Noted and passed -- Jan. 2, 2012

• News reports of the funeral of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il -- filmed by that country's government-controlled media, of course -- featured common citizens wailing in grief over the death of their beloved leader. Problem is, there didn't seem to be any genuine tears, just lots of contorted facial expressions. Think there's any chance that was all staged?

Military minutes -- Jan. 2, 2012

U.S. Navy Seaman Travis P. Micheletti, a 2008 graduate of Camden Military Academy, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

Local WWII veteran operated railroads in Germany, Austria

In response to a November 2011 column in which railroad artifacts were discussed and pictured, Eugene Carl Griggs of Lugoff called to say he enjoyed it very much. Gene is a retired former employee of the Seaboard Railway. Little did this columnist know our conversation would lead into some very interesting and little known areas of World War II history.

How others live

Fourth-grade students at Baron DeKalb Elementary School (BDK) know what it is to "walk a mile in someone's shoes."

Perseverance Prevails

BUTLERVILLE, Ind. -- Pvt. Jennifer H. Roberts now knows that the direction of her life was diverted from disaster, and is grateful to the South Carolina Army National Guard (SCARNG) for giving her a second and even a third chance.

H.S. Glover

Funeral services celebrating the life of Henry Stewart (H.S.) Glover, 86, of Camden, were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, January, 1, 2012 at Rowan Presbyterian Church. Burial followed in Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery. Rev. Phillip McCoy officiated. The family received friends at Rowan Presbyterian Church at 2:00 PM prior to the service. Memorials may be made in Mr. Glover's memory to Rowan Presbyterian Church, 818 Ridgeway Rd., Lugoff, S.C. 29078.

FMU graduates fifth student leadership class

Francis Marion University's Leadership FMU program recently held its fifth graduation to recognize and celebrate student leadership.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree…

One of the reasons I pursued a career in community forestry is because I like trees and people. They both fascinate and amaze me. The latter more so now-a-days that I am working for a municipality. I've been astounded and a bit bewildered at the dismay and disappointment from citizens, co-workers and acquaintances alike regarding this year's Christmas tree at City Hall. Since I am a public servant and feel accountable for my actions as such, please allow me to shed some light on why we have such a unique tree.

Remove risk for wandering children

Where is she?" is the desperate cry of mothers, caretakers of elderly, and home-sitters for disabled. Someone is missing -- not in the house where she is to be. Their loved one went outdoors, alone.

CHS girls split pair in Apple Classic

After a long trip to Walhalla for the two-day Apple Classic tournament, the Camden High girls' basketball team was rudely greeted and treated by the hostesses as they handed the Lady Bulldogs a 59-45 loss in the second game of Tuesday's night's opening doubleheader.

War, history and the big lie

(Columnist Clarence Page is on vacation. In his absence, Robert Koehler, an award-winning, Chicago-based journalist and nationally syndicated writer, is featured today.)

Pets of the week -- Dec. 30, 2011

Among the animals available for adoption at the Walter M. Crowe Animal Shelter are Big Boy, an orange and white domestic shorthaired cat, and Mink, a Golden Retriever mix puppy. 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 e-mail wcas ...

Lifestyle trends

One of the most significant sociological trends of the past couple decades has been the increasing percentage of women who make up college student bodies. At many institutions of higher learning, 60 percent or more of the students are females, reversing the percentages of a generation ago. That, of course, is leading to better opportunities for women here in Kershaw County and across the country. In fact, women make up roughly half of all medical, law and accounting students, three professions that lead to high-paying and influential careers.

2012 session set to start

Let's start with some good news:

Blame it on the cows

Unless you've been holed up in a basement somewhere for the past few years -- if you seldom read a newspaper or watch a news broadcast on television -- you are aware of global warming and the catastrophic effects it could have upon our planet.

These animals need good homes

Among the animals available for adoption at the Walter M. Crowe Animal Shelter are Charlie, a male 1-year-old Great Dane (Charlie loves children) and Tiger, a 5-year-old neutered male black and 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 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. For information on the shelter ...

Scully elected to Association of South Carolina Mayors board

Camden Mayor Tony Scully is now a board member of the Association of South Carolina Mayors (ASCM). ASCM members elected Scully to the board during the Municipal Association of South Carolina's (MASC) 74th annual meeting.

Rec Notes: Soccer camp begins July 28

This Soccer Camp is open for boys and girls ages 6-14. Players will be grouped by age, size, and ability. Daily training sessions will include individual ball handling skills, partner skills, developmental games and much more! This fun-filled week is the perfect way to introduce players to the game of soccer and to challenge advanced players to improve their game. Players must wear shin guards and bring a water bottle and soccer ball. The instructor is Peter Wittig, who has 22 years experience coaching at the college, high school, and youth levels. Coach Wittig is the Varsity Boys Soccer Coach ...

Ariail for July 18, 2014

Not so transparent

President Obama, who promised the most transparent administration in history, has delivered perhaps the least transparent. Following the trend of other recent presidents, Obama has kept a tight lid on the press, rarely interacting with reporters in a spontaneous fashion and instead relying on the spin of his White House press directors. And it has gotten worse the longer Obama has been in office; one report last week indicated that the administration was denying access on a variety of subjects with increasing regularity. The Associated Press reported, "In category after category -- except for reducing numbers of old requests and a ...

Op-Ed: Supreme Court autopsy ruling trumps public accountability

For the second time in a month, the S.C. Supreme Court has ruled against openness and punted important issues back to the Legislature for change.

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.

Joey Matthew Tyner

Joey Matthew Tyner, 38, of Elgin went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 13, 2014.

Camden Lions Club installs new officers

The Camden Lions Club recently installed new officers and thanked the community for its support of club programs, having collected more than 1,300 pairs of used eye glasses. Boxes are located at the Food Lion shopping center in Lugoff, Rubin Eye Care Center in the K-Mart shopping center, the Walmart Vision Center, Belk and the Food Lion shopping center in Dusty Bend. The club supplied these glasses to local church groups for those in need in Honduras and Guatemela. Camden Lions have also assisted with eye operations and hearing aids for the needy. The club meets on the second ...

The karate kid

Lainey Williams, a rising third grader at Camden Elementary School (CES), recently competed in karate nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She is the national champion for kata (forms) and won bronze in kubodo (weapons) and kumite (sparring). This qualified her for Junior Olympics. She is the superregional champion in the 8-year-old female category for kubodo and won silver in kumite, and bronze in kata. She is also the North Carolina Champion in all three events. Lainey studies karate at Carolina Family Karate under Shihan Bob and Sensei Matt. All five members of her team placed in the top four nationals ...

‘In the Heart of the Pines’ showcases Camden’s hotel era

The Camden Archives and Museum is hosting a new exhibit on the Hotel Era in Camden from July 2014 until January 9, 2015. Come explore Camden during the days of the Gay Nineties through the Roaring Twenties and beyond to the days before World War II. It was a magical, new social scene set in the midst of our beautiful, old Southern way of life. Camden's visitors got the best of both.

One-Eighty 360

Artwork created by Camden Middle School (CMS) art teacher Keith Tolen are on display at Columbia's 701 Whaley Street in its community gallery.

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.