Toward the middle of each March, open-government advocates observe “Sunshine Week.” It’s used to raise awareness of the dangers of closed-door government and the importance of so-called “sunshine laws.” Sunshine laws, such as the S.C. Freedom of Informati

Many teens dream of their high school years’ being full of traditional and memorable events. Few are as eagerly anticipated as Prom night and its associated rituals. Unfortunately many teens, and parents, feel that including alcohol with these events is

Technology has certainly improved our quality of life in many ways, but has also provided a number of unique challenges for youth and their parents. We regularly witness the dangers of the internet and social media and the need to ensure as parents that w

Sometime when you have a few minutes to spare imagine this. You are living in a country where the only people that have guns are law enforcement, military personnel (only when training or in another country fighting), and evil people who don’t abide by la

The students of the District One Student Facilities Committee are to be commended for their initiative in developing a committee to expose the embarrassing physical needs within Florence’s high schools. Now, if only the adults in education and the voting

Like most Americans, I am fed up with the shootings. Why have we accepted these shootings as “normal” events in today’s society? l think desperate times call for desperate measures. Forget the typical arguments about the second amendment for a minute – wh

By Merrill Matthews The Environmental Protection Agency missed a court-ordered deadline to announce which regions of the country are complying with an Obama-era ozone rule. The agency says it needs more time to make that determination. Green activists ar

January 9 was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The annual observance aims to remind us of the constant dangers facing our police, deputies and other public safety officers. A much more sobering reminder came just one week later, on Jan. 16, when

Tolerance for opposing views has been in decline in recent years, and markedly so in the 14 months since the 2016 presidential election. Today, the atmosphere surrounding public debate is a toxic one. Contrary opinions are shouted down, and vitriol and en

As the completion of the Trump administration’s first year comes into focus, it is difficult to sift through the loud drumbeat of Russian “collusion” and the endless noise that emanates from the mainstream media about the shortcoming and failures of the T

The past two years of political partisanship, where political parties and universities have been utilizing the mainstream media to promote a distorted narrative of distrust and hate among our citizens, are creating an unhealthy division within our country

It’s been said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. We haven’t yet figured out a way to mitigate death, and paying taxes remains an unwelcome necessity. But Republicans in Congress are seeking to ease the overwhelming burden on tax-payin

Is breathing clean air important to you and to your family members? If it is, know that air quality as it relates to open burning in South Carolina is a serious health issue. Open burning occurs when unscrupulous site prep companies clear land for either

Life is funny. As suckling babes, the most luxurious thing we could ever imagine is the nurturing warmth of our mothers. But as we age, a whole host of desires and ambitions begin to take shape in our minds. For the most part, whether we want to admit it