I am in my 6th year serving on the Lexington-Richland Five school board. One of my goals has always been to use my financial education and expertise to ensure tax payer funds are focused on educational outcomes. Student safety is also a major focus for me. One place those goalsContinue Reading
SCDNR Director Tom Mullikin is aggressively going after environmentally dangerousabandoned watercraft and their former owners By W Thomas Smith Jr. Earlier this month, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) under the “commanding leadership” of Dr. Tom Mullikin targeted yet another abandoned vessel – a 60-foot barge – in S.C.Continue Reading
Pictured are Optimist Club President David Kafitz, Paul Cumbers, and speaker host Roger Johansson. By Rick Abercrombie In a third visit to St. Andrews Optimists over the past three years, Paul Cumbers, Executive Director of Lighthouse for Life, provided the Club with a review of Lighthouse’s mission and services andContinue Reading
District Five has named Jeanna Locklair as the new principal of Harbison Elementary School Gifted and Talent Development Magnet. She will replace Dr. Thomas Turner who is leaving at the end of the school year. “I am honored to have been chosen as the next dedicated leader at Harbison West,”Continue Reading
Irmo High School sophomore Hunter Hugg played a key role in securing a statewide proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month across South Carolina. He submitted a formal request directly to the Office of Governor Henry McMaster, resulting in the official statewide proclamation. The recognition brings attentionContinue Reading
Two-day event brings bluegrass and Americana stars to downtown Columbia A new music festival is taking flight in the heart of downtown Columbia as the inaugural Songbird Festival 26 arrives May 30–31 at Finlay Park. Presented in part by the City of Columbia, the two-day event will feature 18 artistsContinue Reading
St. Andrews Woman’s Club continues its support of Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS) with a contribution dedicated to the training of service dogs. The Club champions an organization whose mission is to enrich and empower children and adults with physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities through trained service animals andContinue Reading
Thirteen students in District Five have earned Firefighter I Certificates through the Fire & Rescue course at the Center for Advanced Technical Studies (The Center). The Fire & Rescue class is a year long course. In the first year, students earn the following certifications: FEMA; I-100; I-200; I-700; I-800; FirstContinue Reading
Two School District Five students were graduated from a collaborative job-training program at Midlands Technical College called Building Occupational Opportunities in the Midlands (BOOM). They were honored during a graduation ceremony May 7. The graduates from School District Five were Kevin Brown and Ahmari Terry from Irmo High School. BOOMContinue Reading
Irmo High School hosted an event recognizing seniors’ postsecondary commitments for college, trade school, and military service April 30. The program focused on recognizing student choices, encouraging early preparation, connecting families with college and industry resources, and building a supportive school culture. Erika Glover (WLTX anchor, IHS Class of 2008)Continue Reading
Opinion By Congressman Joe WilsonMay 22, 2026 America is once again engaged in a national debate over congressional redistricting. While redistricting has always been a constitutional responsibility carried out by the states, recent years have seen increasingly aggressive partisan efforts designed to reshape congressional maps for political advantage. These effortsContinue Reading