Various council members, elected officials, religious and community members joined together Monday to pray for the community.
Three prayer vigils were held at Marlboro Court Apartments, near Evergreen Cemetery on Hudson Street and near Eastside Grocery. They were held in areas where shootings had taken place in recent weeks.
Spearheaded by Bennettsville Police Chief Kevin Miller and Sword of Truth Pastor Bishop R. Chris Brown, the prayers and words of encouragement were broadcast to citizens with a sound system.
Brown said they wanted to do something to show the faith community, law enforcement and the community as a whole were working together to make sure the community knew they cared.

MARTI riders will have access to free, fresh fruit and vegetables because of a new Healthy Produce Initiative.
The initiative is from funding from the Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas initiative through the Duke Endowment, and the Marlboro Empower Action Team.
Patrick Bines, director of the Northeastern Rural Health Network, said it was an opportunity to address food insecurity in the area. 
“We know it is a big need especially due to COVID-19,” he said.
A box containing bags of produce will be placed on the MARTi buses for the next nine weeks through June 30. Community members can take the bags with no questions asked. 

Marlboro Academy graduating senior Josh Griggs signed a baseball scholarship with Charleston Southern University on Monday.  Griggs has been the Dragons’ ace pitcher for the last several seasons, as well as contributing at several infield positions and with his bat.  He will be joining a Buccaneer program that finished the pandemic-shortened season with a 7-12 record.

Bennettsville City Council members learned about the first phase of reopening the city at their Tuesday monthly meeting.
City Administrator Max Alderman discussed the plan at the meeting, which was done by telephone.
He noted city officials were following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, and executive orders from Gov. Henry McMaster.
McMaster issued executive order 2020-34, which authorized restaurants “to begin providing limited indoor, on-premise customer dining on May 11.”  The order rescinded restrictions on beaching and rafting of boats.
Mayor Dr. Carolyn Prince issued a proclamation rescinding the citywide curfew on May 14.

Seven new cases of Coronavirus in Marlboro County were announced by DHEC in the agency's Thursday report.  That number is the largest for the county so far during the pandemic.