In this crisis, character matters. It matters because a lack of character undermines trust and leads to unethical decisions. Good character includes kindness, compassion, and empathy, qualities Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott seem to be lacking.

But walk into almost any public school in South Carolina—particularly those where over half the students qualify for free or reduced lunch—and you’ll hear a different philosophy. Teachers do not hand out fifties to reward sloth. They do it to prevent despair. A single zero can send an average plummeting beyond any mathematical recovery, no matter how much a student may improve. The grading floor keeps the door open for redemption.

The law’s rollout included a 180‑day warning period during which citations were not issued, but starting on Feb. 28, 2026, citations will be issued. Over the past few months, giving drivers time to adjust to the new law was prudent, and it also gave law enforcement time to educate rather than punish. But once enforcement begins this coming month, the message will be unmistakable.

Washington did not waste time navel-gazing over “medical freedom.” He did not consult a “Freedom Caucus.” Washington was the Freedom Caucus.

Just call him vaccinator-in-chief.

On Feb. 5, 1777 (249 years ago this week), Washington wrote to Continental Congress President John Hancock and to his medical director, Dr. William Shippen Jr., ordering that “the troops shall be inoculated.”

Closed primaries generally require voters to register with a specific party to vote in that party’s primary. But primary elections are funded by all taxpayers. They should remain free and open to all voters — not just to those who register with a party. In addition, many South Carolina political races are decided in the primary elections. Closing the primaries would disenfranchise unaffiliated voters from participating in the most decisive stage of voting.

I support Gov. Henry McMaster’s proposal that all children eat breakfast at school for free. That should include lunch too.

When people debate whether schools should provide meals, I often wonder how many of them have lived that reality.

As a child and teenager, I experienced chronic hunger.

America has faced dark days before, and I have no choice but to hope/pray democracy will once again prevail and justice will finally be served. However, for my desire to become a reality, American citizens and legislators must grow a spine and demand accountability.

The Trump corollary is dangerous to other sovereign nations because it does not simply revive the Monroe Doctrine; it stretches it to fit an era of global capital, container ships and fiber‑optic cables, then hands the whole contraption to a president who openly distrusts constraint. It recasts the Western Hemisphere not as a region of equal republics but as an extension of the American nervous system, where distant ports and power plants become, by fiat, domestic vulnerabilities and thus fair game for pressure, punishment, or worse.

In a county where every pothole, rezoning, and rumor can metastasize in a Facebook thread by lunchtime, the paper has chosen to tell a different kind of story: one that begins with the assumption that most of the people in charge are actually trying to do the right thing.

For companies like mine, reliable and cheap shipping logistics are essential for growth. Every delay or unnecessary cost can make the difference between gaining a customer and losing one, an issue that the unification of UP and NS helps address. By connecting over 50,000 track miles, 43 states, and more than 100 ports, UP and NS have the opportunity to create the most efficient rail network in North America. This level of connectivity would significantly expand access to reliable freight rail transportation for businesses of all sizes, not just major companies.

What Washington wanted was a virtuous kind of populism in the new country he led.

Washington’s populism wasn’t about inciting an angry mob; it was about sharing in their rituals, worshiping their God, speaking their own language. And he did so in the sole interest of the American people.

Thanksgiving 1789, for Washington, was at once religious and more than religious.

“If we do not fight for it, real elections will no longer exist, and if carried out will be no more than theater. It's time to get involved. We are all our brothers' keepers, and if democracy does not work for all of us, it works for none of us. It's time to stand up, to speak up and to do something.”

It’s is all too easy to overlook the extraordinary power contained within its unassuming ballot boxes. Yet, here in these local elections, far from the glare of national media, lies the very essence of democracy—the daily choices that shape the world you and your neighbors call home. Voting is far more than a civic duty; it is the cornerstone upon which our community’s future is built, a tool to forge a better quality of life for yourself, your family, and the generations to come.

Public service, especially at the local level, used to be something people respected. It wasn’t glamorous, and it didn’t come with fame or fortune, but it did carry meaning. Being a mayor, council member, or county council representative meant you cared enough to show up, to attend the meetings no one else wanted to, to answer the calls no one else would take, and to make the tough decisions that everyone loves to second-guess.

South Carolina’s poorest families are bracing for a hunger crisis as the federal government shutdown drags into its fourth week, threatening to cut off November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than a quarter-million households across the state.

Almost 11,000 households which make up 22,657 individuals are expected to feel the pinch in Anderson County.

That’s why I’ve made planning and growth management a priority. At the state level, I support S.C. House Bill 4050, which would give local governments the ability to use concurrency programs. This means new development would move forward when adequate infrastructure like roads, water, sewer, and schools is already in place or planned. It’s a common-sense way to ensure that growth doesn’t outpace the services communities depend on.

In 2024, more than 75 of South Carolina’s domestic violence homicides included children and other family members. The primary cause of death was due to a gunshot, with 85% of females dying by bullet. National statistics indicate females are FIVE TIMES more likely to die from a handgun if weapons are available to the abuser, and suspected strangulation homicides are often under identified or verified.

The protest was, first and foremost, a peaceful demonstration. It was an audience that deeply knew that the ‘would-be king’ would like nothing better than a pre-text to crack down violently on dissent to his and his administration’s gross injustices that are meted out daily, the gross incompetence of his lackeys and enablers, the unprecedented corruption and the erosion of our rights guaranteed under the constitution. Violence is not something to which, claims by the administration and members of Congress aside, this gathering of regular citizens would have engaged in in any event. When I attended the Women’s March in Washington, DC in January 2017 at the time of the inauguration of the first Trump administration, the same held true - it was peaceful. Police presence seemed light.

A “Yes” vote on November 4 is crucial to the county’s future, including economic development (companies consider road conditions when scouting locations) as well as the safety of our citizens.

A “No” vote will mean more crumbling roads, higher vehicle maintenance costs and decreased safety for all drivers in our county.

Piedmont crews are committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe by responding to emergency situations with speed and precision. Our customers expect safe and reliable natural gas service, and I take pride in ensuring community safety. The most rewarding aspect is bringing reassurance to others, even during challenges like a natural gas leak.

October is National Fire Prevention Month, and I encourage everyone to remember and react the next time you smell, see, or hear the signs of a natural gas leak. Just remember, “smell natural gas, get out fast!”