Phyllis Caples retires after decades at News & Press

If you’ve picked up the phone and called the Darlington News & Press over the past few years, there’s a very good chance you’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Phyllis Caples.

Phyllis has been an incredible asset to our team, a familiar voice on the other end of the phone, a face behind the camera at countless sporting events, and an absolute pleasure to be around.

There are a few words that best describe Phyllis: dependable, trustworthy, knowledgeable and tough, with a whole lot of emphasis on that last one!

Her dedication to this newspaper and the Darlington County community has never gone unnoticed. The countless hours she has spent giving her time, energy and heart to the people and stories of this community are truly commendable. Her commitment to our team and the work we do has made a lasting impact, and she will certainly be missed.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Phyllis, for everything you’ve given to this newspaper and the community you’ve served so faithfully.

As you begin this next chapter, we wish you a wonderful retirement filled with happiness, relaxation and plenty of time to enjoy the things you love.

Congratulations, Phyllis! You’ve certainly earned it.

Jordan Grimsley,

News & Press General Manager

PHYLLIS CAPLES RETIRES AFTER DECADES

AT THE HEART OF THE NEWS & PRESS

By Stephan Drew, Editor

editor@newsandpress.net

Every newspaper has a masthead. The News & Press has Phyllis Caples.

After decades of service as receptionist, bookkeeper and, by universal agreement, “Mother Hen” of the business, Caples is retiring, leaving behind a front desk that will never quite feel the same and a staff that is figuring out how to run the place without her.

Ask anyone who has worked at the News & Press and the story is the same. Phyllis was the first face visitors saw, the first voice callers heard, and the one person in the building who always knew the answer. Where a document was filed, who to call about a meeting or football game, what year the jewelry store burned down, which family ran the hardware store on the Square: if Phyllis didn’t know it offhand, she knew exactly who did.

She is a never-ending source of information. You could spend an hour in the archives, or you could ask Phyllis and have your answer in thirty seconds. She was usually right, and she’d tell you so.

That candor is part of her legend. She has never been shy about sharing her opinion, whether about a headline, a photo, a deadline or the proper way to do just about anything. Her advice was firm and honest, and, as staff members have admitted over the years, often exactly what was needed. She kept the paper on track, and she kept it honest. One of the things you heard Phyllis say frequently was, “That’s not right!”

She also never cut corners. Whether she was balancing the books, verifying a name spelling, checking a payment or confirming the time of a community event, Caples held herself and everyone around her to a standard of getting it done correctly. In a business where accuracy is everything, she was a guardian of the News & Press’s reputation.

Her institutional memory runs deep. Caples knows much of the history of 20th Century Darlington and the history of this newspaper as few others do, and she has been generous in sharing it with new hires, visitors and curious readers alike. For many, she was our “go-to” source for community news and upcoming events.

Nowhere has her dedication been more visible than in the world of local sports. Phyllis kept the schedule of Darlington’s games and made sure the sports writer was covering them. Fall football Fridays, winter basketball nights, spring diamonds and tracks: she knew the calendar well and wasn’t above reminding the news and sports staff where they were supposed to be. More often than not, she was there herself, camera in hand, in the stands or along the sideline. A majority of the photographs that have appeared in these pages over the years — a game-winning shot, a proud parent, a young athlete mid-stride — were taken by Phyllis.

Behind the sharp eye and straight talk was something readers rarely saw but staff always felt: genuine, unvarnished care. Caples welcomed new employees, looked out for the overworked, and made sure no one on deadline went hungry or discouraged. The “Mother Hen” nickname was earned the old-fashioned way, one kindness at a time.

She made this building feel like a family. Phyllis is the reason many of us kept on track.

As she steps away from the desk she has called her own, her colleagues have only one regret: that the phone will be ringing and she won’t be there to answer it.

On behalf of everyone at the News & Press, and the many readers, neighbors and friends whose lives she has touched, we offer our deepest thanks, and our warmest wishes for whatever comes next. May it include long days with family, plenty of time for the things she loves, and a front-row seat at every game she chooses to attend.

Phyllis, you will be truly missed.

We thank you for everything and we wish you total happiness in your retirement.