Author: Dick Mangrum

A Mountain Rest man was sent to prison today for 15 years for sex crimes against a teenage girl.  Bobby Lee had been a foster parent to the girl, but the courtroom heard graphic detail of how Lee abused her for his own pleasure.  He is 63 years old and, according to his attorney, must serve 12 and three-quarter years […]

In his career, an Oconee County resident helped  attract sizable manufacturing operations to states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, and Arkansas.  These days Dave Eldridge devotes effort to helping small, start-up businesses.  By name, he called attention this week to some of those start-ups that occupy a large building on Walhalla’s Brown Square.  It’s the Oconee Business Center, a […]

A Utica man has been sent to prison to serve 13 years for a series of crimes earlier this year.  This week in Oconee General Sessions Court, Barry Steven Garrett Jr. entered guilty pleas to multiple charges which included armed robbery, burglary, arson, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to a court officer.  Garrett was arrested […]

Seneca’s Golden Corner Food Pantry has been rated by South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond as one of “Ten Angels.”  The pantry made Hammond’s top ten list this year of organizations that exemplify charitable giving in South Carolina.  A review of financial reports showed the Golden Corner Food Pantry applied 91.3% of its expenditures toward charitable mission.

Oconee County Council will be asked to approve contract next week for work associated with the remediation project at the Seneca Landfill, as required by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.  If approved, at the cost of around $95 and a half thousand dollars, M & W Drilling of Knoxville, Tennessee is to install three soil borings, multiple […]

Wayne McCall has attended his share of contentious meetings of the Oconee County Council.  This week the District Two representative had an opposite experience.  Attending Tuesday’s West Union Town Council meeting, McCall said he was impressed by the professionalism with which the council, led by Mayor Linda Oliver, conducted its meeting.  McCall says he took away from the West Union […]

No one is reported hurt in a home fire early last night near West Union.  The fire occurred on Harbor Drive in the vicinity of Burns Mill Road.  Fire fighters were called around 7 o’clock and stayed on the scene nearly two hours.

At 5:30 this evening at Walhalla City Hall, the board of appeals will convene hearings on two zoning appeals.  On the agenda are requests to use 308 N. Church Street for residential purposes.  Requested is a variance to the side setback requirements.  At 411 Pitchford Street, the issue is permitting that property for an accessory structure.  The variance sought would […]

Park fees for non-residents and impact fees for new developments were agenda items last night as the Oconee County Council met as the budget committee.  And it wasn’t long before the council talked about the eventual day that Duke Energy is not required to pay a $25-$30 million annual tax payment, and what that might mean to county government.  Getting […]