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,…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

A Body Of Work

  June 24, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

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…

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Posted 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…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

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…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

A Curious Battle For Independence

  June 17, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

A Rare Sighting

  June 10, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: 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,…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move

My City Of Dust Calendar

  June 3, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted 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…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

Man, The Intruder

  May 27, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted 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.…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

The World Book

  May 20, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted 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…

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Posted 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…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: conversations, economic-development, education, food, health-care, life, local-industry, music, non-profit, on-the-move, philanthropy, the-arts, transportation

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…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

A Striped Bass & An Oak

  May 13, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

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…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: hi-tech-information-tech, it-services, life, non-profit, on-the-move, technology

Buried Alive

  May 6, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted 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…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

Real Lizard Earrings

  April 29, 2026
Tom Poland

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…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move

The Transistor Made History

  April 21, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   Cell phones are a big deal but to some of us the transistor was an even bigger deal. I was disobeying my parents staying up late…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

Learn all about the legendary ‘Flying Tigers’

  April 20, 2026

What do you know about the Flying Tigers? If you’re like many people, your answer is likely, “Not much.” Here’s a chance to do something about that. The Flying Tigers…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans

Showing compassion

  April 16, 2026

By Jeff Becraft   Two weeks ago, I had eye surgery… and most would consider it minor. Well, I think minor is a key you play on a piano. If…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

Peach Blossom Lit

  April 15, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   Come March, my thoughts turn to peach blossoms and memories of family fruit trees. One tree from youth stands above others. From my deep well of…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

The One who gives life

  April 9, 2026

By Jeff Becraft   Yesterday I went to a funeral. The place was jam packed, the music was beautiful. As I sat there, I thought about how it is good…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

Masters Memories

  April 5, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   I never had time for golf, but I love the Masters. I never miss the Sunday round on TV. It almost always provides high drama. I…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, sports, the-arts

They don’t make them like they used to

  April 2, 2026

By Jeff Becraft   A few years ago, I needed to replace my lawnmower. This was more of a task than I had ever imagined. It just didn’t seem like…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

A Man Named Twiggs

  April 1, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   He was charismatic and a lightning rod for trouble. He was a roadie for the Allman Brothers Band. What little I know of his life tells…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc   Category: life, on-the-move

Invested in other people’s lives

  March 26, 2026

We have a Board member at Our Place of Hope named Shari. She is definitely not looking for any recognition or any self-promotion. But her heart is something I wanted…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

Clunky Phones & Party Lines

  March 25, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   In rural Georgia the party line was our lot back in the early 1950s. When the phone rang, we counted. Our phone rang two times. Three…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

Southern Truth Tellers

  March 18, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   Each January, my thoughts turn to a fellow Georgian. James Dickey died January 19, 1997, of the same disease that took my mother’s life. On June…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

A window of remembrance

  March 18, 2026

By Jeff Becraft   Last week was the one-year anniversary of our Dad passing away. Mom passed away in 2022. My brother, Ed, sent out a message to all of…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

Love, sacrifice, and joy

  March 12, 2026

By Jeff Becraft   There was no Friday email last week because grandkids came into town on Friday, and then on Monday, I had to head out because I had…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

A Good Whooping

  March 11, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   I am no stranger to the flyswatter, switch, belt, and paddle. I even got a good whooping with a paint brush. I ought to be a…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

Army nurse to tell about her service in Vietnam

  March 7, 2026

The Vietnam exhibit at the S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum pays tribute to all sorts of South Carolinians who served honorable in a variety of ways in Southeast…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans

Choosing forgiveness

  March 5, 2026

By Jeff Becraft   Marine Clebe McClary fought in the Vietnam war.  On their 19th mission deep in hostile territory, his platoon and he suffered a vicious attack from the enemy.…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: life, on-the-move

Osprey At Crooked Bridge

  March 4, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   Three birds hold me in their thrall. The osprey, whippoorwill, and oft-slighted buzzard. I love the whippoorwill’s lilting call. The noble osprey and its distinctive M-shaped…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

Mischief Along The Augusta Highway

  February 26, 2026
Tom Poland

By Tom Poland   A restless boy grew up in the midst of forests and pastures. Outside of biking, reading, and exploring woods, the Augusta Highway entertained me. If Rambling…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz   Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts

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