Features

Don’t let his modesty fool you. Frank Maguire is a winner.

Maguire recently came in first in the 5K (3.1 miles) run at the S.C. Senior Games in Florence, bringing home the gold in the age 65-69 group this year.

“My wife, Donna, was the first female finisher in that race as well,” he said.

This was the first time the Maguires competed in the state Senior Games.

Maguire said they have run many short races, but “our real running love is distance running.”

Residents of Sun City Carolina Lakes recently joined thousands of neighborhoods across America in the 29th annual Neighborhood Night Out, held Aug. 7. Community residents came together to enjoy the evening with Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile and the SWAT team, firefighters, EMS and Rescue Squad from Indian Land, the American Red Cross Disaster Response Unit and the Pink Tow Truck serving the Indian Land area.

S.C. House Rep. Deborah Long and S.C. Sen. Greg Gregory joined the community and visited with residents.

Mild, sunny days, a chance of showers in the afternoon – weather like that means one thing for farmers and plant lovers – spring planting time is upon us.
Of course, if you’re a planting person, you already know that. You also know that there are slim pickings when it comes to nurseries around here.
That’s why you’ll be glad to know you now have another option – Griff’s Greenhouse and Nursery.

You’re looking to sell your house and have gone through a lot of the big checklist items.
Roof work, floor repairs and new paint may have been huge points of emphasis. Even the ceilings have received attention.
But what about curb appeal?
That phrase is used quite often in home-improvement circles, but what does it really mean and are you focusing on it?

from Scotts Miracle-Gro
When spring fever hits, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed with all the things you want to do in the yard. Here’s a simple list that will help you get your garden ready for good weather.  
You can start with this checklist as soon as weather permits.
If you can get these things done in the coming weeks, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying spring when it gets into full swing.

Jenny Cash Dennis would like to know exactly what this giant gourd-like vegetable or fruit is.

She said the plant came up as a "volunteer" in the chicken yard at her Dogwood Acres home this summer. The vine was about 20 feet long, but it only produced this one massive fruit or vegetable. It’s 2 feet long and weighs 25 pounds.

She’s holding up a regular crookneck squash next to it for comparison.

If you have any idea what it is, contact her at (803) 547-3872 or sonnyandjenny@comporium.net.
 

Summer is here and more cooks are moving outdoors. Whether you use gas or charcoal, cook beef, chicken or pork, everyone seems to enjoy those savory meats hot off the grill, as people have been doing for thousands of years.  
Not to be the ants at a picnic, but grilled food has been shown to increase the risk of cancer. Some nasty chemicals called heterocyclic amines or HCAs, similar to those found in cigarette smoke, are formed when high heat chars the meat.

Bereavement is a powerful, life-changing experience that most people find overwhelming the first time.
Although grief is a natural process of human life, most of us are not inherently able to manage it alone.
At the same time, others are often unable to provide aid or insight because of discomfort with the situation and the desire to avoid making things worse.
The following explains how some of our “normal” assumptions about grief may make it more difficult to deal with.
Five assumptions that may complicate grief

From the time of our birth until the time of our death, we all plan and experience many things in life: Education, marriage, children and retirement, but how many of us think about the inevitable – our death?
Making your wishes known prior to your death insures that you will have the type of funeral or memorial service you want. Planning ahead allows you to decide whether you want a traditional funeral with a full visitation, service and burial or whether you want to be cremated with a memorial service in celebration of your life.