75 years ago - June 6, 1944 - 156,000 Allied troops on nearly 7000 ships and landing craft and supported by 11,590 planes dropping both bombs and paratroopers, landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. The top-secret invasion of Europe was code-named Operation Overlord, but is more broadly known the world over as D-Day. That day began the battle to free the continent from the grip of Nazi Germany. 23,000 American soldiers swarmed Utah beach under German fire, and among those following the 4th Division ashore was Stewart Swift, a resident of Pawley's Island, S.C. He admitted to being apprehens ..read more

Until a few years ago, nobody really thought to put goats and yoga together. And yet, here we are, living in a world where the sight of downward-facing yogis and bouncing baby goats in the same place looks as natural as mac and cheese. For Jim and Terri Gustin, owners of Critter Creek Farm in Rock Hill – primarily a flower farm, but one with lots of animals around – the idea just worked itself out. “We used to have all these little programs to bring the farm off to people who didn’t have that experience,” Terri Gustin says. Critter Creek developed a rent-a-chick program, a rent-a-coot program ..read more

They are sure signs of Spoleto in downtown Charleston; instrument toting musicians and scorching heat. Among the jostling violin cases, is Shannon Fitzhenry. She’s back for her second year with the annual Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, one of 92 musicians chosen to play. “The goal is to get up in time to warm up before rehearsal,” she laughs. The Charleston native grew up with Spoleto, but admits she didn't fully appreciate it until she moved away to study music at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. “I started hearing more about Spoleto from non-Charlestonians and realized I rea ..read more

That the NFL’s Carolina Panthers would eventually move the team’s practice facility and operations out of Charlotte and south of the border to Rock Hill was really just a matter of when the South Carolina Legislature would greenlight a set of tax breaks (worth somewhere between $115 and $120 million, by most estimates) that would allow the team to set up shop in York County. And when Panthers would officially say they were coming. On June 5, the Panthers, the state, and City of Rock Hill made the official announcement that the team will be moving in over the next couple years ..read more

"R" is for Richardson, Robert Clinton [b. 1935]. Baseball Player. Born in Sumter, Richardson played sandlot, high school, and American Legion baseball before signing a pro contract with the New York Yankees. He made his major league debut in 1955 and from 1957-1966 was the Yankees’ regular second baseman. He earned national attention when he hit a grand slam in Game Six of the 1960 World Series and was voted Series MVP. In his major league career, he was a seven-time All-Star and winner of five Golden Glove Awards. In 1970 he became the first full-time head baseball coach at the University of ..read more

South Carolina ranked first in the United States for child vehicular heatstrokes in 2018, and with Palmetto State temperatures reaching highs of 100 degrees during the summertime, heat exhaustion is a serious, life-threatening danger, and residents should know the signs of danger. Those who are especially vulnerable to the summer heat include young children, the elderly, and individuals who take anxiety and depression medication. Steve Shelton, the Medical Director for Emergency Management for Prisma Health Midlands and physician said that the first sign is heat cramps. The next sign is fatigu ..read more

South Carolina's farming industry remains a stalwart economic engine. With approximately 25,000 farms over 4.9 million acres of land, the Palmetto State's agricultural community maintains its relevance in South Carolinians' day-to-day lives. In a changing world, though, South Carolina's farming industry still continues to face the same old problems that it has for years. A common denominator for a successful crop is the weather, and this equaled a negative for this year's summer produce crop in the Palmetto State. That's because a devastating late May heatwave brought temperatures up to a high ..read more

South Carolina’s freshwater lakes and ponds are as vibrant as they come, full of pretty plants with pretty names like water primrose and water hyacinth. The only trouble is, these plants shouldn’t be here ..read more

The Miss South Carolina Teen pageant was held June 28 th and the Miss South Carolina Pageant took place on June 29 th . However, the journeys of pagent contestants began long before and each one goes to great lengths to prepare for a statewide stage. Aside from the pageant night, contestants put in many hours behind the scenes in their communities. Most of the contestants’ work takes place off the stage as they give back to the communities that have helped them. And each contestant must develop a platform that exemplifies a cause she cares about within her local area. Miss Camden Teen, Maggie ..read more

The film industry provides much needed economic impact for South Carolina, netting $61 million in revenue for the state in 2018. The revenue is generated through the South Carolina Film Commission, which provides a $15 million dollar annual subsidy to filmmakers. The subsidy is funneled to the state's film commission through the state's government. The goal of the subsidy, called film incentives, is to financially reward filmmakers for shooting in the Palmetto State, whether they are residents or from out of state. By investing in filmmakers, the state can then net a return profit. Tom Clark ..read more