By Thomas Grant Jr. A full slate of high school basketball featuring several ranked Midlands teams is scheduled for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, with multiple tournaments and showcase events set to tip off across the region. Two Columbia high schools will host single-day boys and girlsContinue Reading

Buddhist monks participating in the national Walk for Peace pilgrimage recently visited the Columbia area as part of their journey from Texas to Washington, D.C. The monks are traveling on foot to promote peace, compassion, and nonviolence through walking meditation and community engagement. During their time in the Midlands, theyContinue Reading

At its first regularly scheduled meeting of 2026, Richland County Council re-elected Councilwoman Jesica Mackey as chair and Councilman Derrek Pugh as vice chair. Mackey, who represents District 9, and Pugh, who represents District 2, are entering the second year of their second terms on County Council. Both were firstContinue Reading

Pictured is Dutch Fork center Jake Bogan with the slam dunk against Chapin. Photos by Thomas Grant Jr.  By Thomas Grant Jr. The top of Region 4-5A in girls basketball looks similar to football. Both Dutch Fork teams and Irmo girls are undefeated in region play through the first twoContinue Reading

By Sarah Ostergaard LexRich5 Schools offers different programs at different schools. That said, most students attend their zoned school (and school zones are always a hot topic since Chapin is overcrowded, but the possibility of shifting school attendance lines toward Irmo causes much hooting and hollering) and families have theContinue Reading

By Radley West “You don’t need to be extreme, just consistent.” When most people think about reaching their fitness goals, they picture big changes, intense training schedules, strict diets, and dramatic transformations. While those stories make great headlines, the truth is that most real success comes from something far lessContinue Reading

By Jennifer Tardy You start the month feeling motivated and productive. Then, a couple of weeks in, your energy drops. You feel wired but exhausted, reach for caffeine, and wonder why your body suddenly feels sluggish. Many people assume low energy is a personal shortcoming—that if they pushed harder orContinue Reading