By Liesha Huffstetler-Wessinger How did the German immigrants get their land from King George?  It was called a “Kings Land Grant, and some of us “1752 locals” know the location our ancestor’s original land grant.   A rare few live on that land granted to the family 273 years later. TheyContinue Reading

By Radley West The Two Most Detrimental and Overused Phrases in American Culture Today: “It’s Not Fair” and “I Deserve It.” In a time when motivational quotes plaster our screens and self-help slogans promise quick fixes, two seemingly harmless phrases are quietly chipping away at the very fabric of resilienceContinue Reading

By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Photographs speak if you listen to them. That curling, cracked Polaroid of your deceased uncle and aunt tells a story as surely as the photos of Iwo Jima and V-J Day in Times Square images do. A world entire lives inside the four wallsContinue Reading

By Liesha Wessinger-Huffstetler Gandy’s letter reveals some interesting information. He mentions John Wesley Lybrand, who moved to Aiken County and became rich. His granddaughter, Willa Lybrand Fulmer married Congressman Hampton Pitts Fulmer of Springfield, in Orangeburg County.  When Congressman Fulmer (1875-1944) died in office in 1944, she took over hisContinue Reading

By Mike DuBose In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, unwanted phone calls, texts, and emails have become more than just nuisances — they’re serious threats. From relentless telemarketers to cunning scammers, cyber thieves, robot callers, and criminals are constantly devising skillful ways to invade our privacy, steal money, and exploit personalContinue Reading

Red, messy, slick, and a trademark of the American South. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Drizzle drifted and spritzed as if it were January except it was October. Mists coated my camera. In its viewfinder red mud glistened in rain that slickened it to slip-sliding away status and thatContinue Reading

The stories passed down by the older and wiser ones create a fascinating oral history for those of us today. I have a copy of a 1980 letter by Lee Gandy, an area historian, who interviewed the older residents. I do not have a copy of his research or otherContinue Reading

The front entrance to New Hope Baptist Church, Lincolnton, Georgia. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net For the first time in my life I was alone in my church. The old Regulator wall clock ticked away as I ticked away the families who had walked through their last door. Ivys,Continue Reading

By Radley West When GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy first hit the market, I’ll be honest—I was skeptical. As a health and fitness professional with over 16 years of experience helping people build stronger, healthier lives, I’ve seen plenty of so-called “miracle” weight loss solutions come and go. MostContinue Reading

By Jennifer Tardy Even the most perfect nutrition plan can fall flat if your body is stuck in fight-or-flight mode. When you’re constantly in survival mode, your body doesn’t prioritize healing—it holds on to fat, suppresses digestion, and throws hormones out of balance. That’s why nervous system regulation is aContinue Reading

The Horaltic Pose By Tom Poland: A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Back roads never disappoint me. Such was the case with a road, paved just a tad, but deliciously dirt the rest of the way. As I suspected, its name, Sardis, comes from the Bible, though it could be a family name.Continue Reading

By Eileen Renders Regardless of where one lives, many of us suffer from allergy symptoms sometime during the year. For others, allergy symptoms are relentless throughout the year. Allergies can be in the form of pollen, pet dander, or bee venom. Allergies can also arise from specific foods, but doContinue Reading