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Columns

  • Column: What will incorporation do for longtime IL residents, besides raise their taxes?

    In reading John Delfausse’s guest column in the Dec. 17 issue, I have several things that I don’t quite understand.
    He starts out by bashing Lancaster County Council on a number of issues, which I actually agree with. It’s true that poor planning has had an impact on where we are today. I doubt, however, there has ever been a council of any county or municipality that has received 100 percent support from its constituents.

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  • Column: Tax reform: A Christmas gift to the people

    My story is no secret. I grew up in a single-parent household in North Charleston. My mom worked 16-hour days as a nurse’s aide to provide for my brother and me. At times, we had to use the oven to heat the house. There were also times when we couldn’t afford Christmas presents.

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  • Column: VTIL: Much of town’s budget would be taxes we already pay

    A huge portion of our town’s budget will come from tax money we already pay today.
    Every time money is spent in Indian Land, customers are charged a Local Option Sales Tax. That money is distributed between Lancaster County and the cities of Lancaster, Heath Springs, Kershaw and Van Wyck.
    Today, we do not have a claim on our own tax dollars. However, that changes when we become a town.
    What is the Local Option Sales Tax?

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  • Column: Not ready for Christmas? Here’s the remedy

    It was just a throw-away question, a bit of small talk with a high school student at church two weeks ago. But when I asked whether she was ready for Christmas, she shocked me with her enthusiastic “yes.”
    “Wow,” I replied. “I’m really impressed.” She looked puzzled for a moment and then recognized the misunderstanding. “Oh, I haven’t done all my shopping and all that,” she said, explaining that she was ready for Christmas to be here.

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  • Column: Sheriff Faile: Let me set record straight on IL law enforcement

    Much has been spoken and written about the future of law enforcement in Indian Land if the incorporation effort is successful.
    I want to share a few comments to set the record straight.
    Section 23-13-70 of the S.C. Code of Laws sets out the responsibilities of deputy sheriffs in our state: “The deputy sheriffs shall patrol the entire county at least twice weekly by sections assigned to each by the sheriff, remaining on duty at night when occasion and circumstances suggest the propriety thereof to prevent or detect crime or to make an arrest.”

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  • Column: County council represents all, not just those in Indian Land

    In response to John Delfausse’s column last Sunday asking a lot of leading questions about why council doesn’t give Indian Land the support he wants, here’s the answer, sir: The county council is responsible for the betterment of the entire county, not just Indian Land.

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  • Column: There must be a way to slow traffic on Dobys Bridge Road

    Dobys Bridge Road in Indian Land is like a raceway, and the number of vehicles using this road is very high compared to years past.
    My main concern is to get people to slow down for the curve in front of my home, which is near Gordon Drive just before the bridge. I have helped many people on this turn who have wrecked their vehicles. There have been multiple unreported wrecks I myself have witnessed.
    For years people have been driving recklessly and passing the stopped school bus. I have sent in so many videos of people passing school buses.

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  • Column: Salvation Army truly thankful to every donor

    Monetary gifts of all sizes find their way into the familiar red buckets of The Salvation Army: bills, coins and just recently, a small gold coin.
    From perfectly manicured hands, to rough and ragged ones – all sorts of hands eagerly contribute their gifts to help the less fortunate. A most touching moment is watching the hand of a young child press his money into the bucket, then look up and smile.

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  • Column: On Indian Land incorporation, the county reaps what it sows

    Did you read the Dec. 10 article in The Lancaster News headlined “Devastating fallout for towns: If IL incorporates, Lancaster, Kershaw and Heath Springs will pay’’?
    People need to ask themselves: If Indian Land is so important to the county and the municipalities in the county, why has the county council not taken better care of Indian Land?
    Why has the county council snubbed our two Indian Land county councilmen by not appointing either of them to a chair position?

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  • Commentary: Haley: Trump’s Jerusalem shift will advance Mideast peace

    Editor’s note: Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, now the U.N. ambassador, appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday to defend President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Host John Dickerson also asked her North Korea and about women who stepped forward again last week to repeat their accusations of sexual misbehavior against Trump. Here are excerpts of their discussion.

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