Plum Pretty fetches $4.2 million in sales ring

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Plum Pretty, winner of the 2011 $1 millionKentucky Oaks (G1), sold for $4.2 million to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm to top last Tuesday's opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

NC cheerleaders earn berth in state championship

Three years after starting a competitive cheerleading team, North Central High School is headed to the AA Competitive Cheer State finals.

Colonial Cup tickets remain on sale

Tickets and reserved parking spaces of all varieties remain available for the Marion duPont Scott Colonial Cup Steeplechase Races in Camden.

L-EHS senior will compete in Miss South Carolina Teen

Isabella McElveen has been chosen to compete in the Miss South Carolina Teen USA Pageant this Nov. 16 and 17.

False tweets, future jailbirds?

I have never been quite as wrapped up with Twitter as a lot of my colleagues are, although the 140-characters-or-less medium appears to be ideally suited to today's shortened attention spans.

An election that debased our dreams

Four-year-old Abigael Evans spoke for millions when she sobbed, "I'm tired of Bronco Bamma and Mitt Romney."

Gray Vincent

Gray Vincent died suddenly on October 21st at her home in Columbia, SC. Gray knew life intimately and she faced it squarely-both the darkness and the light. For most of us mortals, we could not have lived as intensely and as honestly as she. She brought all of her past to every present moment. She was unprotected from pain-both hers and the pain of those she deeply loved. She lived true to herself-without pretense or deceit. Her family was her constant concern-her sister Harriet, her brothers Thad and Charlie, and her two generations of nephews and ...

Dessie McLeod

Funeral services for Dessie Davis McLeod, 94, will be held Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Powers Funeral Home, with burial to follow in Quaker Cemetery. The Rev. Philip Blankenship will officiate. The family will receive friends Saturday from 7 – 9 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that you do an act of kindness for someone or that memorials be made to The Walter M. Crowe Animal Shelter, Blaney Baptist Church, or Fairfield Healthcare, Ridgeway S.C.

Ariail and Ariail, Too for Nov. 12, 2012

Military Monday - Nov. 12, 2012

(John Baird, an army lieutenant colonel (LTC), is the brother of Rupert Baird, who wrote a number columns for the Chronicle-Independent during his deployment several years ago. LTC Baird is now doing the same. His columns will appear periodically on Mondays during his deployment.)

Dottie Hendricks

A service to celebrate the life of Dorothy "Dottie" Lomax Hendricks, 85, of Bethune, was held Sunday, November 11, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. at Bethel United Methodist Church, Bethune, SC. Rev. Barbara Segars officiated.

Father shows cruel behavior

Dear Annie: When my older sister was dying a year ago, our entire family supported her with calls and visits with the exception of our father and half-brother (my mother's son from a previous marriage). They also didn't attend the funeral and offered no explanation for their absence.

Regina Joyce Cassady

Funeral service for Regina Joyce Cassady, 73, will be held Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Lugoff Christian Ministries with burial to follow in Quaker Cemetery. The Rev. Reece Byrd will officiate. The family will receive friends Saturday 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Powers Funeral Home, Lugoff. Memorials may be made to Palmetto Health Hospice.

LFD offers winter fire safety tips

Each year fire claims the lives of 3,500 Americans, injures 18,300, and causes billions of dollars' worth of damage. People living in rural areas are more than twice as likely to die in a fire as those living in mid-sized cities or suburban areas. The misuse of wood stoves, portable space heaters and kerosene heaters are especially common risks in rural areas. Here are some general fire prevention tips to keep our homes safe from fire:

Lt. Gov to hold aging issues forum

S.C. Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell will hold a forum Tuesday at the Historic Robert Mills Courthouse in Camden. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Informative handouts will be available, and those in attendance will be able to voice concerns, if they so desire. The forum is a major component of the lieutenant governor's "Face of Aging" tour of the state.

NC's Gomez takes second in state

After finishing third in his first appearance in the South Carolina High School League state individual wrestling championship last year, North Central Mason Gomez moved up one spot in last weekend's event held in Anderson.

AJ downs Bulldog boters, 1-0, in opener

In what has been an unpredictable winter, what else could you expect other than a strange goal to kick off the soccer season.

Cup spaces selling at a brisk pace

With three weeks and a day to go before the 2015 Carolina Cup Steeplechase Races in Camden, reserved parking spaces are starting to fill up.

Ariail for March 6, 2015

Editorial: Gerrymandering

Here in South Carolina, as in so many other states, gerrymandering -- in which political parties redraw the lines of voting districts to suit their own purposes -- is a fact of life. It was done when Democrats controlled the state, and now it's done by Republicans. One of the nationwide side effects of gerrymandering is creating more partisan divide. Because districts are set up to be safe for one party, there's not much interest in candidates having to appeal to independent voters or those who aren't hard-line adherents of either party. And, by the way, the word gerrymander ...

Letter: Reader takes it upon self to look into crape myrtle mystery

Throughout my lifetime, I have been interested in all decorative plants, although my specialty is the Camellia. I was shocked while reading the editorial by one of my favorite editors lambasting one of my favorite columnists about wording in a column on crape myrtles. For some unknown reason (probably some health problem), I had failed to read the column in question. My wife left me in this world to fend for myself while she enjoys heaven and this gives me the luxury of being able to pile newspapers by my chair in sort of a too high, messy pile to ...

Letter: Camden resident upset about The State’s ‘garbage’

Surely something can be done about The State paper throwing its "Extra" on the ground and roads. Several of us on Fire Tower Road have called and E-mailed its office and received no reply, just more trash. We've called the City of Camden, the County and Sheriff's offices to no avail.

Scully: The clinic

If the soul of Camden resides in its communities of faith, surely its heart sits at 110 C East DeKalb St., the home of the Community Medical Clinic of Kershaw County, known far and wide as "The Free Clinic." The outpouring of love at the Clinic has proven to be a transformative force, continuously healing wounds of body, mind, and spirit.

Jenkins: A story in the scat

Two weeks ago, during our weekly field trip, I was walking with my students along a dirt road in Manchester State Forest. There upon the dirt was a hairy strand of something, about the size of a cheap cigar and tapered at both ends. Earlier that day, we examined paw prints in the sand on the same dirt road. The students drew good connections from those tracks to this new observation, correctly calling it coyote scat. Coyotes are funny this way, dropping their scat in obvious places. In addition to waste excretion, they use feces to communicate their presence to ...

Parker: ‘Just look at him’

WASHINGTON -- "At least nobody died," we often hear in politics to explain away some regrettable act. As in:

Rec Notes - March 6, 2015

PAL Baseball is a non-competitive baseball league for youth and adults with disabilities and special needs, and typically-able youth with assistance from "Pals" available on the team. PAL Baseball is for individuals who do not want to play competitively. Children with special needs as well as children who do not like the physical competition of other leagues can enjoy the fun of PAL Baseball.

Food for the Soul golf tournament April 2

Golfers can greet the long-awaited spring weather on the fairways and putting greens in early April, while they help feed the hungry and shelter the homeless of Kershaw County. Food for the Soul will host its annual golf tournament April 2 at the Camden Country Club. The tournament, which begins at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start, will raise funds to support Food for the Soul's soup kitchen and sheltering programs.

Emma Adair Toms

A funeral service to celebrate the life of Emma Adair Toms, 84, of Camden, SC, will be held at 3:00 PM, Sunday, March 8, 2015 at First Baptist Church in Camden. Rev. Bruce Hancock will officiate. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at 2:00 PM, 1 hour prior to the service, in the Fellowship Center at the church. Memorials may be made in Emma's memory to First Baptist Church, 1201 Broad Street, Camden, SC 29020.

Kennedy M. Hagins

Mr. Kennedy M. "Bossy" Hagins, 58, of 1801 Hasty Road, Apartment 8-A, died Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Pets of the Week - March 6, 2015

Among the animals available for adoption at the Walter M. Crowe Animal Shelter are Prima, a 1-1/2-year-old female Heeler mix dog, and Priscilla, a 1-year-old female domestic short-haired gray tabby cat. The adoption donation includes spaying or neutering. The shelter, located at the south end of Fair Street and managed by the Kershaw County Humane Society, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. For information on the shelter or to check for a missing pet, call 425-6016 or ...