My friend and co-worker Jim Faile was a man of few words, except when it came to reporting the news. Jim didn’t talk much. He preferred to measure his words, which is a wise practice by any measure. When he did speak it was often a well thought out questi

No one, I mean no one, likes going to the department of motor vehicles. If they say they do, they are either lying or something is very, very wrong with them. For those wishing to travel by plane or visit a military installation after October, a quick (Ha

Today marks the beginning of the season of Lent within the Christian church. With it comes the marking of a multitude of foreheads with ashes and vows to “fast” from something until Easter Sunday. Lent, a time of reflection and repentance leading up to t

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No broken bones. Check. No sprains. Check. No twists, tears or ruptures. Check. This old man’s trip to DEFY Trampoline Park with his grandkids was a rousing success from a medical standpoint. Aside from a few sore muscles, the 58-year-old frame came out n

“So what do you want to do for your birthday?,” I asked Jules, my grandson who will turn 10 this month. His answer was not unlike that of most any other young lad celebrating a decade of existence. “I want to go to the trampoline park,” he said with grea

Ah, the big day is almost here. Christmas? That was a month ago. Birthday? Nada. Been there, done that. Wedding? Graduation? Vacation? No, no and no. Seriously, you know what day I’m talking about – Super Bowl Sunday! It’s the biggest game, the biggest

In just a few days, our neighbors to the north will host one of the most mind-numbing, not to mention gross, tests of physical fitness and gastrointestinal fortitude one could possibly imagine. How someone came up with the idea for such an event in the fi

I recently received a letter from a reader by the name of Angeline Watford. She lives in Darlington County just north of Hartsville. In the letter she details a true story about her pet, a dog named Lucky. Never, ever pass up the chance to hear a story ab

If you buy into all the New Year superstitions mumbo-jumbo, it might be wise to steer clear of a certain newspaper editor during 2020. Having more to do with my taste buds and stomach than with superstitions and luck, I adhered to the custom of eating mo

What better way to start off the New Year than with some sound advice from an old friend – Ann Landers: - - - Advice for All on New Year’s Day Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do

Wondering what the most popular toys were this year? So was I. According to Amazon.com, these are some of the toys that had the kiddies screaming with glee when they were unwrapped this morning: • CANDYLOCKS. Get a whiff of this. This doll, which sells fo

I love Christmas lights. Not the glowing bulbs strung on Christmas trees or the blinking and flashing offering some sort of season’s greetings. The Christmas lights I speak of are people who shine the true lights of Christmas, hope, peace, joy, and, by fa

A crisp wind blew as we walked back to our hotel on Christmas morning. It was 1981 and we were in Barcelona, Spain. I was in the Marine Corps and deployed with the 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit aboard the USS Saipan. A mere 19 at the time, this was my secon

The Christmas holidays glitter and glisten with all sorts of traditions. One of them is the telling, reading, singing, and watching a television program about a certain reindeer with an extraordinarily shiny nose. Everybody, young and old, loves the story