I recently learned of the River’s Edge Retreat through my law firm partner, Brad Hewett, who is a friend and neighbor of the founder Steve Ware. I have become extremely impressed with this faith-based non-profit’s mission and I’m excited to say that tonight, our firm will be attending one of its annual fundraisers, Night of Hope, at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation Conference Center in Northeast Columbia!

This nonprofit’s mission focuses on disadvantaged youth of all types in our area whether it be physical, mental, financial, or social and they have numerous programs that focus on improving quality of life and inspiring these soon-to-be young adults to have a fulfilling and meaningful life.

We could not be prouder to be a part of this event and if you want to join in helping a worthwhile cause especially this holiday season, I suggest checking them out and supporting their programs and mission. You could make a real difference in a young person’s life!

 

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year. It is a time for reflecting on one’s blessings, helping those who are less fortunate, and spending quality time with loved ones. There are certain holidays that have always been very special to me, and Thanksgiving 2022 is no exception. Not to mention the incredible culinary displays and copious amounts of comfort food! The Thanksgiving holiday is truly something to be cherished. My cup runneth over with blessings and I cannot be more thankful for my family, my friends, my job, and the mission of the Mike Kelly Law Group. Please take the time and help someone less fortunate than you this holiday season. You’ll be glad you did!

 

This week I am thrilled to report that I have been reappointed to the Richland County Airport Commission for another four-year term by the County Council. The Richland County Airport Commission is the advisory body to the County Council for Richland County’s in town airport, Jim Hamilton- LB Owens Airport (CUB) located on Jim Hamilton Boulevard. I have greatly enjoyed being part of this body for six years and I look forward to serving my next term.

Hamilton-Owens Airport is one of the most convenient airports and serves the Columbia community well. We have 125 aircraft based there as well as numerous corporate aircraft, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s aviation fleet, and the aircraft for my alma mater, the University of South Carolina! It is truly a hidden gem, an economic driver for the Midlands, an incubator for the next aviation generation of pilot and support staff, and one of the most well-run airports around.

I serve on the Promotions Committee which is designed to educate the public on the various benefits and economic advantages of having an airport in the center of our city. We are currently putting the finishing touches on a strategic plan, which in my opinion is extremely well written by our Committee Chairman Michael Medsker and will be published in early 2023.

If you have not seen it, take a ride and check out our vibrant local general aviation facility, Hamilton-Owens field.

 

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.