July 2019
Hampton County Rosenwald Schools Historical Markers Unveiling Dedication Ceremony

On Tuesday, June 25th, LCOG Executive Director, Sabrena Graham, attended the Hampton County Rosenwald School Historical Markers Unveiling Dedication Ceremony at Fennell Elementary School.


The presiding officer during the ceremony was pastor Charlie A Grant, Jr.
Guest speakers were Major General Arnold Fields, USMC (retired) and representatives from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

In 1915, Sears and Roebuck President, Julius Rosenwald, worked with Booker T. Washington to establish a matching grant fund in the Rosenwald name. The purpose of the fund was to improve schools dedicated to rural African Americans throughout the south. Between 1917 and 1932, the Fund assisted in the construction of over 5,000 school buildings, forever changing the rural Southern landscape. Nearly 500 buildings were constructed in South Carolina.

There were 4 Rosenwald Schools built in Hampton County. They were constructed in the towns of Gifford (1920-21); Brunson (1925-26); Estill (1925-26); and Yemassee (1929-30). The Gifford Rosenwald School is the only Rosenwald School still standing in Hampton County. All four schools received a historical marker.
CONGRATULATIONS
to the Communities in our Region on the recent grant awards!

Michelle Knight and her team are pleased to announce monies awarded during the 2019 Spring round of the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG):

$135,485 to the Town of Scotia for water improvements. Scotia is located in Hampton County.
$487,500 to Colleton County, in conjunction with the City of Walterboro, for the East Side Water Upgrade project.

Additionally, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $1,860,000 to the City of Hardeeville for the Commerce Park Infrastructure. Hardeeville is located in Jasper County.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Michelle Knight at 843-473-3970.

LCOG Workforce Director, Mike Butler, has been invited to attend the South Coast Healthcare Leaders Forum on July 30th.
 
He will be joining leaders from healthcare organizations/services across the South Coast Region of the state (Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, and Jasper counties).
 
The purpose of the South Coast Regional Healthcare Leaders Forum is two-fold: (1) to identify common challenges and opportunities everyone faces in the healthcare industry and (2) to galvanize the support of state and community agencies and organizations to support our efforts.
 
The Forum will follow a model that other industries across the country have employed called Next Generation Sector Partnerships. Executives representing many facets of the healthcare industry are invited, including inpatient and outpatient care settings, primary and specialty care, behavioral health, in-home care, long term care, emergency medical services and others. 
 
In addition, leaders from state and community organizations (including workforce development, economic development, higher education, chambers of commerce, and others) will be present, in “listen-only mode,” to better understand how they can help with support and resources.
 
This forum is expected to be the beginning of an ongoing collaboration that achieves real results!
Happy 50th Anniversary LCOG!

In 1969, an agreement "creating a Regional Council of Governments for the geographic area of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties" was drafted. It was signed in 1971 by the county officials and The Legislative Delegation, 13th Senatorial District.

Since that time, LCOG has evolved, grown and offered a wide variety of creative regional solutions to thousands of people who call the Lowcountry "home". We are proud to continue offering services in four primary areas: Aging & Disability, Community & Economic Development, Planning & Transportation and Workforce Development.

The full agreement can be viewed by clicking here

Have you heard?! The Lowcountry Council of Governments can be found on social media sites: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Please like, connect and follow us to stay abreast of the latest happenings!

The LCOG Board meeting scheduled for July 25th has been cancelled . The next Board meeting will begin at 6:30pm on Thursday, August 22nd.
If you have questions concerning any of the information contained in the newsletter, please feel free to contact me at 843.473.3956 or by email at mgrimes@lowcountrycog.org .