The check that was in the mail arrived and now is deposited into the Oconee County treasury of funds. Oconee’s number one taxpayer, Duke Energy, met its annual obligation to the county, this time by sending a check for some $27 million. The check, dated January 14, arrived in time to avoid a three percent late penalty that went into effect at the end of the next day, according to Connie Bellotte of the Oconee Treasurer’s Office.