Tag Archives: eclipse

DHEC in the News: Eclipse, Summerville pool, safe sleep for babies

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

Officials stress safety tips for solar eclipse day saying ‘Team South Carolina is ready’

Five college football games ending all at once. A hurricane evacuation. Several inches of snow.

These are a few of the logistical headaches South Carolina safety authorities have compared to the potential impact of the total solar eclipse set to pass directly over the state Monday afternoon.

With as many as 2 million visitors expected to descend on the Palmetto State to witness the rare event, officials are reminding residents one final time to avoid putting themselves in precarious situations.

DHEC: no ongoing chemical issues at Summerville pool 

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control says they found no ongoing chemical issues at the Ashborough pool in Summerville following a chemical release incident at the pool.

General Interest

Most moms aren’t putting babies to sleep safely, study says

(CNN) — Despite a 23-year campaign urging that babies be put to bed on their backs, only 43.7% of US mothers report that they both intend to use this method and actually do so all the time, according to a new study.

The Safe to Sleep campaign has been telling both caregivers and parents to use this position since 1994. Placing babies on their backs before they go to sleep reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, an unexplained fatal condition also known as SIDS, as well as other sleep-related infant deaths like suffocation, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DHEC in the News: West Nile, shark bites, eclipse

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

As more mosquito pools test positive for West Nile, Midlands residents advised to protect themselves

COLUMBIA, SC — State health officials reported more West Nile-positive mosquito pools in Richland County this year than all other areas of the state combined.

As of August 15, 22 virus-positive pools were found in Richland County compared to 9 each in Greenville and Beaufort counties and 2 in York County, DHEC reported on its 2017 West Nile map. More birds in this area have tested positive for the virus as well.

Area governments have announced aggressive spraying campaigns to keep mosquito populations in check but citizens are encouraged to take responsibility for their own and their family’s health.

8 confirmed shark bites this summer on Hilton Head. Why so many?

Carrie Rogiers was shocked to find out a shark was responsible for the “Freddy-Krueger-like” marks on her daughter’s left foot.

The bite came July 20 as 8-year-old Ellie, of Fort Thomas, Ky., was swimming in shallow water on Hilton Head Island’s South Forest Beach.

“Something bit me,” the child shouted as she ran from the surf.

General Interest

Could a cloudy eclipse day mean a mass exodus – and traffic nightmare – for Columbia?

COLUMBIA, SC — As hard as it is to predict what Columbia will be like for Monday’s once-in-a-lifetime total eclipse, a questionable weather forecast isn’t making it any easier.

If it’s cloudy in the capital city, it’s possible many of the tens or even hundreds of thousands of people expected in town could consider fleeing on short notice to find clearer vantage points – perhaps to the Upstate.

That could mean a “nightmare” on the roads, said Tiffany Wright, a spokeswoman for AAA Carolinas.

DHEC in the News: Eclipse, groin permit, Spare the Air & more

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

South Carolina emergency officials prep for eclipse, urge drivers to keep moving or stay off roads

COLUMBIA — If you think you’ve seen bad rubbernecking after a car accident on South Carolina roads before, just wait until a good chunk of the state goes dark in the middle of the afternoon.

With a total solar eclipse set to pass directly over the Palmetto State in a matter of weeks, top emergency officials from several state agencies are warning residents and visitors to exercise caution if they travel that day — and, if possible, to avoid the roads altogether.

Environment: Judge chides county inaction in denial of groin permit

An Administrative Law Court judge this week denied a permit for Georgetown County to build a rock and concrete groin in front of the public parking lot on the south end of Pawleys Island. The ruling came 1,363 days after a hearing on the permit and nearly five years after the permit was challenged by conservation groups.

Spare the Air awards winners

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is proud to announce the 2017 Spare the Air Awards Winners – Clemson University Parking and Transportation Services and The COMET.

These winners are being recognized for their voluntary efforts to improve air quality in South Carolina. Clemson University’s efforts are sustainable, replicable, and encourage positive behavioral changes that improve air quality. These efforts also build and strengthen partnerships that will continue to improve air quality in South Carolina.

Carolina Water Service faces legal challenge from river outfitters

COLUMBIA, SC Outfitters who make a living on the lower Saluda River are suing Carolina Water Service for discharging sewage into the scenic waterway from two treatment plants.

The state lawsuit, filed Thursday by some of the area’s most visible outdoors companies, says improperly treated wastewater from the private utility has kept them from running guided tours, renting equipment and spending time on the river between the Lake Murray dam and downtown Columbia.

West Columbia Isn’t Listening Over the Sound of Demolition, Residents Say

A backhoe smashed to splinters half of a more than 100-year-old house in West Columbia’s Mill Hill neighborhood. The red tin roof lays on the ground. But to some residents, it’s not the machine that destroyed the structure, but the West Columbia government.