Long applause

Doby's Mill Elementary School media specialist Betsy Long spreads the love of reading to her students every day. She received that same love back this week for her extraordinary efforts when she was named one of 10 national winners of the Carnegie Corporation of New York/The New York Times "I Love My Librarian" Award.

Robert "Bobby" Black

Mr. Robert "Bobby" Black, 72, of 1526 Shearwater Road, Elgin, entered into eternal rest on Sunday, December 11, 2011.

Gingrich, anti-poverty warrior

'Tis the season, it appears, for Newt Gingrich to show his dual political personalities: naughty and nice.

Public pensions

Public pensions have been much in the news since the economic downturn began, especially during the last year. The battle in Wisconsin over public employees' collective bargaining rights and pension plans has been the most publicized, but the same arguments have been occurring across the country. The South Carolina General Assembly has now taken the first step to deal with a $13-billion deficit in the state retirement pension fund, and though it involved difficult decisions on the part of a House subcommittee, it was the right thing to do. The recommendations still must go to the House Ways and Means ...

Hattie Mae "Hatchet" Caldwell

Hattie Mae "Hatchet" Caldwell, 61, of Pine Drive, Bethune, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011.

Carrie G. Ford

Carrie G. Ford, 55, of Sherwood Court, Lugoff, died Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011.

George L. Massey

George L. Massey, 66, of Church Road, Westville, died Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011.

Ralph C. "Butch" McLeod Jr.

Funeral service for Ralph C. "Butch" McLeod, Jr., 59, of Lugoff, will be held Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Faith Church of the Nazarene with burial to follow in St. United Methodist Church Cemetery. The Rev. Scott Crandall and the Rev. Mark Hopkins will officiate. The family will receive friends Friday 6-8 p.m. at Powers Funeral home, Lugoff. Memorials may be made to Hermitage Baptist Church Youth Department.

Wade Henry "Buck" Parker Jr.

Mr. Wade Henry "Buck" Parker, Jr., 85, of Kershaw, widower of Jessie Lee Anderson Parker, passed away Monday, December 12, 2011 at WJBD VA Medical Center in Columbia. He was born July 17, 1926 in Camden, a son of the late Wade H. Parker, Sr. and Nannie C. Watkins Parker.

Harry Van Ness

Harry Van Ness, 88, of Flat Rock Road, Camden, died Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011.

Gingrich

Of all the presidential candidates, nobody was more a "dead man walking" than Newt Gingrich, the former U.S. House Speaker whose staff deserted him early in the campaign and who was left for dead by voters and the media. But he has been revived in the turbulent Republican race for the White House nomination and polls now show him leading his rivals in Iowa and South Carolina, and even in New Hampshire, where Mitt Romney is almost a neighbor. Ironically, it is Gingrich's ability to stand up and take the heat for his past conduct that is helping ...

Bobcat readers

Bobcats love to read! At least Midway Bobcats do! Thirty-eight Midway Elementary School students who met or exceeded the Accelerated Reader goals for the first nine weeks of school recently celebrated their achievement with homemade cookies and slushies. Those students included second-graders Regan McGougan, Unique Bethea, Samantha Harrelson, Brooke Stevens, Carissa Reynolds, Deanna Couick, Eden Mock and Matty Stephens; third-graders Destiny Atkiinson, Maggie Carter, Jullyan Gonzalez, Lanie Hackworth, Jonathan Hopkins, Danial Kashmiri, Barri McGougan, Isahir Vera, JaDarius Samuel, Stephanie Martinez, Jesse Wyant, Ryan Hodge, Zy-Curtis Elgin, Isis Frasier, Anna Grace Brazell; fourth-graders Kyrsten King, Levy Portee, Julio Tamayo, Taylor Thompson ...

The GOP’s death wish

WASHINGTON -- "Anybody but Mitt" has become a familiar mantra throughout the Republican primary campaign. It is also weird and self-defeating.

Moving forward on missile defense

With Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issuing threats about America's planned missile defense for Europe, it may be time to remind the Obama administration why we need such defenses in the first place -- in Europe and elsewhere.

A positive approach to crisis in Europe

This writer is not in favor of any more money of any kind going to Europe to be wasted on their "more of the same." Instead, we could help Europe and ourselves at the same time by instituting a nationwide all-American program of massive oil, gas and coal energy production.

Cub Scouts enjoy day camp

Local Boy Scouts of America spent the last week of June volunteering at a Cub Scout Day Camp.

Ariail for July 23, 2014

Crazy and proud of it

My grandmother -- Daddy's mother -- was sometimes called "crazy" by others who didn't quite understand her eccentric ways. Of course, in the South, we are proud of such a label for it means that we are interesting and worthy of being the center of coffee and cake conversation.

Leonard M. Davis

Funeral services to celebrate the life of Leonard M. Davis, Jr. 69, of Camden, SC, will be held at 2:00 PM, Monday, July 21, 2014 at Hermitage Baptist Church in Camden. The Rev. Jason Fletcher will officiate. Burial with Masonic rites will follow in Wateree Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends at 1:00 PM, 1 hour prior to the service in the church Fellowship Hall. Memorials may be made in Leonard's memory to Hermitage Baptist Church, Arise & Build Fund, 814 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Camden, SC 29020 or the American Heart Association of SC, Memorials & Tributes ...

Devon Davis Graham

Funeral services to celebrate the life of Devon Davis Graham, 72, of Elgin, SC, will be held at 3:00 PM, Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at Trinity Baptist Church in Lugoff, SC. Rev. Dr. Chuck Everett and Rev. Dean Reynolds will officiate. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 PM, Monday, July 21, 2014 at Kornegay Funeral Home, Lugoff-Elgin Chapel. Memorials may be made in Devon's memory to the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children, 950 W. Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605-4277 or St. Jude's Children's Hospital, P O Box 810, Memphis, TN 38101.

Noted and passed - July 21, 2014

• It looks like it's full steam ahead for KershawHealth and its strategic plan. In recent weeks, we have reported on the creation -- after several years of hard work -- of a general surgery division; the recruitment of a new orthopedic surgeon; the signing of an agreement with Orthopedic Advantage to create a top-level orthopedic center in Kershaw County; and an already established agreement with Team Health to transform KershawHealth's emergency department in order to fast-track non-emergent patients allowing staff to focus on those in true emergency situations. Dr. T. Chris Tran, the new orthopedic surgeon, joined Camden Bone & Joint ...

Auditions set for Kelley’s Fine Arts Camden Crew Junior and Camden Crew Senior Dance teams

Summer dance students will have the opportunity to audition for the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County (FAC) and Kelley's Fine Arts (KFA) Junior and Senior Camden Crew Dance Teams, Friday, July 25 in the FAC Dance Studio. Times are set by dance styles and are as follows:

KCC holding public hearing on joint industrial park

Kershaw County Council will hold a public hearing on and consider third and final reading of an ordinance approving the development of a joint county industrial park with Chesterfield County. The public hearing and consideration of the ordinance are scheduled for council's meeting Tuesday evening.

Feature photo:

Camden Bulldog Club kicking off its 2014-15 membership drive

The Camden High School Bulldog Club membership drive is in full swing for the 2014-2015 school year. The organization, founded in 1952, provides financial assistance to all athletic programs at the school through the membership drive and various fundraising activities.

L-E wrestling camp on tap next week

The third and fourth installments of the Lugoff-Elgin wrestling camp are scheduled over the next two weeks.

Thomas, Marlow earn interim titles at L-E

The leadership of the Lugoff-Elgin High School football and athletic departments stayed within the Demon family for the 2014-15 school year as Dave Thomas was named the school's interim head football coach and Craig Marlow as interim activities director Monday.

Summer sports camps are plentiful in Kershaw County

With the school year coming to a close, it is time for summer sports camps in Kershaw County.