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Columns

SLOAN COLUMN: Buttermilk, beer, slugs and septic tanks

on Tuesday, 16 July 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

SLOAN COLUMN: Buttermilk, beer, slugs and septic tanks

“Have you tried buttermilk?” The words came out of nowhere. It seems like a simple enough question, but it had absolutely nothing to do with the conversation taking place. I peered at the person who posed the mysterious question. He is a wise and highly

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Letters an indicater of a paper’s health

on Tuesday, 09 July 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

Letters an indicater of a paper’s health

A wise old newspaper scribe with ink running through his veins once told me if you want to check the pulse of a newspaper, look no further than its Opinion/Editorial page. If you find letters to the editor on a regular basis, it’s a sure sign of a vital,

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Marriage milestones and making it work

on Tuesday, 02 July 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

A nationwide search is presently underway to find the longest married couple in America. Singer-songwriter Karen Javitch has written a catchy little tune titled, “The Anniversary Song.” She wants to promote it by finding the couple that tied the proverbi

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The darkness and light of ‘Emanuel’

on Tuesday, 25 June 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

As the lights dimmed in the Regal Cinemas Swamp Fox 14 theatre just after 7 p.m. on June 17, what played out on the huge movie screen was the retelling and reliving of one our state’s darkest moments, which in turn produced one of its proudest. The showin

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Buying a car not like it used to be

on Tuesday, 18 June 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

I know that full well. Like a predator circling its prey, the old codger ever so slowly made his way around the vehicle. Sliding his hand slowly across the fender, he looked and felt for the slightest scratch or dent. He’d give each tire a swift kick befo

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“Real” dads are truly special

on Tuesday, 11 June 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

“I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do.” For years, that was my automatic response to people who commended me for being a single father of two beautiful daughters. To me, raising Tracy and Amanda on my own was never a question. They were my girls and my

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Good deeds deserve recognition

on Tuesday, 04 June 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

Good deeds deserve recognition

Avery’s classmates in Ms. Ashley Bair’s first grade class at Royal Elementary School: Front row, left to right - Kate Genoble, Lane Dowdell, Natalie Chase, Avery Casey, Collins McBride, Jane Hyman, and Laura Crosson; Back row - left to right: Josephine Campbell, Harper Franken, John Wyatt Temple, Miller Turner, Ben Peze, Sims Bratton, and Lilly Turner.

Part of the reason I accepted this job is because the publisher, Don Swartz, strongly emphasized the reporting of good news. If I had not made up my mind about joining The News Journal team by then, at that point I was sold. Having worked in the newspaper

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What about Bob? Here’s your answers

on Tuesday, 28 May 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

Introductory columns are not my strong suit, although I’ve had considerable practice over the course of the last couple of decades. Folks in Cheraw and Hartsville have already read or heard the “Hi, I’m Bob, the new editor,” spiel before. Some might eve

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All good things must come to an end

on Tuesday, 21 May 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

In April of last year I moved to Florence from Alabama. The few months before that had been a whirlwind of excitement. Even though I was not sure of what would come with a new city, I was never nervous. My spouse and I found a house to rent and once our

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Skin cancer prevention

on Tuesday, 14 May 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers and

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The eyes have it

on Tuesday, 07 May 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

Right before I started college, I started wearing glasses. I go and get my yearly eye exam in case my prescription changes. Eye health is very important. Your eyes are an important part of your health. There are many things you can do to keep them health

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Obscure traffic laws

on Tuesday, 30 April 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

On Friday the winds were blowing and some of the traffic lights around town lost power. Usually when the traffic lights are out you treat the intersection as a four-way stop. To be honest, that night I think I was the only one who knew that. When we get o

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The loss of a beloved pet

on Tuesday, 23 April 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

As much as I love writing stories each week to entertain and inform, sometimes life can throw you a curve ball. Being a pet lover is a blessing and a curse. We get to laugh and play with them and they in return give us their unconditional love, but we als

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The beauty of our national parks

on Tuesday, 16 April 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

I grew up in South Alabama, about 30-45 minutes from the beach. Every spring break and summer vacation was spent around Gulf Shores, Alabama. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I got to experience what it was like to be in the mountains.

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A month of hope

on Tuesday, 09 April 2019. Posted in Columns, Opinions

Psychologists have purposed lots of different ‘vehicles’ over the years, words that we use as an engine to keep going, words like grit, optimism, passions, inspiration, etc. All of these are important, however, one in particular is undervalued and underap

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