BLENHEIM  — A Black History Celebration held on Feb. 9 not only honored the past but inspired the future.
Hosted by the Black History Community Partners, the event at the Wade H. Prince Recreation Center featured music, dance, vendors and Black History moments.
Deborah Hardison, a member of the BHCP said, they were there to share history and culture.
"We are trying to rotate through the county to hear stories of people from this area that have contributed to our history," she said.
Dr. Carolyn Prince shared the legacy of her father, Wade H. Prince. She admitted that while he wasn't with her physically, he has never left her.
"The values, the morals, and the old sayings stuck," she said. "I didn't realize it then but I find myself sounding like him or remembering things he taught me."
She reminded people not to confuse legacy with riches. 
"Legacy is what you stand for, what you did, what people remember," Prince said.

As part of the 10-Minute Walk campaign which aims to address the fact that one in three Americans don’t have a park within a 10-minute walk (or half-mile) of home, the City of Bennettsville was selected to receive $40,000 in grant funding from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). 
The grant funding will be used to support city planning and policy efforts that help increase access to high-quality parks, close-to-home parks and public green space. Bennettsville Mayor Heath Harpe is a proud participant in the 10-Minute Walk campaign, led by NRPA, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). 
One of 10 communities selected to receive this grant funding, Bennettsville currently has 28% of people living within a 10-minute walk of a park. 
The City of Bennettsville will utilize the grant funds to develop a park master plan, including enhancements to existing parks and creation of additional recreational sites.  This park master plan will be added to the city's comprehensive plan that is currently being updated.
  The grant funding provided by NRPA will help strengthen these efforts and provide access to a variety of tools and resources, including NRPA’s Park Metrics, TPL’s Park Serve® and ULI’s Advisory Services.    
The grant  will also assist in finding additional funding to make the plan a reality.

Longtime Marlboro County head coach and athletic director Dr. Dean Boyd announced today that he is resigning to take the head coaching position at York Comprehensive High School.  Boyd has been the MCHS head coach since 1997.
Boyd was approved by the York School Board Tuesday evening to become the Cougars' new coach.
"It was a tough decision, one that I have prayed on for most of the last week.  It was an opportunity to go home, be near most of my family and finish my career where it all began," said Boyd.
"I will miss this community very much.  People have been so supportive of  Leigh and me, our kids and our sports program," he said.

CLIO  — More than 50 people had a chance to learn about the two options for possible school reconfiguration for Marlboro County School District at Tuesday's forum at Clio Elementary Middle School.
A second forum is at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 at Blenheim Elementary Middle School.
Marlboro County Board of Education members held a workshop on Feb. 2 where the two options were presented.
"We ask that you hear the presentations with an open mind," said Marlboro County School District Superintendent Dr. Gregory McCord. 
"No decision has been made," he said. "We have simply presented some options for all to consider."
In March, McCord said he would make a recommendation based on the information and feedback he has received to the board. "And then they will make a decision based on my recommendation, only then and after that time, can we say a decision has been made," he said.

Marlboro County High's boys entered the final two games of the regular season with their playoff fate in their own hands.  
If they won at Myrtle Beach on Friday and at home against Wilson on Tuesday, they would be invited to the postseason.  A win in either one of those games might get them in, depending on the results of other region contests.
Neither happened and for the first time in over a decade the Bulldogs are taking up the equipment before the playoffs begin.
Tuesday night, the Bulldogs got off to a fast start, only to fall apart in the third quarter.
After trailing the Tigers 15-10 with two minutes left in the first quarter, Wesley Brown hit a basket to start a 14-4 run by the Bulldogs.  Marlboro took a 30-25 lead into the locker room at the half.