FMU ARCH Program to Provide Free Health Screening

The Francis Marion University ARCH Program will sponsor a free health screening for the general public on March 13 at the Williamsburg County Recreation Department, 2084 Thurgood Marshall, Kingstree, 1-5 pm.

The screenings consist of height, weight, blood pressure, finger stick blood sugar, and lab work. All patients have lab work for cholesterol, liver and kidney function drawn. Diabetics also have a hemoglobin A1C drawn (a test that measures diabetic control over the previous three months). Men over 50 (and high-risk men over 40) have PSAs drawn (a blood screening for prostate cancer).

The ARCH Program was established in 2007 by FMU to provide students with service learning opportunities in community health fields. One such opportunity is the ARCH Health Screening Program. The screening team is led by FMU’s director of community health, Paul DeMarco, MD, and Candy Yarborough, RN. It is composed of six students enrolled in majors leading to careers in the health professions such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, mental health, and social work. The team travels weekly to sites in Dillon, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg counties as an outreach to some of the Pee Dee’s most underserved rural communities.

The screenings are open to the public and take place in churches, schools, community centers and other appropriate locations. No appointment is necessary and no fasting is required.

For more information about the screening or the ARCH program, contact the ARCH office at 843-661-1845 or email pdemarco@fmarion.edu.

Keefe Named Firefighter of the Year

Alex Keefe of the South Lynches Fire District was name firefighter of the Year for Station 4 in Cades for 2008. The South Lynches Fire District held their annual awards banquet at The Schoolhouse Restaurant on Tuesday. For more information on their awards follow this link to Charles Tomlinson's article from the Lake City News & Post

Kingstree Lions Club Recycling Project

In this age of everybody wanting to be "Green", the kingstree Lions Club is doing something about it. Over the last several years the club has recycled printer cartridges. Starting last the began to recycle cell phones.

This positive step in our community helps reduce waste in our much contested landfill situation and provides revenue for the club's local projects. The club helps with eyeglasses and hearing aids for the indigent, large print books in our county library, scholarships for local teens to college and Boys and Girls state.

If you would like to help the Lions Club in this endeavor there are drop boxes at Williamsburg First National Bank and Drucker Drugs for your cartridges and old cell phones.

Farmer's Telephone Raises Food for Food Banks

In December, Farmer's Telephone Cooperative raised 500 lbs. of canned non-perishable food items for the Harvest Hope Food Bank and the Lowcountry Food Bank. Read more at SC Now.

Santee Electric to Sponsor Two for Washington Trip

Every year the electric coopertives throughout the United States, send 1000s of high school juniors for a six day, all expense paid trip to Washington DC. The trip schedule for the third week in June is for the students to get a first hand look at our government in action. Activities include visiting the Capitol, the Smithsonians, a trip on the Potomac River, and visits to various DC landmarks. Also the opportunity to meet our legislative delegation.

High school juniors who'd like to apply for the Electric Cooperative Washington Youth Tour should call toll-free 1-800-922-1604—or 355-6187 in Williamsburg County—for more information. Or go to Santee Electric's website for an application.