Author: Dick Mangrum

The chairman of Pickens County Democrats, Richard Byrd, has announced the filing of a complaint with the state election commission and says county Democrats are considering legal options as the result of the resignations of the entire Pickens County election board and staff. Byrd traces the upheaval to the night that votes were counted in his party’s presidential primary and […]

Prisma Health has added in-house COVID-19 sample testing at the end of last week in both the Midlands and Upstate. Even though in-house testing is still being done on limited basis, , according to Prisma, it is already quickly reducing the number of patients awaiting COVID-19 test results at the hospitals. That helps reduce the use of personal protective equipment […]

According to the Department of Employment and Workforce, 1,025 Oconeeans for the week that ended March 28 filed first claims for unemployment compensation.  Statewide for the week the number was 64,856–a nearly 109% increase from the previous week.  This means, the DEW explained, that there were 64,856 persons across the state who both live and work in South Carolina who […]

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today reported 261 additional cases of COVID-19. That brings the statewide total cases to 1,554 in all 46 counties*. “There are now documented cases of COVID-19 in every county across our state,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC physician. “The level in which it continues to spread will hinge on all of […]

Looking ahead to Easter Sunday (April 12 this year,) an Oconee church will hold parking lot worship service for its faithful.  The pair of services at Ebenezer Baptist Church near West Union will take place at 8:15 and 10 am.  All worshippers will be required to remain inside their vehicles.  Delivering the message will be the church pastor, the Rev. […]

Prisma Health announces it recently updated its policy on employee personal protective equipment (PPE) to match the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). “We have taken numerous steps to protect our team members and our patients during the COVID-19 public health crisis,” said Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health. […]

Here is a statement received at the noon hour today:  “The City of Walhalla declared a state of emergency in response to COVID19 (Novel Coronavirus). This is to continue to reduce the risk of transmission and for the general wellbeing of the public and city employees. This emergency declaration will allow City Council to meet remotely via webinar or teleconference […]

The franchise operator for Chick-fil-A in Seneca and Clemson, Herb Tyler, is pleased to announce that an employee’s test for COVID-19 came back negative. Previously, that employee had received a presumed positive diagnosis from a medical professional. According to Centers for Disease Control guidance, the Clemson restaurant employees were cleared to return to work. “In the meantime,” according to Tyler’s […]

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office has been notified today by some citizens with the Pursuit Alert App that it was being activated. Contact was made with the manufacturer due to the Sheriff’s Office not being involved in any pursuits today. “The company that owns and operates the Pursuit Alert App is doing a technology upgrade which caused the app to […]

The state has on the drawing board plans to replace two Oconee County bridges, but the work likely won’t start until the fall of 2023. Scheduled for replacement are bridges for secondary 129 over Oconee Creek and secondary 200 on the Stamp Creek Road. For both projects, according to DOT official, the state is estimating $5.5 million. Warren Hart, assistant […]