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DHEC fights spread of swine flu

April 28, 2009 By

State officials say they have a plan to deal with the spread of the swine flu.

Officials at the Department of Health and Environmental Control have confirmed two probable cases of swine flu at the Newberry Academy, that arose after a group of students took a trip to Mexico. The cases are being sent to the federal Centers for Disease control for further evaluation.

The Newberry Academy will be closed all week, and was scheduled to be sanitized Tuesday to reduce the chance of future infections.

Chief of D.H.E.C.’s Bureau of Disease Control Jerry Gibson says the C.D.C. will probably have a vaccine for the new virus within several months.  “So our job is to slow the spread of this virus until there’s a vaccine.  It’s always possible that this will behave differently than we expect and it will sort of die back down.  But we have to go on the working assumption that it will spread like the regular flu, which is what it has been doing so far.”  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News

Faculty, staff at failing school must reapply to keep jobs

April 28, 2009 By

North Charleston High School has one of the lowest performance rates in the Charleston County School District and the state.  That’s why the district school board wants to try a new approach …starting over.

Dr. Fred Moore is the school’s principal. He says, “North Charleston experienced low performing, from the data, as far as being unsatisfactory in report cards for the last five years, unsatisfactory in the improvement rating, which is now the growth rating, and the school is not making adequate yearly progress, AYP.”

Because of this, the Charleston County School Board held a meeting Monday night and decided to reconstitute the school, giving opportunities for the school to re-purpose itself. The school board notified Dr. Moore to announce this decision to his faculty and staff members, that each of them, including himself, will have to reapply for their job. Dr. Moore says the decision has potential to increase the school’s standards and when looking at the alarming statistics, he thinks it’s a win-win for the faculty, staff, and students.

“In 2007, the first time passing rate for HSAP (High School Assessment Program) was 56%, and the graduation rate was 34%, so you can see with those types of numbers, something needs to be done. Do I agree with my board of trustees and superintendent? Yes I do, um, because they are the ones ultimately, ultimately responsible for student achievement,” says Moore.

And their decision has given Moore reason to look ahead with hope.

“You can see that the school has not been performing at the level that it is capable, I have very, very bright students here at North Charleston High School and I think this will provide an opportunity for them to be exposed to more dynamic teachers as well as improve the teachers here as well, the one’s that will remain,” says Moore.

North Charleston High School has approximately 115 employees. The reconstitution process of the school is underway.

Filed Under: Education, News

Swine flu affects travel

April 28, 2009 By

The swine flu is not just affecting people and animals- now it’s affecting tourism and travel. South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Communications Director Marion Edmonds reminds us that the Center for Disease Control is recommending U.S. travelers hold off on non-essential travel to Mexico.

“They’re not recommending a ban on travel into Mexico, but at this time they are saying that folks who were planning to go, if it were non-essential, that they postpone those trips,” says Edmonds.

Edmonds is reassured by the efforts of Homeland Security to help fight this outbreak.

“The folks with Homeland Security have sent out information to assure the public that they are in their efforts to monitor the borders through customs and through immigration. They are carefully looking at passengers and travelers entering the United States with a renewed focus on whether those travelers give any indications of being ill,” says Edmonds.

Edmonds says the airline and hotel industries are allowing people to postpone their vacations, but it is his understanding that cruises may be harder. While Charleston has a cruise terminal at its port where ships leave for Mexico, for now business is as usual.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News, Transportation

DHEC sending swine flu case information to CDC for evaluation

April 28, 2009 By

Officials at the Department of Health and Environmental Control say today that they have confirmed two probable cases of swine flu at  Newberry Academy.  The cases are being sent to the federal Centers for Disease control for further evaluation.

Dr. Jerry Gibson, chief of DHEC’s Bureau of Disease Control says those who are sick are voluntarily isolating themselves for a few days, and those who were exposed should voluntarily quarantine themselves at home for 48 hours following their last contact with a person showing symptoms. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News

Financial expert says survival mode necessary when unemployment hits home

April 28, 2009 By

South Carolina’s unemployment rate rose for the 13th straight month in March to 11.4 percent tying a 26-year-old record. Nearly a quarter of a million people are currently out of work in the state and many households have shifted to survival mode financially.

Public Broadcasting System financial advice expert Jonathan Pond says persons out of work or people who think they soon will be should divide their expenses into three categories. Number one would be bills that have to be paid, followed by semi-discretionary bills which are those that you have to incur but you can cut back on, and thirdly those things that if push comes to shove you can eliminate.

Pond says while your temporary full time job is your search for a new full time job you must secure your housing and other essentials. “…the rent or the mortgage. I think you need to keep up with your insurance although there are ways cut back on your insurance coverage, your insurance premiums. You need to keep up with at least paying the minimums on your loans and you probably don’t want to pay more than the minimums at this point.”

Pond says if you know you are going to be late on a payment call your creditor before he calls you, explain your situation, and negotiate a payment plan.

Pond says most people view food and clothing as essentials but he places them in the semi-discretionary category because you can cut back on those items. “Buy generic products instead of brand name products. As for clothing, you can find very inexpensive sources of clothing. You need transportation but you can certainly cut back on that or carpool.”

Pond says if you own more than one car you may have to sell one of them in order to weather the financial crisis.

Pond says you may have to cut out several fun activities that require money like trips to ball games, the movies, or eating out. You may also have to pull the plug on your cable or satellite tv for a while. If at all possible Pond says you should find an economical solution to maintaining the family vacation.

“I’m not sure you want to cut out the family vacation necessarily but you can certainly vacation in areas that are close to where you live. As for South Carolina, a lot of us from up North like to come down to the coastal regions and there are some wonderful places to go there.”

Filed Under: Economy, News
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