I’m hoping this week’s column will put a great big smile on your face. Today, June 24, is the National Day of Joy. We can sure use one of those about right now, huh? The inaugural National Day of Joy was celebrated last year. Comfort Keepers, a provide

It’s only halfway over, but 2020 has already brought us a global pandemic, protests, riots, racial tension, a growing distrust of law enforcement, and an upcoming election that will no doubt bring a truckload of finger-pointing, accusations, mud-slinging

I was listening to an old John Prine song called “Dear Abby” the other day and it brought back memories of reading the much-loved syndicated column in the local newspaper. The letters she shared and her responses to them rarely failed to make you grin. Th

Sometimes treasures are found in the most unexpected places. With a tangle of golden brown hair swirling around an angelic face, the baby blues eyes of the soon-to-be five-year-old locked in on the phone screen in her tiny hand. A slight cough is followed

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. It provides an opportunity for the South Carolina Department of Social Services to draw attention to the need for foster parents across the state. Children come into foster care when their parents cannot safely

“In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We liv

In his nearly 70 years of life, 45 of which have been spent as an educator, Dr. Charlie Burry has learned a few lessons. Some of those lessons arrived by way of valuable advice offered by a mentor or friend. Others came by way of the school of hard knocks

A short essay offering an interesting perspective on the effect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on each of us personally has been making its rounds on social media in recent weeks. The essay reminds us that our experiences are not always the same as other

During a news conference last week, Gov. Henry McMaster and Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman confirmed what I think most of us already knew – South Carolina schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year due to COVID-19. While t

This Saturday would have been a big night at Freedom Florence Recreation Complex. There would have been food, fun, games, entertainment, luminaries, a survivor’s walk, and hundreds of supporters completing laps in memory or in honor of cancer victims or s

They never heard of an unemployment check and certainly not a pandemic check. With every morsel of food generated from the soil under their feet, every meal made from scratch, multiple mouths to feed, water to tote, laundry by washboard, along with the a

Two words: Shop local. You have heard this plea many times before, I’m sure. You need to hear it again. Now, more than ever, our local businesses and establishments need our support. I assure you not one has been immune to the damaging effects of the COVI

“I can’t wait until this thing is over and we can get back to normal.” How many times have you overheard someone say this during the past few weeks? How many times have you found yourself saying those same words, either to someone or mumbling them to your

As if all the duffers and hackers out there need another reason to grab their clubs and make a b-line for the nearest links. It appears the game of golf may be just the thing to escape the coronavirus madness that has staked its claim to our sanity. Accor

Editor’s Note: As of Sunday, these events were still scheduled to take place. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, many events have been cancelled. Please check with the sponsoring organization of each event. If you’ve got a hankering for some great BBQ and