The kidnapping and later murder of Samantha Josephson, a USC student, has reignited the discussion of safety in the Five Points hospitality district while shining light on needed regulations for Uber. Two politicians have already made sure the moment doesn’t pass without some effort for change. Representative Seth Rose has proposed a bill named the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Act. […]
Columbia International Festival features German-speaking countries
Every year over 20,000 people travel to Columbia from across the state and the region to attend the Columbia International Festival. The festival brings together representatives from over 100 nations to share with festival visitors their pride in their national cultures. The Columbia International Festival is a colorful entertaining and educational event. Attendees are treated to the cuisine, artwork, costume, […]
Transitions cooks up feast featuring celebrity and local chefs
For the five nationally acclaimed chefs who are concocting their signature dishes for the 2019 annual Chefs’ Feast benefitting Transitions, it’s a memorable occasion and a chance to give back to the community. The event will be held Sunday, April 28 at Terra Restaurant. For the two sous chefs, one a current resident and another a former client, April 28 […]
Conifers in the Antebellum South
The term “Antebellum Garden” often conjures images of overgrown azaleas, hydrangeas, and tree-like Camellias living in the dim light filtering through live oak canopy and clothed in oppressive heat and humidity. Altogether a rather unfit environment for most of the conifers grown in gardens today. This stereotypical image, while accurate for some antebellum gardens, was simply not representative of most […]
Quirky Crimes in the Capital City
West Columbia Charleston Highway: A woman was arrested at 11 a. m. Tuesday after she got into an altercation with officers as they detained the man she was with. Police were called to a business at 10:30 a.m. when an employee noticed a man sleeping in a car on the premises. She told officers it appeared he had been sleeping […]
Vets’ charities are a good way to say “thanks.” But be cautious
At first glance, they appear to be the noblest of causes. Their brochures feature images that tug at the heartstrings. They use patriotic sounding names like “Honor America’s Veterans” or “Salute our Soldiers.” But too often, so-called “charities” purporting to help veterans and their families fall far short of the charitable image they put forward. Independent watchdog groups have called […]
Side-by-side downtown hotels Home2 Suites to open in May and Hilton Garden Inn in September
ASK US AT THE STARWhen will the Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites on Gervais Street open? Readers have been interested in the scheduled openings of the new hotels replacing the former downtown Clarion Hotel. Home2 Suites will begin accepting reservations this May and the adjacent Hilton Garden Inn will begin accepting reservations in September 2019. The side-by-side properties at the site on Gervais […]
Naked Mole Rats
It’s not a criticism; It’s an observationOffering full disclosure, I must admit when I originally hit the button on my remote, I thought I was recording Naked Mall Rats, which I assumed was an 80s dramady featuring Catherine Mary Stewart, Mary Stuart Masterson, Phoebe Cates, and one of the Coreys. My father used to drive his old Chevy on Saturday mornings to “blow the soot from […]
The Book Biz
I’m just saying...As many of you know, I lived in the “City of Angels” for many years. I went on a whim with two girlfriends during my junior year at Carolina, fell in love with California, and stayed for almost 30 years. My first job in Los Angeles was selling encyclopedias door to door. It wouldn’t have been my first choice of […]
Bucket List getting rocky
40–SomethingI may have slightly overestimated my abilities as both a researcher and mountain biker because this past weekend I found myself mixing prayers and various explicatives as I attempted to bike the Torry Ridge Trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Why did Ido it? I have a bucket list, and on that list is a quest to ride […]