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Your connection to industry & member news | May 29, 2025
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Friday is final day to enter PALMY Ad ContestTomorrow is the final day to enter submissions into the 2025 PALMY Ad Contest, which recognizes the state's brightest ad professionals and advertisers, and the impact they have made in their communities.
This contest is open to all active member newspapers, online news publications and associate members with a print or digital product.
Contact SCPA if you need your login information or have any questions about entering the contest.
Entries will be judged by members of the Kentucky Press Association in June.
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 | Editions of The Twin-City News published Aug. 26, 1960 (top), April 13, 1945 (center), and May 24, 1973 capture local and national news.
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| Twin-City News marks 100th year
This month, The Twin-City News commemorates its 100th year serving the Batesburg-Leesville community and its neighbors.
The newspaper was purchased in 1925 by William W. Bruner, whose family was looking to escape the economic devastation the boll weevil was causing in Wilkes County, Ga.
A newspaperman who held one-half interest in The New Reporter in Washington, Ga., Bruner and his oldest son, Wilburn, took to the road in search of newspapers for sale and stopped in Batesburg.
They encountered Mark Hazel, who owned the Summerland Creamery and sang the praises of the community.
When they learned The Summerland Headlight could be purchased, they made arrangements with Farmers Merchants Bank in Leesville. The pair commuted from Georgia – staying at the Commercial Hotel in Batesburg – to publish the newspaper until the family moved here in 1925.
After changing hands, the newspaper was published under its original name for two weeks, then was changed to The Twin-City News. Credit for the new name went to the late Bruner’s wife, Esther, who suggested it after learning Batesburg and Leesville were only two miles apart. Located in “no man’s land,” the owners thought the newspaper could create a closer relationship between the towns. This was one of the first times the term “Twin-City” was used, but in later years it was often included in business names.
Over the years, several newspapers have served the area – The Batesburg Herald, The Leesville News and The Summerland Headlight – but few survived longer than two years.
A story about the 81st anniversary from 2006 shares that shortly after the newspaper opened its doors, a farmer came in to buy a six-month subscription. He pulled 75 cents out of his pocket and said “Well, maybe this paper will last six months and I won’t lose any money.”
Records gleaned from The Twin-City News archives show that the Bruners rented the building at 114 E. Columbia Ave. in 1928 from W.K. Shealy, then purchased it a few years later. That same location is undergoing renovations expected to be completed within this year.
During the Depression, The Twin-City News became a family-operated business where “subscriptions were swapped for sweet potatoes, a chicken to go into the pot, a head of cabbage, or a slab of bacon. It fed the family, kept the newspaper alive, and its doors open as it struggled along with the rest of the nation to survive,” reads a story from Nov. 28, 1996.
From The Twin-City News | Read more
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 | Tami Rodgers celebrates her retirement with family and friends at Brown's Bar-B-Que. Pictured left to right: Legrand Rodgers, Mary Gray Glick, Josh Rodgers, Tami Rodgers, Dave Rodgers, Abby Rodgers and Cory Knotts. (Photo by David Yeazell)
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| Rodgers retires after 32 years of “Making a Difference One Week at a Time”
After more than three decades at the helm of The News, longtime publisher Tami Rodgers has stepped down from her role, closing a chapter marked by creativity, dedication and community service.
Rodgers announced her retirement earlier this month after an ongoing battle with cancer. She leaves behind a legacy that helped shape this local newspaper.
At a recent retirement ceremony, Pierre Manigault, Chairman of the Board Evening Post Publishing, said Rodgers had been the face of the newspaper in Kingstree.
She began her career in December of 1992 as a full-time sales representative, hired by then-publisher, Vickey Boyd. Rodgers continued her position in sales for five years before becoming Graphics Coordinator and Advertising Manager.
In 2001, she won the coveted 2000 Paul League Award for Best Overall Advertising for the paper’s division. The following year she received the award once again. For two years in a row, Rodgers captured the award that only two newspapers in the state receive annually from the South Carolina Press Association.
Remarkably, The News also won this prestigious award in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Altogether, Rodgers won over 120 advertising awards in her career. In 2002, she was tapped as operations manager and in 2005 she was named publisher of The News.
Rodgers coined the paper’s enduring slogan: “Making a Difference One Week at a Time.” Those eight words became more than a motto; they became a mission statement and guiding philosophy.
By Belinda Lee Cobb, The News | Read more
Related: Saying Goodbye (By Tami Rodgers, The News)
“Thank you for celebrating this important milestone with me,” Rodgers said. “It is not under the circumstances that I would have liked it to be, but God has a plan. This has been my life and my career, and this newspaper means so much to me. I love Kingstree so much. If I didn’t believe in this newspaper, I would not have chosen this path. It’s not a job when you love what you do. I look forward to spending time with my family, my friends and my church family.”
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 Employees of Uptown Social walk the bar at midnight to shoot off confetti, toss napkins and fog the crowd as an event they call Nap Time. Every Friday and Saturday the Charleston bar staff celebrate Nap Time as a way to energize the partygoers on the weekend. (Andrew Whitaker/Post and Courier; from "King Street Nights")
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| Post and Courier tops division with 14 awards in national feature writing contest
The Post and Courier garnered the most honors of any newspaper in its division in a features journalism contest that recognizes the finest storytelling in the nation.
The Society for Features Journalism honored the newspaper with 14 awards, including five first-place finishes, for stories about the devastation from Hurricane Helene, Charleston's booming entertainment district, food criticism, a long-forgotten deep sea mining expedition and more.
It marked the fourth time in six years that The Post and Courier amassed the most awards in its division.
The Post and Courier staff took top honors in the special product category for their innovative "King Street Nights" project, which involved reporters and photographers heading into the chaos of Charleston nightlife to see what happens when 50,000 people descend into the city's entertainment district. The judges called the coverage "top-notch and creative. Wow. Just wow."
Reporters Tony Bartelme and Glenn Smith placed first in the longform general feature category for their piece on Helene's deadly march through the South in September. The judges praised the article for telling the story of Helene, "both the human and the weather details, with grace and empathy. A triumph of storytelling."
From The Post and Courier | Read more
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 | From left: Katrina Rice-Davis, Co-Owner/Co-Editor Tracy Sanders, Co-Owner/Co-Editor Vareva Harris, Karen Harden and Garrett Mitchell.
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| The Woodruff Times honored with 2025 Small Business
Impact Award
The Woodruff Times is proud to announce that it has been awarded the 2025 Small Business Impact Award for Spartanburg County by OneSpartanburg, Inc. The honor was presented on May 16 as part of the region's celebration of National Small Business Month.
This prestigious recognition celebrates the meaningful role The Woodruff Times plays in informing, connecting and serving the greater Woodruff community. From shining a light on local stories to supponing area businesses and organizations, the newspaper has remained a steadfast and passionate voice for the people of southern Spartanburg County.
"We are incredibly honored to receive this award," said the editorial team. "It reflects not only our mission as a local news source but also the strong relationships we've built with our readers, advertisers and neighbors. We couldn't do what we do without your support."
By Vareva Harris, The Woodruff Times | Read more
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Holmes
(Photo by Erin Turner)
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| Charleston Women magazine names Angel Passailaigue Holmes next managing editor
Charleston Women magazine, the region's premier guide to Charleston's women's scene, is proud to announce the appointment of Angel Passailaigue Holmes as managing editor. Holmes, a Charleston native and accomplished entrepreneur, will lead the magazine's continued evolution as it empowers women through inspiring stories, fashion coverage and celebration of local culture.
Holmes brings three decades of experience in event creation, community building and brand development to her new role. As founder of Sipindipity, The Brighter Side Society and the former Like Minded CHS, she has dedicated her career to creating transformative experiences and meaningful connections for ambitious women. Her impressive background includes serving as founding executive director of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, creating and producing BevCon Charleston and Los Angeles and creating and hosting the “Never Stop Dreaming BIGGIE” podcast.
From Charleston Women | Read more
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SCPA members can access free States Newsroom D.C. Bureau coverage
States Newsroom, the parent organization for the SC Daily Gazette and other nonprofit news sites across the country has an RSS feed that should make accessing D.C.'s coverage (which is also free to republish) easy.
States Newsroom’s Washington, D.C., Bureau fills a gap in today’s news reporting: coverage of the federal government with an intentional focus on how news developments will affect the states including trustworthy reporting of the U.S. Congress, White House and Supreme Court.
Like state-level news content, D.C. Bureau stories are free for you to republish. A new D.C. Bureau RSS feed will give your newsroom access to thorough, daily coverage of federal developments that affect readers. Here are more details.
SCPA members are also reminded that that all SC Daily Gazette coverage is available for republication through the Creative Commons license.
If you have questions about statewide coverage or the D.C. Bureau RSS feed, please contact Editor Seanna Adcox at sadcox@scdailygazette.com and (803) 767-8563.
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By Brandon Roberts, Summerville Communications
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| Your local newspaper matters — now more than ever
Every week, we deliver The Journal Scene with one goal: to keep you informed, connected and engaged with the community. In a time when national headlines dominate social media feeds and misinformation spreads faster than facts, your local newspaper remains one of the last trusted sources that puts Summerville first.
We don’t just report the news — we live here. We attend the meetings, cover high school sports, share your triumphs and struggles, and ask the hard questions on your behalf. From local elections to school board decisions, from new businesses opening their doors to neighbors rallying after a storm, The Journal Scene tells the stories that matter to you.
But here’s the truth: we can’t do it without your support. Read more
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