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The Orangeburg Times and Democrat (1881-present) serves as a portal into Orangeburg and surrounding counties.

Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growl...
22/07/2025

Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice of heavy metal, has died.

An incident involving Florida deputies violently arresting a Black man during a traffic stop sparks outrage and allegati...
22/07/2025

An incident involving Florida deputies violently arresting a Black man during a traffic stop sparks outrage and allegations of police brutality. Investigation ongoing.

As technology advances, demand grows for specialized jobs in engineering, science, and tech. Many roles earning 6 figure...
22/07/2025

As technology advances, demand grows for specialized jobs in engineering, science, and tech. Many roles earning 6 figures are projected to see rapid growth over the next decade.

Stacker ranked the top 50 fastest-growing jobs earning over $100,000 annually using 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

SC STATE FOOTBALL: Bulldogs picked to finish first in MEAC
22/07/2025

SC STATE FOOTBALL: Bulldogs picked to finish first in MEAC

MEAC Coaches and SIDs have predicted South Carolina State to repeat as conference champions at MEAC Media Day Tuesday in Baltimore. The Bulldogs finished two votes ahead of second-place North Carolina Central.

The bill will impact nearly all student loan borrowers. Here are the eight top takeaways to know.
22/07/2025

The bill will impact nearly all student loan borrowers. Here are the eight top takeaways to know.

Speaker Johnson refuses to allow Epstein vote as House set to recess early
22/07/2025

Speaker Johnson refuses to allow Epstein vote as House set to recess early

House Speaker Mike Johnson's stance seemed unlikely to satisfy many Republicans who are threatening to support a bipartisan bill to pry information from the Justice Department.

Coca-Cola said Tuesday it will add a cane-sugar version of its trademark cola to its U.S. lineup this fall, confirming a...
22/07/2025

Coca-Cola said Tuesday it will add a cane-sugar version of its trademark cola to its U.S. lineup this fall, confirming a recent announcement by President Trump.

🎧 Get the latest national, international, sports and entertainment news on our daily podcast.
22/07/2025

🎧 Get the latest national, international, sports and entertainment news on our daily podcast.

Families of missing loved ones face a unique and agonizing grief called ambiguous loss. Experts explain this as the pain...
22/07/2025

Families of missing loved ones face a unique and agonizing grief called ambiguous loss. Experts explain this as the pain of uncertainty when a loved one's fate is unknown.

An Orangeburg woman is accused of not seeking immediate medical attention after one of her children allegedly injured an...
22/07/2025

An Orangeburg woman is accused of not seeking immediate medical attention after one of her children allegedly injured another one while they were alone.

Two friends left the Kollege Klub bar near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus early Saturday morning when one of...
22/07/2025

Two friends left the Kollege Klub bar near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus early Saturday morning when one of them thought she recognized Chris Martin.

Florence police respond to report of stabbing
22/07/2025

Florence police respond to report of stabbing

Florence Police Department officers are at the scene of incident at 240 N Coit St.

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The Orangeburg Times and Democrat (1881-present) serves as a portal into Orangeburg and surrounding counties.

The Times and Democrat traces its history to the October 1881 merger of The Orangeburg Democrat and The Orangeburg Times. It also has ties to four other newspapers born in the aftermath of the American Civil War: The Southron, The Tax-Payer, The Edisto Clarion and The Orangeburg News and Times. Like most newspapers of the South during Reconstruction, the Orangeburg publications were embroiled in political doctrines. The Orangeburg News, for instance, was organized as a newspaper of the Democrats but later made the bold move of becoming a newspaper of the Republicans.

Into this milieu came James L. Sims. The Charleston, South Carolina, native learned the printing trade at The Charleston Courier and subsequently purchased an interest in The Spartanburg Herald. When his wife died, Sims sold his interest and moved to Orangeburg. In 1878, he purchased The Edisto Clarion, successor to The Tax-Payer, and changed its name again, to The Orangeburg Democrat. Sims' editor at the Democrat was Stiles R. Mellichamp, who after a short period left to start his own newspaper, The Orangeburg Times. In 1881, Sims and Mellichamp came together again to merge their newspapers into The Times and Democrat.

A close Orangeburg newspaper colleague of Sims in those early days was Hugo S. Sheridan. Some years later, Sims married Sheridan's daughter. From this marriage came four sons, three of whom were involved in the paper. James Izlar Sims, the oldest, dropped out of school at age 14 to work at The Times and Democrat.