What was once a routine way to pay your bills — handwriting paper checks at the kitchen table, dropping envelopes into a blue metal box on the street — has become a high-risk endeavor: It provides the raw materials for low-level fraud artists and sophisticated crime rings, costing financial institutions billions. It has put banks […]

Pickleball is fun, social and friendly! The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game. Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two players (singles) or four players (doubles) hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high (0.86 […]

Polo first arrived in Aiken in 1882, just six years after the game was introduced to this side of the Atlantic. Over the next years, the sport became an integral part of Winter Colony society, attracting many of the best players in the country and the world. By World War II, Aiken was the acknowledged […]

John Boyette picked a heck of a time to step away from the sports desk. After serving as sports editor at The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia, for almost 20 years, Boyette took over in late 2019 as executive editor of his hometown newspaper, The Aiken Standard, in neighboring Aiken, South Carolina. But in Augusta […]

Robert Bank, MD, was appointed acting director of the South Carolina of Mental Health by the South Carolina Mental Health Commission in September of 2022. Dr. Bank, who began his career at SCDMH as Chief of Outpatient Services and Psychiatric Training director at William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute in 1982, has served the Agency in […]

Hardee has served over 30 years in education in South Carolina, including 15 at Central Carolina Technical College. He has been honored by Coastal Carolina University with the Outstanding Alumni award as well as the Sumter Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Achievement Award. Prior to entering higher education administration 15 years ago, he served as a […]

Ryan Pitts is a former United States Army soldier and the ninth living recipient of the Medal of Honor from the War in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts joined the Army in 2003, at the age of 17 under the delayed entry program. He attended basic training and advanced individual training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. […]

Acute Care Crisis Stabilization Program About Aurora Pavilion Behavioral Health Services Since 1991, Aurora Pavilion Behavioral Health Services has brought renewed hope for those suffering from emotional, behavioral and addiction problems. The 62-bed facility, located on the campus of Aiken Regional Medical Centers, is accredited by The Joint Commission. The facility offers comprehensive, individualized treatment […]

Dr. Mahan received a bachelor of arts degree from the College of Charleston and a master of arts degree and a doctor of philosophy degree in Higher Education Administration from USC Columbia. Before his current position, Mahan was the vice president for academics at Northeastern Technical College. He began his career as a history instructor […]