Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
Sports

Luke Catoe leads Barnwell JV soccer into 2025 season

Coach Luke Catoe has been coaching soccer in Barnwell for 20 years.
For those of you unfamiliar with Barnwell soccer, there is one name who has been a part of Barnwell High School soccer for the last 20 years. That name is Luke Catoe. Coach Catoe has served as junior …
VARSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SCHEDULE
BASEBALL Wednesday, March 12 • Williston-Elko @ Edisto 7:00 • Barnwell @ Saluda 6:00 Thursday, March 13 • Whale Branch @ JDA 6:00 • Williston-Elko @ Edisto 7:00 Friday, March 14 …
The Warhorse dugout had a lot to cheer about after winning two games Sunday to start the Wood Bat Tournament and the 2025 season off the right way for the Horses.
Barnwell baseball plays in Wood Bat Tournament
The 2025 Barnwell High School boys baseball season is officially underway. The Warhorses are competing in the Woodland Wood Bat Classic. That’s right, the Wood Bat Classic features the old …
New Blackville-Hilda Hawks football head coach Geremy Sitz is pictured with his son, CG Saitz Jr.
Geremy Saitz to lead Hawks football
The Blackville-Hilda Hawks football team will have a new leader when they take the field this August.  Geremy Saitz was named the new head football coach for the Blackville-Hilda Hawks. …
The Andrew Jackson Academy Warriors finished the year as SCISA AA State Runners Up for the 202402025 season.
Andrew Jackson Academy competes at SCISA AA State Championship
The 2025 Andrew Jackson Academy Warriors boys basketball team earned their way to the South Carolina Independent Schools AA State Championship game this past Saturday, February 22.  The …
Obituaries
Caleb Hartzog Sr.
Caleb Hartzog Sr.
BAMBERG - Caleb Elias Hartzog Sr., 85, of Bamberg, S.C. passed away at home surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Born in Bamberg County, S.C., he was a son of the late …
Elizabeth “Lib” Gibson
Elizabeth “Lib” Gibson
BLACKVILLE - Mary Elizabeth “Lib” Martin Gibson, 93, of Blackville, S.C. passed away on Monday, March 10, 2025. Born in Barnwell County, S.C., she was a daughter of the late Miledge …
Jake Elbert Creech
Jake Elbert Creech
SLEYTOWN - Jake Elbert Creech, 81, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Elbert was born on January 30, 1944 at his family home in Barnwell, S.C. to the late Clyde Samuel Creech and …
Willie David Hartzog
Willie David Hartzog
HILDA - Willie David Hartzog, age 79, of Hilda, South Carolina passed away at his home on March 7, 2025. David was born on March 12, 1945 to the late George Wesley Hartzog and Dorothy Lyons …
Sonya Padgett-Collins
Sonya Padgett-Collins
BRUNSON - Sonya Padgett-Collins, a beloved mother, wife, sister, and friend, was born on June 5, 1965, in Hampton, South Carolina. She left this world to be with our Heavenly Father on March 4, 2025, …
Education

Winfield Heights Christian School crowns Valentine court

Winfield Heights Christian School’s 2025 Valentine Princess Willow-May Johnson (1st grade) and Prince Aiden Moore (K-3).

Two Bands of Barnwell County students earn seats at Honor Band Clinic

Two Barnwell County band students had amazing performances at the S.C. Region Band 2 Honor Band Clinic held February 21-22 at Lexington High School. Aubriel Anderson earned the 10th chair for junior …

Williston-Elko's JaKyia Mack receives LCMC scholarship

JaKyia Mack, a graduate of Williston-Elko High School, was presented a $700 scholarship by the LCMC (Lower Counties Ministerial Coalition) for the year 2024. She is pictured with the president of the …

Seven Williston-Elko High School students graduate early

Williston-Elko High School recognized seven students for graduating early on December 18, 2024 during a special celebration. Barnwell County School District Superintendent Dr. Crissie Stapleton …

Aimee Owens to attend prestigious 4-H summit

Aimee Owens, a sopho­more at Blackville-Hilda High School and a ded­i­cat­ed member of the 4-H community, has been sel­ect­ed to participate in the prestigious Ignite by 4-H …

Deadline for South Carolina State Fair college scholarships is March 15

The South Carolina State Fair’s Ride of Your Life Scholarship appli­ca­tion window will close soon and eligible South Carolina high school seniors are encouraged to apply. Now in its …

Groundbreaking marks milestone for FEMA 'Safe Room'

A decade-long vision for Barnwell County became a reality as community leaders, officials, and project contributors gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new FEMA Safe Room and …

Parents, educators discuss school cell phone ban

At the start of the January semester, all school districts in South Carolina were required to have a fully implemented no cell phone policy in every school.  This policy came after a …

Superintendent's Column: Building the Future

When it comes to designing a state-of-the-art Career and Technical Education (CTE) focused high school, the planning phase is just as critical as the final product. Every detail—from …

Williston Child Development Center now able to offer DSS scholarships

Dear Editor, I am pleased to announce that we have finally received our ABC Quality score for our Williston Child Development Center. While it is a “C” rating, this gives us the …
2024 Grads

Opinion
Dr. Crissie Stapleton is superintendent of the Barnwell County School District.

Strategic Planning: A key to effective school district operations

Effective school districts don’t succeed by chance—they thrive through careful planning, collaboration, and a shared vision for the future. Strategic planning is the cornerstone of this …

The Silent Epidemic: Synthetic Marijuana's Deadly Resurgence

Information coming from our county Alcohol and Drug agency Axis I is important to make sure Barnwell County citizens have the information, so here is some of it. Synthetic THC, the lab-made …
Phil Hudgins

Writer riding high with Mr. Rogers movie and book on dad

Tom Junod is living proof of the old saw that “good things come to those who wait.” He wrote a piece for Esquire magazine in 1998 and, 21 years later, that story became a movie. …
With the news that retailer JOANN Fabrics declared  bankruptcy  and announced the closure of all physical store locations, scammers are wasting no time setting up fake going out of business …
Imagine ending your day, exhausted from work or school, only to realize you have no bed to sleep in. For many children in Barnwell County, this is a heartbreaking reality.  Across our …
Entertainment
The cast of the Circle Theater's “The Red Velvet Cake War."

New play bakes up laughs at Circle Theatre

Circle Theatre’s new Southern comedy is a recipe for laughter. “The Red Velvet Cake War” focuses on the three Verdeen cousins – Gaynelle, Peaches and Jimmie Yyvette …

Free classes promote better choices, better health

Healthy eating and active living were celebrated December 11 at the Black- ville Community Center. Barnwell County Heal- ing Partners held a reunion for participants of their weekly …

CORDER'S CORNER: The Advantages of Ebooks

I used to only want tangible copies of books. However, I’m slowly coming around to enjoy- ing Kindle books more and more. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will always love print …
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What You Need to Know About Avian Influenza
(BPT) - America's poultry is at an unprecedented risk from avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. Specifically, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) poses the highest risk, which is a …
Why AI "Pop-Up" Tax Firms Are a Risky Bet for R&D Credits
Why AI "Pop-Up" Tax Firms Are a Risky Bet for R&D Credits
(NewsUSA) - Tax policy is set for a pivotal year and while most will focus on potential corporate tax rate changes, a new issue is emerging: the role of AI in tax preparation. Recently, an influx of …
Best films turning 50 in 2025
Stacker ranked the top 50 films turning 50 in 2025, providing a strong overview of the innovative and long-lasting impact of 1975 cinema.