Barriers and Distortions
June 30, 2021
By Tammy Davis 2020-2021. A school year like no other. Plexiglass and masks put literal barriers between us all, making it harder than ever to connect. We had stickers…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: education, life, the-arts
Hemp & Kudzu, A Good Summer Combo
June 30, 2021
By Tom Poland It was like stepping back into the 1960s, sitting in that cool, refreshing gazebo up North Carolina way. Its vines and emerald green leaves, translucent and…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Years Lost To Time, The Silent Thief
June 24, 2021
By Tom Poland Growing up I could hear the tick of my church’s old Regulator wall clock. I can’t hear it today, but my hearing’s good. All that keeping…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Let’s Go Somewhere
June 21, 2021
By Amy Coward Events are back! Every day I get an email or see a post that a theatre is reopening, ball parks are welcoming fans and restaurants and stores…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move
Love Lived Out
June 20, 2021
By Jeff Becraft I have mentioned my parents (now 95 and 92) before and I have also mentioned some of the things below… but it is worth reiterating. My…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life
A Different Kind of Field Trip
June 17, 2021
By Tammy Davis What made me think taking 69 fifth graders on a field trip to New York City in a pandemic by myself was a good idea? Turns out,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
The Importance of Each Person
June 17, 2021
By Jeff Becraft When I used to coach rec league basketball for a Saturday morning league, I made sure that every single guy on the team got to start…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Flee Civilization For A Preserve
June 17, 2021
By Tom Poland Needing adventure, I took back roads and made my way to a tract belonging to nature. It’s a place where man is a guest, Stevens Creek…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move
Wingard’s Market offering boat tours for unique nature experience
June 14, 2021
Wingard’s Market’s Zach Steinhauser is providing Purple Martin boat phenomenon beginning July 5! Lake Murray is known throughout the state as an incredible destination for families to explore the outdoors.…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
History Surrounds You
June 10, 2021
By Tom Poland History really does surround you. You just have to slow down a tad and open your eyes. It will help if you turn off the TV…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Jump in the Action
June 10, 2021
By Jeff Becraft Several years ago, I was at a camp called SOTO out in Arkansas that was being held for children’s home kids from across several states. On Wednesday…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
2021 Columbia International Festival hailed as a great success with 8,000 attendees
June 9, 2021
The community came out in force for the 2021 Columbia International Festival, one of the first such large events held locally since the start of the pandemic, at the State…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Cola Concerts kicks off summer with Tedeschi Trucks Fireside Live, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit and more
June 7, 2021
Cola Concerts continues to bring the biggest names in music touring today to the Columbia Speedway Entertainment Center. The biggest live music series in the Midlands will feature concerts by Dark…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Every State Needs A John Mulhouse
June 3, 2021
By Tom Poland Every state needs someone to record what it’s lost. Every state needs a John Mulhouse. I’ve never met John but we’re in touch and we share…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Make the most of this day
June 1, 2021
By Jeff Becraft A little over 4 months ago, we lost my wife’s sister, Sharon, to cancer. She was 63 years old. And then a couple of weeks ago,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
Fishing is Spiritual
May 31, 2021
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. FISHING IS SPIRITUAL. Not sure why or how. But I believe there’s something unusually spiritual about it. The disciples were fishermen. There was the well-known…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Career Lessons for New Grads
May 27, 2021
By Reba Hull Campbell Each year on May 23, I celebrate my “adultiversary,” the first day of my first “real job.” I was a week out from getting my…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
Glorious yes
May 27, 2021
By Jeff Becraft When I was in middle school (although we called it junior high), my friends and I would have scrounges. If you don’t know what a scrounge…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, life
Compelled To Pick Up Rocks
May 26, 2021
By Tom Poland Do you pick up rocks? I do. I feel compelled to pick up rocks. And so do others. Many people take rocks home and create a…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
The Oldest Profession
May 20, 2021
By Tom Poland Hauling two wire cages of stacked stone, the flatbed turned right and crept uphill. Cormac McCarthy wrote that the oldest profession in the world is not prostitution.…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
Live out who you were created to be
May 20, 2021
By Jeff Becraft I was never really into horse racing… but I knew who Secretariat was. Someone said the movie was good and so years ago, one Saturday afternoon, I…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
County prepares for mosquito spraying, surveillance
May 18, 2021
Vector Control staff are gearing up for Richland County’s annual mosquito-spraying campaign. As part of efforts to control the adult mosquito population, crews will conduct surveillance for the insects, treat…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Reggaetronic Music Festival returns to Lake Murray
May 18, 2021
The 8th annual Reggaetronic Music Festival is returning to Spence Island on Lake Murray on 19 June 2021. The free floating festival will take place from 11 a.m. – 6:30…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Contractors’ staff shortages cause delays in curbside trash pickup
May 18, 2021
Because of staff shortages for contracted trash haulers, Richland County residents might see delays in curbside pickup of garbage and yard waste. The County contracts with several businesses to provide…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, life, on-the-move
City’s recreational swim season begins Memorial Day Weekend
May 16, 2021
The recreational swim season for the City of Columbia’s outdoor pools and splash pads/spray pools will begin Saturday, May 29, 2021, the Columbia Parks & Recreation Department announced. Both Maxcy…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Support local and reward your graduate Saturday mornings at West Columbia’s Meeting Street Artisan Market
May 16, 2021
The City of West Columbia Meeting Street Artisan Market is open every Saturday, from 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM, at the Interactive Art Park, 425 Meeting Street, West Columbia. The…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, local-industry, on-the-move
West Columbia Police Officers Foundation to hold 5K Foot Pursuit
May 14, 2021
The West Columbia Police Officers Foundation is holding its annual 5K Foot Pursuit this Saturday, May 15, 2021, at 8 AM. Participants will meet at West Columbia City Hall and…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, life, on-the-move
Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
May 13, 2021
By Jeff Becraft One of my mentors says, “Too many choices and too many voices.” He is right. Taking a shower is a great example. It used to be that…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life
The Allure Of Copper
May 13, 2021
By Tom Poland The hills were red. Barren, like some alien landscape. Nothing green. Could have been Mars. I was just ten or so when Dad drove us through…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Relic Room to offer free summer admission to military personnel and families
May 10, 2021
The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move
Breaking The Cult of Difficulty
May 6, 2021
By Tom Poland Many tell me how difficult they find writing to be. Well, they speak the truth. It’s difficult to write at a high level, and that’s why…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Lead Your Heart
May 6, 2021
By Jeff Becraft I’m not really a decision maker. I’m an analyzer. That’s what all the personality tests say. And the toughest decisions in life are not between right and…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
Still Bringing People Together: How Saluda Shoals Park Processed the Pandemic
May 6, 2021Wade Rainey University of South Carolina Honors Journalism Student Saluda Shoals Park is seeing a resurgence of visitors following the global pandemic that kept many guests away last year.…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: hospitality, life, on-the-move
Your role is important
April 29, 2021
By Jeff Becraft My wife, my favorite mother-in-law (and I frequently tell her she is my favorite mother-in-law) and all my sisters-in-law like Hallmark movies… especially around Christmas time. I…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life
William Bartram’s Wild Azaleas
April 28, 2021
By Tom Poland Blooms, blossoms, and bracts splash color everywhere you look this time of year. Daffodils and now dogwoods and azaleas add their voice to the spring…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
What is Normal Anyway?
April 28, 2021
By Amy Coward Back to normal. What does that even mean? We’re slowly stepping off the wild ride of COVD-19 on the other side and do we even know…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, the-arts
The Heart of a Champion
April 21, 2021
By Jeff Becraft One of my greatest coaching moments in my life was in a basketball game with a team of 4th-6th grade girls that we lost… by 9 points. …
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
April 20, 2021
By Tom Poland Sunday night the moon hung full and bright over treetops. Like some silver dollar hurled into the night she floated full and beautiful, though pollen gave…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Let’s genuinely love those around us
April 15, 2021
By Jeff Becraft In Youth Corps, what you see is what you get. We recently had a virtual “luncheon.” It was basically 30 minutes of people telling of the impact…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
A Seashell Tradition
April 14, 2021
By Tom Poland There it was. A grave covered in seashells. It’s as close to a burial at sea as an inland dweller will get. My sister, Deb, told…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Draw your blades! SwordFest is back at Relic Room, on a smaller scale
April 13, 2021
We’ve been hunkered down for the past year, but the time has come to draw swords and come forth: SwordFest 2021 will happen on Saturday, April 24, at the South…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
The Power of Belonging
April 8, 2021
By Jeff Becraft Even though I had grown up with a dog as a kid, we had never had a dog once I had my own family. Until one fateful…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
A Chapel and a School
April 8, 2021
By Tom Poland The Historic Sweet Easy Smith Chapel found me Sunday. Though it’s on Smith Chapel Road and sounds like a no brainer, directions for my first attempt…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
The Clothesline
April 1, 2021
By Tom Poland The Gentle Cycle A neighbor suggested I join a community website where people post about restaurant openings and closings, shady repairmen, and snakes. “What kind…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Love and respect
March 30, 2021
By Jeff Becraft This morning I took our recycling bin out to the curb. The reason I knew that today was the day is because my neighbor had his bin…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
Live out of who you are
March 25, 2021
By Jeff Becraft When I was 15, I was at the baseball tryouts for the little league in our town. It was towards the end of the batting part of…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life
The Flower World’s Beautiful Blonds
March 25, 2021
By Tom Poland Daffodils. They’re the beautiful blonds of the flower world and if it’s possible for a flower to smile, daffodils do. They bring to mind young women…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
The Unumb Center for Neurodevelopment is selling luminaries to Light It Up Blue on World Autism Awareness Day
March 25, 2021
The Unumb Center for Neurodevelopment invites the community to purchase or sponsor luminaries to light on Friday, April 2 at 8:00 p.m. outside of homes or businesses in honor of…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: education, health-care, life, non-profit, on-the-move, philanthropy
Could’ve danced all night!
March 24, 2021
The delightful lifelong recital of South Carolina’s Kerri Grimsley Roberts By W. Thomas Smith Jr. KERRI GRIMSLEY ROBERTS’ FACEBOOK PAGE DESCRIPTOR simply says: “I love Jesus! I love my family!…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Winter’s Lush Green Carpet
March 17, 2021
By Tom Poland It’s an unusual plant. No flowers. No roots, but what a green velvety plant. Green moss mystifies me. When I come across it I stare. Always.…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
