Blink Book Review: “The Devil at His Elbow” by Valerie Bauerlein
September 26, 2024By Reba Hull Campbell Like many people, I decided to do no more reading about, listening to or watching anything about the Murdaugh case once the trial ended in March…
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Remembering Ken Burger
September 26, 2024By Tom Poland “Don’t forget to be happy. It’s the only measurement of success that really counts.” – Ken Burger I wish I had known Ken Burger for more…
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True leadership
September 26, 2024By Jeff Becraft We had a luncheon yesterday at Our Place of Hope with Sheriff Lott as our featured speaker. It was a great event. We had several community…
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Five Points announces naming contest for new permanent art installation to be officially unveiled at JerryFest
September 23, 2024The latest permanent art installation by artist, Clark Ellefson to be unveiled at JerryFest in Five Points on October 6 The Five Points Association announced that their newest permanent art…
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JerryFest 2024… Celebrating ten years in Five Points!
September 23, 2024A free outdoor concert held annually in Five Points will feature regional music acts on two stages, artisan vendors, a Lil’ Hippie Corner and more. JerryFest, a FREE outdoor concert…
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Celebrate Black History and culture on September 21 at Jubilee Festival
September 19, 2024WHAT: Jubilee is a FREE community festival where attendees can explore a diverse marketplace featuring local vendors, and delicious food and beverages at the food court; dive deeper into local…
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Rogue Squirrel
September 19, 2024By Tom Poland For two summers now I have battled a rogue squirrel, and the score is squirrel 100, Tom zero. He raids my “go to” hummingbird feeder, and…
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Beating the odds
September 18, 2024By Jeff Becraft There have been several emails I’ve sent out about my Dad and here comes another one. As I have said, my Dad is 98 now and…
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Celebrate Black History and Culture on September 21 at Jubilee Festival
September 17, 2024Historic Columbia invites the community to experience the rich heritage and vibrant culture at the 46th annual Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture. The event will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024,…
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The freedom of forgiveness
September 12, 2024By Jeff Becraft Just yesterday, I was reviewing a document and I discovered that there was a major error in it. The problem is, it had already been sent…
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A Helping Hand
September 12, 2024By Tom Poland Hampton Wildlife Fund Awards 2024-2025 Scholarships When I read about the recent Hampton Fund scholarships, the words of conservationist and writer Aldo Leopold and a thought came…
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With tourism on the rise, ECSC celebrates Convention Center’s 20th anniversary
September 11, 2024Experience Columbia SC (ECSC), the Destination Marketing Organization for the Columbia region, announced new tourism statistics that show tourism to the region has increased to 16.4 million visitors in 2023,…
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Come to Richland Library to hear about Wade Hampton’s Great Beefsteak Raid
September 10, 2024Confederate soldiers were always short of supplies, but in September 1864 things were worse than ever. Besieged in Petersburg, Va., the Army of Northern Virginia was facing starvation. Robert E.…
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Wake Up Call Aboard The Pamela Sue
September 5, 2024By Tom Poland Shrimping Down McClellanville Way I got up at 4:30 a.m. to go to two Carolina bays in the Francis Marion National Forest. Hours later I left pitcher…
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Margin
September 5, 2024By Jeff Becraft If you look at a piece of notebook paper, you’ll see on most pieces the blue lines, which is where we’re supposed to write, and then…
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Community comes together for 5K Run/Walk and Family Fun Day to support local hero battling rare cancer
August 29, 2024Coming Together for Hope: Fundraising Event Aims to Ease Medical Burdens On September 21st, 2024, Calvary Chapel Lexington will host a special 5K Run/Walk and Family Fun Day to raise…
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Night spiders
August 21, 2024By Jeff Becraft There are these things we call night spiders. I don’t know what their official scientific name or zoological name or biological name is. We just simply…
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Robert Ariail, Cartoonist
August 21, 2024By Tom Poland In the beginning, there was the urge to draw—and inspiration, Saturday morning cartoons. “I’d drawn since I was a boy, spending hours with crayons, pencils, manila…
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The Jam Room Music Festival returns to Columbia’s Main Street
August 21, 2024The Jam Room Music Festival (JRMF) returns to Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, October 26. Presented by the Jam Room Foundation, with support from the City of Columbia and Richland…
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South Carolina State Fair announces flash sale to celebrate 46 counties
August 19, 2024The South Carolina State Fair announced a special flash sale on admission tickets in honor of our 46 counties. As part of this year’s theme, “46 Reasons to Celebrate South…
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Our Long Lost Prairie
August 16, 2024By Tom Poland As I stood near rattlesnake master, a plant of the prairie, bison thundered across the prairie with a great sweep of fire raging behind them, seemingly…
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Billfish: Catch & Release
August 15, 2024By Tom Poland Billfish Conservation & Record Releases of Blue Marlin I wanted a real-deal Ernest Hemingway long-bill cap to let me see into the depths. One that would…
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No reserve, no retreat, no regrets
August 15, 2024By Jeff Becraft This week, my Dad developed the beginnings of aspirated pneumonia. I was already planning on coming to see him, but that phone call caused me to…
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A Coquina Sunrise
August 8, 2024By Tom Poland And Carnivorous Plants At first I thought men had poured cement onto the beach. Protection against an encroaching sea, I figured. The waves had scoured it…
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He interrupted me!
August 8, 2024By Ken Gasque There are four rules that are the key to success. We made a poster to illustrate these rules called “The Four Rules of Success.” You will…
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State Museum closed Thursday due to inclement weather
August 8, 2024Due to inclement weather, the South Carolina State Museum will be closed on Thursday, August 8th to ensure the safety of our campers, visitors, and staff. We will be monitoring…
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Love and faithfulness
August 7, 2024By Jeff Becraft Love and faithfulness… the two go together. In fact, it is almost impossible to have the one without the other. Just think about the movies that…
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Lecture at Richland Library on Aug. 16 to tell of ‘The Unpronounceable Patriot’
August 5, 2024The longest battle of the American Revolution happened in South Carolina. That was the Siege of Ninety-Six. One Patriot played a large role in that episode: Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Who? You…
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City of Cayce announces line-up for the 2024 Cayce Fall Fest
August 2, 2024The City of Cayce is excited to announce the live music line-up for the 2024 Cayce Fall Fest! The popular live music festival will return to Cayce on October 5, from 12 pm –…
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No Damsel In Distress
August 1, 2024By Tom Poland Late May, I made one last effort to see the rare rocky shoals spider lilies before they play out. Rain and high water had deviled the…
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Misperceptions
July 24, 2024By Jeff Becraft Sometimes things are not as they appear. The other day I was at a stoplight and I was behind a smaller-sized SUV. It had smoked windows in…
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Daddy Had A Worm Farm
July 22, 2024By Tom Poland The towns sounded distant, not as miles go, but as memories. Hazlehurst, McRae, Baxley, Soperton, Alma, and Tifton. Tifton meant trouble. I was studying a map…
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From Idea to Execution: Building a Sustainable Oasis in the Galapagos
July 19, 2024By Thomas S. Mullikin, PhD EDITOR’S NOTE: This following excerpt is part of an article appearing in the July 2024 edition of CONSERVATION magazine. Small developing nations and islands have…
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Inspiring others
July 18, 2024By Jeff Becraft The other day at Our Place of Hope, someone threw out a question about what’s one thing lately you’ve done to improve your life. One person…
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Hemingway’s Pocket
July 17, 2024By Tom Poland We give little thought to our pockets until one gets a hole in it. When it does, it becomes a liability. Well, what’s the history of…
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The Summer Life Changed
July 11, 2024By Tom Poland Why Do You Live Where You Do? April 18, 2024—Dickey Betts’s passing took me back to 1973, a very hard year for me. Betts and his…
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Responding with grace and mercy
July 11, 2024By Jeff Becraft Years ago, I umpired little league baseball for two seasons. I have no idea why. I was really not a very good umpire. But one of…
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Monsoons, Dogs, & Drought
July 2, 2024By Tom Poland A spring long ago … It rained and rained. And then it rained some more. The rain gauge brimmed and our yard turned quagmire. It rained…
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Enjoying the moment
July 2, 2024By Jeff Becraft Recently I was driving up I-95 going up to Maryland. I remember talking to my wife at about 8:00 pm. I told her I was only…
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MPA Strategies selected as the 2024 Best Marketing Firm in South Carolina
July 2, 2024A Statewide Public Relations and Crisis Communications Agency, MPA Strategies, has been named as the 2024 Best Marketing Firm in South Carolina by the Guide to South Carolina. When announced,…
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Registration open for inaugural 803 Day activities
July 1, 2024A celebration of all things 803, includes: a 5K Run/Walk, FREE festival, citywide scavenger hunt, group photo op, & $8.03 specials Show some Soda City love! Registration is now open…
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Historic Columbia announces July 2024 events
July 1, 2024Historic Columbia is excited to announce programming and events for July 2024. See the full list of July events below and be sure to leave room in your calendar to…
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Lake Murray’s 4th of July Celebration is this weekend!
June 26, 2024The 36th annual 4th of July Celebration on Lake Murray will take place on Saturday, June 29 3,000 fireworks will light up the skies above Lake Murray in a patriotic display…
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Fly Down Hill
June 26, 2024By Tom Poland I reached deep into my sense of place and reckoned the road ought to come out near Anthony Shoals Road, and it did. My parents drove…
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Historic Columbia Executive Director Robin Waites awarded Order of the Palmetto
June 26, 2024Governor Henry McMaster has bestowed the prestigious Order of the Palmetto upon Robin Waites, Executive Director of Historic Columbia, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the preservation and promotion…
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Finding the scotch tape
June 26, 2024By Jeff Becraft Every once in a while there’s a semi-conversation that goes on in our household along the lines of what you’re going to read in the next…
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Priority One Security announces new customer experience
June 25, 2024New enhanced user website provides an experience for customers Regionally based Priority One Security is announcing the launch of its new website and a comprehensive rebranding of its services, signaling…
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Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
June 25, 2024FILM LIVE WITH ORCHESTRA SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2024 | 2 PM & 7 PM | @KOGER CENTER FOR THE ARTS Buy My Tickets Tix starting at $30 We will be…
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Beat the Summer Heat and Stay Healthy: Prisma Health gives tips to keep you safe all season long
June 20, 2024Summer officially arrives on Thursday, with temperatures already in the 90s in parts of South Carolina. Extreme heat can cause everything from heat exhaustion to more dangerous heat stroke –…
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Celebrating the smaller victories
June 19, 2024By Jeff Becraft Sometimes in life, I feel like we miss out on celebrating some of the smaller victories. And some of the smaller victories really are not that…
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