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July 03, 2009
July 4th, 2009: The Fight for Freedom in Cherokee County, SC
America’s patriotic celebrations, like July 4th, include many references to battles fought and sacrifices made in the name of freedom.
Even in our national anthem, we sing about “the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air.“
This holiday, thousands of our troops continue fighting a battle for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. Others are keeping an eye on rogue nations that would threaten the freedoms Americans cherish.
In Cherokee County, South Carolina, the threat to freedom is different but very real and serious.
June 29, 2009
A Great Night at Red, White and Boom
got to see Spartanburg’s “Red, White and Boom” in person this past Friday (June 26).
What a great night!
My wife and I returned from a beach vacation in time to take in the City of Spartanburg’s official Fourth of July celebration for the first time.
Remembering Ed, Billy, Michael and Farrah
It was quite the week for me to be on vacation.
And I’m not even talking about Mark Sanford’s confession.
This is about celebrity death… after death… after death… after death.
Here are my thoughts about the famous people who left us in late June.
June 17, 2009
Protecting Yourself During a Tornado: Safety Tips When Seconds Count
As much as we all wanted it to rain in the recent drought-ravaged years, many now hope for a break from it.
Our plentiful rain this season has often come during fast, destructive storms.
The storms Tuesday 6/16 left hundreds of families in Laurens County, SC and Cleveland County, NC, especially around Kings Mountain, with heavily damaged homes and other property and a long road to recovery.
I’ve covered my share of hurricanes and tornadoes.
Tornadoes scare me the most.
June 09, 2009
The Stoplight I’ll Never Forget
How many times have you heard someone use the phrase, “My life flashed before my eyes.“
Add me to that group.
My life flashed before my eyes at a stoplight on Spartanburg’s west side recently.
May 15, 2009
The Sixth Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Savings Bank Triple Murder in Greer
Sometimes I see him in-person.
Other times we communicate via e-mail.
Around this time of year I make it a point, one way or the other, to be in touch with David Holtzclaw.
I talk with him as a journalist but also his friend.
This is the sixth anniversary of the triple-murder and robbery at Blue Ridge Savings Bank in Greer.
May 14, 2009
Upstate Woman Wants to Find and Thank Couple Who Gave a Helping Hand
It’s always heartwarming to hear of people doing acts of kindness.
They happen far more often than we may notice or appreciate.
Recently a woman left me the following voicemail about a kindness she had received:
May 13, 2009
Proposed NC Smoking Ban Means the End of an Era But Healthier Surroundings
It’s another big example of how much my native North Carolina has changed.
The General Assembly has approved a smoking ban, and Governor Beverly Perdue says she will sign it into law.
That’s right. A smoking ban in the state where tobacco has been king for generations.
The ban applies to most restaurants and bars. Private clubs and cigar bars are excluded.
If you’re smoking and refuse to stop, you can be fined up to fifty dollars.
The ban would take effect January 2, 2010.
May 11, 2009
Graduation Day At Clemson
Another chapter of life.
My youngest daughter, Kayla, graduated from Clemson University on Friday 5/8/09. She has her degree in secondary education English.
Graduation Day holds many eventful and emotional moments.
May 01, 2009
Life by the Numbers
Numbers can help us understand better the significance of events in our lives.
And this is shaping up as a very big “numbers” year for my family and me.
Yesterday (4/30) was my birthday.
Birthday number 55!
To me, that -sounds- old.
April 30, 2009
Do Hand Sanitizers Protect You from the Flu?
As you shop for hand sanitizers to protect against H1N1 flu (better known as “swine flu”) or future outbreaks of the flu, remember this key figure: 60 percent.
Over the past week, News Channel 7 has given you mega-information about the H1N1 outbreak, including how to protect your family and yourself from the virus.
The protective action that’s at the top of everyone’s list is washing your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water.
But what about the scenario where you need to wash your hands, but there’s no restroom nearby?
April 28, 2009
Simple Ways to Win the Battle Against Swine Flu
For months I’ve kept a yellow container of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on my desk in the newsroom.
The label says the product “kills flu virus,“ specifically Influenza A2.
I’m not sure if it kills swine influenza A (H1N1), but it’s the best defense I have tonight.
I seldom use the wipes, but in light of the swine flu outbreak, I decided it was time to sanitize my telephone, computer keyboard and desk surface.
I opened the container of wipes.
From a container of 35, only one wipe was left.
April 27, 2009
Duncan Park Walk was like Visiting an Old Friend
The 2009 “Walk for Babies” Spartanburg fundraiser for the March of Dimes was held this past Saturday (4/25).
I was one of the emcees and one of the walkers.
For me, it was like visiting an old friend.
That friend was Duncan Park.
April 21, 2009
Two Years into My Sleep Apnea Treatment: An Update
April 2009 makes two years since I began using an oral appliance to treat my sleep apnea, and I thought I would bring you up-to-date.
Let me begin by thanking the many News Channel 7 viewers, friends and other caring people who inquire frequently about my sleep apnea. I often receive news releases, comments and other e-mails from the community that begin by asking how I’m doing. I appreciate this so very much.
April 02, 2009
Food Banks Need Our Constant Support
Even during hard times, people have to eat.
And it is heartwarming to see the public support local food banks are receiving.
Over the weekend and again on Monday 3/30, News Channel 7 told you about the “Food From the Heart” food drive that was going on in the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina.
My wife and I encountered it first hand as we made a grocery stop at the Cedar Spring Bi-Lo in Spartanburg during Saturday’s rain.
March 26, 2009
Tom’s Tips for Making Your Yard the Jewel of the Neighborhood
Yardwork is one of the household jobs I truly don’t mind. A well-manicured yard takes a lot of work, but it’s beautiful to behold.
The internet contains many websites with advice for taking care of your lawn. I visited http://landscaping.about.com and found some great ideas. I’ve summarized them and added a few of my own:
1. Deep rake to remove thatch (I have a special rake for this. It’s a workout, but it gets rid of dead undergrowth to help your lawn breathe. You’ll need to remove the piles of thatch with a regular rake).
March 23, 2009
I Long For Another “Game of Games” in the NCAA
I’ve been a basketball junkie nearly all my years. Player, fan, collector of memorabilia. Basketball is one of the loves of my life.
For this warm weather guy, the only thing that makes winter tolerable is a comfortable spot in front of a warm television set, watching Atlantic Coast Conference teams go at it on the court.
And as I watch the NCAA brackets, I’m hoping for a golden moment every ACC fan wants.
A third game this season between Duke University and the University of North Carolina.
March 16, 2009
Turning Back the Clock at Docs Who Rock
Prior to this past Saturday night (3/14/09), I hadn’t performed in a Battle of the Bands since I was in the 7th grade. We’re talking 1967-68.
It was wonderful to turn back the clock at the first annual Docs Who Rock in Spartanburg.
My band “Rock and Roll Reunion” was among the eleven acts.
Man, what a great night!
March 10, 2009
“One Dad and a Truck” Hits a New Milestone in ‘09
I finally feel recovered from the most strenuous workout I’ve had in a long time.
I’ve had 10 workouts similar to this one since 2000.
That’s how many times my oldest daughter, Lauren, has moved.
Ten times since 2000, the year she graduated from high school.
Some of South Carolina’s Unclaimed Cash Could be Yours
I can’t imagine anything better during these difficult economic times than getting an unexpected check.
Maybe enough to pay bills, splurge a bit, or just put it away for a rainy day.
In a “7 On Your Side” special report last week, I told you about a state program that’s trying to return over $250 million to its rightful owners.
March 08, 2009
News Channel 7 Signal Restored To Some Viewers
News Channel 7 has restored its analog and digital signal.
February 27, 2009
Looking For Ways to Deal with Economic Stress?
You see it on faces everywhere.
You may see it in the mirror.
The face of stress.
You’re Invited to Hear the “Docs Who Rock” on March 14th
Doctors… who are rock stars!
See for yourself in Spartanburg at a fundraiser for a very worthy local cause.
Saturday, March 14th will be the first “Docs Who Rock” concert in Spartanburg. The event begins at 7 pm at the USC-Upstate Performing Arts Center. Bands and other musical performers (about a dozen in all) will participate in this “battle of the bands” style event.
Each musical act must include at least one doctor. In addition to various styles of music, there will be original songs poking fun at the medical profession.
February 05, 2009
The Reality of Perception Catches Up With Olympian Michael Phelps
Perception… is reality.
That phrase was voiced emphatically and frequently by my greatest mentor during my radio days, Tom Harrrell of WSTP-WRDX in Salisbury, North Carolina. He would use it to remind employees that whatever our stations were perceived to be by their listeners, that’s what they were, and we’d better make the perception a good one.
It can also be translated: you are whatever people perceive you to be.
Perception… is reality.
And the reality of perception is catching up with Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps.
January 29, 2009
New Help Available for Your Home DTV Set-Up
We began this week with every indication the DTV switch, the change from analog to digital television, would be delayed from February 17 to June 12. The U.S. Senate approved the nearly four-month delay, and industry experts predicted the House would follow suit.
Uh-uh, not so fast.
As we end the week, the original transition date, February 17, remains in place. The delay didn’t get the required two-thirds majority in the House. The bill could be revised, and both chambers could vote again, but it hasn’t happened yet.
We have to assume February 17, now less than three weeks away, will still be the big day.
And we need to get ready!
January 27, 2009
The Passing of Coach Kay Yow
The Atlantic Coast Conference runs deep in my family.
Both of my daughters will be graduates of Clemson University. My brother-in-law was a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill. I grew up in Orange County, North Carolina, home of UNC. My family’s farm is a short drive from Duke University, and I have been a Duke fan most of my life.
But my wife and I are graduates of North Carolina State University, and the Wolfpack family has suffered a terrible loss with the passing of Kay Yow, the Hall of Fame coach of the NCSU women’s basketball team.
This past Saturday she died of cancer at age 66. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. The disease recurred three times.
U.S. Senate Approves Four-Month Delay for DTV; Tentative New Deadline is June 12
Those of you wanting or needing more time to get ready for the switch to digital television are getting your wish. Today’s Senate vote delays the official switch to June 12.
January 23, 2009
My First Blood Donation of 2009
The folks at the Piedmont Blood Center in Spartanburg have asked me to remind you how badly your blood donations are needed.
I was there this week to make my first donation of 2009, and workers there tell me the economy is taking a toll on blood donations.
As more businesses close or reduce their workforce, there are fewer places to hold blood drives. Many of the textile mills and other major businesses that provided lots of blood donors in the past no longer exist.
Now, the blood bank relies more on community blood drives and appeals to the general public.
DTV: Congress Could Vote Next Week to Delay the Switch to Digital TV
Congress appears on the verge of doing again what it does best: delay.
And this time, the delay involves DTV and the long-scheduled, much-publicized switch from analog to digital TV broadcasting.
The U.S. Senate is set to vote next week (the week of January 26th) on the DTV Delay Act. It would postpone the switch to digital from February 17th until June 12th. Many in Congress believe millions of households need the extra time to get ready for the switch, plus the DTV coupon program could be put back on track (it ran out of money early this month).
But the delay isn’t a done deal. And until it is, we need to assume the original February 17th target date still has the green light.
January 20, 2009
Proud of Our “25 Days of Wishes”
Christmas was nearly a month ago, and I’m still feeling the holiday spirit, thanks to a special project community project by News Channel 7 and our “Caring for the Carolinas” partners.
I’m writing about it because I’m so glad we were able to help so many people.
Plus I’m very proud of News Channel 7 for doing it.
We called it “25 Days of Wishes.“ We asked viewers to write to us with their Christmas Wishes.
