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Columns

  • Exports are a bright spot for S.C. economy

    If there is one thing many of us have unfortunately gotten used to over the past three years, it’s bad news about the economy. Layoffs, higher unemployment and lower expectations have become almost the norm.
    And while we know firsthand that this news is real, it isn’t the only side of the story. In fact, there is some good news out there as well. Exports, for example, are one place where things are looking much better. 
    Each year, more and more people around the world are buying products from South Carolina.

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  • America headed for bankruptcy

    The U.S. Congress has failed to pass a budget for the past two years. You can use your own imagination to figure out why.
    Even without a printed budget we can document the income and spending by our federal government.
    The amounts are usually expressed in the trillions of dollars. Most of us cannot visualize or comprehend what those amounts actually mean. So here is a breakdown of federal spending in simple terms.
    Let’s put the 2011 federal spending into perspective:
    u Federal income: $2,170,000,000,000

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  • Humane Society of Lancaster grateful for community support

    Last month the Humane Society of Lancaster SC spent about $1,100 buying eight tons of dog food so we could help feed the needy pets of our county.
    Pets that might otherwise end up in the county animal shelter because their owners are having a very hard time financially and cannot feed them.
    One of our main goals is to help as many pets as we can in whatever way is needed and by providing them with food.

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  • America is a better place because of men like Murray

    As Americans, we’re blessed to live in the greatest nation in the world. But all too often we tend to take for granted the heroes among us who fought and sacrificed to protect us, our ideals, and our freedom.
    Col. Charles P. Murray Jr. was one such hero. In fact, he showed us the true meaning of the word “hero.”
    We lost a great South Carolinian on Aug. 12, when Col. Murray passed away. I was fortunate to have known Chuck as a friend for many years.

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  • Abused children need their advocates

    Latin meaning “guardian at law,” a guardian ad litem is a person appointed by a family court judge to advocate for a child in a court case.
    This term isn’t commonly used in the daily vocabulary of most people. Because of confidentiality laws, most residents don’t have any idea how many child abuse and neglect cases that fill the docket of Lancaster County Family Court.
    However, for one group of Lancaster volunteers, knowing these children is a way of life.

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  • Shake, rattle and post

    It was just another Tuesday afternoon when the shaking started.
    For some, it was just a soft rumble they figured was a truck backing up or a low-flying airplane.
    For others, the shaking was so bad it knocked pictures off walls and made buildings sway.
    The tremors rippled as far south as Georgia and north to New England, and in some places people were so scared they evacuated buildings and ran into the streets.

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  • Firefighter remembered as hero, all-around good guy

    When I was growing up, I had a lot of heroes.
    I especially liked the men on the show “Adam 12,” and Andy on the “Andy Griffith Show.”
    Besides the fact that these men were talented actors and made me laugh, I really liked that they wore uniforms and helped people.
    I still remember the first lines of the opening credits of “Adam 12,” about a 10-11 in progress.
    I still don’t know what a 10-11 is, but I know the police always showed up on time and the problem was solved.

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  • $20 tape recorder will end illegal executive sessions

    I got a call from a school board member recently asking what to do when her board goes into executive session and then talks about things that cannot legally be discussed there.
    “Can I speak out about this without being sanctioned?” she asked.

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  • Online learning is a solution for South Carolina public education

    Imagine a public education system able to provide access to high-quality instruction, regardless of where a student lives.
    Imagine schools able to give individualized instruction to potential dropouts. Or course offerings that encourage students to master their studies, instead of simply show up for class.
    In fact, this vision for the state’s public school system already exists; it’s called online learning.

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  • MacArthur was right – we’ve had our last chance

    At the close of World War II, just following the surrender of the Japanese on board the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the late Gen. Douglas MacArthur said, “Men since the beginning of time have sought peace.

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