A group of area professionals has formed the band called The Patriots to celebrate its heroes—our veterans. After planning for over a year, Bob and Kay Hickman saw their dreams come true last week when their band played its first concert designed for and dedicated to the veteran residents at the Stone Veterans Pavilion in Columbia. “It’s in our hearts,” […]
Vote for Cayce
For the fourth year in a row, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is collaborating with The Walt Disney Company to help fund local park improvement projects across the country through the national “Meet Me at the Park” Earth Month campaign. The city that receives the most online nominations will receive a $20,000 grant to improve a local park. […]
HP turns 200: Matriarch Mary Cantey Hampton
This article is part of an ongoing series in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Hampton-Preston Mansion’s construction. In 1970, following months of rehabilitation and restoration work, the circa-1818 Hampton-Preston Mansion opened as the centerpiece of the Midlands Exposition Center, one of three major state-run facilities established for celebrating the 300th anniversary of South Carolina’s founding. At that time, […]
Quirky Crimes in the Capital City
West Columbia Augusta Road: A man was arrested at 8 p.m. Thursday after a fast food restaurant employee called police about an intoxicated person harassing the other employees and refusing to leave. When officers arrived, they found a man on foot trying to order through the drive-through window and the employee trying to explain he would have to come inside. […]
New Shingles Vaccine
ASK US AT THE STARTell us about the new shingles vaccine. If I have already had the first vaccine, do I need to get the new one? There is a new, much more effective shingles vaccine now available. Even if you’ve already had the vaccine previously offered, you need to get the new vaccine since it’s considered much more effective. There is an initial […]
My Lucky Day
It’s not a criticism; It’s an observationI got an email from the White House recently. It appears to be from Chief of Staff John Kelly. He took time in his extremely busy day to let me know they have been working on a problem that involves me. The government of Benin has discovered an unclaimed pile of money that belongs to me to the tune of […]
Code Breaking and Other Secrets to a Successful Marriage
40–SomethingMy wife and I recently celebrated our 23rd year of marriage. How did we mark such a momentous occasion? Well, I ran to various drug stores looking for medications to help our very sick Basset Hound, while she stayed on the phone with our veterinarian. Not exactly the romantic getaway the wife and I had in mind, but such is […]
Umbrella Umbrage
I’m just saying...“Julia, why are the umbrellas back up? I just took them down because of the wind!” This was the exasperated greeting from my husband Marty Monday when he got home from work and saw our deck freshly blown and all the half a dozen or so umbrellas back in their rightful places. In our town, the weather recently has been […]
Annual Columbia International Festival celebrates cultural diversity in the Midlands
Over 20,000 people attended the 23rd annual Columbia International Festival this past weekend. The annual festival, the largest of its kind in the Southeast features over 100 cultures and offers visitors the opportunity to experience the colors, foods, costumes, and to meet the people of each culture. Visitors traveled to the site of the Columbia International Festival on the S.C. […]
Seniors at Parklane Adult Activity Center present Cinderella’s Slipper
The Richland County Recreation Commission presented Cinderella’s Slipper Friday, April 6 at The Parklane Adult Activity Center. The seniors enjoyed waltz lessons with Richard Durlach and Breedlove, line dancing with DJ Irvin Thompson, and boxches from Albert’s Deli. SAS Shoes gave away a $75 gift certificate and Carolina Health Care gave a short presentation on foot care and pain management. […]