Latest news with #SouthCarolinaDepartmentofDisabilitiesandSpecialNeeds
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Here's where Memorial Day ceremonies are planned across the Grand Strand, Pee Dee
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Communities across the Grand Strand and Pee Dee will honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation's freedom with ceremonies starting on Thursday and continuing through the Memorial Day weekend. 10 A.M. MONDAY: Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony honoring those who have sacrificed all for our freedoms, with music by the Summit Concert Band and a reading of the interred service members at the Dillon Cemetery. Local Boy Scouts will present the colors. The public is encouraged to bring old flags to have them properly retired. 10 A.M. SATURDAY: Florence National Cemetery, 803 E. National Cemetery Road; American flags will be distributed on 15,417 graves throughout the cemetery. Individual volunteers and community groups are encouraged to participate. 10 A.M. MONDAY: Florence National Cemetery, 803 E. National Cemetery Road; a ceremony to honor and remember the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. Park at the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, 714 E. National Cemetery Road, and access the event through a designated gate. Attendees will then proceed to the site adjacent to the walk-through gate entrance to the National Cemetery. 11 A.M. THURSDAY: Robeson Community College, 5160 Fayetteville Road; ceremony begins at the Military Affiliated Resource Center in Building 13 and ends outside near the center's flag poles. The speaker will be Tom Martin, a minister and decorated veteran. 10 A.M. SATURDAY: Spectators can line the streets of Pampas Drive, Howard Avenue and Farrow Parkway to see the Military Appreciation Days parade. The grand marshal will be Col. Thomas 'Buddy' Styers. 11:30 a.m. SATURDAY: Valor Memorial Garden, 1120 Farrow Parkway; following the parade, attendees can attend a free Family Picnic at Grand Park in Market Common. There will be live music, military exhibits, and displays. 11 A.M. MONDAY: Myrtle Beach Convention Center, 2101 N. Oak Street; Memorial Day remembrance ceremony. 10:30 A.M. MONDAY: North Myrtle Beach Memorial Gardens, 65 E. Highway 90, at the corner of Highways 9, 90 and 17 and Nixons Crossroads, Little River; the event will be the group's 74th annual veterans event and celebration. Retired U.S. Marine Col. Mark A. Singleton will be the guest speaker. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Carolina Bays Church, 4360 Big Barn Drive, Little River. Lunch will be provided for veterans and their families. 11 A.M. MONDAY: Memorial Day golf cart parade starting at 16th Avenue N. and traveling south on Ocean Boulevard to Melody Lane. 2 P.M. MONDAY: Service at Memorial Park, located at Surfside Drive and Willow Drive. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SC Senate bill could merge three state agencies
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – A bill that passed in the Senate would combine three state agencies into one. The senate voted 43 to 2 to pass this bill to the House of Representatives, with the goal of streamlining healthcare resources. A bill that would merge six different state agencies was struck down after it was very close to Governor Henry McMaster's desk last year. 'Concerns raised as the bill moved through the process that we were taking too many agencies and bringing it under one roof, and that might have some implications from a public policy standpoint that were unintended,' said Senator Tom Davis (R – District 46). Lawmakers said this new bill is more modest, it would combine three state agencies: The Department of Mental Health, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Related Substances. The new department would be called the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Davis said our state healthcare system needs improvements and this bill would optimize health care outcomes. 'We're the only state in the nation, the only one out of 50, that has this particular structural problem; and in fact, it's a direct quote from the from the report: 'South Carolina has the most fragmented health services structure in the nation,'' Davis said. The vote to pass the bill was not unanimous. In the original bill, deputies and officers could assist the Public Health Department during a state of Public Health Emergencies. Senator Tom Corbin (R – District 5) had an issue with that. 'I don't think that we can have in a bill where a Sheriff has to fall under an Agency Director and take orders from an Agency Director, regardless of whether it's a state of emergency or not.' Davis said those concerns were addressed and taken out of the bill to put the focus back on patients. 'The resulting problem is, a lot of times, South Carolinians don't know where to go to get their services,' Davis said. Davis said he is unsure about what the exact cost will be to combine these agencies but said there will most likely be savings because they may have to eliminate duplicate positions within staff. The South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs sent this statement: 'The South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs ('DDSN') does not have an opinion on the pending legislation. Regardless of its reporting structure, DDSN remains committed to its mission to support individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, head and spinal cord injuries, as well as conditions related to these four disabilities.' The South Carolina Department of Mental Health sent the following statement: 'SCDMH supports legislative efforts to improve patient care.' The bill will now head over to the House for discussions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Western NC healthcare workers aim to bridge nutritional gap for people with disabilities
ARDEN, N.C. (WSPA) – A western North Carolina organization is on a mission to improve healthcare for people with disabilities across the Carolinas beginning with what they eat. Dr. Craig Escude is the president of IntellectAbility. It's an online tool that helps caregivers and healthcare providers meet the nutritional needs of someone with disabilities. 'For people with intellectual disabilities, many people have swallowing problems as well, so even if they can have access to healthy foods, they may still be at risk because of swallowing trouble that can cause aspiration and can result in hospitalization, or even unnecessary and preventable deaths,' said Escude. Escude said the IntellectAbility courses can be one to four hours long. He explained they offer interactive training in how to recognize the signs a person with disabilities is struggling with malnutrition and other health issues. According to Escude, one in three families of adults with disabilities experience food insecurity. He said those conditions are often misdiagnosed. 'People who have intellectual disabilities typically have more challenges in finding gainful employment,' Escude added. 'And in receiving and retaining higher educational levels, and all of this impacts their ability to be able to have purchasing power; to purchase healthier foods, and good foods that can improve their overall health.' Escude went on to say those who are interested in taking IntellectAbility courses can reach out to the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs for access. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
