Author: Tracy Tuten

By Marilyn Thomas According to the Department of Homeland Security human trafficking “can happen in any community, and victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality.” Organizations like the local Lighthouse for Life exist to combat this heinous activity by spreading awareness to the public and providing assistance to victims. Many people choose to ignore these ugly parts of our culture, are afraid to get involved, or will not take the time to try to understand how they can help. Take a normal high school student for instance; a young girl who is doing great in school, has a…

By Virginia Gates “It will be the best-worst thing that will ever happen to you.” Those were the words spoken by Amy Fitzsimmons-Kinard and Mandy Bowden of the “The Ta-Tini’s”. The Ta-Tini’s are a local group of young breast cancer survivors who I called when I was diagnosed. It sounded exactly like a famous phrase from the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was…

By Kristi Antley River Bluff High School principal Jacob Smith, his wife Crystal and their three children, Bekah, Jake, and Banks, were involved in a serious automobile accident at the end of June while vacationing in Hawaii. All but one family member received emergency medical treatment and was subsequently released with manageable injuries. However, Bekah, 18, required additional medical treatment for a vertebral fracture and brain injury. Assistance, prayers and guidance from new friends on the island and compassion from complete strangers was a blessing to the family during their time of distress.On July 2, Bekah underwent a procedure that…

By Rev. Dan Williama The Greek philosopher Socrates (q70-399 BC) said, “The more I know, the more I know nothing.” Aristotle (38q-322 BC) said, “The more you know, the more you don’t know.” I think we understand what those guys meant, but Albert Einstein (1879-1955) said it best, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” I don’t consider myself to be a philosopher, but I do ponder a lot. A philosopher attempts to answer deep questions about life from an intellectual perspective. A ponderer thinks about life, but usually just ends up with more…

Some favorite recipes from around Our Town! SWEET & SAVORY BROCCOLI SALAD Diablo’s Southwest Grill 2 small to medium sized heads of fresh broccoli, cut into fork sized pieces • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese • 10 slices of freshly cooked bacon (cut into larger bits) SAUCE: 1.5 cups mayonnaise 1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup white sugar DIRECTIONS: Combine ingredients with sauce and soak in the fridge overnight or 4 to 6 hours. Stir bottom to top to marinate completely once each hour if possible. Flight Deck Greek Potatoes Contributed by…

A family-run business that’s growing beyond Lexington By Kristi Antley | Photographs by Clark Berry Photography and Amber Photography Accomplishing do-it-yourself projects can be personally fulfilling and empowering. However, certain projects require the guidance, tools and expertise of professionals. Choosing the proper flooring for your home or office deserves lots of forethought and research. A small mistake could result in damaging the floor beyond repair and compromising the integrity and safety of the material. This one decision affects the aesthetics, balance and maintenance level of every room. There are more factors to consider other than basic appearance, color and comfort.…

By Mary Ann Hutcheson Russell Barrett is the most recent recipient of Food Lion’s Count on Me award. The annual award celebrates and recognizes outstanding employees who make an impact on those around them. Russell is recognized as as a dedicated, dependable and devoted employee at the West Columbia store. During his workday, shoppers see him stacking long lines of shopping buggies and pushing them towards the store. Neither weather nor volume slows him down, and he stays on hand for any task needed at the store. Russell is in his early 50s. His dark hair and engaging smile frame…

By Kristi Antley The sultry humidity of South Carolina’s Midlands sticks around until mid-October, but the first Monday of September signifies the closing of the summer season. For those with children it warrants a farewell to the warm, carefree days around water and summer camp programs and a return to the demands of school, homework and extracurricular activities. Most of us will be off from work on Monday, September 4 and either hosting or attending Labor Day cookouts or parades, and maybe witnessing elaborate firework displays. According to the National Hotdog and Sausage Council, Americans will consume 7 billion hotdogs…