Patrick McCreless

6 days ago | thestate.com | Patrick McCreless

Here are the 10 cheapest places to live in South Carolina. Elise Amendola AP If you want to buy a home in South Carolina, there are 10 cities you’ll want to consider if affordability is your main concern. The median home sales price in South Carolina has risen 0.9% to $335,000 so far in 2025 compared to last year, South Carolina Realtors statistics show. But while prices have been climbing overall, there are still places in the state that are far more affordable than others.

1 week ago | thestate.com | Patrick McCreless

Thunderstorms expected for Columbia area Friday afternoon. imagedepotpro Getty Images Columbia and the surrounding region should prepare for a line of strong thunderstorms to move through the area Friday afternoon, the latest forecasts show. According to the National Weather Service, the line of storms is expected to move into the area between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. from northwest to southeast.

1 week ago | thestate.com | Patrick McCreless

As summer nears, venomous copperheads in South Carolina will be out in full force, but more less-dangerous lookalikes will be too. Do you know their differences? Having such knowledge could help you and others avoid dangerous situations or prevent the killing of harmless, nonvenomous snakes. Many such snakes help keep rodent and pest populations under control, after all. Here’s how to identify copperhead snakes and their most common lookalikes in South Carolina.

1 week ago | thestate.com | Patrick McCreless

These are the safest hospitals in South Carolina for 2025. Getty Images | Royalty Free Getty Images/iStockphoto Hospitals in South Carolina are safer than in most other states overall, but they’re not all equal, a new report shows. The Leapfrog Group — a national nonprofit that has collected and published data on patient safety and quality care for more than two decades — recently released its spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades. Hospitals were scored with A through F letter grades.

1 week ago | thestate.com | Patrick McCreless

The Formosan Subterranean termite is an invasive species in South Carolina. Jimmy Chan pexels We are now deep into spring and nearing summer. Termites may now be deep into your home. Warmer weather creates ideal conditions for termites in South Carolina. While termites can invade homes at any point in the year, spring is the time when the tiny critters prefer spreading out to start new colonies. And once they get a foothold in homes, they can do serious damage to the wood inside.