Good morning, Aiken.

SPCA Albrecht Center is hosting three fall fundraisers in Aiken to help homeless pets: Aiken’s Top Dog live competition is on Oct. 24 at noon, the Thrift Store Holiday Party is on Nov. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. (advance $10 tickets), and Bloodies and Bagels is on Thanksgiving Day from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

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Western Carolina State Fair opens today on May Royal Drive in Aiken with its 'Let Freedom Ride' theme and runs through Oct. 25.

The event features demolition derbies, rodeos, contests and live shows from the middle school choir & regional bands, with special admission packages on sale through Oct. 15.

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Area children are invited to a free morning of crafts at Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10:30 a.m. to noon where they will paint a Breyer model horse plus enjoy visits from the Volunteer Mounted Unit and Equine Rescue mascot Sugar Belle.

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Food pantries are strained as The Augusta Dream Center serves twice as many people and the Salvation Army of Aiken prepares for potential shortages.

Meanwhile, Golden Harvest holds its annual It's Spooky to Be Hungry campaign through October to raise $500K for 1.25M meals.

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The Phinizy Center for Water Sciences held its 28th annual Swamp Soiree at Phinizy Swamp to raise funds for a local non-profit.

The event highlighted local support for water sciences and community programs, promising to boost future initiatives.

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County and state fairs in Aiken and Columbia counties will bring local fun soon as organizers finalize dates and activities + local attendees can expect rides, live music and community treats.

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At an Oct. 13 board meeting, Aiken County Public School District celebrated the 2025-26 S.C. School Report Card results showing five schools earned excellent ratings and no unsatisfactory ratings—Clearwater Elementary remains lowest while over 90% of middle schools, 80% of high schools and 52% of elementary schools improved academically.

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Barney’s Pharmacy hosted a fall health fair at its Peach Orchard Road location on Oct. 15.

Health vendors and free food gave community members practical tips on staying healthy.

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Restaurateurs Greg Pierce and Angelia Roberts bought the downtown property, including Malia’s Restaurant, for $2.068 million on Sept. 9, and they plan to reopen the restaurant using its classic recipes in coordination with former owner Malia Koelker.

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Local high school teams enter Week 9 with key games across Aiken and Edgefield.

The Hornets and rivals are set to test their offense and defense on Friday as every win is vital for climbing the standings (teams are focused on tightening play).

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Aiken High girls’ tennis team won the Region 5-AAAA championship on Oct. 13 with an undefeated record, beating South Aiken twice (undefeated season).

Coach Steve Smith praised their teamwork as they now prepare for tougher playoff rounds.

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North Augusta High School will host South Aiken tonight in a Game of the Week matchup.

North Augusta, 6-1, aims to build on recent improvement while South Aiken seeks to rebound from a rocky start — kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Midland Valley quarterback Xavier Geter earned Player of the Week on Oct. 9 after scoring six touchdowns with 205 passing yards + 65 rushing yards in a win over Fox Creek.

His strong play set the tone for the final three regular season games.

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