There’s a testimony that I’d like to share with you and others that will allow you an insight into my past of homelessness. Many individuals associate homelessness with laziness or drugs. In some instances this is true, but in 85 percent of homeless cases

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the aftermath of the recent shootings in Texas and Ohio, we find ourselves caught in the crossfire of the shootout between gun control opponents and proponents. Their target – the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads: “A well regulate

Most of us probably remember learning things in high school that we seldom if ever use as adults – like how to calculate the area of a trapezoid or how to solve a quadratic equation. Yet nearly all of us do, at some point, need to take out a loan, careful

A few years ago, I was at a polling place here in Indiana where a long line of people stood waiting to vote. A woman recognized me and called me over. “Why is it,” she asked, “that you politicians make it so hard and inconvenient to vote?” I thought of t

As the ribbon is cut and the doors swing open on the new $25 million, 46,000-square-foot Continuum in downtown Lake City on Tuesday, Aug. 6, it will be hard to fully understand and appreciate the profound impact the state-of-the-art facility will have on

Cybersecurity is an issue that should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and South Carolina has the opportunity to lead the nation on this critical issue. The reality is, if you’re reading this, there is almost a guarantee that some of your personal

Seven years ago, the state-of-the-art Jayne Boswell Animal Shelter opened its doors. The facility itself is most impressive. What’s more impressive is what goes on inside. During that same time period thousands of dogs and cats have passed through its doo