Marlboro County Council got a brief update on the CARES Act broadband project at its Tuesday meeting.
The county received $883,000 from the SC CARES act funds.
The funds will be used as a 50-50 match with Sandhill Communications to run fiber optic cable to Blenheim, Clio, McColl, and improve infrastructure in Bennettsville.
Sandhill Telephone Cooperative worked with the county in the project to be able to bring high-speed Internet to many areas of the county.
County Administrator Ron Munnerlyn said they have had many inquires as to where the service will be extended.
“We are hopeful that information can be shared soon,” he said.
The state has mandated all work be completed by mid-December. 

McCOLL  —  The new police chief in McColl is a very familiar face.
Terry Freeman was named the new chief on Aug. 11. He had served as acting chief since Billy Stubbs left.
A native of Marlboro County, he grew up in Bennettsville but now lives in McColl.
Freeman has been in law enforcement for almost 16 years and has only worked for two departments during his career- Bennettsville Police Department and the McColl Police Department.
Being in law enforcement was something he always thought of doing. Initially, he put in an application to the BPD when he was 21 but never got a callback. He went to work at the Delta Mills in Wallace.

Jarick Thomas was arrested after a drug search warrant was executed at his home on Thursday. 

A Community Virtual Zoom meeting Tuesday updated parents, community, and others about the start of the 2020-21 school year for the Marlboro County School District.
Led by Superintendent Dr. Gregory McCord, the meeting was to make sure each person in our community was fully aware of what we are doing to keep everyone safe at all times.
It included updates on COVID-19, technology, partnerships, lunch program, extracurriculars, and cleaning and disinfection.
Students returned to school on Wednesday. They will go to school one day a week face-to-face. The other four days will be completed using a virtual platform.
The numbers in the classrooms will be 10-12 per class. McCord said it will allow teachers to keep everyone adequately spread apart from one another.

A Bennettsville man faces several charges after a shooting at an apartment complex.
Members of the Bennettsville Police Department Detective Division arrested Calvonte Zimmerman, 21, on Monday for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, obstruction of justice, breach of peace, and discharging a firearm within the city limits of Bennettsville. 
According to Lt. Larry Turner, Zimmerman is alleged to have shot at an individual on Monday evening, while the individual was standing outside of an apartment complex.
Zimmerman was taken into custody at a residence in Darlington County several hours later by the Darlington County Sheriffs Office and Bennettsville Police Department without incident.