School business partners, mentors, volunteers, and parent-teacher organizations gathered at Seven Oaks Park on April 2 to be honored and celebrated as an integral part of the success of Lexington-Richland School District Five. Superintendent Dr. Akil Ross said, “Our volunteers are an instrumental part of our success story. They connectContinue Reading

By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net I visit cemeteries never knowing what I’ll find. February 10, a cemetery gave me a story that has the elements of a great movie—risk, bravery, tragedy, the largest fire in the country, and a drunken sailor with wobbly feet. The story actually began whenContinue Reading

Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Jamuri Brown-Stephens, a Columbia native, is actively training fellow sailors aboard the USS Mitscher (DDG 57), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. On March 18, Brown-Stephens worked with Seaman Joshua Isaac in the ship’s pilothouse, focusing on steering casualty procedures to ensure operational readiness. The USS MitscherContinue Reading

Members of the St. Andrews Woman’s Club attended the annual Lexington School District 5 Volunteer Breakfast on April 2 at Seven Oaks Park, where they were nominated for the Outstanding Volunteer Group of the Year Award. As part of their community service program, the club has adopted Seven Oaks School,Continue Reading

The Lake Murray-Irmo Woman’s Club presents the 11th annual Pinot & Pearls Fundraiser scheduled for April 10, at Saluda Shoals River Center. Pinot & Pearls began in 2014 and is the club’s second-largest fundraiser. The club’s largest fundraiser is selling fried okra at the Irmo Okra Strut, which was cancelledContinue Reading

By Curtis LoftisSouth Carolina State Treasurer South Carolina children are learning that when they gain knowledge and develop skills, they’re making smart investments in themselves. Almost 300 educators across the state are using a new lesson plan to teach their kindergarten, first and second grade students that by investing inContinue Reading

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the 2025 legislative session—but we’re not slowing down. This week, I joined my House Republican Caucus members in announcing a historic tax reform plan that will cut taxes, simplify the system, and make South Carolina the most competitive state in the nationContinue Reading

In 2021, right after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most everything, Marie Ryan had a vision to bring kids together in the community through skateboarding. Running an after school program at the Universal Outreach Church in Irmo she started with a handful of young students who took to the parkingContinue Reading

Open Letter I am opposed to Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal war in Gaza. More than 50,000 civilians have been killed, most of them women and children. It needs to stop. There, I’ve said it. Note to President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio: This does not mean I am anContinue Reading