People, let me tell about my best friend. His name is Colby. Some people are blessed to have a spouse to be their companion for life. My companion for life has fur, four legs, bad breath, and loves to chase and catch Frisbees. I can’t remember a time whe

“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 that was taking place. I peered at the person who posed the mysterious question. He was a wise a

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,

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

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

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

“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

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

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

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 f

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

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

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

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

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. S