Buried in that massive bill was the explanation as to why no consumer-oriented groups had been asked to weigh in on the drafting of H.5118.

As Chair of Carolinas Natural Gas Coalition, a group of over 100 stakeholders in the natural gas sector and allies, I commend the South Carolina House for passing the "South Carolina Ten-Year Energy Transformation Act" (H.5118) with strong bipartisan support this week. This legislation is crucial for our state’s energy future, and I applaud the dedication and hard work of our lawmakers in crafting it.

April is National Safe Digging Month, recognizing the importance of calling 811 before digging to have utility lines marked. Underground electric and natural gas lines were hit over 10,300 times in 2023.

Easter is about resurrection.

Over the last two years we have witnessed the rise of a Christian Nationalist movement that has been attacking our school librarians and also politicizing our public library system in Anderson.

One of the most visible signs of this renewal is the physical transformation of the church building itself, including a wheelchair-accessible ramp and two new sets of steps allowing accessibility for members with physical challenges.

It is also worth noting that the majority of current council members, who would identify themselves as conservatives, appointed members to the current library board. Four new members of that board were appointed since August of 2023. No council members have publicly suggested they made a mistake in their appointments of any of the seven board members (one chosen by each district).

South Carolina was one of only 15 states that chose not to participate.

Corporations are not voters but the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United makes large groups have huge influence on policy.

But out of that tainted soil grew heroes. Few of us locally knew Dr. King, but we saw other great men and women in our area answer his call.

Today, we gather in a new year, some 246 years later, just one day before January 6th, a day forever shared in our memory because it was on that day that we nearly lost America — lost it all.

Filing for all offices begins March 16 and ends April 1. All 124 of the South Carolina House seats and 46 South Carolina Senate seats are on the ballot this year, which is the subject of speculation in regard to a couple of local races.

Frustrated by record-breaking teacher shortages in South Carolina, Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Hopkins said he’s going to file a bill that will require state lawmakers to substitute teach or volunteer at K-12 schools five times a year.

When Westside High School lost its first football game back in August to BHP, little did they know it was the last loss the team would experience in route to the school, and the city’s first state championship since the Rams won it in 1969 (T.L. Hanna was runner up in 2020. 2018 and 1974).

For the second year in a row, Piedmont is proud to have earned the No. 1 spot in customer satisfaction for residential natural gas service in the South among large utilities, according to the J.D. Power 2023 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.

In spite of continuing to add new lights, decorations and extending the height of the tree each year, has already posted a savings to the county of close than $100,000 compared to the costs of bringing in a live, cut tree each of those years.

With 39 days left in 2023, we take time to celebrate Thanksgiving, the uniquely American holiday set aside to evaluation those people and things which foster gratitude.

Today, let’s be grateful for those who have chosen public education as their mission in life. It’s a tough time to be in the classroom and administrative offices of public schools these days.

Today, let’s give thanks to the helpers in our charitable organizations, those who devote their lives to improve the lot of our neighbors, friends and family members who are in need. 

And for much of our history, we have sent soldiers to foreign lands to fight. From the 4 million soldiers the U.S. sent to Europe in World War I, to the more than 16 million men and women sent to World War II to answer the call of our allies in Europe to defeat Hitler.