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Lowcountry clinic one of dozens linked to meningitis outbreak

October 5, 2012 by

A Lowcountry clinic is one of dozens nationwide that are linked to a rare, but deadly, meningitis outbreak.

Federal health officials say there are 47 cases in seven states of people sickened by the disease. Five deaths have been reported as of Friday. The outbreak of fungal meningitis has been tied to contaminated steroid shots from a New England pharmacy used to treat back pain. South Carolina is one of 23 states where the steroids were shipped.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control says one clinic received the drugs in our state. DHEC officials would not name the clinic, but the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified it as Intervene MD, which has offices in Mount Pleasant and North Charleston.

““I can tell you that we have identified a total of 189 patients who could have been exposed,” DHEC spokesman Jim Beasley told Columbia radio station WVOC. “Out of those 189, we have already contacted 177. And at this time, no additional medical follow-up is necessary.”

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Filed Under: Featured, Health & Medicine, News

Missing Moncks Corner teen found in Alabama

October 5, 2012 by

Moncks Corner Police say a teen reported as missing on Monday has now been found in Alabama. 16-year-old Morgan Garrison was found safe, a spokesman said.

On Monday morning, officers responded to a possible missing person at a home on Jolly Street. Morgan’s grandparents told police that she was last seen on Sept. 30 around 2 or 3 a.m. Police say they believe that Garrison may have tried to take a bus to Alabama. Lt. Michael Roach told local TV station WCSC that Garrison has extended family in Alabama and she placed a phone call Friday asking them to come get her.

The grandmother said she last saw Morgan sleeping in her bedroom. Police say when the grandmother got up to wake Morgan for school the following day, she noticed the bedroom window was opened and her granddaughter was missing.

The grandparents also told police they believe she might have stolen more than $2,100 worth of jewelry from the home.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured, Human Interest, News

Michigan company to close Sumter plant, blames government cutbacks

October 5, 2012 by

A Michigan manufacturer says it will close a plant in Sumter that makes bearings for wind turbines. In a release Thursday, Kaydon Corporation blamed a wind production tax credit that will expire at year’s end.

The company said it will move production to other nearby facilities by next year. Sumter Economic Board President & CEO Jay Schwedler said he was told the personnel losses would be “minimal” and that most of the plant’s 54 employees would be transferred to other Kaydon facilities in Sumter. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Kaydon blamed wind energy’s uncertain future in the current political climate, including a wind energy production tax credit that is slated to expire at year’s end. The Production Tax Credit subsidizes wind-power producers at 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour.

“While we believe that wind energy will be a viable market in the long term, it will be challenged by continued regulatory uncertainty in the United States, including the impending expiration of the Production Tax Credit, and a weak global economy in the immediate future,” James O’Leary, the company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement. “Accordingly, while we will maintain sufficient capacity to serve existing and prospective customers, we believe it is appropriate to reduce wind capacity at this time.”

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Filed Under: Business, Energy, Featured, News

Coast Guard responds to boat fire off Grand Strand

October 5, 2012 by

The Coast Guard says its crews responded to a report of an engine fire on a 75-foot charter fishing boat off the Grand Strand Thursday evening.

A Coast Guard statement said that some of its watchstanders responded to reports of a fire around 5:25 p.m. Crews said they found 40 people aboard the West Wind, including two children. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished before the Coast Guard got there, the report said.

The boat was found about 11 miles off the town of Little River.

Coast Guard rescue boatcrews from Station Georgetown, S.C., Station Oak Island, N.C., and a helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston responded. The charter vessel was escorted back to its homeport of Calabash, N.C. on one engine.
 
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Featured, News, Recreation & Entertainment

“Cuts to the heart of confidence in our govt:” House says ethics reform a priority

October 5, 2012 by

South Carolina lawmakers say ethics reform will be a top priority when they return to session early next year. Both the Republican and Democratic caucuses in the House have announced they plan to have separate study groups meet this fall to recommend toughening the state’s ethics laws.

State Rep. Murrell Smith (R-Sumter)

State Rep. Murrell Smith (R-Sumter) will lead the GOP side of things. He said he’s optimistic the House will make changes this year. “If you’ve got the House Democratic Caucus and the Republican Caucus working on an issue for next year, that means there’s consensus in this,” he told South Carolina Radio Network, “I think the odds are that we will pass something in the House quickly.”

House Minority Leader Harry Ott agreed, “Aside from jobs and economic development, ethics reform is the most important issue we face in the upcoming session. It cuts to the heart of confidence in our government,” he said in a statement. “We have been talking about ethics reform for years, and it’s about time we actually did something. Democrats are committed to doing our part to build a better, more accountable ethics framework in the state.”

Ott could not be reached Thursday.

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Filed Under: Featured, Legislature, News, Politics & Government
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