Despite the destruction and misery caused by South Carolina’s historic 2015 flood, even that ill tide bore a tiny sliver of good on its waters. According to Bruce Campbell, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Palmetto State was in a drought before the flood. That was cured by the October rains that produced the flood. Campbell’s fellow hydrologist Alex Butler of the S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources said the state’s aquifers, or groundwater resources, had declined ever since the

Automation has been increasing in the Palmetto State’s factories for a long time, bringing with it fears of job losses for people whose jobs are vulnerable to being replaced by machines. But Roger Varin of Staubli Robotics, which makes robots for industry, says jobs are changing, but not necessarily vanishing. In fact, he asserts, automation creates jobs in some areas. Peter Brews, dean of USC’s Moore School of Business, agreed. He said what must happen to assure employment in the future is that

The deadline is fast- approaching for a health center in Williamsburg County to collect information from survivors of the October 2015 flood. Hope Health and the American Red Cross are looking for people in the area who are experiencing specific complications from mold. The information they collect will help residents get the medical care they need and potentially lead to more resources to help them fully recover the historic event. When the deadline for the survey passes, many flood victims

Technology Giant Siemens Corporation announced recently a technology grant worth nearly $630 million to the University of South Carolina College of Engineering and Computing. Officials say the grant provides computers, robotics, and software licensing as well as hardware to develop a “digital factory innovation lab” where students will model and test systems they may work on in the future. USC President Harris Pastides says students will graduate prepared for the high-tech jobs in the worldwide

South Carolina artist Peter Lenzo creates masterful sculpture that has gained the attention of collectors from across the country. His work draws inspiration from the traditionally African American art of face jugs and is currently on display at Columbia's If Art Gallery . South Carolina Public Radio's Haley Kellner talks with Peter Lenzo and gallery owner Wim Roefs about the Southern heritage and personal history behind Lenzo's work. Through June 24, If Art Gallery is featuring an exhibit of

On the night before the second Anniversary of the June 15, 2015 mass shooting that took the lives of nine worshippers at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, Reverend Eric Manning led the opening prayer at the Charleston Forum on Race. The forum is part of a series of events this month to commemorate the Emanuel 9 and to honor those who survived. In addition to remembering those who died, panel members discussed issues brought to greater attention because of the tragedy. South Carolina Public Radio

This week an internationally-acclaimed music event takes place in Columbia: The Southeastern Piano Festival, created and produced by University of South Carolina music professors Joseph Rackers and Marina Lomazov. Though its name sounds regional, in reality it draws high school applicants and world-class judge/performers from all across the United States and beyond. The producers tell us how they conceived the festival 15 years ago, and what attracts the finest applicants to vie for the 20 spots

Laura Wright of Saluda recently celebrated her 111th birthday. Friends and relatives, including her 96-year-old "baby sister," gathered to pay tribute to her long and well-lived life. A teacher for decades, Wright said her parents prepared and encouraged her and her siblings to get an education and contribute to society. Her friend Costena Kelly cited "Miss Laura" as a role model, saying "She always said 'be a lady. Carry yourself as a lady.' That’s instilled in me." Asked how she has lived such

Perhaps as much as 50 to 60 percent of South Carolinians do not have a will. According to attorney Bert Brannon, a will is a person’s last chance to say what he or she wants to happen to his/her possessions, so it should be taken seriously. Brannon and Richland County Probate Judge Amy McCullough name some reasons why people put off making a will, and why not leaving a will is a really bad idea. While It has no effect on the deceased at all, it can cause untold distress and trouble for those

June 1967 heralded the Summer of Love, when tens of thousands of America’s young people headed to San Francisco with flowers in their hair. The Monterrey Pop Festival was the first major rock event of its kind, and brought wider attention to emerging artists such as The Who, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Big Brother and the Holding Company, with its electrifying singer, Janis Joplin. USC historian Lauren Sklaroff says San Francisco had long been a place where people who felt like outsiders