COLUMBIA  — Today (Sept. 1), the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) provided new guidelines for limited outdoor visitation at nursing homes and community residential care facilities, commonly referred to as assisted living facilities.

COLUMBIA —The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is providing regular updates for COVID-19 mobile testing events and permanent testing sites at the regional level.

Learn, Evaluate, Analyze, and Prepare (LEAP) days are underway this week for students in the Marlboro County School District.
Superintendent Dr. Gregory McCord said LEAP days have gone pretty well.
LEAP days were made available for all students in the district. The state paid for grades K-8 while the district used funds from the CARES Act to pay for grades 9-12. 
McCord said they averaged 500 students a day in all of the schools. 
“It is pretty consistent with what we thought it would look like,” he said.
Students were broken down by the alphabet in some schools and grade levels in other schools. 
The school year will officially begin on Sept. 2. The model used for LEAP days will be used. Students will be staggered in for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Parents still need to register for the school year. The goal is to get as many registered before the first of school so you can plan accordingly. About 3,000 students have registered. 

It was announced Friday that Marlboro County’s grant requests for broadband (high speed internet) infrastructure extension have been approved and will be funded using SC CARES Act funds. Sandhill Telephone Cooperative teamed with Marlboro County Government to submit the grant applications.
This announcement means that high speed internet will be extended to many areas of the county. The project must be completed by December 18, 2020.
“High speed internet for our county is a transformational change for the good. What it means for our community is immeasurable,” said County Administrator and Economic Developer Ron Munnerlyn.
“Sandhill Telephone Cooperative under the leadership of CEO Lee Chambers really stepped up to the plate for our county.”
High speed internet access is one of six key strategic initiatives adopted by Marlboro County Government as part of their recent strategic planning efforts. In May 2020, Marlboro County staff developed a comprehensive plan in partnership with Sandhill Telephone Cooperative for broadband expansion. 
The “Marlboro Plan” was distributed to numerous state officials and agencies and county council began lobbying for funding at that time.

Instead of the usual convocation in the gym at  Marlboro County High School, Marlboro County School District teachers, staff, and administration used Zoom for the 2020 Back to School Rally.
Superintendent Dr. Gregory McCord said it was a chance to inspire and encourage teachers, staff, and administration of the district.
“Every day we have been allowed to do something that not many others have the opportunity to do —  to educate,” he said. “Educate not just the young people coming to us from Marlboro County but educate everyone in our community and life. This is truly a calling.”
District employees and teachers and staff from each school still had a chance to display their colors and enthusiasm for the 2020-21 school year.
While everyone was on Zoom, McCord, Board Chairman Larry McNeil, and Board member Rev. James Smith along with district officials headed out to surprise the Classified Staff of the Year and Teacher of the Year with flowers and a check.