There are two documents of paramount importance to American history: the Declaration of Independence, which forged our national identity, and the United States Constitution, which set forth the framework for the federal government that is still in use tod

Shortly after leaving home last summer for a relaxing week at the beach, I noticed a white sports car in our rear view mirror, approaching with great speed. My guess is that they were doing triple digits. I said a quick prayer for the innocent drivers ahe

Making small talk before church Sunday last, the conversation turned toward the ever-so-slow eminent doom of Hurricane Dorian. “Hey Tommy, I’ve got a question for you,” I quizzed a local cattle farmer. “What do you do with your cows during hurricanes?” H

I’ll start with the good news: I recently closed the books for the fiscal year that ended June 30, and even after some additional “contingent” spending at year-end the state finished with $350 million in surplus revenues. Annual tax revenue totaled $8.8 b

During times of economic volatility, it’s not uncommon to hear the terms “cyclical” and “defensive” used in reference to stocks. But what exactly do these terms mean? The terms cyclical and defensive refer to how sensitive a company’s stock price is to ch

The Great Pee Dee, Black, Sampit, and Waccamaw Rivers are household names for hundreds of thousands of people over the years who’ve seized opportunities and succumbed to the vulnerabilities of these massive watersheds. They’ve served as transportation rou

So please tell me, what’s all this fuss about a chicken sandwich? I mean, really? Three weeks ago Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen began selling a new chicken sandwich in its restaurants. Since that moment, our world has not been the same. People have scarfed u

We are a little more than two weeks into the school year and school officials and law enforcement authorities are dealing with bomb threats and safety issues. At a press conference held at the Florence One Schools District Office, on Aug. 28, Interim Flor

To the editor, The Fred H. Sexton American Legion Post 1 in Florence wishes to make sure that the 20,000 veterans in the Florence-Darlington area are aware of the following: • The recently enacted legislation named the Legion Act allows all veterans to jo

If Darlington Raceway, the fabled “Track Too Tough to Tame,” had a fifth turn, it would be into the parking lot of the neighboring and just as legendary Raceway Grill. “The Grill,” as it’s referred to by most locals, has been serving meals for as long a

Andrea and Barry have come and gone. Chantal made her visit short and uneventful. On the way, however, are her friends Dorian, Erin, Fernando, Gabrielle, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wen

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redres

“I wish I was in Austin/in the Chili Parlor Bar/drinking mad dog margaritas/and not carin’ where you are.” - Dublin Blues, by Guy Clark It may not be the Chili Parlor Bar, but I’ll settle for the balcony of the Francis Marion Performing Arts Center o

Summer is almost over and the new school year has begun. School busses will be rolling, school speed zone lights will be flashing and Florence County Sheriff’s Office will be out to enforce the laws designed to keep school children safe as they travel to

Things weren’t going well and my boss called me into his office. “If you see a problem, you own it.” Great advice. You see a piece of litter; you own it. Pick it up. What a blight plastic bottles and fast food containers are. What a curse. What sorry, laz