By Dee Griffin Losing weight starts with a foundational understanding of how the human body works. In the most basic level, there has to be a calorie deficit. This deficit occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. The body does this by converting food into energy but it’sContinue Reading

Grandma’s petunias By Tom Poland – A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Vintage petunias, those flowers my grandma loved, I saw them in youth. As I sort through my memory album they reappear. Soft and delicate . . . pastel petals of white and pink, lavender, like watercolors. In the flowers’ throats, subtleContinue Reading

The American Red Cross encourages the public to schedule their May donation appointment before summer gets into full swing. Year-end school ceremonies, sporting events and celebrations are expected to fill evenings and weekends, and patients are counting on donors to also make blood donation a priority. Emergencies can happen anywhere,Continue Reading

Columbia, S.C. – Join your community on Saturday, June 28, 2025, as the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board (CCLMC) proudly presents the 37th Annual Lake Murray Independence Day Celebration, sponsored by Lexington Medical Center. This beloved tradition will feature South Carolina’s largest fireworks show, launching at approximately 9:30Continue Reading

The huge oak tree in front of the Greater Irmo Chamber of Commerce house decided to stretch out a little as it dropped one of it’s many branches towards the front door sometime Saturday night. Large storms with gusty winds and lightning were in the area on Friday and mayContinue Reading

Hazy Ray Merritt, Jr., a devoted husband, beloved father, proud Papa, and cherished friend, passed away on May 3, 2025, at the age of 81. His life was marked by hard work, love, and unwavering dedication to his family and community. Ray was married to the love of his life,Continue Reading

Local residents and visitors from across the Midlands came together on April 26 for the Sharpvue Irmo International Festival, held at Moore Park. The festival, which celebrates the diverse cultural influences that shape the Irmo community, drew crowds eager to experience a global celebration of dance, music, food, and tradition.Continue Reading

I loved her, lost her, and found her again. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net I fished many a farm pond as a boy. When I left my red-varnished cane pole for Miss Zebco, I fell in love. I filled my Johnson & Johnson first aid kit turned tackle boxContinue Reading

A ground breaking ceremony was held Tuesday afternoon, April 29, for the newly named Saluda Shoals Riverwalk at the Saluda Shoals Park upper boat landing. The walkway, which was formerly known as the Lower Saluda Greenway, is a proposed 8.5 mile multi-use, non-motorized paved pathway running along the north sideContinue Reading