Author: Dick Mangrum

A Westminster man sits in the Oconee jail this afternoon, without the possibility for bail. According to an announcement from the Sheriff’s Office, Lee Scott Smith is wanted by authorities in Gwinnett County, Georgia on the charge of aggravated child molestation. The 35-year old Smith is also known by the name Wren Lee Hewitt. He was escorted by a deputy […]

Over the last week, agents of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies, began arresting several individuals on various drug and weapons charges. The arrests stemmed from multiple different undercover drug investigations conducted during the past 24 months and wrapped up over the weekend. Sheriff Clark said, “As I stated during a November press conference regarding […]

A man found asleep in the ladies restroom of a Seneca restaurant was awakened by the police, arrested, and sent to jail, according to police reports. The Seneca police arrested James Bryan Farley of Ashton Street, Utica after an early morning incident Sunday at the Waffle House on the 123 By-Pass. The police filed charges of public disorderly conduct and […]

Prices in the Carolinas dropped overnight as gasoline stocks grew, measuring at 258 million bbl – a stock level not recorded by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in nearly a year. North Carolina’s $2.39 average is four cents cheaper than last week, two cents less than last month, yet 28-cents more than a year ago. South Carolina’s $2.28 average is […]

One case of whooping cough has been identified at Seneca High School.  Below is a letter from the DHEC region public health director outlining what happened and the steps those should take: January 16, 2020 Dear parent/guardian and staff: A case of whooping cough has been identified at Seneca High School. Some people who attended or visited Seneca High School […]

The specter of a return to more fat and salty foods at expense of fruits and other healthful food items has been raised by the revelation last week of proposed changes by the USDA, which governs food service programs in the public schools. The changes, so far, remain in the proposal stage. Nevertheless, Chairman Jerry Lee of the Oconee School […]

Where you live determines how long you’re likely to live. And in South Carolina, more than a quarter of the population risks dying sooner from a preventable death simply because where they live is rural. With more than 744,000 rural residents statewide, inadequate health care is not just a small-town problem. Rural places represent a health care crisis for all […]

The day set aside to remember the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King is seen by a Walhalla leader as a chance for all Americans to give back to their communities through volunteer efforts to improve life. Newly-elected city councilwoman Sarai Melendez last year organized a group from a local church to clean the Walhalla City Park. Next year, […]

At any one time during the school year, the result of any one or more circumstances, there is a small number of Oconee County students who fall into the category of homeless. That number one week ago yesterday was 23, but it’s a number that can change. One example of a homeless student is student whose family home burns. Federal […]

The escape of a former Ohio man from jail in Stephens County, Georgia proved short-lived.  Authorities say Calvin McCoy was found just after daylight Friday, hiding under boxes in the attic of a home near the Hwy. 17 By-Pass.  The apprehension resulted from a surveillance operation carried out by the Stephens Sheriff’s Office of a home on Memorial Drive.