Author: Dick Mangrum

At Governor McMaster’s direction, the Public Health Emergency Plan Committee met to prepare for potential impact that the Novel Coronavirus may have on South Carolinians. “While this virus doesn’t pose a direct threat to South Carolinians at this time, our public health agencies are working tirelessly to ensure that we are prepared for the worst, while we hope for the […]

The two major political parties in Oconee County–the Democrats and the Republicans–are getting active as the calendar turns to the start of the 2020 political season.  Chairman Bill Jerome of the Oconee Republicans was pleased by a turnout of more than 35 people for a party meeting on Monday in Seneca.  Current officeholders who took part in the meeting were […]

No cases of the infectious coronavirus have been identified in South Carolina. But DHEC, the state health agency, is closely monitoring for potential cases, both domestically and abroad. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more serious cases including pneumonia. Though the potential of human-to-human spread raises concern in the […]

An Oconee jury convicted a traveling salesman from West Columbia on the charge of grand larceny. According to Lindsey Simmons, deputy solicitor, Dwayne Eigner conspired with others to take a $70 thousand Silverado from Scenic Chevrolet. Judge Sprouse handed down a sentence of 10 years, suspended to two years of house incarceration and five years probation. Earlier, a stiffer sentence—10 […]

Keowee Key is the location today for two meetings of the Oconee Economic Alliance.  The first is a board meeting, followed by the annual meeting of the investors in the public-private partnership.

A contractor from Seneca, Thrift Development, starts work this week on a South Carolina DOT project to improve an Anderson County intersection.  The work involves U-S 29 and Snow Road, and the purpose is to reduce congestion and improve mobility and ease traffic flow.  Once finished, the project will add dedicated turn lanes, new concrete medians, and widening.

A new indoor shooting range is coming to 123, the Seneca-Clemson corridor. But Deep South Defense last night was denied a variance to the setback requirements of the Oconee County zoning law. The board’s vote 2 in favor, 2 opposed was inconclusive and, in effect, means the variance is not granted. Deep South Defense plans to open an indoor firing […]

An Oconee General Sessions trial has entered a second day, and the prosecution this morning continued to call witnesses in South Carolina v. Michael Childs. The defendant is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent.

There’s a new chairman of the Oconee Board of Zoning Appeals. Jim Codner was elected chairman during the board’s first meeting of 2020.

The period of the next few weeks is the time for Oconee students in the primary grades to get creative as they draw posters that carry a message of stay safe from the wrath of high winds brought on by tornadoes.  Scott Krein, county emergency services manager, invites students in grades 1-6 to get out standard poster paper and craft […]