isn’t as positive as we would like it to be.” Adjusted for inflation, perstudent funding has been cut by more than $1,000 during the last decade. Yet nationwide, the amounts were widely varied. The District of Columbia spent almost $14,000 on every child in its program while the states of Colorado and Nebraska spent less than $2,000 per child.
2 men plead guilty to charges from fatal fire JADE ANDERSON / THE ITEM
Shauna Hilferty, a physical therapist and a certified hand therapist, works with a patient to stretch her hand at Sumter Physical Therapy Clinic. April is Occupational Therapy month.
shoulder surgery or trying to prevent it,” said Gretchen Floyd, who is no relation to Megan Floyd and works under Crisler at Sumter Physical Therapy Clinic. “It’s broken down into three categories — range of motion, strength and pain control — depending on what they are lacking.” It also depends on the protocol issued by the attending physician, she said. “I love seeing (patients) come in and leave with such a complete turnaround,” Gretchen Floyd said. “I love the one-on-one interaction. Obviously, I love helping them. I love the physics and the mathematics. I like figuring out the puzzle of what the best thing for them is.” While Ratchick works with orthopedic patients in Tuomey Regional Medical Center’s acute rehab, she spends most of her time with those who have neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injuries and strokes. “It’s not so clean cut and dry,” she said. “It’s more like a mystery. It can be that little thing that can make their whole personality change or where they don’t do things in public as much.” Depending on the condition, occupational therapists can use electrical stimulations, certain reflexes and positions, tapping muscles, using heat or ice or other developmental process techniques. “With neurological, there can be cognitive deficits or they may not have a lot of attention or memory,” Ratchick said. “So by the end, they may not re-
$153; Six months - $81.25; Three months - $43; Two months, $29; One month - $14.50. EZPay, $12.75 per month. Saturday and Sunday: One year - $84; Six months - $43; Three months - $22; One month - $7.50. HOME DELIVERY: Call (803) 774-1258, Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat./Sun., 7 to 11 a.m. The Item is published six days a week except for July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day (unless it falls on a Sunday) by Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter,
member your name, but if they can put their shirt on and brush their teeth, I don’t care. It’s rewarding having someone walking out that way when they came in, they couldn’t even stand.” Like Ratchick, Megan Floyd works with orthopedic and neurological patients at Tuomey’s acute rehab. Physical therapy “is more cut and dry, more biomedical,” Floyd said. “The knee bends or not. OT is more quality of life and what can we do to help that. A lot of times with patients, I’ll ask them, ‘What do you enjoy doing?’ or ‘What makes you happy?’ ‘What makes your life worth living?’ Without motivation, they won’t go further.” She said OTs can also serve a full gamut of clients — from helping ensure healthier pregnancies for babies in the womb to helping children with sensory concerns to amputations and strokes. Crisler agreed. “OT helps restore life from neonatal to deathbed, from 2 to 104,” he said. “You really have to decide the best area for you because there is no way to do it all, not enough time in a day.” Megan Floyd encouraged high school students or people looking to change careers to shadow someone in the field in which they are interested. “Whatever your interest is, go and see what they actually do and what is actually required,” she said. “Don’t just read about it.” Reach Jade Anderson at (803) 7741250.
CHARLESTON — Two men charged in connection with a Goose Creek methamphetamine lab explosion that killed three people have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Gerald McCabe and Shonni Abernathy pleaded guilty in Charleston on Monday to conspiring to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and manufacturing methamphetamine. Three people died in the May 31 fire, including Abernathy’s 19-year-old daughter, Morgan, and a cousin she was babysitting, 4-year-old Sammy Garbe. Sixty-nine-yearold military veteran Joseph Raeth, died in a neighboring apartment unit.
CORRECTION
|
On page A3 of the Thursday edition of The Item, the husband of the late Alice Lipscombe was incorrectly identified. Doug Lipscombe accepted the award on behalf of his late wife at the Annual Picnic at The Pavilion.
SC 29150. Periodical postage paid at Sumter, SC 29150. Postmaster: Send address changes to Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150 Publication No. USPS 525-900 Member, Verified Audit Circulation.
Publishing Co. as agent. No responsibility for advance payments is assumed by the company until the money is received at this office.
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: All carriers and dealers of The Item are independent contractors. Advance payment for subscriptions may be made directly to Osteen
RECYCLING: This newspaper is printed on recycled paper and uses environmentally safe soy inks to reduce ruboff. It is recyclable.
CORRECTIONS: If you see a statement in error, contact the City Desk. Corrections will appear on this page.