Be ready for the little moments
July 16, 2026
By Jeff Becraft Life is made up of moments. The thing is, there are many moments you really can’t orchestrate. As Aslan says to Lucy in the movie Prince Caspian (and…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Museum offers chance to see, and experience, what it was like to be a Civil War soldier
July 15, 2026Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a Civil War soldier? At the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum on Saturday, July 25, from 10…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Shiloh Waits for Help
July 15, 2026
By Tom Poland I call it the Roll Call of The Waiting. Inactive churches in need of friends. Friendship, Dothan Methodist, St. Simon’s Episcopal Church, Halfway Creek, Workman Methodist,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Blink Book Review: Allen Levi’s “Theo of Golden”
July 14, 2026
By Reba Hull Campbell Theo of Golden was high on my TBR list for summer this year. From what I’d heard, it needed to be a summer book –…
Read MorePosted in: beaufortcurrent, lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Unearth Wellness Opens in Clinton’s Lumberyard Loft
July 13, 2026
Unearth Wellness has officially opened its doors in the loft of The Lumberyard, bringing weekly Mat Pilates and Yoga classes to downtown Clinton. Owned by Amy Vutianitis, the studio occupies…
Read MorePosted in: laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move
Future in Focus: Greenville County Leaders Unveil Design Concepts for New Simpsonville Park
July 13, 2026
Greenville County officials have officially unveiled preliminary design concepts for a highly anticipated new park development just north of Simpsonville, marking a major milestone in the county’s first significant park…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: architecture, construction, life, on-the-move
Outbreak Alert: What to Know About the Gut-Churning Parasite Spreading Across the Country
July 13, 2026
Health officials are urging extra caution in the kitchen this summer as a massive, multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis continues to climb, causing severe gastrointestinal distress for hundreds of patients nationwide.…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: advice, food, health-wellness, life, on-the-move, public-safety
Rights and freedom
July 9, 2026
By Jeff Becraft It is an incredible privilege to be able to live in the United States and have all the freedoms that we have. Millions of people around…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Bridging the Gap: Contractors Install Verdae Pedestrian Bridge for Swamp Rabbit Trail Extension
July 8, 2026
The long-awaited expansion of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail took a massive physical leap forward this week as construction crews successfully installed a brand-new pedestrian bridge over one of…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: health-wellness, life, on-the-move, outdoors, transportation
Bookhardt Cemetery
July 8, 2026
By Tom Poland On a cool, windy day I drove Old Number 6 through farm country. You’d a thought wild horses had kicked up the pollen-yellow dust drifting over…
Read MorePosted in: beaufortcurrent, lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
The remarkable life of William Rose topic of next Noon Debrief
July 8, 2026
Maxcy Gregg stood out among South Carolinians as one of the fiercest defenders of slavery and advocates of secession. He wrote an influential manifesto advocating his views, signed the South…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Blink Book Review: Terry Szuplat’s “Say It Well”
July 8, 2026
By Reba Hull Campbell I like to mix fiction with “good for you” nonfiction on my summer reading list. My first nonfiction pick is Say It Well by Terry Szuplat,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move
The importance of team
July 2, 2026
By Jeff Becraft Whatever happened to “team?” I have been corrupted by several people lately, and I am staying up way too late watching soccer games in the World…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Summer Blink Book Review: “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
July 1, 2026
By Reba Hull Campbell I avoided this book because of the octopus. I loved the cover. So many friends raved over the story. But, I’d not been inclined to read…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move
Struggle
June 29, 2026
By Tom Poland Title my photo Struggle. Caption it: Dreams die along the back roads. First two sentences: Can’t even sit in a chair and look forward to better…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Take the 7th inning stretch at Upcountry History Museum with “Picturing America’s Pastime” Exhibit
June 26, 2026
“Take me out to the…Museum?” Yes, step into the 7th inning stretch with “Picturing America’s Pastime” and explore the grandeur of the early game through the vibrancy of today’s big-league…
Read MorePosted in: upstatebizsc Category: chamber, churches, conversations, day-care, education, entertainment, environmental, festivals-special-events, fitness-centers, food, health-wellness, history, hospitality, laurens-county-sports, life, marketing-and-communications, media, military, non-profit, on-the-move, outdoors, social-scene, sports, teens-and-young-adult, the-arts, travel, veterans
Fatherhood
June 24, 2026
By Jeff Becraft Years ago, a chaplain in a prison made an offer to those incarcerated that anyone who wanted to send a Mother’s Day card to their mom,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
A Body Of Work
June 24, 2026
By Tom Poland A woman asked what made me the proudest of all I had written. It isn’t books. Maybe one. It’s not the films. It’s not the magazine…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
From Backcountry Skirmishes to the Semiquincentennial: The Golden Strip’s Crucial Role in Shaping Early America
June 24, 2026
As cities across the nation gear up to honor America’s 250th anniversary, residents of Mauldin, Simpsonville, and Fountain Inn don’t have to look far to find the roots of the…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: education, government, headlines, history, life, military, on-the-move
Summer Blink Book Reviews Return
June 22, 2026
By Reba Hull Campbell If it’s summer, that means I’m back to my annual effort to get off the screens and back to the page by reading more. In recent…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move
Second Chances and Sea Creatures
June 20, 2026
By Tammy Davis I’ve never said these words before: the movie was as good as the book—maybe better. But with Remarkably Bright Creatures, now streaming on Netflix, I think it’s…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Greenville artist advances to quarterfinals of international art competition with paintings inspired by her son’s rare genetic condition
June 19, 2026Greenville artist and mother Nicole Shannon has advanced to the quarterfinals of The People’s Artist, an international art competition presented by Johnny Depp in support of The Art of Elysium,…
Read MorePosted in: upstatebizsc Category: health-wellness, life, non-profit, on-the-move, philanthropy, the-arts
Live out your true identity
June 18, 2026
By Jeff Becraft Every morning at Our Place of Hope, we throw out a question of the day to start off the morning meeting. We allow the members to…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Museum celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday with a Declaration of Independence program
June 18, 2026
John Adams was, at the time, certain that July 2 – the day the Second Continental Congress officially voted to sever ties with Great Britain – would always be celebrated…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
A Curious Battle For Independence
June 17, 2026
By Tom Poland It’s a battle Britain claimed to have won, and yet it sent the Redcoats to Charleston and back to Britain ending their presence in the Carolina…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Fountain Inn Fire Department Issues Heat Safety Reminders as Summer Temperatures Rise
June 15, 2026
With seasonal summer temperatures settling into the Upstate, the Fountain Inn Fire Department is launching a public safety awareness push to help residents protect themselves, their families, and their pets…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: health-wellness, life, on-the-move, public-safety
New Peanuts exhibit at Upcountry History Museum explores origins of beloved Franklin character
June 11, 2026On July 31, 1968, Charlie Brown made a new friend, and the Peanuts comic strip made history as that new friend, Franklin, became the first Black character in this popular…
Read MorePosted in: upstatebizsc Category: education, entertainment, history, life, marketing-and-communications, media, non-profit, on-the-move, social-scene, teens-and-young-adult, the-arts, travel, veterans
A Rare Sighting
June 10, 2026
By Tom Poland I have seen outhouses, smokehouses, henhouses, doghouses, and all manner of birdhouses. Mankind has its jailhouses, cathouses, flophouses, and roadhouses. A first for me, I saw…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Dirt on the Strip: Summer Planting in the Upstate and Vital June Garden Tips
June 8, 2026
June has arrived in the Upstate, bringing a distinct shift in our backyard routines. While recent May downpours put a welcome dent in our severe spring moisture deficit, the intense…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: advice, life, on-the-move, the-arts
‘Tis the season for graduations and my 2026 “20 lessons” list
June 3, 2026
By Reba Hull Campbell ‘Tis the season for graduations, new jobs and life transitions. It’s also the season for my annual updated “20 lessons” list. A number of years ago,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move
Conestee Nature Preserve Celebrates Community Support at Annual Spring Fling
June 3, 2026
Conestee Nature Preserve recently welcomed its most dedicated supporters for an evening of outdoor exploration, education, and community bonding at the annual Friends of the Preserve Spring Fling. The exclusive…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: environmental, life, on-the-move, teens-and-young-adult
Hear about veterans’ experiences during and after the Vietnam War
June 3, 2026
C.W. Bowman has often fascinated Midlands audiences with chilling stories of his service as a Tunnel Rat in Vietnam. Now, he’s ready to share an equally compelling human-interest account of…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans
My City Of Dust Calendar
June 3, 2026
By Tom Poland Passport To Preservation John Mulhouse sent me his 2026 Abandoned New Mexico City of Dust calendar, and it’s a keeper. John’s beat is why. “The lost…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
The process of growing
June 3, 2026
By Jeff Becraft Two weeks ago, I talked about the plants at work and the variety of plants and how them blending together really brought out a great sense…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Oh, Deer! Uninvited Guest Spotted Window Shopping in Downtown Fountain Inn
June 1, 2026
Downtown Fountain Inn patrons are used to seeing a hustle and bustle on Main Street, but a different kind of visitor caused quite a stir when a wild deer decided…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: food, headlines, life, on-the-move
Man, The Intruder
May 27, 2026
By Tom Poland The rains of late and spring’s approach set my mind on the Carolina bays, those coastal plain wetlands of mystery and life. The elliptical depressions are…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
There is a price that is paid
May 25, 2026
By Jeff Becraft On my way in today, I passed a guy who lives in our community. I often see him walking through our neighborhood. He is a Marine.…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Rain at Last! Downpour Offers Brief Relief to Parched Golden Strip Amid Ongoing Extreme Drought
May 25, 2026
Steady rainfall is finally tapping against Upstate windowpanes today, bringing a welcome—and visually beautiful—sight to a parched Golden Strip. After months of empty skies and baking spring heat, local residents…
Read MorePosted in: golden-strip-news Category: life, on-the-move
The World Book
May 20, 2026
By Tom Poland A lulu of a lady sold my parents a set of the World Book Encyclopedia. Miss Lulu Goolsby to be exact. It changed my life living…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
The beauty of togetherness
May 20, 2026
By Jeff Becraft At Our Place of Hope, we have a front entrance and a back entrance. We rent space from Mill City Church (an older fellowship hall building) and…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Central Carolina Community Foundation launches resident survey to inform regional community assessment
May 18, 2026
Central Carolina Community Foundation has launched a region-wide survey to hear directly from Midlands residents about the issues, opportunities, and challenges shaping their communities. The survey is part of a…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: conversations, economic-development, education, food, health-care, life, local-industry, music, non-profit, on-the-move, philanthropy, the-arts, transportation
The secret’s out – Xavier Riddle exhibit bringing time travel adventures to the Upcountry History Museum
May 18, 2026
Travel back in time and unravel the secrets of world-famous heroes and heroines in “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit,” a new exhibition opening on Saturday, May 16,…
Read MorePosted in: upstatebizsc Category: education, entertainment, life, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
Out there for the right reasons
May 14, 2026
By Jeff Becraft The other week, I was down with some other people on the State House grounds and we were passing out some information about Our Place of…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
A Striped Bass & An Oak
May 13, 2026
By Tom Poland Though my hair was chestnut brown, I was green, a young writer hoping to create something memorable. I needed inspiration and I found it in a…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Military can visit Relic Room free again this summer, thanks to Blue Star
May 13, 2026
Once again, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is proud to participate in the Blue Star Museums initiative, which provides free admission to current military personnel and…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans
ScanSource’s Impact 360 Community Program receives national Halo Award
May 8, 2026
ScanSource, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCSC), a leading technology distributor uniquely positioned to address complex, converging technologies, announced the Company has been recognized with a Silver Halo Award for Best Education Initiative…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: hi-tech-information-tech, it-services, life, non-profit, on-the-move, technology
What archaeologists have learned about the Siege of Fort Motte
May 6, 2026
Francis Marion – the Swamp Fox – was at the Siege of Fort Motte in 1781. He and “Light-Horse Harry” Lee were the Patriot commanders in that encounter with the…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move
Buried Alive
May 6, 2026
By Tom Poland A road down Edisto Island way will take you past green swamps and oaks dripping with Spanish moss and shanties with bright, sky-blue doors. Churches white…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Laughing can be great medicine
May 6, 2026
By Jeff Becraft I had surgery on my left eye last week. My right eye is 100% healed now… and I am really thankful for that. Now, after the…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Real Lizard Earrings
April 29, 2026
By Tom Poland I called it a green lizard. I couldn’t pronounce Anolis carolinensis back then. Heck, I hadn’t even heard of the term. But now something catches me…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move
