Lauren Pierce

CLEMSON — The benefits of trees have long been framed in terms of shade, beauty and environmental protection. But new research suggests their role runs deeper — into the mental well-being of the people who live among them. For Puneet Dwivedi, a professor and endowed chair in sustainable forest management at Clemson University, the question isn’t just how many trees a community has, but how healthy they are.

WEST UNION — West Union Police Chief Ben Hailey said his department discovered Puerto Nuevo’s West Union location contained “makeshift apartments” during a June federal investigation led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in which agents rescued two minors and arrested eight adults. “The office space located at 146 Foothills Center had walls put up that were not in compliance with county ordinance and permits. These rooms had doors as well.

It started innocently enough as a child who loved to read. My mom indulged my obsession with reading over the years, even going to midnight releases for the newest “Harry Potter” book when I needed to be in bed for school. In my 20s, it morphed into a book here, a book there — maybe an extra one from the bookstore’s clearance section because, you know, “It’s basically free at that price!” Then came the online discounts.