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Brought to you by Every Day Gourmet, Camden’s local lunch spot since 1985. My Favorite Christmas Cookie Hi! My name is Melissa Saavedra and I love everything there is about food! Join me as I share some of my favorite recipes. Let’s talk about nostalgia. Nothing takes me back more to my childhood Christmas days than the nutty finger. Some people call them pecan fingers, wedding cookies, or lady fingers. My Gramma’s neighbor would make all sorts of cookies for the holidays, and my absolute favorite was that nutty finger. I also have to say she made the best fried chicken I’ve ever had, and she never shared any of her recipes! I remember stuffing my pockets with those delicate powdered delights. While I don’t have her exact recipe, I found one that replicates the flavor pretty darn close! Enjoy! Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
The Community Medical Clinic of Kershaw County recognized longtime supporters and celebrated patient progress last week during its annual Coffee at the Clinic event. Organized by the clinic’s Auxiliary Board of Advisors, the gathering celebrated partnerships, volunteer engagement and patient commitment that directly support access to care for local residents. CEO Charlotte Rankin opened the morning by thanking volunteers and supporters who assist throughout the year. Auxiliary members were recognized for organizing events and assisting with outreach efforts, while additional volunteer groups that coordinate both the Attic Sale and the Truesdale Farm Plant Sale were credited with helping raise thousands of dollars annually for clinic operations. Two formal awards were presented during the event: the Pinnacle Partner Award and the Pinnacle of Health Award. McDonald’s, operated locally by Sensor Enterprises, received the Pinnacle Partner Award for 2025. Former CEO Susan Witkowski presented the recognition and said the relationship began nearly
Pine Tree Hill Elementary has named third-grade teacher Mary Vannatter as its 2025-26 Teacher of the Year. Although she is not one to seek recognition, school leaders said the honor reflects her impact in the classroom and her leadership within the school community.
Camden, SC – December 2, 2025: The City of Camden is proud to announce that the Camden Police Department has earned the Sexual Assault Forensic Excellence (SAFE) Designation, a statewide honor awarded to agencies that demonstrate exceptional standards of care, trauma-informed response, and coordinated support for sexual assault survivors. The designation was formally presented during the Camden City Council meeting on December 2, 2025, at Camden City Hall. This recognition reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to strengthening victim services, enhancing evidence-preservation practices, and ensuring that every survivor is met with the highest level of professionalism, compassion, and respect. Camden PD is also one of only 10 police departments in South Carolina to currently hold this designation. The statewide SAFE initiative is led by the Forensic Nurse Examiner Task Force, directed by the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network (SCVAN), in partnership with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, South Carolina Law
Lugoff-Elgin High School students recently participated in a Mindfulness & Movement event aimed at supporting both mental and physical well-being. The event featured activities such as chalk art, yoga and line dancing, all designed to encourage self-care and stress relief. Students spent the day creating colorful artwork, practicing mindful movement and taking part in activities that promoted emotional balance. The event was organized by school nurse Janie Unsworth, counselor Melissa Greene and the Lugoff-Elgin High School Wellness Club, who worked together to create an uplifting, engaging experience for students.
Mr. Burris, Mr. Clark, and Mrs. Haudenshild’s Personal Finance classes at Lugoff-Elgin High School recently took a hands-on approach to financial literacy with a visit to Woolard Technology Center for Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina’s “Finance Park” simulation. After studying key concepts like income, taxes, savings, and budgeting in class, students put their knowledge to the test by making real-world financial decisions. Working alongside community volunteers, they created and followed a monthly budget while learning how to live within their means and achieve their financial goals. Throughout the day, students rotated through 20 budget categories including housing, transportation, groceries, health insurance, and entertainment to gain insight into how everyday choices impact financial stability through group discussions. By the end of the experience, students walked away with a deeper understanding of how to manage money wisely…a valuable step toward lifelong financial success.
During the Kershaw County Council meeting Nov. 18, the council voted to name the newly completed boat ramp at the Wateree River Veterans Park, the Medal of Honor Boat Ramp. During the discussion of the motion made by Chairman Ben Connell, councilman Jimmy Jones, who acknowledged that he had never supported the park, announced that he was voting in favor of the name but also remarked that he expected the ramp to be kept spotless in keeping with the prestige of its name. Kershaw County can boast that no other county in South Carolina has more than its four Medal of Honor recipients: John C. Villepigue and Richmond H. Hilton, both for World War I, Donald L. Truesdell, for his actions in Nicaragua in 1932, and Sergeant Major Thomas Patrick Payne for his actions during a hostage rescue mission in Iraq in 2015. A ribbon cutting was held on Wednesday, Nov. 19,
The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office is officially CALEA Accredited for the first time in history! Representatives from the KCSO attended the CALEA Conference in Jacksonville, FL, where they completed the final review for international accreditation. KCSO now joins less than 5% of U.S. law enforcement agencies that hold this prestigious honor. Even better — KCSO will continue to maintain our South Carolina State Accreditation, making them a Dual Accredited agency! Sheriff Lee Boan shared, “To say we are proud would be an understatement. This could not have been achieved without our Accreditation Manager, Sgt. Misty Burroughs, and the buy-in from all our deputies.”
Tucked away just off Highway 521 lies one of Kershaw County’s most extraordinary hidden gems: the Nature as Teacher Preserve. Even on a cold, rainy afternoon, its beauty shone through. The mist softened the trees, the creek hummed quietly below, and within minutes I felt transported—back to childhood afternoons when I used to roam through the woods behind my grandparents’ house in Cassatt. But Nature as Teacher is more than nostalgia. It’s an 853-acre outdoor classroom that was donated to Clemson University by Margaret “Peggy” Lloyd. It’s where children wade through creeks collecting macroinvertebrates, measure stream health with real scientific tools, and learn lessons that can’t be taught inside four walls. It’s a place where education happens on nature’s terms and where the land itself does the teaching. Directions to the Nature as Teacher Preserve From the Walmart in Camden, head north on Springdale Drive. At the bend, turn left
In an era when stories travel faster than facts, historian Dr. Jim Piecuch has spent three decades slowing the narrative down one footnote at a time. Last month, the Camden scholar received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, for a lifetime of research that challenges myths and corrects the record of America’s founding battles. Piecuch, whose work focuses on colonial and Revolutionary America, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of New Hampshire and his doctorate from the College of William & Mary. Piecuch has written extensively on the Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution and the people who shaped them. His books include Three Peoples, One King: Loyalists, Indians, and Slaves in the Revolutionary South, 1775–1782; Cavalry of the American Revolution; The Battle of Camden: A Documentary History; South Carolina Provincials, Loyalists in British Service During the American Revolution and The
By Clarrissa Glowe Director, Kershaw County Humane Society Kershaw County Humane Society is in dire need of fosters, adopters, volunteers and legislators who care about the animals. The staff are amazing and working all hours to protect our Resident and County animals. But it unfortunately does not stop the daily intake of strays, surrendered and abandoned animals. Our community Shelter are unfortunately always operating at TRIPLE their capacity levels. The county should be proud of their shelter, very proud. But not proud of those intake numbers. They need help. And the staff that carry all those innocent lives need help. The staff are heros. Forgotten heros. Proud does not cut it in this day of disposable, abandoned, neglected and abused animals. On a daily basis, the shelter takes in dogs and cats denied the very basic care all animals deserve. Basic care means consistent food, clean water, shelter from the
By Laurie Parks Hello, it’s me again! Laurie, your local film buff and movieholic. Those who don’t know me wouldn’t know that there are not too many movies out there that I haven’t seen. From old black and white classics to 70’s slashers, with a few historic rom-coms thrown in, I am a certified cinephile! I do not take for granted that we are living in the age of instant gratification and can stream almost anything, including new releases currently in the theater, from the comfort of our own home. I am old enough to remember that if we missed seeing a film in the theaters, we had to wait sometimes years before we’d get a second chance on television. With all that being said, Thanksgiving is actually a difficult genre to pull movies from. Most are just too sappy for my taste, and the rest are just depressing. Yes,
Leeks with Cream Sauce Hi! My name is Melissa Saavedra and I love everything there is about food! Join me as I share some of my favorite recipes. One of my favorite vegetables to cook with is leeks. They are just so versatile. You can bake them with chicken thighs, use them in soups, cream them or bake them by themselves in light white wine cream sauce for a delicious side. That’s what I’m sharing today. I came across it on Instagram, meant to save it, and thankfully, a friend sent it to me so I wouldn’t miss it. I rewatched the video and decided I’d make it the next day—and I did. Enjoy! Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs of leeks trimmed, cut into 1 1/2 in- 2 in pieces 3 tbs Butter + 3 more tbs for dotting Salt 2 tsp Anchovy paste 1 tbs Fresh tarragon 1/2 cup white wine
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