We are in the final week of the Workshop Theatre production of Death of a Salesman. For those of you who are not familiar with this notorious play, Arthur Miller (once married to Marilyn Monroe) wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949 and it remains an American classic to this day.

My son Patrick Michael Kelly caught the theatre bug at Heathwood Hall in 1998 and became a Trustus Theatre apprentice shortly thereafter. When it is your child, it is okay to brag, and I am going to take the liberty in doing so in my KellyGram this week! Patrick has starred on stage and behind the scenes in more theatre productions than I can remember! The last play that he directed was Tennessee Williams’s classic, A Streetcar Named Desire, which occurred right before Covid, and he has appeared in one production on stage since then. He returns to the director’s chair for the final weekend of Death of a Salesman at the Cottingham Theatre at Columbia College. I have learned enough being a theatre parent that nothing is more challenging than directing a classic which has been performed on stage many times before.

If you have a desire for superb entertainment this weekend, then I would suggest you check out Death of a Salesman. Here is a link to a review by Jon Tuttle, Director of the Honors Program, and a Professor of English at Francis Marion University.

Kudos to Patrick, his entire cast and team for bringing this American classic to the stage! You will not be disappointed.

 

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a Sunday worship service at Bishop David Tompkins’s Church, Living Word of Deliverance Temple Worship Center, and it was an amazing experience. While David’s day job is operating Bostick Tompkins Funeral Home on Colonial Drive, he is also Bishop and the Chief Spiritual Leader at Living Word, located on Winyah Drive in Columbia. The church’s new location is off to a fantastic start and surely the Lord is present in every inch of it.

Bishop Tompkins, Troy Washington, and company did a wonderful job in designing this facility and it quite simply is breathtaking, elegant, and worthy of being the house of the Lord. I would urge anyone to attend a worship service at 11:00am on Sundays. You will enjoy the musical offerings, the message, and leave filled with the Holy Spirit! God is good all the time!

 

As everyone knows, I have many interests, but especially when it comes to sports. I was immersed with the Atlanta Braves until they ran out of options, and by that time I had already climbed on the Gamecocks’ bus (which I happily reside on permanently). College football, especially the Southeastern Conference, is full of excitement, community, and healthy rivalries. In conjunction with my career and my family, college football consumes a lot of my time and attention. This year’s Gamecock football team, under the leadership of my neighbor Shane Beamer, is off to an exciting start and although there are some tough matches still ahead, I cannot wait to see what will happen this season.

Notably, the excitement reached an all-time high last weekend at the Williams-Brice Stadium here in Columbia. I got to bed at 2:00am last Saturday after watching the thrilling contest between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Texas A&M. I still somehow managed to make it to church that morning. I was running on pure adrenaline; indeed, it is that time of year. Whether you’re a fan of Clemson, Carolina, or another team, if you love college football, this is your time of year to enjoy the journey!

 

When I was growing up in the small town of Emporia, Virginia, I only knew that my Daddy bought Fords! My father was a very respected man in my hometown, with an eighth-grade education and never made more than $25,000 a year in his life. He taught me so much, and I’m forever grateful.

My father used to say, “Mike, we Kelly men are working men” and “Mike, we Kelly men are Ford men!” Other than a few deviations dabbling with other brands and brief flirtation with a foreign car, I have lived true to my family’s tradition and been a Ford man throughout my seventy years! Ford produces better cars than anyone in my opinion, but there is nothing better than driving a Lincoln. Back in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, I drove nothing but Lincoln Town cars. I returned to the Lincoln family of cars in 2020, when I bought my Lincoln Nautilus. Lincoln sells four SUVs – the Navigator, Aviator, Nautilus and Corsair and they are exceptional vehicles.

I don’t know how many years I have left to own and operate a car, but until the day I must leave this earth and I’m put in the ground at my beloved St. Martins-in-the-Fields Episcopal church, I am a Lincoln man!

Congratulations to Lincoln on 100 years of luxury, class, and perfection!

 

Last Saturday morning it was my turn! I tested positive for Covid and have been in my pajamas ever since I returned from Myrtle Beach on Sunday. Although I am better, it has been quite an experience. I am glad to say since I had my booster shots and it did not become life threatening, but there were still several days of feeling bad and most spent lying-in bed. It is a terrible disrupter of people’s lives but something as a society that we must keep improving our health techniques, our vaccines, and our treatment methods to bring this pandemic under control.

I am blessed for the care from my doctors, the medical packs of Paxlovid, and my nurturing family. I hope to be bright eyed, and bushy tailed by next week. Everyone take care and be safe.

 

The people that know me well understand that creativity is not my strong suit, but I came up with the Mike Kelly Law Group slogan almost 18 years ago when the law firm was first formed. “We’re here for the people of South Carolina,” is our way of saying we serve at the pleasure of our clients and attempt our very best to fulfill their legal needs in our areas of legal expertise. Whether it be personal injury, workers’ compensation, disability, bad faith insurance, construction defects or employment law, we try to be the go-to law firm for our wonderful clients.

Lately we have moved away from using our slogan, but I plan on referencing it more often wherever and whenever appropriate as it is a daily reminder of our commitment to the people of South Carolina. This is just a friendly reminder; we are in fact here for the people of South Carolina!

 

There is no case our law firm enjoys handling more than a first-party insurance bad faith claim. Whether it be your property carrier, your underinsured motorist carrier or construction defect matters, there is a new insurance bad faith claim calling our office every day.

I received a call last week that from a client in our Myrtle Beach service area that really got my attention and as they told me their story my blood pressure went ski high!

Basically, this unnamed individual had a group health insurance policy with an employer and unfortunately needed another knee replacement three years after the first one was installed. Leaving aside that he may have a product’s liability claim against the implant manufacturer, he was infuriated because in order to have his surgery, the insurance company was requiring him to go to Indiana or Michigan or another mid-western state to have his surgery performed. Really?! Are you kidding me?! Even though a third-party claim will not be permitted in this case because it is governed by ERISA, since the health insurance is an employee benefit, if they do not reconsider, I think he is going to have a great case for us to process.

For any of your insurance bad faith claim questions, please call me or one of my fellow attorneys at the Mike Kelly Law Group and we can help!

 

Recently the world lost one of its most prominent and respected leaders, Queen Elizabeth II, monarch of the United Kingdom for the last 70 years. Born in 1926 and ascending to the throne at the age of 25, Queen Elizabeth was a global icon. Her dedication to diplomacy and her impact on international relations cannot be overstated.

Over the weekend to avoid focusing on the Gamecock’s loss and to show my respect, I watched some of the events surrounding the Queen’s death and caught a good part of the funeral and committal afterwards. I must say that I do not think like a subject of the monarchy, but I was very impressed by the pomp, the circumstance, the tributes, and the outpouring of public respect for Queen Elizabeth’s passing and legacy around the world. She was one of the most beloved and respected figures in my lifetime and she made an indelible imprint on the world. It is now up to Charles III to take over and may he be up to the task and show the same elegance and grace as his mother did.

 

I love the changing of the Seasons and I always look forward to their arrival. The first day of fall is officially Thursday, September 22, but you can already feel it in the air. This morning in Columbia the low was in the 60s and it felt wonderful outside. If work didn’t call, I think I would spend the entire day outside doing something fun, which really means playing a round of golf!

Fall is also the return of many festivals across South Carolina. The Mike Kelly Law Group will be out in full force at the Inaugural Beach Brews & Oyster Festival at Grand Strand Brewing in Myrtle Beach, on October 29, from 12:00pm to 7:00pm. My staff and I love getting out, setting up our tent, giving out swag and meeting lots of great people. Make sure you mark your calendar for this exciting event.

Of course, here in Columbia, we are lucky enough to have our Soda City festival 52 times per year every Saturday! I greatly enjoy going downtown to walk around and see the food vendors, the artisans, the local produce, and the beautiful Columbia community. There is probably one dog for every three people down there and lots of babies in strollers and frankly I just love it. If you have not been lately then I highly recommend going to check it out.

Columbia’s 35th Annual Greek Festival is also this weekend. It is September 15th – 18th at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Sumter Street. You cannot beat the culture, food, and entertainment.

College football has officially returned to South Carolina, and I couldn’t be more excited! Last weekend was our inaugural football kickoff here in Columbia and I must say, it was electric. The upgraded light and sound system in Williams Brice Stadium created an amazing atmosphere of excitement and pride here in Gamecock nation. And although I’m still wrapped up in the baseball Pennant Race in the National League East, South Carolina football has my attention.

In addition to attending the South Carolina vs. Georgia State game last weekend, I also attended the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and watched our Upstate rivals Clemson take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta. I must say the Mercedes Benz stadium (it was my first time there) was a super impressive facility, but the atmosphere (I am biased) was more exciting at Williams Brice with the new sound and light upgrades. I am certain our friends in the Upstate will not be too far behind in creating a similar experience. The NFL also kicks off this Sunday but for me personally it takes a distant second to college football. Although, I do plan on attending some Panthers games in Charlotte this year, my primary focus will be supporting my South Carolina Gamecocks!

Go Gamecocks and Go Braves!