LAURINBURG — The goings-on around Laurinburg and Scotland County will be getting a small-screen showcase beginning next week.
Episodes of “Carolina and Company Live” focused on the area will air at noon on WPDE each Wednesday for 13 weeks. The program is hosted by longtime Pee Dee television personality Cecil Chandler, who was in Laurinburg this week to film the initial episodes.
The series was commissioned by a network of local organizations: the Laurinburg-Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce, the city of Laurinburg, Scotland Health Care System, Scotland County Tourism Development Authority, and Scotland County Schools.
“It’s 30 minutes all about Laurinburg and Scotland County,” said Chamber of Commerce Director Chris English.
Each episode will feature an area within the school system, a Chamber member business, services offered at the health care system, and tourist events and attractions.
“The goal is to get some notoriety and get some publicity out to the surrounding areas and show the best that Scotland County has to offer,” English said.
WPDE reaches 543,000 households and more than 1 million people in northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina — not including millions of tourists who visit the Grand Strand.
On Tuesday, Chandler and a film crew shot footage at Scotland Cancer Treatment Center, Southeast Farm Equipment, 215 on Main, Scotland High School’s technology department, the John Blue House, Scotland Early College High School on the St. Andrews University campus, and at Scotland Memorial Hospital’s cardiovascular center.
The crew will return to Scotland County later this month to gather material for another pair of episodes. Also featured in the series will be the Carver Middle School science and technology magnet program, the Chalk Banks Challenge at the Lumber River State Park in Wagram, and the Scotland County Historic Properties Commission — which is planning a Civil War reenactment for the cameras.
“We want to show why Scotland County is a great place to live, work, and play,” said English. “We really want to show the technology and the innovation that has been here historically.”
Mary Katherine Murphy can be reached at 910-506-3169.
