I know I am a voice in the wilderness, but it is still mindboggling to me the number of drivers in the City of Columbia that run red lights almost constantly. Take any red light, especially on Huger, Gervais and Assembly Streets and people come flying through them like they are still green! In the last seven days, I have witnessed several almost fatal collisions of people blowing through red lights to save a few seconds. Those few seconds could cost someone their lives and I urge the City of Columbia Police Department and City leaders to address this issue. It is a public safety issue and could cause serious fatalities. I hope that people will soon learn that saving a small amount of time is not worth the potentially catastrophic loss of injuring others or yourself. I would like to encourage the readers of this KellyGram to always be cautious and vigilant when driving. Even if you find yourself approaching a traffic light and the light is solid green, be aware and look both ways to make sure the intersection is safe to cross. Here, at the Mike Kelly Law Group we want to encourage and facilitate safer habits to help people avoid accidents.

Please slow down and observe traffic signals of all types. That is my diatribe!

We’re here for the people of South Carolina!

This months’ KellyGram salutes our employment and labor lawyer Janet Rhodes. I sought to bring her on with Mike Kelly Law Group for several years before I finally convinced her to come on board. Janet just marked her two-year anniversary with us, and I continue to be amazed at her skills, not only as an attorney, but as a singer, athlete, and community leader. She currently serves on the board of Trustus Theatre which is an organization near and dear to my heart because of my son Patrick who was basically raised there under the watchful eyes of founders Kay and Jim Thigpen. To say it takes a village to raise a child is a true statement.

Although Janet’s community activities remain, she still has the skills from her earlier days when she was a star athlete in high school and college playing volleyball, softball, and javelin. She has also been singing since elementary school and was a member of the professional choir the Sandlapper Singers in Columbia.

Janet graduated from Wofford College where she was quite active in different organizations and events and then graduated from the Charleston School of Law. We are quite blessed to have Janet as a part of our family and legal team.

If you as a small business or an employee in need a legal consult in employment and labor law do not hesitate to contact Janet here at the Mike Kelly Law Group.

We’re here for the people of South Carolina!

As I have said before, sometimes the KellyGram topics come to me in dreams, and they are always subjects I feel strongly about.

Today I want to speak on the subject of mental transformation. I borrowed this idea from a devotional I read daily from the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States publications called Forward Day by Day. Being a third-generation Episcopalian, I try to read this along with other devotional, inspirational passages every day and this past Tuesdays was written by Beth-Sarah Wright. I have never met her, but she is an Atlanta based author and speaker who is married to the bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, Robert C. Wright, and a parent to five children. She inspired me in her devotional about the doctrine of mental transformation. It is not a religious doctrine, but instead something we should all strive for. When she started in her career, she feared she was not a good writer, not a good speaker and in effect she became crippled by her own limitations. She would say to herself, “why would anyone want to hear what I have to say?” Over time, through prayer and discernment she proceeded to write seven books, do countless speaking engagements, and has had a richly filled, joyful life. She called it her own mental transformation!

I pray that all the readers can take heed on some challenges in their life and receive the power of a mental transformation.

We’re here for the people of South Carolina!

As a young teenager, I can still remember watching on Mom and Dad’s black and white tv the, “I Have a Dream Speech.” Having always been a political junkie, I still remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. crusading for racial equality and economic justice. Back in the day I enjoyed reading Letters from an American, a newsletter written by Professor Heather Cox Richardson from the University of Maine. On the night of April 3, 1968, which was the night before Dr. King was assassinated, I read excerpts from the speech he gave at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King was in Memphis to lead protests for sanitation workers who were woefully underpaid and subject to dangerous conditions. A few quotes from the speech are as follows:

“If God had let him choose any era in which to live, he would have chosen the one in which he had landed because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around…. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.”

“I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter…because I’ve been to the mountaintop…. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life…. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”

Strangely, some of the things he said that night in his speech leave me to believe that somehow, he knew that his days were numbered. Even though his life was cut short, he has made a lasting impact on me, my fellow Americans, and the world! What a magnificent American he was!

We’re here for the people of South Carolina!

That sure was some powerful Mother Nature this past Tuesday that resulted in destruction throughout South Carolina but fortunately no deaths! The damage was especially bad in the beautiful little town of Bamberg, South Carolina and there was isolated tornadoes and damage along the coast. I had a telephone social security hearing and a zoom call both of which I could do while working from my home, so I stayed in my pajamas all day and rode the storm out. In the midst of all the noise, the wind, and the rain, a self-inflicted funny occurrence happened at my expense!

The security system in my home started beeping due to a tornado warning. It got to be quite irritating, so I went to the alarm panel and made a decision to push a button that had a + sign and unfortunately, I did not know that was a panic button!

All hell broke loose in the house! It sounded like there was a Columbia firetruck in my kitchen with all kinds of horns blowing and buzzers sounding. Literally the house was shaking. We finally got it turned off but by that point the police had been called. True to form, one of Columbia’s finest showed up at my home within five minutes. I went to the front door and was smiling, and the officer said, “Let me guess, tornado warning!” and I said’ “Yes, I hit the panic button, and I am so sorry you had to come out!” Being polite, he said, “Don’t worry Mr. Kelly it was my fourth tornado watch call in the last ten minutes.” With all that said, let us all be thankful that there were no deaths in our state from this weather and let us all find the joy when there is darkness.

We’re here for the people of South Carolina!

I cannot believe that we are turning the page into another year! I have long given up on the idea of making New Year’s resolutions, but I definitely sit down in a quiet room (my home study usually) and list my goals both professionally and personally for the new year. I look at it at least once a month and keep it in a handy location. It is amazing by just writing things down how you magically tend to check them off more quickly. I am sure 2024, like every other year in my long existence, will be full of ups and downs, but that is how life is.

I hope all have a prosperous and blessed 2024!

We’re here for the people of South Carolina!

This evening River’s Edge Retreat non-profit is having their largest annual fundraiser of the year. It will be a festive banquet held at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation Conference Center in Northeast Columbia and the Mike Kelly Law Group will be supporting the very worthwhile cause. The is an organization that our firm happily adopted to support at the recommendation of my partner and head of our litigation Brad Hewett. Brad and River’s Edge founder Steve Ware are neighbors.

River’s Edge Retreat provides a variety of programs, events, and activities to help underserved Midland families. It is committed to giving every child, no matter what their financial or social background, a chance to have a brighter future. In your yearend giving please consider supporting a charity of choice but I do ask that you take a close look at River’s Edge Retreat.

We’re here for the people of South Carolina!