A lawsuit filed by former Lexington Richland District Five Superintendent Stephen Hefner(2011-2018) was resolved last week and will benefit the district’s students and teachers through the D5 Foundation. The settlement monies will be split between the district’s snack-pack program, that provides low-income students in the district with take home foodContinue Reading
The annual Black History Month Scavenger Hunt launched February 1 and is now underway across the Midlands. The free, self-guided experience invites residents, families, students, and visitors to explore Columbia and surrounding communities while learning about local Black history, culture, and community impact through a digital platform on the SodaContinue Reading
The Northwest YMCA now features a new 9-hole disc golf course thanks to Dutch Fork High School student Pearl Owens, who completed the project as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award. As a dedicated Girl Scout, Owens led the design and installation of the course to create a funContinue Reading
Richland County Sheriff’s Department Chaplains play key role within the department and throughout the community By W. Thomas Smith Jr. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) has for decades maintained a viable corps of chaplains, officially the RCSD Chaplaincy Program (spiritual caregivers who serve the needs of those within theContinue Reading
Community members are invited to take part in the 2026 Walk, Run & Roll on March 22 from 2–5 p.m. at Canalside in Columbia, an inclusive event supporting brain injury survivors and their families — including veterans impacted by service-related traumatic brain injuries. Organizers say many individuals in the communityContinue Reading
As measles cases continue to rise in South Carolina, Prisma Health has implemented additional protective measures across its hospitals, effective February 5, to help safeguard patients, visitors and staff. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), South Carolina currently has the nation’s largest measles outbreak. New SafetyContinue Reading
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will host a drop-in public meeting Tuesday, February 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the DoubleTree hotel, 2100 Bush River Road in Columbia, to discuss Phase 3C of the Carolina Crossroads Project. The multiphase Carolina Crossroads initiative is designed to reconfigure andContinue Reading
County Councilman Jason Branham (District 1) presented a proclamation to the Irmo Little League February 4 honoring the organization’s winning year. During the league’s 2025 season, four baseball and one softball division garnered state championships, with four teams making it all the way to the World Series, the first timeContinue Reading
By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net 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 (school night) in my bedroom listening to clear channel WLS in Chicago over a transistor radio. I wasContinue Reading
Irmo Town Councilmember Gabriel D. Penfield was recently graduated from the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government. Graduates received their certificates during the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Hometown Legislative Action Day January 20. Established in 1986, the MEO Institute is a program of the Municipal Association of South CarolinaContinue Reading
By Radley West “Your body grows stronger during rest, not during the workout.” When it comes to fitness, most people focus on the workout itself: the sweat, the reps, the intensity. Those are important, but the truth is that your progress depends just as much on what you do betweenContinue Reading