Archive By Section - Editorials
Manning’s edict
We've certainly come a long way from the citizen-lawmakers envisioned by our forefathers -- farmers and craftsmen and professionals who would travel from their homes to the nation's capital, tend to the country's business and then go back home. But an even bigger divergence from the founding fathers' vision would be the concept that there is a class of people in this country who are above the law. That's the impression Judge Casey Manning gave recently when he ruled that Attorney General Alan Wilson didn't have the right to investigate possible illegal activities on the part ...
Free speech?
One of the most cherished rights on college campuses across the country is freedom of speech -- unless the tone of that speech doesn't agree with the politics of left-leaning professors and students. The tolerance they so widely espouse gets left in the dust in the case of people who don't share their own political philosophies.
Noted and passed - May 12, 2014
• Happy Mother's Day (plus one) to all Kershaw County mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts and other ladies who help raise generation after generation of children. The recently formed Family Heritage Committee held a Mother's Day festival on May 3, starting with a parade down Lyttleton Street from Camden City Hall followed by a celebration inside Zemp Stadium. Reports are that the event was not as well attended as some would have liked. That's unfortunate, since mothers of all ages and kinds should be honored more often. We would suggest that not scheduling the event at the same time ...
Lois West
Lois Rhame West, a Camden native who died earlier this week at 92, was truly a remarkable woman who was not only a political wife but a partner in the career of her husband, who rose to become governor of South Carolina and ambassador to Saudi Arabia. But it was not only in the realm of politics that she made a mark. She accomplished a variety of things that touched a great number of lives.
GOP not quite dead
If you depended on the national media for all your information, you'd get the idea that it's going to be clear sailing for Democrats in years to come; most metro papers and network news operations purport to be unbiased but in reality are shills for the national Democratic Party. And it's true that the GOP hasn't done well in recent presidential elections, and changing demographics in the country are producing more voters who traditionally fall into the Democrats' constituency.
Noted and passed - May 5, 2014
• After months of work by KershawHealth employees, administrators and trustees -- and a lot of speculation by the public -- the KershawHealth Board of Trustees voted a week ago to adopt a new strategic plan it hopes will stem a long-running tide of red ink. The plan does not call for any cutbacks in service, but rather the opposite: new facilities in Elgin and Camden in order to expand and strengthen existing services. Some may be surprised that KershawHealth leaders are willing to move forward to transform the former Burndale Plaza shopping center or that a new Karesh Long Term Care facility ...
Fitting honors
One of the good things about living in a small town like Camden is the fact that those who do good deeds often get recognized. People in communities such as ours appreciate those who help, and they enjoy showing that gratitude. There were two recognitions in the last week that are particularly notable.
More on CCTC
Central Carolina Technical College (CCTC) has leapfrogged in five years from having about 150 students in Kershaw County to 900, and the school's leaders are now touting an expansion of the school's campus at I-20 and U.S. 521. Kershaw County is in the process of committing $5 million towards the expansion, and CCTC and county leaders want the city of Camden onboard as well. That only makes sense, as growth will provide a number of benefits, including more convenience for local students as well as greater economic development opportunities.
Noted and passed - April 23, 2014
• It's hard to know what to think of Palmetto Utilities' request for county council's support of its permit application to discharge treated wastewater in Spears Creek in Kershaw County. Ten years ago, in 2004, county officials claimed Palmetto Utilities President Stan Jones was using his position on the Central Midlands Council of Governments' (COG) Environmental Planning Advisory Committee to keep Kershaw County from moving its participation in what is known as a 208 Water Plan from the Central Midlands to the Santee-Lynches COG. Within that fight, the county also objected to the Richland County-based utility's plan to ...
Bobby Harrell
Allegations that Rep. Bobby Harrell, speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives, illegally funneled campaign contributions to his own use should be examined in the brightest possible light, and that means letting a grand jury decide what happened rather than turning the matter over to the House Ethics Committee, which isn't experienced in such investigations and doesn't have the power to take effective action.
Boston Strong
No city is more inextricably linked to this country's quest for freedom than Boston. From an early age students learn about the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre and all the other historic events that helped set the colonies on the road to freedom. So it was especially fitting Monday that the city showed that it's indeed "Boston Strong" by completing its famous marathon. Of course, the race came a year after bombers killed three and wounded hundreds during the running of this country's most storied 26.2-mile race.
Tax Time
With the April 15 tax filing deadline having past earlier this week, Kershaw County residents can breathe a sigh of relief – except for those who filed for an extension, of course. But a more important day, when it comes to your money, is Tax Freedom Day, which is the day the average South Carolina resident finally earns enough to pay his or her income tax bill. This year it was April 9; because of South Carolina's tax structure, which is lower than some states, Palmetto State residents pay their share earlier than the nation as a whole, which is ...
The Easter egg hunt mentality
Easter. Go ahead and let the word resonate in your mind. Let all the memories and fond associations come rushing over you. Easter is such a lovely holiday. The Biblical story behind it teaches people to be hopeful, that there is the possibility of redemption, unconditional love and eternal life. The natural season is a time of blooming and birth and renewal. The earth wakes up from its winter slumber and the air feels softer and warmer.
Kudos to the UWKC
It was good to see dedicated volunteers and staff members recognized at last week's annual United Way of Kershaw County dinner. While there are many, many people who push together to make the United Way the superb organization that it is, a few special people were singled out for recognition. Dr. Frank Morgan, superintendent of the Kershaw County School District, received the Jake Watson Award, and Camden Deputy Fire Chief Phil Elliot was given the Anne Dallas Volunteer of the Year award. Other plaudits for volunteer efforts were given, and staff member Margaret Lawhorn was singled out for her ...
Noted and passed - April 14, 2014
• The news that the city of Camden plans to install an elevator at Camden City Hall is quite welcome. It is especially so to the city's disabled citizens who have found it difficult to come to court or attend Camden City Council meetings, both of which take place on the second floor. Many years ago, the city installed a chair-lift system attached to a railing of the building's main stairwell. It hasn't always worked and some people find its appearance a bit daunting. Installing the elevator -- which will also allow employees and visitors to reach offices and ...
Articles by Section - Editorials
Editorial: Friendship Nine
About an hour north of Camden, nine civil rights protestors from the 1960s are scheduled today to receive a measure of justice after being jailed for staging a lunch counter protest in Rock Hill more than a half-century ago. Known as the Friendship Nine because they attended the now-defunct Friendship Junior College, the men protested a segregated lunch counter at a McCrory's store in 1961; they had decided prior to their actions that after being arrested, they would refuse bail and instead serve jail sentences as a way to spotlight their actions and the injustice leading to the sit-in.
Noted and passed - Jan. 26, 2015
• We hope you had as much fun reading our recent front page story on the 2015 Junior Leadership Kershaw County's etiquette class as we did putting it together. The entire Junior Leadership program -- taking some of Kershaw County's brightest and most promising students and giving them the opportunity to interact with a variety of leaders from across the county -- is one we're lucky to have in our community. The etiquette class, held at Boykin's Mill Pond Steakhouse, taught these already well-mannered teens the finer points of moving through society, especially at a fancy restaurant. Parents often ...
Editorial: State of the Union
Kershaw County residents who watched the State of the Union address Tuesday night might agree with us that perhaps it's time to call a halt to the entire production. That's not a slam at President Obama, for he did nothing more overtly political than his predecessors from both parties have been doing for years. It's just that the term "state of the union" bears little resemblance to what actually occurs at the annual event; it's become little more than a political circus.
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