Blackville residents and students may soon enjoy more benefits from its neighbor, Denmark Technical College.
Dr. Michael Townsend, Sr., president of Denmark Technical College, told Blackville Town Council “We are reaching out to our communities.”
Townsend spoke during Blackville’s regular monthly meeting, Aug. 16.
He said he is looking to grow enrollment at the college by collaborating with neighboring towns and schools.
During the summer, DTC offered a freshman academy to six area students. The program was to “allow students a first hand experience at DTC to decide if DTC was the right college fit,” Townsend said.
He said he has spoken with Dr. Teresa Pope, Superintendent at the Blackville schools, to form a partnership.
DTC will soon make some computers available to the schools as well, he said.
Townsend said among other improvements at the school, DTC has revamped its GED program and brought the program back to its Denmark campus.
“If transportation is an issue” for prospective students, “DTC can help”, he said.
In other business, council heard plans from its newly appointed animal control officer, Edward Rockwell.
“In the past, we have passively caught stray dogs,” Rockwell said.
He said there are plans to build a temporary shelter to house strays captured within the town, Rockwell said.
“If this works out, maybe we can do some aggressive catching,” Rockwell said.
In the past, the town has caught dogs and the county animal shelter has been too full to accept additional animals. The new temporary shelter should alleviate that problem, he said.
If Blackville residents have problems with strays, they should call town hall at (803) 284-2444, he said.
Evelyn Coker, of the Blackville Community Development Corporation updated council on a new program her office is providing.
Through the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, the Blackville CDC will offer residents the Benefit Bank, she said.
The program connects low, to moderate-income families with available federal work supports, Coker said.
“We will have someone to come in and take applications for these services,” Coker said.
Those services include, filing income taxes, applying for various programs including, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps), GAPS prescription assistance for senior citizens, Medicaid, Federal student aid applications, energy assistance and voter registration.
It is a free service to residents, Coker said.
The CDC is currently training to provide the assistance and will begin the program in the near future, she said.
Paris Mason, the new recreation director for Blackville updated council on the on-going registration for fall football and cheerleading opportunities.
Mason said the registration fee is $30 and the deadline is Wednesday Aug. 25.
Mason said he is looking forward to re-building a baseball program in Blackville for the spring.
Residents can register their children for the recreational programs at the Blackville Town Hall, he said.