DI News History - February 22, 2018
TEN YEARS AGO – Soldier receives kindergarten salute from Daniel Island School
An article in the February 21, 2008 issue of The Daniel Island News featured kindergartners at the Daniel Island School who had sent letters and artwork to a student’s relative in the Army stationed in Afghanistan at the time. Their words were part of a collection of thoughts sent to Lt. John Wall, a U.S. Army Ranger and Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader. Alexis Demarco, Wall’s cousin, was hopeful their heartfelt cards would let him know how much they care.
In health news, fitness writer Meredith Nelson wrote about the dangers of hidden sugar in sports drinks and other processed foods. Nelson wrote, “I’ve encouraged clients, friends, and readers alike to carefully read the labels on any packaged foods. But now it’s time to put the same emphasis on reading the nutritional labels on beverages –these can often be quite misleading!” She emphasized that flavored waters, sports drinks, juices, teas – regardless of the type of beverage, it’s important to read the label. Not just the nutritional label - which reveals the amount of calories, protein, fats, carbohydrates, and sodium - but also the list of ingredients. What an eye-opener. One popular sports drink contained only 60 calories per serving, but the bottle contained four servings; therefore, consuming the entire bottle – and most people would – would provide 240 calories!
FIVE YEARS AGO – Local schools make security a top priority
In the February 21, 2013 issue of The Daniel Island News, the feature article spotlighted school safety. At the time of the issue, the country was stunned and saddened by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. Then, locally, a woman approached the campus of Ashley Hall School that February and pointed a gun at its director. That event caused a more imminent warning signal in the minds of families across the Lowcountry and considerations of Sandy Hook gave way to palpable concern about what could have happened in our own backyard. What did Daniel Island schools do in the aftermath? At Bishop England High School, inside locks on every classroom door to allow teachers to secure those doors from the inside were installed. Video cameras were updated and installed in strategic locations around campus. They also added more presence of police officers from the City of Charleston on campus on a daily basis, especially during lunch time. And they installed automatic, computer-controlled locks on exterior doors and on select interior doors.
At the Daniel Island School, glass doors were installed in the school’s foyer area to prevent visitors from entering the hallways to instructional areas without clearance from the front office personnel. A security gate was also added at the end of the facility’s related arts hallway to allow the school to “lock down” the academic section of the building when the gym and multi-purpose room are being used on evenings and weekends.
School security remains a top concern, particularly in light of last week’s deadly shooting at a Florida high school. See pages 20-21 of this issue of The Daniel Island News to learn more about a recent gunfire demonstration conducted for teachers and staff in Berkeley County School District.