OPINION: Thumbs up to Sen. Malloy's Assembly work

Thumbs up to state Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Hartsville, who is being honored this month for his work in the General Assembly to enact DNA arrestee laws. Malloy, a Hartsville attorney, will be presented a Katie’s Heroes Award at the National Conference of State Legislatures annual meeting in Philadelphia on July 22. The award honors legislators who help enact DNA arrestee laws, which help to remove violent repeat offenders from the streets by accessing the offender’s DNA at the first felony arrest, according to a press release from DNA Saves, a nonprofit organization that advocates the taking of DNA samples upon felony arrest. John Walsh, host of “America’s Most Wanted,” will present the award at a luncheon hosted by the family of Katie Sepich, a woman who was raped and murdered in 2003. Sepich’s family also founded DNA Saves. “Sen. Malloy receives this award due to the immense time and research he spent on the issue of DNA arrestee legislation as both the chair of the Senate Judiciary Criminal Justice System Task Force and a chief sponsor of the DNA arrestee legislation that was enacted in South Carolina in 2008,” according to the press release. The task force identified DNA arrestee testing as an important tool for law enforcement to use to reduce the recidivism rate of violent offenders in South Carolina. “This will be a vital tool for law enforcement,” Malloy said, “and it is essential that we provide our law enforcement with the best tools to keep our citizens safe. This methodology is already used by the federal government and should be a logical extension to our state.” We agree.

Thumbs up to Walmart for its recent grant to the Pee Dee Chapter of the American Red Cross. “The $65,000 grant purchased a trailer that will transport disaster equipment to area shelters. New nursing kits have been purchased, new shelter kits have been organized,” Linda Boone-Smith, executive director, said. “We are really excited about where we are as a chapter right now. However, we are not without challenges.” In addition to the materials purchased with the Walmart grant, about $8,000 has been designated for training new volunteers. The Pee Dee Chapter has a slate of about 80 trained and ready volunteers, but it is not near enough. If all Pee Dee shelters were forced to open for a period of five days, about 500 volunteers would be needed. The Pee Dee chapter of the American Red Cross serves Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion and Marlboro counties. Like all other chapters, it receives no funding from state or federal governments, only from private contributions and local United Ways. For details about how to help, visit Pee Dee chapter’s Web site, http://peedee.redcross.org. Or, call the Pee Dee Chapter at (843) 662-8121, ext. 120, or (800) 273-3073, ext. 120, for donation information, or mail donations to The American Red Cross, Pee Dee Chapter, 1601-A W. Lucas St., Florence, SC 29501.

Thumbs up to the students and teacher in Florence School District 1 who recently received awards from American Legion Post No. 1 Commander Michael McIntire. Cadet Col. William E. Christmas of Wilson High School and Cadet Lt. Lee Hubbard of South Florence High School received the American Legion Scholastic Excellence Award. Cadet Capt. Erin R. Robinson of Wilson High and Cadet Lt. Cmdr. Jackie Fancote received the American Legion Military Excellence Award. Florence School District 1’s Teacher of the Year Sandra Welch was also awarded the American Legion Florence Teacher of the Year award. Welch is a math teacher at West Florence High School.