Book brings Columbia alive



By Mimi M. Maddockmimi@TheColumbiaStar.com “My dad was my ambassador to Columbia. He has always had a special place in his heart for our city,” said Caroline Coleman Bennett who grew up in Columbia and attended Hammond School, Hand Middle School, and Dreher High School. Bennett recently combined her father Charley Coleman’s love for Columbia and her children’s adventurous spirits. The […]

400 people fly through the air



By Sydney Kornegycub@TheColumbiaStar.com Lee Hunnicutt loves flying. While most people prefer to stay buckled on planes, he enjoys jumping out of them. A native of Mt. Pleasant, Hunnicutt has been skydiving since he was a teenager. He served as a paratrooper in Vietnam, then competed with the Citadel skydiving team in the collegiate nationals competition. However, his most recent aerial […]

USC researchers study how brain functions when half is removed



Megan Howell is more than ready for kindergarten this fall. She can write her name, count to 50, and recite her ABCs; pretty impressive for a child who has only half a brain. At 15 months of age, Megan underwent a hemispherectomy, a surgery in which the left half of the brain was removed in an effort to stop severe […]

Neighborhood dishes:

noun: local restuarants where friends, family, and neighbors gather to enjoy good food, friendly service, and pleasant company.

noun: local restuarants where friends, family, and neighbors gather to enjoy good food, friendly service, and pleasant company. Nearly every neighborhood has one: a place where friends, family, and neighbors gather to enjoy good food, friendly service, and pleasant company. In our series, Neighborhood Dishes, we visited four Columbia area restaurants that possess all these qualities. We visited The Other […]

Neighborhood Dishes

Compton's Kitchen 1118 B Avenue, West Columbia + 791-0755

By Natasha DerrickNatasha@TheColumbiaStar.com Standing room only is the best way to describe lunchtime at Compton’s Kitchen. The line stretches from the front door all the way to the cash register at the back of the restaurant. Waitresses are running around delivering food and taking drink orders with expert flair. The hungry souls in line are surveying the dining room, perhaps […]

PETS, Inc. needs your help

Main Street Mommy is now in a very loving foster home where she is receiving daily TLC, a good diet,and a healthy environment. Although still weak, she is eating well and according to the foster mom is actually running around playing. She was a wonderful

Main Street Mommy is now in a very loving foster home where she is receiving daily TLC, a good diet,and a healthy environment. Although still weak, she is eating well and according to the foster mom is actually running around playing. She was a wonderful mother in spite of her condition because the puppies were in much better condition than […]

Event planned atop RichlandMall



Eddie Wales of the Forest Acres Restaurant Association requested and received $17,000 from Forest Acres City Council for a free Fall Music Festival to be held on the rooftop of Richland Mall. This community event will be held from 6-9 pm September 14, 21, 28, and October 5. Each evening’s entertainment will be provided by local and regional musicians. Event […]

Robinson Crusoe makes appearance at Richland County Public Library



Columbian Lee O. Smith is a professional thespian for all seasons. In the past 22 years he has worn the hats of producer, writer, actor, and director. Throughout the week, Smith works in television production at Columbia’s Channel 19, WLTX. On Sundays, Smith is “Burgler Bob” on SCETV’S Deputy Billy and Friends. As much at home performing Shakespearian dra-ma as […]

SCANA leaves town and a good deal



By John Temple LigonTemple@TheColumbiaStar.com Columbia Mayor Coble’s 1990 Corporate Citizen of the Year, SCANA, almost saw a statue of its CEO Lawrence Gressette go up in bronze on the town square between Carolina First and the Columbia Museum of Art. SCANA had such a strong downtown presence the town leaders were pushing to memorialize SCANA’s chief executive. Maybe the failure […]

Star Profile

Doug Quackenbush, architect

By John Temple LigonTemple@TheColumbiaStar.com Born in Charlotte, Doug Quackenbush spent his toddler years moving around urban North Carolina as his pharmacist father moved up in the Eckerd Drugs organization. After attending middle school in Charleston, Quackenbush came to Irmo High School, graduating in 1978. Quackenbush went directly to architecture school at Clemson when Harlan McClure was in his last few […]