WE’’RE RIGHT AT THE JUNCTION OF TWO OF THE WORST SITUATIONS FOR SPREADING DISEASES, SCHOOL AND THE HOLIDAYS. OVER 250 SOUTH CAROLINIANS ARE BEING QUARANTINED, MOSTLY IN THE UPSTATE, AS MEASLES CONTINUES TO SPREAD THROUGH THE MOSTLY UNVACCINATED POPULATION. OVER 110 CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS, NEARLY ALL OF THEM UNVACCINATED CHILDREN. ONLY 10 OF THOSE CASES ARE ADULTS. THIS IS THE WORST YEAR FOR MEASLES CASES SINCE THE DISEASE WAS BELIEVED TO BE ERADICATED BACK IN 2000.
WHEN THE SHOOTING TRAGEDY AT THAT BAR ON ST. HELENA ISLAND LAST OCTOBER WAS FIRST BEING INVESTIGATED, SHERIFF P-J TANNER ZEROED IN ON THE LARGE NUMBER OF MACHINE GUNS AVAILABLE IN THE LOWCOUNTRY AND NOW HE’S GOT SOLICITOR DUFFIE STONE ALSO SPEAKING OUT ON THE ISSUE. STONE SAYS HE’S PROSECUTED 51 CASES IN HIS DISTRICT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, MORE THAN IN THE 10 PREVIOUS YEARS, AND 65-PERCENT OF THE MACHINE-GUN-RELATED CASES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE COME FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY IN A DISTRICT THAT INCLUDES ALLENDALE, COLLETON, JASPER AND HAMPTON COUNTIES. BOTH AGREE THAT MOST OF THE MACHINE GUNS ARE WIELDED BY GANG MEMBERS. ANFERNY FREEMAN, WHO’S BEEN CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF MURDER IN CONNECTION WITH THE BAR SHOOTING, HAS ALSO BEEN CCHARGED WITH POSESSION OF A MACHINE GUN. TANNER HAS ALSO CONDEMMED LOW BOND AMOUNTS THAT RELEASE SUSPECTS TOO SOON. HE ALSO SAYS NOBODY SHOULD POSESS A MACHINE GUN. CURRENT GANG LAWS IN THE STATE ARE CONSIDERED WEAK, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO STATES LIKE GEORGIA AND NORTH CAROLINA.
SOUTH CAROLINA IS ONE OF SIX MORE STATES THAT HAVE AGREED TO BAN THE USE OF SNAP PROGRAM BENEFITS FOR JUNK FOOD, MEANING OVER A HALF-MILLION SNAP RECIPIENTS WILL BE RESTRICTED FROM BUYING CERTAIN SUGARY DRINKS AND FOOD, INCLUDING ENERGY DRINKS AND EVEN SWEET TEA. THE NEW RULES ARE SPECIFIC ENOUGH THAT BAKED GOODS ARE O-K, AS ARE MILK, SPORTS DRINKS, COFFEE AND TEA. RECIPIENTS ARE ALREADY BARRED FROM BUYING ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, HOT FOODS AND OTHER NON-FOOD ITEMS. THE TOTAL IS NOW 18 STATES THAT HAVE SIGNED ONTO THE BAN FOR SNAP RECIPIENTS, STATES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO GET EXTRA MONEY FROM MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, THE NEW REGULATION IS EXPECTED TO TAKE EFFECT AT THE END OF NEXT AUGUST.
DOES YOUR WORKPLACE GIVE OUT AN ‘EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR’ AWARD? THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD HAS NAMED FAIDRA SMITH, THE TOWN’S ADMINISTRATION MANAGER AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT COMPLIANCE OFFICER AS ITS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR, NAMED FOR LONGTIME TOWN ENGINEER SCOTT LIGGETT, WHO DIED SUDDENLY IN EARLY 2021. FAIDRA KNEW LIGGETT AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE AWARD MEANS SO MUCH MORE TO HER. SMITH HAS WORKED FOR THE TOWN FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS AND WAS CHOSEN FROM AMONG 13 NOMINEES FROM DIFFERENT TOWN DEPARTMENTS FOR HER POSITIVE ENERGY, CAN-DO ATTITUDE AND KINDNESS IN CARRYING OUT HER JOB.