Like the stock market, which has reached all-time highs in recent weeks, consumer confidence is high. And that same optimism is fueling the economic outlook for South Carolina for 2018. Economists Joey Von Nessen and Doug Woodward participated in a recent conference in Columbia, in which they predicted slow but steady growth of the economy in the coming year, at a rate of 2.1 percent. Personal income should be rise to 4.3%, up from 3.8%, said Von Nessen. The experts said large companies have

The Real I.D. Act of 2005 was passed by Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks to standardize government-issued identifications, like drivers' licenses, for security purposes. Beginning in 2018, South Carolinians will be able to get a Real I.D., which they must have by Oct. 1, 2020, in order to do activities such as board a commercial airplane, visit a secure federal building or a military post. S.C. Dept. of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Lauren Phillips and Fort Jackson Director of Emergency

Over the past decade or so, the ukulele has grown tremendously in popularity among a wide variety of people, helped by its use by popular artists such as Jason Mraz and Ingrid Michaelson. The trend hit the Midlands recently when University of South Carolina music student Tim Hall got a grant to start the Cola (not Columbia, though that’s where it’s located) Ukulele Band. Since its beginning, the band has attracted members of all ages, from elementary school children to grandparents. Hall’s

The Palmetto State has a prestigious name in the world of publishing: the University of South Carolina Press. Because it’s a non-profit, it can publish scholarly books on important subjects that would not make a profit for commercial publishers, according to Suzanne Axland. But that doesn’t mean the press doesn’t publish for the general interest. It prints a wide variety of books on art, history, Southern culture, beautiful photography and more, even novels, says Axland. Columbia writer Tom

Winter is an especially difficult time of year for unhoused South Carolinians. As temperatures dip below freezing throughout the season, the threat of hypothermia is ever-present. That’s why several nonprofits in the Midlands have forged together each winter since 2014 to sponsor Columbia’s Inclement Weather Center (IWC), open from November 1 to March 31 on nights when the temperature is 40 degrees or below. The City of Columbia contracts with The United Way to run the center, in partnership

In February and March 1945, one of the most significant battles of World War II took place: Iwo Jima, just 760 miles from Tokyo itself. Among the 70,000 marines assigned to the operation was 19-year-old Marvin Veronee of Charleston, a navy gunfire officer who went ashore with the Marines to call in fire from warships stationed off the coast when he found good targets. 75 years later, a 93-year-old Veronee recalls his duties in the battle, his narrow scrape with a Japanese banzai charge ( a

For those who love military history, the date September 28, now carries an additional significance. It’s the date Cpl. Freddie Stowers was killed in battle. Stowers was an Anderson County native and a member of the 371 st Infantry Regiment, the first African-American unit to train at then Camp Jackson. The date now also represents the placing of the first historic marker in the country to honor and recognize this unit. Grantham says 500 or more graves could be buried at the cemetery; not all of

Most men don’t frequent beauty parlors, but Arthur “Cotton” Erskine of West Columbia visits his every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas to prepare his hair and long beard for a role he’s portrayed for years: Santa Claus. “Santa Cotton,” as he is known, becomes the Jolly Old Elf for events such as Christmas parades, private photo sessions and store appearances, sometimes with as many as six appointments a day. He is “Ho Ho” to his grandchildren, and here he discusses the fun of dealing with

Next week state officials expect the U.S. Census Bureau to officially estimate that the state’s population has passed the five million mark. In fact, they believe the state reached that milestone back on June 8 th . Officials estimate that the state is growing by 157 people a day making it one of the fastest growing states in the country. And it’s growing really fast. It took 67 years for the state to grow by a million people, from one million to two million. It took just 17 years though to grow

Last month, the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season finally came to a close. From June 1 to Nov. 30, South Carolinians were encouraged by SCEMD and other state agencies to be on high alert, especially after the severe storm impacts the state received during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Now that hurricane season has wrapped up, we called on John Qualiariello, a Columbia-based meteorologist for the National Weather Service, to reflect. “2017 turned out to be a very active season. We had 16 named storms.