SCDNR’s Lance Corporal Mike Norris becomes the Palmetto State’s Top Cop for 2024 By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Lance Corporal Gene “Mike” Norris III, a law enforcement officer (game warden) with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), received the state’s highest law enforcement honor – the Governor’s State LawContinue Reading
COLUMBIA, SC – April 30. The City of Columbia, in partnership with Statues for Equality and local community partners, unveiled a bronze statue honoring legendary basketball coach Dawn Staley at 4 p.m. on April 30. The statue stands proudly at the intersection of Senate and Lincoln Streets, beside the UniversityContinue Reading
IRMO – Dutch Fork Elementary Academy of Environmental Sciences has earned recertification as a Green Step School through the Green Steps program. Dutch Fork Elementary Academy of Environmental Sciences has been a certified Green Steps School for 11 years. They earned their recertification by establishing and maintaining model quality sustainabilityContinue Reading
Lexington-Richland School District Five announced its new Teacher of the Year and Support Employee of the Year during a May 12 ceremony. Brooke Bridges, a kindergarten teacher at Piney Woods Elementary School, was named School District Five’s 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year during the district’s Employee Recognition Program. Cami Ruppe,Continue Reading
IRMO, SC – Three more students from Lexington-Richland School District Five have been named winners of the prestigious National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, one of the highest academic honors for high school students nationwide. Alyssa Marie Culver-Draper and Logan Rollins of Dutch Fork High School, along with Bella Qian of SpringContinue Reading
Two students from Lexington-Richland School District Five have earned National Merit Scholarships. Gavin Rittgers (Spring Hill High, Snap-On Incorporated Scholarship) and Skye Veil (Dutch Fork High, Hubbell Foundation Scholarship) were named winners of this year’s National Merit Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships. These scholarships were financed by about 124 corporations, company foundations, andContinue Reading
IRMO, S.C. – The Lexington-Richland School District Five FFA chapter has earned top honors as a Gold Chapter in South Carolina through the National Chapter Award Program. This prestigious recognition highlights the chapter’s commitment to excellence and its success in implementing the mission and strategies of the National FFA Organization.Continue Reading
IRMO, S.C. – A total of 112 students from Lexington-Richland School District Five have earned the distinction of being named South Carolina Junior Scholars for the 2024–2025 academic year. The South Carolina Junior Scholars program, developed by the South Carolina Department of Education in 1985–1986, recognizes eighth-grade students with exceptionalContinue Reading
WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson says she is “blessed” to be “in such elite company” By Alex Junes-Ward A’Ja Wilson, the all-time leading scorer in Gamecock women’s basketball history and the WNBA’s unanimous MVP for the 2024 season, received yet another lofty honor on Tuesday, April 22, when she became theContinue Reading
IRMO – Lexington-Richland School District Five has announced the finalists for its 2025–2026 Support Employee of the Year award: Shamone Chandler, a kindergarten assistant at Dutch Fork Elementary; Bridgette Gause, a cafeteria assistant manager at Ballentine Elementary; and Cami Ruppe, an instructional and clerical assistant at Oak Pointe Elementary. Chandler,Continue Reading
IRMO –A Lexington-Richland School District Five student won an award in the 2025 Magnet Schools of America Poster Contest. London Allen, a fifth grader at Leaphart Elementary School STEAM Magnet, received second place in the elementary school level in the nationwide competition. “We are so proud of London,” Leaphart Elementary SchoolContinue Reading