Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. That appears to be the case with the effort to clean up the "gateway" to Chester.

Thanks to misguided efforts to marginalize immigrants living in America, hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens and legal residents will not benefit from stimulus checks now being distributed by the government.

Many who use computers on a regular basis know an e-mail scam when they see one. But some don't, and the elderly can be more susceptible to deals that are too good to be true.

Discussions at a recent budget workshop indicate York County officials were listening to complaints about procedures at the county's animal shelter and that changes are likely.

State lawmakers must be just as uncertain as we are about the wider implications of becoming the first state to adopt the next generation of broadband communication and who should have access if it does.

The proposal to enlarge the main water pipe serving the Fort Mill area seems timely. With growth likely to continue unabated and the chance to tie the installation of the new pipe to the replace-ment of the bridge at U.S. 21, looking at options now is a smart move.

The Fort Mill school board last week voted to eliminate its annual $3,000 bonus for district teachers who apply or achieve National Board Teacher Certification. The reason: Less money for school operations because of the state's new Property Tax Relief law.

State senators recently approved a sensible bill that would require South Carolina teens to complete a special driver safety course before getting their conditional licenses. Unfortu-nately, the next day, the state House killed a measure that would have prohibited beginner drivers from talking on cell phones while driving.

Don't forget to leave food for your mail carrier to pick up on Saturday for the U.S. Postal Food Drive.

The state Senate has passed an eminently sensible bill to raise the cigarette tax by 50 cents per pack. We hope Gov. Mark Sanford's meddling won't derail the plan.