Social distancing is tough for most of us. We love gathering in ballgames, movies, theatres, restaurants, churches and with family. Seeing our neighbors and friends in the local grocery or chatting at the post office is a normalcy of life, was a normalcy

Parents are stressed out. Virtual education is a virtual nightmare for some. Here are some tips to help things run a little more smoothly: Have Them Fed and Clothed Before Class Starts: Start with the basics. You wouldn’t send your student into a traditio

Each April, the South Carolina Department of Social Services joins with the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, the state’s affiliate organization for Prevent Child Abuse America, in acknowledging Child Abuse Prevention Month. In fiscal year 2019, SCDSS r

Spring’s springing. I put my hummingbird feeders up for soon the feathered jets will arrive. My azaleas burst into living color as Disney phrased it, and hardwoods’ newly minted leaves look so green they’re fluorescent. The cypress I planted long ago spor

At the height of Britain’s defense in WWII against a horrific plague of German bombs and rockets, facing enormous odds, population fearful, deaths mounting, Prime Minister Winston Churchill did an amazing thing – he declared that moment Britain’s “finest

Coronavirus went viral so my school went virtual. We had about a week of Zoom training and a few days to do test runs with the kids. I spent the weekend preparing and couldn’t sleep that Sunday night. I felt like a first-year teacher all over again. I wan

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak is impacting every aspect of our lives. It is a normal human response to develop increased fears, worries and anxieties in times of uncertainty. Anxiety may be related to the fear of getting the virus as well as how the

Here’s a shout out to South Carolina’s 98 newspapers. It is Sunshine Week, an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community. In these times when the media is increasingly accused of lying, it is

My great uncle cut my hair when I was growing up in Lincolnton, Georgia. That would be Waymon Walker, Granddad’s brother. Walker’s Barbershop of white concrete blocks stood on the corner of Highway 378 and Main and stands still, though forest green now. T

“You never know...” I’ve heard this comment dozens of times, heck, I’ve said it myself, after hearing about someone dying at an early age. The words flow easily, we nod knowingly, and then stare off into space repeating the greatest truth we’ve ever spoke

People should want to give up their private insurance plans. Employer-provided health insurance has become so expensive that people quit their jobs to qualify for Medicaid. Around a million Americans dropped their coverage as premiums rose in 2017. Women

After writing weekly columns for over four years, I have a few thoughts about our society from the reader’s responses. I have written stories about death to abundant life, depression to fried, and every topic in between. However, when I write about my gra

At the time of the American Revolution, the future United States was a small, colonial backwater on the world stage. Yet it somehow produced an array of talented, creative thinkers who forged this republic we still inhabit. It’s not just that they began t

In his January State of the State address, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster pointed out the dramatic gains being made in the South Carolina economy and referenced the success our state is experiencing with job creation. I would like to expand on the governor’s jo

As a young teenage schoolboy, George Washington copied out 110 “Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior.” Many of these had to do with simple manners. “Cleanse not your teeth with the tablecloth, napkin, fork or knife,” reads Rule 100. Good advice at any time