People & Events

September ‘Teacher Feature’ winners announced
The Darlington County School District’s Teacher Forum “Teacher Feature” winners for September have been announced.
The program recognizes one teacher from each school to honor excellence in education. Teacher Feature is coordinated by the district’s Teacher Forum.
The Teacher Forum is comprised of each school’s teacher of the year. The group’s purpose is to participate in district planning and to recognize teachers.
Teacher Feature is sponsored by Prudential Segars Realty. Honorees receive free meals at local restaurants.
Honorees are Diane Purvis/Brockington Elementary Magnet; Natalie Pigatt/Brunson-Dargan Elementary; Kendal Johnson/Cain Elementary; Michelle Grantham/Carolina Elementary; Talia Dukes/Darlington County Intervention School; Sandra White/Darlington County Institute of Technology; Debra Wallace/Darlington High; Mark Railey/Darlington Middle; Paula Alvarez/Hartsville High; Sandra Kelley/Hartsville Middle; Meg Rainwater/Lamar Elementary; Tarsha Martin/Lamar High; Dr. Steven Lovelace/Mayo High School for Math, Science & Technology; Michelle Sides/North Hartsville Elementary; Janeen Thomas/Pate Elementary; Adam Fedewa/Rosenwald Elementary & Middle; Amy Thomas/Southside Early Childhood Center; Melina Hanna/Spaulding Elementary; Susan Tomlinson/Spaulding Middle; Mike Rogers/St. John’s Elementary; Jusup McChesney/Thornwell School for the Arts; Veronica Jamison/Washington Street Elementary and Leigh Lloyd/West Hartsville Elementary.

Spratt says farmers can apply for disaster assistance
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., announced Wednesday that South Carolina farmers can be considered for federal disaster assistance due to losses caused by drought and excessive heat this year.
Spratt said the U.S. Department of Agriculture determined that production losses were sufficient to trigger secretarial disaster designations statewide.
“These designations make farmers eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the FSA,” said Spratt. “Farmers who would like to apply should contact their local FSA office.”

McLeod Family Medicine Darlington welcomes
new family nurse practitioner

Drs. Thomas Dickinson, Thomas Hokanson, Parker Lilly and Jeffrey Scharstein have announced that Ashley Reeves has joined their staff as a family nurse practitioner.
Reeves earned her Master’s of Science in Nursing degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She completed her Associate Degree in Nursing from Trident Technical College, also in Charleston.
Reeves has served as a staff nurse in the McLeod Regional Medical Center Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit since December of 2006. She also previously worked as a nurse practitioner at Walterboro Family Practice along with Internal Medicine of Walterboro.
Reeves said she is excited to work as a nurse practitioner again and offer complete care to the Darlington community and surrounding areas. She is now accepting new patients. To make an appointment with Ashley Reeves or for more information, please call (843) 391-2016.

Department of Consumer Affairs warns of voter registration scam

COLUMBIA — With only days left to register to vote, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) urges all eligible South Carolinians to complete their registration in time, but to be wary of possible scams.
The deadline for registering to vote in the Nov. 4 general election is Saturday, Oct. 4. Consumers should consider the following before completing their registration at any place other than their local election commission. Scammers will stop at nothing to steal personal information, and voter registration provides another opportunity to do just that.
Scammers are always looking for sensitive information. Consumers may receive e-mails that offer simple online registration or ask for registration confirmation or corrections. Some consumers may even receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the election commission or a similar government agency. These are scams.
After providing sensitive information, consumers unknowingly release a malicious virus onto their computer. Not only is their personal information now public knowledge, but the scammer now has access to the consumers’ financial accounts, online transactions, and identity. Finally, the consumer may think they have registered to vote only to show up at the polls and realize their vote will not count.
Legitimate voter registration forms will never require you to provide financial information of any kind.
South Carolina residents will be required to provide their social security number and proof of residency in order to register.
Citizens who wish to register to vote should register in person at their county board of voter registration; or they may download a form, complete it, and mail it to their county board of voter registration. All registration forms must be completed and sent via mail or delivered in person.
Consumers should personally deliver or mail their registration forms. Do not rely on a third party to handle this important step for you. Consumers who receive e-mails or phone calls from persons claiming to be from the election commission should immediately delete the e-mail or hang up the phone.
Consumers can protect their information by choosing to register on their own and not responding to suspicious offers. For more details on how to register, or to download the proper registration form, consumers can visit the South Carolina State Election Commission at http://www.scvotes.org.
For more information, contact the Public Information Division at (803) 734-4190, toll free in SC at 1-800-922-1594, or online at www.scconsumer.gov.

American College of Sports Medicine offering personal trainer workshops

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) will host an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer three-day workshop to prepare for certification.
The workshop, delivered by Fitness Resource Associates (FRA) will help participants attain the "gold standard" in Personal Trainer Certification, as well as the practical knowledge and skill needed to be a top-notch trainer in today's evolving fitness industry.
This workshop provides state-of-the-art information in the exercise sciences, including updated
ACSM and industry guidelines as well as behavioral objectives, dimensions of wellness and more.
It will be held at the McLeod Health and Fitness Center, Oct. 17 - 19. Friday from 1 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. To register, go to www.acsm.org or call 1-800-486-5643. For more information, go to www.frausa.com.
ACSM is also hosting a Certified Personal Trainer One-Day Workshop for certification review on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the McLeod Health and Fitness Center.
This workshop is designed for currently and previously certified personal trainers who feel confident in their basic knowledge of exercise physiology, anatomy and kinesiology. This
program will provide the specific knowledge necessary to be successful in
attaining the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer credential.
To register, go to www.acsm.org or call 1-800-486-5643. For more information, go to
www.frausa.com.

CORRECTION
A story about the Selling Hartsville initiative in the Sept. 19 edition of The Messenger incorrectly listed the location of the Tournament of Bands on Saturday, Oct. 4, as Byerly Park. The tournament will take place at Kelleytown Stadium beginning at 1 p.m., with the Hartsville High Red Regime Band performing at 7:30 p.m.