We asked readers to tell us about some of the more elaborate holiday light displays — the ones you wouldn’t mind making a short drive to see. Here is a list of their favorites: COLUMBIA/FOREST ACRES/RICHLAND COUNTY 4617 Sandy Ridge Road: This home, near North Trenholm Baptist Church in Forest Acres, is notable for its characters from Whoville (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!). 216 Mann … Continue reading HOMES ALL AGLOW

We asked readers to tell us about some of the more elaborate holiday light displays — the ones you wouldn’t mind making a short drive to see. Here is a list of their favorites: COLUMBIA/FOREST ACRES/RICHLAND COUNTY 4617 Sandy Ridge Road: This home, near North Trenholm Baptist Church in Forest Acres, is notable for its characters from Whoville (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!). 216 Mann … Continue reading HOMES ALL AGLOW

The sights of the season adorn many area homes. We asked readers to tell us about some of the more elaborate holiday light displays — the ones you wouldn’t mind making a short drive to see. Here is a list of their favorites: CAYCE 201 Haynes Lane: This home in the Edenwood subdivision was noted for its elaborate light decorations – more than 21,000. 2734 … Continue reading WHERE TO SEE HOLIDAY LIGHTS

Operation Santa for Seniors, a project involving a group of youth and adults from Blaney Baptist Church of Elgin, took Christmas gifts to the Mountain Marketplace Mission in Webster Springs, W. Va., over Thanksgiving weekend. Continue reading Blaney Baptist Church

Nonprofits awarded $3,000 from fund Four Kershaw County nonprofit organizations will share $3,000 in grants from the Kershaw County Endowment Fund, administered through the Central Carolina Community Foundation: The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County will receive $1,000 to support its Healing Arts program, which uses the arts to help people with special needs express themselves. The Upton Trio has been awarded $1,000 for its … Continue reading CLOSE TO HOME

How to read this chart The letter grades for years 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 are “absolute” scores representing academic achievement at each school for that year as measured by the state. The letter for “’05 improve” measures academic progress from the previous year to the last year students were tested. What the letters mean: E = “excellent” G = “good” A= “average” B = … Continue reading SCHOOL REPORT CARDS – RICHLAND 2, KERSHAW COUNTY

PHOTO: BW Portraying Ben Franklin, SPECIAL TO THE STATE Caption: Rich Davis spoke to Blaney Elementary students to promote a love of history and love of reading. Among the things that Franklin did was invent bifocal glasses and establish the first lending library in the country. Franklin also did some unusual things, as Davis shared: flew a kite in a thunderstorm, lobbied for the national bird to … Continue reading BLANEY ELEMENTARY

Pine Forest C&C Builders of Columbia, Inc. Community From the $110’s Sidewalk community Low Taxes Diane Nevitt at 414-3945 or 4220-331Visit www.DianeNevitt.com DIR: Next to Blaney School on Smyrna Road.(From Elgin Post Office, take right on Smyrna) Continue reading Pine Forest

By KRISTY EPPLEY RUPONStaff Writer With Halloween approaching, Camden’s “City of the Dead” is beckoning. But a trip through the city’s three historical cemeteries along Campbell Street doesn’t have to be scary. Instead, it can be calming and informative. Quaker Cemetery is the better known of the three cemeteries, located within several blocks of one another in the downtown area. But Beth-El Jewish Cemetery and … Continue reading Visit Camden’s City of the Dead

Denomination: Southern Baptist Address: 1400 Blaney Road, Elgin Phone: (803) 438-3161 Fax: (803) 438-4528 Interim pastor: The Rev. Dr. Ron Farrar Membership: More than 500 Worship schedule: Sundays: 9:45-10:45 a.m. Sunday School; 11 a.m. worship; 6 p.m. Bible study. Wednesdays: 5:30 p.m. church supper; 6:45 p.m. youth Bible study; 7 p.m. adult Bible study. Brief church history: Blaney Baptist was organized into a Southern Baptist church on March 12, … Continue reading WHERE WE WORSHIP: BLANEY BAPTIST CHURCH