Berkeley County Briefs

Republican club meets Saturday

Berkeley Republican Breakfast Club will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday for a soap box forum. Each speaker will be given 15 minutes to speak on any political or governmental issues that would be of interest to the Republican community.

A $5 breakfast will be served.

The Breakfast Club meets at American Legion Post 166, 116 Howe Hall Road, Goose Creek. For more information call Charles Schuster at 509-6027 or Nancy Corbin at 688-4975.

County employees step up giving

Berkeley County Water and Sanitation employees partnered with the Berkeley County Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program's Angel Tree to help purchase gifts for children in need of assistance this holiday season.

To learn more about the program, visit www.berkeley.scgal.org or contact Donna Carter at 719-4953. The program serves more than 400 abused and neglected children in the area. Volunteers are always needed.

Meanwhile, BCWS employees are undertaking a new project to benefit the Callen-Lacey Center, which provides treatment and shelter to abused and neglected children. With the Leadership Berkeley Class of 2008, BCWS is helping to collect items for a paper product drive consisting of household and hygiene products.

"The employees at BCWS are some of the most generous and caring people I've ever known. Their willingness to give or help out within the community regardless of their own personal circumstances is amazing," Colin Martin, executive director at BCWS, said in a statement.

The drive is being held through Jan. 15. Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, the Goose Creek Gazette, Pinopolis United Methodist Church and Home Telephone are also participating. To learn more about the drive, call Johanna Cooper at 719-2693.

Cable customers could lose WCSC

Subscribers to Almega Cable, which serves St. George, will be without cable access to WCSC-TV unless the cable company and the Charleston broadcaster's parent company can come to an agreement.

Raycom Media and Almega had not come to terms as of Tuesday, leading to expectations that WCSC would be removed from Almega's offering as of midnight Wednesday.

Officials at WCSC said subscribers still could gain access to the station's programming but would have to use either satellite services or an antenna.

Hospital earns joint certification

Trident Medical Center is the first hospital in South Carolina to achieve designation in both knee and hip total joint certification. The hospital earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval by demonstrating compliance with the commission's national standards for health care quality and safety.

Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission is dedicated to improving the safety and quality of the nation's health care through voluntary accreditation.

The commission's on-site survey of Trident Medical Center took place Dec. 19.

Macedonia High alumni online

Alumni of Macedonia High School's class of 1970 are participating in a class reunion Web site at http://classreport.org (click South Carolina, then Moncks Corner). There are no registration fees.