The Cayce Police Department hosts luncheon for new Cayce Assisting Seniors & Elderly initiative
January 30, 2024The Cayce Police Department (CPD) will host a luncheon on February 13, 2024, to kick-off the new initiative that focuses on the safety and support of our elderly and aging…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, life, on-the-move
Those who influence us
January 25, 2024By Jeff Becraft It is interesting how we can influence one another. (Interesting is really not the word… it is deeper than that.) But someone who has greatly influenced…
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Clawfoot Tubs Hold Memories
January 25, 2024By Tom Poland When I see a clawfoot tub, which is rare, four memories surface. First, I go back to my grandfather’s old homeplace. Next I go back to…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
The Nick rolls out annual Red Carpet Awards Party celebration details
January 25, 2024The Nickelodeon Theater invites you to its annual Red Carpet Awards Party hosted by entertainer Patti O’Furniture in celebration of the 2024 Oscars on March 10, 2024. As anticipation for…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, non-profit, on-the-move, social-scene, the-arts
The joy of the handwritten letter
January 24, 2024By Reba Hull Campbell When I was growing up, the family mailbox was a magic chamber that delivered cards with good wishes, postcards from interesting places and an occasional…
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Veteran to speak of role of Army chaplains at Relic Room
January 24, 2024One day in November 1967, U.S. Army Chaplain Charles J. Watters’ unit was involved in heavy combat with the enemy in the vicinity of Đắk Tô, South Vietnam. Among many…
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Cayce Historical Museum announces the grand opening of the African American Legends of Cayce Exhibit
January 23, 2024The Cayce Historical Museum is excited to announce the first permanent exhibit dedicated to African Americans from the Cayce area: The African American Legends of Cayce Exhibit. The exhibit will…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: conversations, government, life, on-the-move
So what are you going to do now?
January 18, 2024By Jeff Becraft “So what are you going to do now?” That’s what someone said to me one time when I had just described a situation that years ago,…
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Ron Hagell to tell how he collected intelligence in Vietnam
January 18, 2024The movies notwithstanding, intelligence work has little to do with drinking shaken martinis while wearing a designer tuxedo. In the real world, in wartime, it’s about things like sweating in…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: life, military, on-the-move, veterans
Ageratum, Wood, & Water
January 17, 2024By Tom Poland On a Sunday walk I spotted a splash of blue. Blue wildflowers. They say blue flowers are sometimes difficult to grow in gardens. “They say.” That was…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Eagle Scout Joseph Pope to receive Scouting’s highest honor for lifesaving
January 17, 2024The Indian Waters Council of the Boy Scouts of America will present Scouting’s highest award for lifesaving to one of its own – Eagle Scout Joseph Pope of Columbia. On…
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New pediatric dentist opens second office in Chapin
January 12, 2024The Town of Chapin will officially have a new Pediatric and Teen Dentist as Chapin Pediatric & Teen Dentistry will host their Grand Opening on January 18, and is now…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: chamber, entrepreneurship, health-care, life, on-the-move
A tale of three vacuums
January 11, 2024By Jeff Becraft We have three vacuum cleaners… and I will try and explain the tale of the three vacuums. Vacuum #1 is a cannister style vacuum. The kind…
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Workplace Friends Best Come Naturally
January 10, 2024By Tom Poland I stumbled across an old magazine feature of mine and it made me recall stops I’d made along that long, winding road called “Career.” Some memories…
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SC Green Industry Association Hosts Annual Conference & Trade Show
January 8, 2024The South Carolina Green Industry Association will bring together over 100 exhibitors and 17 industry speakers to cover an extensive range of landscape topics during its annual two-day Conference and…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: agriculture, business-services, engineering, environmental, hospitality, life, on-the-move
Footballs, gas stations, and embracing opportunities
January 3, 2024By Jeff Becraft One of the highlights of my YC (Youth Corps) era might surprise some people. After all the amazing experiences during those 17 years, this one happened at…
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Like A Scene From An Old Western
January 3, 2024By Tom Poland It was 1985 when I spent three days in Reno. I didn’t shoot a man just to watch him die, Johnny, but I conjured up images…
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Improv and Idols at Harbison Theatre this January
January 2, 2024Improv and Idols at Harbison Theatre This January: Rumours are stirring that you won’t want to miss this! We’re kicking off the new year with some iconic performances headed to…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: entertainment, hospitality, life, music, on-the-move, the-arts
Conifers’ Fragrant Pull On Memory
December 20, 2023By Tom Poland I read that fragrances stimulate recall more so than any other sense. I knew from experience that it had to be true. You and I, we’re…
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Ring in the New Year with Capital City Fireworks!
December 19, 2023The City of Columbia will hold the annual “Capital City Fireworks” display to ring in 2024 on Sunday, December 31st. The fireworks display will begin right after midnight, and the…
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Oh, Christmas Tree
December 19, 2023By Reba Hull Campbell Christmas trees can gin up pretty strong emotions and opinions in people at this time of year. First, there’s the “live” vs. “artificial” tree debate.…
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Riverbanks Zoo and Garden moving forward with Bridge to the Wild
December 14, 2023County Councils Approve Next Steps for Transformation of Top-Ranked Zoo Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is grateful to Richland and Lexington County Councils and the citizens of the Midlands for their…
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The main thing
December 14, 2023By Jeff Becraft (Originally published on MidlandsBiz February 10, 2023) One of my mentors says, “Too many choices and too many voices.” He is right. Taking a shower is a…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move
There’s Just Something About A Barn
December 8, 2023By Tom Poland On Highway 378 between Lincolnton and Washington, Georgia, stands a barn. I say a barn. It’s a home built to look like a barn. Or maybe…
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Christmas card syndrome
December 7, 2023By Jeff Becraft This was actually first put out there in 2020… but I have come across several people who are really down, discouraged and lonely… so I would like…
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Your Special Tree
December 6, 2023By Tom Poland The Work Behind It When I was a boy, come Thanksgiving, we observed a tradition that’s decidedly different today. Dad would mix some two-cycle gas, sharpen…
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Little surprises
November 30, 2023By Jeff Becraft Life is filled with little surprises. Last week, I was on my way home from work and I decided to stop by a grocery store. As…
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Water Rescue on the Saluda River: Three men saved through the combined efforts of multiple agencies
November 29, 2023In a feat of courage and collaboration, three men were rescued from the swift currents and rapids of the Saluda River. This successful rescue mission stands as a testament to…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, life, non-profit, on-the-move
My Father’s Razor
November 29, 2023By Tom Poland November 15 my father will have been gone twenty years. Twenty years. Seems like yesterday when he lay in a bed at MUSC in Charleston. Seems…
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Treating people like people
November 21, 2023By Jeff Becraft Last week we had our Gala for Our Place of Hope. We brought in a guy by the name of Luke Knowles. Now, I was part…
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The Morning Routine
November 21, 2023By Tom Poland Come daybreak, my preferred time to get moving, I check on my neighbor’s flag. I check to see that his place is ok after another night…
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The Work Of Hands
November 16, 2023By Tom Poland Folks say the future belongs to “Knowledge Workers.” A so-called knowledge worker is someone who manages information within a specific subject area. I suppose I’m a…
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The importance of being there
November 16, 2023By Jeff Becraft Have you ever experienced something that you thought was extremely important or significant or incredible… and then you try to explain it to someone else? And…
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Columbia College hosts Columbia Fire Department
November 14, 2023On November 8 and 9, 2023, Columbia College hosted the Columbia Fire Department for their semi-annual Search and Rescue Training. Earlier this year, Columbia College announced several capital projects, including…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: construction, education, environmental, life, on-the-move, utilities
Election Reflection and Gratitude
November 9, 2023By Reba Hull Campbell I spent my early career years involved on the front lines of campaigns. The days before Election Day always gin up lots of emotions, good memories…
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It is a great day to look up
November 9, 2023By Jeff Becraft I already had today’s email written… but that was until my experience this morning. This morning I went to the memorial service for Bob Hudson. There…
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Have Fireflies Left Us?
November 9, 2023By Tom Poland Among sedges and along tree lines, across lawns and fields they’ll soon cease blinking. Maybe they’ve already ended their nights of miraculous lights. The experts say they…
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Wingard’s Market kicks off Christmas Season with their annual Holiday Soiree
November 9, 2023The festive holiday extravaganza will feature a host of local vendors and specials for shoppers! Wingard’s Market, one of the top 100 Garden Center’s in the country, will host their…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: agriculture, chamber, food, life, on-the-move, social-scene, veterans
Coming Full Circle
November 2, 2023By Tom Poland I felt like I’d been tied to the whipping post. I was as low as the proverbial snake’s belly. May 30 a tornado destroyed my Athens,…
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Not in Kansas anymore
November 2, 2023By Jeff Becraft Recently, I started a new Facebook page in order to post weekly devotionals. I am not a big social media person. In fact, I made a…
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Historic Columbia announces November 2023 events
November 2, 2023Historic Columbia is excited to announce programming and events for November 2023. See the full list of November events below and be sure to leave room in your calendar to…
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Catching Up With Lou Miller
October 26, 2023By Tom Poland No. 87 lay on Buddy Bufford Field as still as a stone. Louis Miller, senior end, had broken ribs, but better days lay ahead. The undefeated…
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Are you sure it’s not you?
October 25, 2023By Jeff Becraft There was no article last week… my wife and I went on an epic trip to see grandkids in Texas and the second part of that…
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Robin Waites announces plans to retire from Historic Columbia in June 2024
October 24, 2023After two decades of service to Historic Columbia (HC), Robin Waites has announced plans to retire from her role as executive director in June 2024. Waites started her tenure at…
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Relic Room hosts 32nd SCMMS Toy Soldier Show – Oct 28
October 24, 2023On Saturday, October 28, the S.C. Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum will again host the South Carolina Military Miniature Society’s Annual Toy Soldier Show. This is the SCMMS’ 32nd…
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Taking a breath of gratitude
October 19, 2023By Reba Hull Campbell Panic, fear and worry were only a few of the emotions I felt on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-September when my mother had a second…
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When the pieces don’t fit together
October 18, 2023By Jeff Becraft The below conversation actually took place in our household one night. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth to get ready for bed. There…
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Learning Along The Estuary
October 18, 2023By Tom Poland The children of Sandy Island board a school bus boat for an eight-minute journey across the Waccamaw River to the mainland. There, they ride a traditional bus…
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Waterfall Country
October 12, 2023By Tom Poland Several hikes proved easy. One proved tougher than nails. By the time we made it to the third waterfall of the day, an idea had firmly…
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Vietnam exhibit receives award from South Carolina Federation of Museums
October 12, 2023The South Carolina Federation of Museums has given the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum its Award of Achievement for “A War With No Front Lines: South Carolina…
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