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Aiken SC News

Oct 10, 2019

Minneapolis musical mentor and ‘mad scientist’ Ed Ackerson dies at 54 - St. Paul Pioneer Press

Still, Polara established Ackerson on a national level. He went on to produce and/or engineer albums for everyone from Clay Aiken to Joseph Arthur to the Kinks’ Dave Davies. Hundreds of acts recorded music at Flower Studios over the years, including Lizzo, Brian Setzer, Hippo Campus, Craig Finn, Metro Station, Juliana Hatfield, Grant Hart and Rhett Miller. In 2006, the Replacements reunited to record a pair of new songs for a Rhino Records compilation and asked Ackerson to produce. The band worked with him again on 2013’s “Songs for Slim,” a benefit for Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke. “I’ve known Paul (Westerberg) and Tommy (Stinson) forever, so I think they feel comfortable working at Flowers,” Ackerson told City Pages in 2013. “They like to work fast, capture the moment and spirit, and our studio is designed to make that sort of thing happen easily. … With a great band, the best approach is often to let the energy develop naturally and make sure the technical aspects are invisible to the players.” Soul Asylum recorded their 2012 album “Delayed Reaction” at Flowers Studio. “I love Ed and loved working with him,” said former Soul Asylum guitarist Daniel Murphy. “He made everyone around him more concise and really ran a great studio, where fun and ease and productivity were king.” [embedded content] Over the past decade, Ackerson focused on raising his 4-year-old daughter Annika and making music as BNLX with his wife. BNLX’s “LP” featured a photo of the family’s late dog Wiggy on its cover. “We started thinking about it and Wiggy is kind of like another band member,” Ackerson said in a 2012 Pioneer Press interview. “Beyond maybe an hour, he was with us literally every minute we wrote and recorded everything for this band. He’s even gone on tour with us. We wanted to have something on the cover that was very much part of our world, and that’s Wiggy. Plus, it’s time for him to start carrying his weight. You put a picture of a cute puppy on something and it sells more.” [embedded content] Ackerson continued to make music while dealing with his cancer. “Despite it all, I’ve been in an amazingly creative period musically, with a couple of brand new sonic collaborations in the works,” he wrote on Facebook. “I can’t wait to share some of these new sounds soon.” Mallman said losing Ackerson was like losing a family member. “We went through all kinds of stuff together. When I lost my mom, he was the...

Jun 22, 2019

Doctors said she wouldn’t live to her first birthday. She just went to prom with two dates. - The Washington Post

Waterford, Ontario, on June 1. (Courtesy of Alex Daiken) Allie Caren Video editor focusing on breaking news and viral content June 13 Gabby Horner-Shepherd wasn’t expected to live to see her first birthday. She was born with the genetic disorder partial trisomy 13, and doctors said that if she did make it through her first year, she would likely fall into a vegetative state soon after. But 21 years later, Gabby is still here. Because of her disability, Gabby has the motor skills and cognitive understanding of an 18-to-24-month-old, her mother said. Still, Gabby enjoys horseback riding, paddle boarding and zip-lining. And she’s a big fan of Ed Sheeran. Gabby is in her final year of high school near the family’s home in Port Dover, Ontario. Her mother said she is part of a special education classroom, allowing her to attend the school until age 21. Nearing the end of her high school career, Shannon Horner-Shepherd felt that there was one final rite of passage her daughter should experience: prom. “She loves music, and she loves to da...

Jan 25, 2019

Annual Aiken Camellia Show fills downtown church with flowers - Aiken Standard

The annual Aiken Camellia Society Show drew a crowd to First Presbyterian Church this weekend as gardening enthusiasts came out to see some of the most beautiful flowers in Aiken.The event, which took place Saturday, was open to the public and featured about 1,118 camellia blooms of various shapes, sizes, colors and categories.Row upon row of carefully selected flowers were lined up on tables to be ranked by 25 out-of-town judges. Those whose flowers won awards received crystal vases or bowls, while those who made it to the Court of Honor were given bird figurines.One of those award-winners was an unprotected Dixie Knight bloom belonging to Margery Toole Smoak, who will celebrate her 100th birthday in two weeks. Smoak's sister, Sara Beeland, presented the bloom on her behalf."I just think that she'll be thrilled to death to know one of her camellias won so well," Beeland said.Smoak's caretaker, Beth Johnson, said it was her idea to bring one of Smoak's camellia blooms to the event."I've been with...

Mar 8, 2018

Spring Home & Garden Show is set for March 9-10

With more than 65 vendors, the Aiken Standard's second Spring Home & Garden Show will be bigger than the first.The show will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, March 9, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at a new location, the Western Carolina State Fairgrounds at 1566 Columbia Highway N.This year's show will feature home and garden vendors and do-it-yourself presentations for anyone looking to remodel or spruce up their homes for spring. More than 25 homegrown vendors also will sell everything from homemade pickles to jewelry.“Whether you are wanting to paint, plant or do a a kitchen or bath makeover, we will have vendors to help you,” said Diane Daniell, the sales and special project manager for the Aiken Standard.Bates & Sons Siding, Windows & Sunrooms of Aiken is this year's presenting sponsor. The company will offer a $2,500 gift certificate as the show's grand prize.“We have lots of door prizes this year, too,” Daniell said. “Make sure you get your name in the box.”Coach T’s food truck and...

Dec 29, 2017

The perfect poinsettia: How to pick and care for the 'Christmas flower' throughout the season

Experts at Clemson University and Cold Creek Nurseries in Aiken say when selecting a poinsettia to purchase, buyers should look for a full cluster of cyathia, the true flower; the cyathia can be found in the center of the bracts, which are the leaves of the plant that can be a variety of colors.The flower should be tightly budded when the plant is purchased as opposed to being open, which signals a more mature plant, said Cold Creek greenhouse manager Joy Abbott.Jim Faust, an associate professor of horticulture who has been studying poinsettias since he was in college in the 1980s, shared similar thoughts in a news release issued by Clemson University. "... If the cyathia have fallen out, then the plant has passed its peak performance," he said. "Also, the lower leaves of the plant should look fresh and dark green. Yellow, faded leaves are indicators of plants that are nearing the end of their potential shelf life."Poinsettias are available in several colors. They range from red, white, pink, peach, yellow as well as marbled and speckled bracts, but the most popular are red, Clemson reports. Red poinsettias account for 80 percent of the sales in the United States, according to the university. +5 When purchasing a poinsettia, Jim Faust, an associate professor of horticulture at Clemson Univer...

Sep 22, 2017

Annual Fall Home and Garden Show returns this week

Homeowners looking to upgrade their homes and gardens can attend the upcoming Fall Home & Garden Show.The sixth annual show, presented by the Aiken Standard, will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 22 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 23 at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, 1700 Whiskey Road in Aiken.The event will be held in gym two at the center."We will have top-notch exhibitors with experts in their fields ready to help and engage with potential customers face-to-face," said Diane Daniell, event coordinator and Aiken Standard's sales and special projects manager. "This event brings exhibitors their target audience, homeowners ready to build, renovate, decorate and landscape."There are more than 50 vendors showcasing products and services for the event, which Daniell said is the largest number of vendors in event history.Several of the vendors are new this year.This year's DIY sponsor is DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen owner JD Norris.Presentation times for "how-to" topics are 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday.Door prizes will also be be drawn Friday and Saturday, but participants do not have to... (Aiken Standard)