Misperceptions
July 24, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Daddy Had A Worm Farm
July 22, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
From Idea to Execution: Building a Sustainable Oasis in the Galapagos
July 19, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Inspiring others
July 18, 2024
By 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, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
The Summer Life Changed
July 11, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Responding with grace and mercy
July 11, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Monsoons, Dogs, & Drought
July 2, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move
Enjoying the moment
July 2, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
MPA Strategies selected as the 2024 Best Marketing Firm in South Carolina
July 2, 2024
A 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,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: agriculture, business-services, government, it-services, law, life, marketing-and-communications, media, on-the-move
Registration open for inaugural 803 Day activities
July 1, 2024
A 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: hospitality, life, on-the-move
Historic Columbia announces July 2024 events
July 1, 2024
Historic 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: hospitality, life, on-the-move
Lake Murray’s 4th of July Celebration is this weekend!
June 26, 2024
The 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: hospitality, life, on-the-move
Fly Down Hill
June 26, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Historic Columbia Executive Director Robin Waites awarded Order of the Palmetto
June 26, 2024
Governor 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, hospitality, life, on-the-move
Finding the scotch tape
June 26, 2024
By 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, 2024
New 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: business-services, commercial-real-estate, construction, education, hi-tech-information-tech, it-services, life, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move, residential-real-estate, technology, telecommunications
Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
June 25, 2024
FILM 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: entertainment, life, music, on-the-move, the-arts
Beat the Summer Heat and Stay Healthy: Prisma Health gives tips to keep you safe all season long
June 20, 2024
Summer 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 –…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: health-care, life, on-the-move
Celebrating the smaller victories
June 19, 2024
By 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…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Remembering Cale Yarborough
June 19, 2024
By Tom Poland The breaking news alert held just 29 words. “Cale Yarborough, a NASCAR great, dies at 84. Known for his fierce toughness and grit, Mr. Yarborough won…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Experience Columbia announces digital version of Reconstruction Trail
June 19, 2024
Since 2021, visitors and local history buffs alike have been able to explore the Reconstruction Era in Columbia SC with the history-centered tourism trail Reconstructed: A Journey Through the Reconstruction Era…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
Comedian Nate Jackson announces second leg of “Super Funny World Tour,” stopping in Columbia
June 18, 2024
Nate Jackson has just announced the second leg of his 2024 tour – the Super Funny World Tour. The comedian will bring his tour to Columbia, SC on October 11,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: entertainment, life, on-the-move
Major Regrets of the Dying
June 18, 2024
By Mike DuBose Who among us doesn’t have regrets in life? Haven’t we all travelled down appealing journeys with enthusiasm that unexpectedly turned into tragedies? And, made stupid decisions, experienced…
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A New Backroad Magazine
June 13, 2024
By Tom Poland Backroad Portfolio You cannot raise your ancestors from their grave, but you can appreciate how they lived. Just take a backroad deep into the countryside and…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
The “and” principle
June 13, 2024
By Jeff Becraft This week I was talking to someone and they told me about the “and” principle. I was talking to them about how sometimes certain situations or…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Free lecture on POWs in Vietnam to be presented at Richland Library – June 28
June 10, 2024
The first U.S. military pilot to be shot down and taken prisoner in Vietnam was naval aviator Everett Alvarez Jr. It happened on Aug. 5, 1964. He would endure eight…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans
First Taste of Blackstrap Molasses
June 5, 2024
By Tom Poland Mid 1950s, early morning on the farm, it was. Rivers of gold ran down the stack of pancakes on the old oak table. Butter pooled higher…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Live genuine lives
June 5, 2024
By Jeff Becraft Something happened that was very special at Our Place of Hope yesterday. During our morning meeting, unprompted, one member opened up about some of the fears…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move
Thankful in the midst of changes
May 30, 2024
By Jeff Becraft When we first moved to where we live now 30 years ago, there were all kinds of trees between the interstate and where our neighborhood was.…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Broomstraw Brooms
May 30, 2024
By Tom Poland I call it broomstraw. Others broomsedge. Whatever you call it, it doesn’t kill my memories of my grandmother’s homemade brooms. About a yardstick long, they stood in…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Friday Night Laser Lights returns to the State Museum this summer
May 23, 2024
Including new shows featuring music from Lady Gaga, Fleetwood Mac and more The South Carolina State Museum is excited to announce the return of its popular “Friday Night Laser Lights”…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: education, life, on-the-move
Building a house
May 23, 2024
By Jeff Becraft It takes time to build a house. It is a process. And each step is extremely important. You start out by preparing the land and preparing…
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When the Border Boys Were Young
May 22, 2024
By Tom Poland Before the photos, Robert Clark had been photographing architecture for ten years. I had been writing scripts for documentaries. Much earlier, during a teaching stint, I…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Season for Reflection
May 22, 2024
By Reba Hull Campbell As a milestone anniversary of my high school graduation hits this year, old photographs I recently unearthed prompted some reflection over the many life lessons…
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Relic Room to be closed to general admission for four months
May 20, 2024
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum will be closed to general admission for four months, starting June 3. It will still be available to…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans
Relic Room to be open on Memorial Day, with admission free for veterans
May 20, 2024
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum normally closes every Monday, but will be open on Memorial Day. And on that day, admission will be…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans
Implementing a pre-call
May 16, 2024
By Jeff Becraft Recently I was speaking at a camp and the song leader brought up a scenario that I had forgotten about. I had called him one day while…
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Panel will tell about treating the wounded in Vietnam on Memorial Day Weekend
May 15, 2024
The television show “M*A*S*H” made Americans somewhat more conscious of the role of the Army Medical Corps during the Korean War, decades after the fact. The average civilian knows far…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans
Cicadas’ Rise & Fall
May 14, 2024
By Tom Poland A spring or summer day isn’t quite Southern without singing cicadas and it seems our annual cicadas love the heat of day come summer, singing best during…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move
Inaugural Tour of Tea event on Wednesday, May 22
May 13, 2024
Every Sip Tells a Story In celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Five Points Association is proud to partner with Fit Columbia and the South…
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Bonham House—Last Of Its Kind
May 9, 2024
By Tom Poland In Saluda County an old homeplace sits on brick piers. It’s as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar, but that wasn’t always the case. Some refer…
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Lecture to cover (or uncover) the role of pin-up pictures in war and peace
May 8, 2024
Col. Elliott White Springs was a flying ace in World War I, shooting down 16 enemy aircraft. After the war, he needed a way to turn around the family business…
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The eccentric neighbor
May 8, 2024
By Jeff Becraft When I was growing up as a kid, there was one time that one of our neighbors was out at nighttime in the pitch dark, mowing…
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One of the best birthdays of my whole life
May 2, 2024
By Jeff Becraft In all my years, I have never taken time off for my birthday… until two Fridays ago. It had been four years since our son and…
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The Great Cicada Uprising
May 1, 2024
By Tom Poland Its exoskeleton brings the creature in Alien to mind. It’s armed with needle-sharp claws and glistens as if waxed. It bristles with filaments like stinging nettle,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Cayce Fire Dept. to unveil Therapy Horse on May 2
April 30, 2024
Cayce Fire Department Kicks Off Midlands Gives Campaign by introducing SC’s First Registered Fire Department Therapy Horse The Cayce Fire Department (CFD) is launching their Midlands Gives campaign request by…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: conversations, government, life, media, on-the-move
A Summer of Big Screen Magic: The Nick announces kids summer movies series
April 29, 2024
The Nick announces its newest offering for 2024: the Kids Summer Movies series! From June to July, families are invited to visit Columbia’s beloved nonprofit movie theater for a nostalgic…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, on-the-move, social-scene, the-arts
Moss Blachman to tell about being an Air Force intelligence officer in Vietnam
April 29, 2024
Moss Blachman looks every bit the academic he has been for nearly a half-century, but one thing stands out: His suit coat usually features a small Bronze Star lapel pin.…
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It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s A Flock of Seagulls headed to Harbison Theatre this May!
April 25, 2024
It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s A Flock of Seagulls A New Wave Legacy is on the path to Harbison Theatre! A Flock of Seagulls, the iconic new wave…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: hospitality, life, local-industry, music, on-the-move, social-scene, the-arts
