Congaree National Park provides a sanctuary for plants and animals, a research site for scientists, and a place for visitors to enjoy hiking and canoeing. Those who choose to explore on a weekend can also experience a four-hour ranger guided tour through the swamp. In 2003, Congaree became the first and only national park in South Carolina. Until then, it […]
The Portrait Unveiling of The Honorable Jean Hoefer Toal, first female Supreme Court Justice in S.C.
The Portrait Unveiling Ceremony for The Honorable Jean Hoefer Toal, Chief Justice, and the Celebration of the Election of The Honorable Costa Michael Pleicones as Chief Justice took place Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at 4 p.m. at the Supreme Court of South Carolina. The Honorable Costa Pleicones presided. The invocation was given by The Rev. Monsignor Richard D. Harris of […]
Losing the Dollhouse, a memoir to heal the past
When you’re a little girl and your parents divorce and both quickly remarry, it can be confusing. But when you find out your new stepfather and his daughters aren’t blissfully happy to have you around, it can be pretty rough on your ego, psyche and overall selfperception. That’s what happened to Columbia author S. Jane Gari and her sister when […]
From North Africa to Italy: The SCARNG’s 107th AAA Battalion
“Operation Torch” was the code name for the joint American and British invasion of northwest Africa, territory held by the Vichy French government with forces totaling over 100,00 soldiers. Both Churchill and Roosevelt had agreed their respective armies were not yet strong enough to attack Europe. Instead, they decided to invade France’s North African colonies and then advance into Tunisia. […]
Quirky Crimes in the Capital City
Forest Acres Trenholm Road: A woman went to police headquarters at 10 p.m. Wednesday after she said a strange man jumped on her car. The woman told officers she had no idea why, but the man jumped on the roof of her car. She said he didn’t appear to be trying to harm her but was trying to simply keep […]
The Final Countdown
We have reached the point of no return in the academic year; senioritis is now so widespread that we could classify it as an epidemic. Students everywhere are counting down the days until the end of the semester, and May becomes all about mere survival. Summer beckons, and all that’s left to do is just slog through those last few […]
What does it mean if food is labeled “natural?”
ASK ANN...Last year, food that was labeled “natural” brought in 43 billion dollars in sales while those labeled “organic” brought in only 8.9 billion. A study done in 2009 found 50 percent of the people surveyed found the word “natural” to be very important regarding the health of the food product while only 35 percent found the word “organic” to be […]
The fox and the hound
I’m just saying...Apparently my husband Marty and I have two different dogs. We only have one and his name is Whitman, and he’s a 95-pound standard poodle. But the other day Marty made a very strange comment. We have a fox that visits our house every night, and she and Whitman have a little bark-fest. She stands outside the fence, and he […]
Snake handling
It’s not a criticism; It’s an observationAny good Baptist knows serpents were in cahoots with the Devil himself, and the only good snakes were dead ones. My dad either killed those he saw or steered clear of any still moving. When my father was a boy, dangers like spider bites, pneumonia, and accidental cuts were life-threatening. There was no 911, no emergency room, and no medical […]
