Lake Murray News

01/16/2026

Hoops Action Galore in the Midlands During MLK Weekend

By Thomas Grant Jr. A full slate of high school basketball featuring several ranked Midlands teams is scheduled for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, with multiple tournaments and showcase events set to tip off across the region. Two Columbia high schools will host single-day boys and girls events on Saturday. Eau Claire High School will host the King’s Holiday Classic, featuring seven games throughout the day....

By Thomas Grant Jr. A full slate of high school basketball featuring several ranked Midlands teams is scheduled for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, with multiple tournaments and sho…

01/16/2026

Buddhist Monks on Walk for Peace Visit Columbia Area

Buddhist monks participating in the national Walk for Peace pilgrimage recently visited the Columbia area as part of their journey from Texas to Washington, D.C. The monks are traveling on foot to promote peace, compassion, and nonviolence through walking meditation and community engagement. During their time in the Midlands, they took part in several publicly scheduled gatherings, including a visit to the South Carolina State House....

Buddhist monks participating in the national Walk for Peace pilgrimage recently visited the Columbia area as part of their journey from Texas to Washington, D.C. The monks are traveling on foot to …

01/16/2026

Mackey, Pugh Re-elected Chair and Vice Chair

At its first regularly scheduled meeting of 2026, Richland County Council re-elected Councilwoman Jesica Mackey as chair and Councilman Derrek Pugh as vice chair. Mackey, who represents District 9, and Pugh, who represents District 2, are entering the second year of their second terms on County Council. Both were first elected in 2020 and won re-election in 2024. Richland County Council is comprised of 11 members, each elected from single-member districts to serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 1 following their election. Each January, Council members elect a chair and vice chair to serve one-year terms.

At its first regularly scheduled meeting of 2026, Richland County Council re-elected Councilwoman Jesica Mackey as chair and Councilman Derrek Pugh as vice chair. Mackey, who represents District 9,…

01/16/2026

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01/14/2026

Harbison Theatre Hosts Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner Tribute Saturday

IRMO — Fans of soul and rock music can celebrate the legendary sounds of Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner this Saturday, Jan. 17, at Harbison Theatre, when acclaimed vocalist Alfreda Gerald takes the stage for a special tribute performance. Gerald brings decades of international performance experience, having shared the stage with artists such as Cher, Celine Dion, Sir Elton John, Whitney Houston, Yanni, and Warren Haynes....

IRMO — Fans of soul and rock music can celebrate the legendary sounds of Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner this Saturday, Jan. 17, at Harbison Theatre, when acclaimed vocalist Alfreda Gerald ta…

01/14/2026

River Bluff boys get 2nd win of season

Photo by GoFlashwin.com By Thomas Grant Jr. Archrivals Lexington and River Bluff find themselves tied in the Region 4-5A standings for girls and boys basketball. The ninth-ranked Class 5A Division I Lady Wildcats suffered a 69-59 home loss to fourth-ranked Division II Irmo last Friday. It rebounded Tuesday with a 48-26 win over visiting Chapin. Photo by lexingtonhswildcats.com The same night saw the Lady Gators defeat White Knoll 54-40....

https://thelakemurraynews.net/river-bluff-boys-get-2nd-win-of-season/

Photo by GoFlashwin.com By Thomas Grant Jr. Archrivals Lexington and River Bluff find themselves tied in the Region 4-5A standings for girls and boys basketball. The ninth-ranked Class 5A Division …

01/14/2026

Education Impact: Magnet and choice applications are due

By Sarah Ostergaard LexRich5 Schools offers different programs at different schools. That said, most students attend their zoned school (and school zones are always a hot topic since Chapin is overcrowded, but the possibility of shifting school attendance lines toward Irmo causes much hooting and hollering) and families have the choice to apply to attend a different school with a particular focus area....

By Sarah Ostergaard LexRich5 Schools offers different programs at different schools. That said, most students attend their zoned school (and school zones are always a hot topic since Chapin is over…

01/14/2026

Small steps, big change

By Radley West “You don’t need to be extreme, just consistent.” When most people think about reaching their fitness goals, they picture big changes, intense training schedules, strict diets, and dramatic transformations. While those stories make great headlines, the truth is that most real success comes from something far less glamorous: consistency. Consistency is not about perfection. It’s about showing up, doing what you can, and making small improvements over time....

By Radley West “You don’t need to be extreme, just consistent.” When most people think about reaching their fitness goals, they picture big changes, intense training schedules, strict diets, and dr…

01/14/2026

Eating for Healing: A Simple Monthly Reset

By Jennifer Tardy You start the month feeling motivated and productive. Then, a couple of weeks in, your energy drops. You feel wired but exhausted, reach for caffeine, and wonder why your body suddenly feels sluggish. Many people assume low energy is a personal shortcoming—that if they pushed harder or stayed more motivated, they would feel better. In reality, sustained energy has less to do with willpower and more to do with physiology....

By Jennifer Tardy You start the month feeling motivated and productive. Then, a couple of weeks in, your energy drops. You feel wired but exhausted, reach for caffeine, and wonder why your body sud…

01/14/2026

Southern truth tellers

Pictured above is the author and James Dickey, June 24, 1995. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Each January, my thoughts turn to a fellow Georgian. James Dickey died January 19, 1997, of the same disease that took my mother’s life. On June 24, 1995, I interviewed Dickey for Reckon magazine, a literary journal no longer in existence. The interviewed covered Southern writing, how development was ruining the South, what’s worth writing about, and the dangers of alcohol....

https://thelakemurraynews.net/southern-truth-tellers/

Pictured above is the author and James Dickey, June 24, 1995. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Each January, my thoughts turn to a fellow Georgian. James Dickey died January 19, 1997, …

01/14/2026

School District Five Names Chad Raynor Principal of Piney Woods Elementary School

Former interim principal and longtime assistant administrator Chad Raynor succeeds Cassy Young, who was appointed the district’s coordinator of support staff. IRMO — School District Five has appointed Chad Raynor as the new principal of Piney Woods Elementary School. Raynor replaces Cassy Young, who was recently named the district’s coordinator of support staff. Raynor has served as interim principal at Piney Woods for the past two months....

Former interim principal and longtime assistant administrator Chad Raynor succeeds Cassy Young, who was appointed the district’s coordinator of support staff. IRMO — School District Fiv…

01/13/2026

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