By Richard Eckstrom S.C. Comptroller It was ten years ago that I began developing plans for what would eventually become the state’s Fiscal Transparency Website -- one of the first such sites the country. The goal was to provide citizens easy access to d

Students and teachers head back to school this week, so it won’t be long before teachers will start seeing absences. Following are some entertaining excuse notes from parents (with original spelling), collected by schools from all over the country. Note:

By Phil Noble Here’s the issue: SCANA (the parent company of South Carolina Electric and Gas) and Santee Cooper (the state-owned utility that provides power for 11 local electric co-ops) tried to build two nuclear reactors and failed. They just pulled t

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.) Paul wrote, “…I have kept the faith.” We only keep things we value. Upstairs in my guest room is a bedroom suit

By Elisabeth Allen Statehouse politicians love to wax eloquent about the dangers of spending too much money on non-essential services – right before spending too much money on non-essential services. You could pick on a great number of lawmakers for this

Donald Trump won the Presidency fair and square. Please let him run the country without liberal left wing interference, According to USA Today, twenty-nine percent of Americans do not trust the national news media. ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS and CNN have commu

I recently stumbled onto a website that listed strange food combinations enjoyed by people in our state. The article was written two years ago by Gwen Tennille. Banana and mayo sandwiches was first on her list. Nothing strange about that to me – I love ‘

By Phil Noble Cindi Ross Scoppe is one of the most important people in South Carolina. And, she has recently put forward one of the most important ideas for this state – perhaps the most important – for the last generation or so. Now I know that sounds l

By Drew Johnson After busting the New York Police Department for abusing a decades-old eviction law, nonprofit news organization ProPublica received a public service Pulitzer Prize. A powerful story of journalism in pursuit of justice, right? Not so fas

It was sad for me to watch the demolition of Delmae Heights Elementary School. Good old Delmae was my alma mater. I started first grade there in 1957 – the year it opened. Back then we didn’t have public kindergarten. The school offered grades 1 through

By Phil Noble If you stop and really think about it, this is the most fundamental question one could ask about our state and nation. And the answer says a lot about the kind of people we are as a state and a nation. The American Dream is both very simple

Two fundamental styles of investing – growth and value – historically have performed “countercyclically.” This means that when one style falls out of favor, the other typically becomes the preferred choice. Thanks to wide fluctuations in the stock market

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible. Walking into an assisted living room of a dear saint of God reminded me of the importance of reading the Word of God. Rachel

Did the South Carolina legislature accomplish anything this year? Same for U.S. Congress. Global warming/climate change? America is the second largest contributor next to China? Go hug a tree and get real. President Trump thinks political correctness su

The Veterans Resource Center of Florence is located in the Lighthouse Ministries building on Elm Street, here in Florence. Not too long ago the phone system in the building had to be replaced, which was a considerable expense. Shortly after, a heat pump w