Education

Did you know that since 2003, underage drinking in Lancaster County has decreased 29 percent and marijuana use is down 33 percent?

But during that same time, a study found that 22 percent of stores sold tobacco to underage customers.

A wealth of local statistics, good and bad, related to local teen behavior was shared Friday morning at the second annual Lancaster County Legislative Breakfast.

The latest graduates of Eastside Academy left their commencement ceremony Monday evening with a wealth of knowledge they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Gabrielle Barrett was the guest speaker at Eastside’s semester graduation ceremony.

Barrett, the district’s hearing officer for expulsions and truancy cases, spoke to the five graduating students and their families about bumps, barriers and boxes.

Creative sketches and unique color schemes make up the dozens of paper stars that will soon adorn the halls at Brooklyn Springs Elementary School.

The students there have been asked to “shoot for the stars” – to consider their ultimate goals and transfer those dreams to paper.

One fifth-grade class had their dreams all mapped out.

Karla Lopez’s dream is for her two older siblings to be able to move from Mexico and live with her in the United States. She wants to “be a leader” and help immigrants get Social Security.

You may think of the University of South Carolina’s main campus as the sun and all the university’s branches as planets that revolve around it.

Dr. Harris Pastides, who became USC’s 28th president earlier this year, wants to defuse that thought. He sees each campus as an equal star that helps create a unique constellation.

One of those stars, the University of South Carolina at Lancaster, continues to shine bright, as officials say it offers more scholarships than any other USC branch besides the main campus.