Author: Dick Mangrum

An email announcement received at 101.7/WGOG this morning begins:  “Last night, Starbucks workers at the Tiger Blvd & College Avenue store in Clemson, South Carolina, won union representation in a vote of 17-4.  A barista there, Kale Stacey, is quoted as saying, “We did it–I’m so proud to announce that Tiger Blvd is now unionized!  A second barista there, Kaki […]

A flood of rain covers part of Westminster’s E. Main Street.  A passerby tells 101.7/WGOG NEWS the problem spot is the low section of the four-lane in front of Yousef’s Restaurant.

Westminster expects a new look for Christmas this year in the city whose motto is “Together We Grow.”  The city has placed an order for a 16’ artificial Christmas tree to be placed in the Retreat Street Park.  Kevin Bronson, city administrator, says, “If memory serves, it also comes pre-lit and with a 4’ or 5’ star.  A departure from […]

As Hurricane Idalia is expected to have weather impacts on South Carolina this week, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) advises dam and reservoir owner-operators to take proactive steps to prepare for potentially severe weather.  Dam and reservoir owner-operators should clear debris from spillways and assess their water levels to determine whether lowering the water level is […]

The fall and winter seasons present a Westminster committee with a lot of events to plan for.  The city’s Special Events Committee meets at 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon to discuss several upcoming events and how Westminster can prepare for them.  They include the West-Oak Warrior Parade September 17, Boo on Main October 31, the Veterans Parade November 11, and the […]

Because of Tropical Storm Idalia, South Carolina has issued a temporary waiver of requirements for farm and companion animals being evacuated from Florida.  Animal health officials in Florida requested the suspension.  Idalia is projected to make a Florida landfall as a hurricane tomorrow. Although the order suspends some regulations for the interstate transport of animals, it does not require boarding […]

The Oconee coroner says an elderly woman died late last night in a Mountain Rest home fire — at 665 Ross Mountain Road.  Coroner Addis says the victim was unable to escape the home fully involved in flames at the arrival of fire units.  The name of the deceased is being held until family members are notified.  According to Addis, […]

A 46-year old Anderson man has been arrested by the Oconee Sheriff’s Office in an investigation of a shoplifting incident at the Seneca Wal-Mart on a night in May.  The charge against Robert Earle Ricketts IV reads accessory after the fact of a felony.  Investigators viewed a video of two males and one female who placed store items into a […]

Oconee Sheriff’s Office has traced the theft of four thousand pounds of peaches to a pair of Greenville County men who have been arrested and charged.  Law enforcement records show grand larceny and trespassing charges against Donald Andrew New, 38 years old; and Scottie Phil Randall Ledford, 23.  The theft at the Clemson Peach Tree Farms on S. Friendship Road […]

An overnight firefighting scene on the Ross Mountain Road, Mountain Rest.  Several units responded and a few of them remained at the scene through the night.  We’ve had no official word as yet on injuries or the cause for the fire.  County Dispatch recorded the first call just before 11:15 last night.