Author: Dick Mangrum

The freefall in gas pump prices continues and in at least one gas-seller in Oconee, the price has fallen below the $1.50.  We’re told that a convenience store on the Shiloh Road is advertising $1.39 cents a gallon, provided you pay by cash.  After Katrina devastated Louisiana and other parts of the southeast in 2016, Senator Lindsey Graham predicted the […]

The death of an 81-year old man near Asheville, North Carolina has been categorized as Buncombe County’s first official fatality from COVID-19. And, according to an account in the Asheville Citizen-Times, George Lloyd Lamb at one time had a connection to South Carolina’s Lake Keowee. The newspaper reported that for six years Lamb and his wife worked as park rangers […]

A decision of Walhalla City Council last night closes most facilities at Sertoma Field on SC 183/N. Catherine Street.  But the walking trail remains open.  Councilman David Underwood made the case to keep the walking track open, as long as users do not violate the social distance guidelines.  At last night’s meeting, Underwood spoke about keeping open a healthy recreation […]

The city of Walhalla officially adopted a State of Emergency ordinance that suspends certain meeting rules and delays the payment of new business licenses and renewals.  The city council tonight also agreed to allow merchants to delay paying their share of hospitality and accommodations taxes due for March, April and May to one lump sum payment on June 20.  The […]

In this evening’s special meeting, Walhalla City Council has voted to immediately close the entire Stumphouse Mountain Park and Trail to all visitors.  This is in keeping with government’s wish to keep down gatherings that violate the social distancing guidelines.  Councilman Keith Pace said he visited the tourist and recreation attraction last weekend and found large crowds that included several […]

The Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority (OJRSA) is asking for sewer customers served by the cities of Seneca, Walhalla, Westminster, and the town of West Union to avoid flushing wipes, paper towels, and other such products into the sewer system. Even if the packaging says “flushable,” these products should be disposed of in the garbage. While wipes and other materials […]

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced four additional deaths related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. This brings the state’s total number of deaths to 26. The four patients were elderly individuals who also had underlying health conditions. They were residents of Anderson, Beaufort, Lee, and Richland counties. “Every day that we unfortunately have to […]

Law enforcement authorities have alleged that a young Easley man drove a car while fleeing the highway patrol last summer and crashed into an Oconee home killing a woman who was asleep. El Asia Hassain Muhammed was jailed and awaits trial on multiple charges, including failure to stop for a blue light and leaving the scene of an accident involving […]

Two seniors at Seneca High School have been awarded South Carolina Teaching Fellowships. For Tyson Gentry and Maggie Hart, this is part of their path to become educators once they finish their college educations. Tyson is headed to Anderson University to study Art Education and become K-12 certified. He plans to pursue a master’s degree and work as a visual […]