Mayor’s Youth Council honored with end of year banquet
On May 30 the Leland Mayor’s Youth Council, commonly referred to as “LMYC,” held its second end of the year banquet. Some of the Leland Board of Alderpersons were also in attendance as the Council wished a farewell to the outgoing seniors who recently graduated high school. Mayor John Lee and Alderpersons Nancy Jo…
Read MoreHenson Exhibit bridge collapses into Deer Creek
In the early morning hours of June 22, 2026, the wooden footbridge that connected the Jim Henson Exhibit to the opposite end of the creek collapsed into the water. This comes after weeks of discussion about the bridge being in bad shape. The footbridge itself has been closed to the public for years while the…
Read MoreLeland High School plans combined class reunion
June has flown by, and we are rapidly approaching the Combined Class Reunion. Reservation forms are available and were emailed, and everyone should have the itinerary for Friday, August 28, and Saturday, August 29. If you did not receive an email, please contact me for the information and form. In addition to the dinners, drinks…
Read MoreReady, Set, School!
The Junior Auxiliary of Greenville (JAG) will be accepting donations until July 22 to support students as summer wraps up and they begin preparing for school. Each incoming class of JAG members must propose a project as their provisional duty. Last year’s provisional class proposed Ready, Set, School!, and JAG members say they are committed…
Read MoreMovie Review: Moana (live action) 2026
“Moana” By Bob Garver I am well aware of the case against Disney’s live-action remake of its 2016 animated hit “Moana,” namely that the original film is less than ten years old and doesn’t need a remake, and also that Disney live-action remakes are lazy cash-grabs in general. And I agree with a lot about…
Read MoreObituary: Evelyn James Bennett
A private burial for Evelyn James Bennett was held on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at Leland-Stoneville Cemetery under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Greenville. Evelyn was the infant daughter of Josh and Emily Bennett. She died Friday, July 3, 2026, due to complications from a heart defect. She is preceded in death by…
Read MoreLeland, Sweet Leland
poem by Jacob Venuti
Read MoreMovie Review: “Minions & Monsters”
By Bob Garver “Minions & Monsters” is the seventh cinematic outing for the Minions, and the third where they take center stage, as opposed to playing backup for former supervillain Gru. The jellybean-like animated gibberish-spewers all voiced by Pierre Coffin are once again taking the prequel route, as their story is told by a modern-day…
Read MoreObituary: Frederick Joseph “Rick” Smythe
Frederick Joseph “Rick” Smythe May 23, 1946 – July 1, 2026 80 Years of age Funeral services for Frederick Joseph “Rick” Smythe, age 80, will be held Sunday, July 5, at 4:00 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Leland, with burial to follow on Hebe Plantation. He died on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, on his…
Read MoreBadge battle in Leland ends with firings
On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Leland Board of Alderpersons gathered for a special called meeting at City Hall to discuss three agenda items: the Leland Mayor’s Youth Council, Parks and Rec Department, and Police Department personnel. During the discussion of Police Department personnel, Jimmy Myrick proposed two different individuals to be hired as dispatchers…
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