Big Al and the rabbit fish

More than 50 years ago, I spent many a day fishing with my maternal grandfather on Lake Wateree. He was known to all as Daddy John and the lake was always called The River. Daddy John knew the location of every Bream/Crappy-Bed and Catfish-Hole at The River. Amazingly, he knew all of the fish in the lake by name. He also knew a great big turtle that he affectionately called Big Al.

A few items from the grab bag

This is one of those weeks where I don't have any one thing in particular to write about. That is due in part, at least, to the fact that I was sick most of last week with a touch of bronchitis. What fun. So, instead of trying to strain my brain, I thought I'd just touch on a few things here and there that dimly caught my attention ...

The terror of not knowing

WASHINGTON -- As the manhunt for the Boston bombers reached its climactic conclusion, Americans of all hues and backgrounds heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it wasn't ... fill in the blank:

Gay marriage battle not same as civil rights movement

No one wants to be labeled a bigot. Not in this day or age. Not at this time in American culture, and especially not pertaining to the current battle on gay marriage.

When profiling becomes a real menace

Some media found the possibility that foreign terrorists bombed the Boston Marathon to be too tantalizing an explanation to pass up, even when it snares the wrong suspects.

Faith healing v. common sense

When do religious affiliation and common sense collide? You would think they would somehow meet when your child dies after a failed attempt at "faith healing," but apparently not. A "faith healing" couple on probation for the death of their 2-year-old son will soon be charged for the death of their, other 8-month-old son who died last week in Pennsylvania. The children's parents, Herbert and Catherine Schaible, have been labeled as fundamental ...

Spring-time tips for healthy trees

I said this last month, but now I really mean it -- Happy Spring! It's evident spring is here by seeing the hordes of folks scurrying around in the garden section of many of our local stores. For many of us the allure of warm weather and blooming plants stirs us to get outside and get our hands in the dirt. If you haven't gotten outside yet to do your ...

Upgrading the loo

Fancy bathrooms are all the rage.

Issues with airplanes

This weekend, I will be traveling via airplane for the first time alone. Needless to say, I'm pretty nervous about the whole ordeal. For starters, I'm terrified of heights. I'm talking, if I see a photo of someone skydiving or one of those "cool" pictures in National Geographic where a person is scaling a cliff, my heart rate automatically speeds up and I feel nauseous, bordering on a panic ...

The governor, the soul mate and ... The End

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- As the reporter said to the novelist: Why bother to make stuff up?

Immigration discussion begins

By the time you read this, a group of United States Senators will likely have introduced the first significant proposal on immigration reform in more than 20 years. While it is far too early to comment on its content -- the group has been fairly secretive as to details -- the simple fact that such a high profile group will be offering a proposal is noteworthy. And it ...

A friend and a fireball

My initial reaction was to bend over double and my next thought was to wonder what happened to all of the oxygen in the room. Johnny Jaynes and I have been good buddies for more than half a century and even though we are good friends, neither us want the other to go "one up." This day, he won.

Horror without terror, just anger

(This column was written prior to Friday morning's events when two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing were identified and one killed.)

‘You know nothing, John King’

In George R.R. Martin's fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire," a Wildling woman named Ygritte often tells one of the main characters "You know nothing, Jon Snow." She says it because Jon, a member of the Nightwatch guard, tends to jump to conclusions about her people based on the stories he's heard back in his home territory. Jon's mistakes are honest ones: he grew ...

More about River Monsters host

Community support is insanely valuable in so many areas of our lives. Everyone has a dream, or at least something they hope to achieve, and more times than we may want to admit, achieving the dream requires some kind of support from the community, whether it be local, national or international. A lot of times our wildest dreams will force us to ask people for things that make us feel vulnerable in a way.

Fredericksburg Township explored

Our grand city of Camden is a beautifully preserved town laid out in an 18th century plan devised by Joseph Kershaw. We are proud of our historic homes and buildings, carefully placed public parks, wide streets, and beautiful trees. So it is easy to forget that this was not the original plan for the "town" that was to develop in this area of South Carolina. The original plan was a part of the "Township ...

What was the IRS thinking?

Well, this is a fine mess.

Are we willing to pay for increased public safety?

Kershaw County public safety is at a crossroads. The sheriff's office is greatly understaffed and deputies are compensated for their mandatory overtime work by an antiquated and grossly unfair payment system. The solicitor's office is working with half the staff it needs to properly prosecute the cases it receives every month and the jail is barely able to keep sufficient staff to meet state standards. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: ...

Benghazi redacted

Gatsby? What Gatsby?

Another view of Plan B

In "Getting it wrong about Plan B," Ruth Marcus ends her column by stating that the debate over the proposed Plan B policy "isn't about the government coming between parents and children or society condoning teen sex. It's about preventing teen pregnancy."

Are you (fill in the blank) enough?

WASHINGTON -- Enough with this "enough" business.

Reflecting on 100 years of success

KershawHealth recently completed a week of celebration commemorating the opening of the Camden Hospital in 1913 and a century of outstanding care. One of the things that struck me during those activities was the incredible amount of community support the hospital has always enjoyed, and the amazing things that strategic thinking and teamwork can accomplish.

What Sanford win says about S.C.

Somehow, the man who walked the Appalachian Trail all the way to Argentina to see his mistress got elected to Congress last Tuesday in a voting outcome that almost defies belief.