Author: Dick Mangrum

Clemson plays host this weekend to the largest field of collegiate tri-athletes for this year’s Triathlon championships.  A field of 1,350 college athletes competes Friday and Saturday at Clemson’s Campus Beach.  Race action starts 10 o’clock Friday morning with a 750-meter swim, 19.6-kilometer biking, and a 5-kilometer run.  The collegiate women race first, followed by the men at noon.  Ken […]

A second phase of a lawsuit alleging construction defects at a Lake Keowee townhouse project opens in Walhalla next month during a term of the Oconee Common Pleas Court.  The Hon. Scott Sprouse will hold the gavel starting May 2 over what’s considered to be a complex case that places Stoneledge townhouse owners against construction and related companies.  An earlier […]

For 16 years, David McCutcheon has served as the chief professional officer of the Oconee United Way.  But McCutcheon’s long career in social service work will end with retirement on June 30.  He has held the job since 2000.  McCutcheon’s work with the United Way started part time in 1992 as a crisis center worker.  About his retirement, McCutcheon said, […]

  A committee of citizens in Westminster has succeeded in creating a special fund to help those who are pressed to pay their electric power bills.  After hearing Teresa Bryson, representing the citizen-formed utility committee, the mayor and council gave their blessing to a roundup fund, provided any legal concerns are satisfied by their attorney.  The city’s electric power customers […]

The mayor in Westminster said the predicament faced by the Oconee Probate Judge is fodder for the city council to consider a social media policy for the city.  But last night the city council was split and the idea was rejected in a 4 to 3 vote.  Mayor Brian Ramey said he’s also influenced to consider governing what someone affiliated […]

A vote of Oconee County Council last night gave a conditional approval to a Seneca company to take over management of the county’s broadband network.  One Tone Telecom was one of three companies to respond to the county’s request for proposals.  Oconee was on the receiving end of a $9.6 million grant announced six years ago by the White House […]

  Nineteen people have put their names in the hopper to be considered as Westminster’s next administrator.  And Mayor Brian Ramey says city leaders plan to start interviews with five of the applicants in the next week.  At the start of last night’s council meeting, Ramey expressed the hope that by next month Westminster will have a successor to Jeff […]

In olden days, in these parts, moonshiners hid from federal agents called revenuers.  These days government will allow you to operate a distillery—provided you qualify for a license and are taxed.  At Long Creek, Ed and Kitty Land look forward to expanding their agri-business with the opening of Oconee County’s first legal distillery.  The ribbon for the venture will be […]

  Once again, Seneca Light and Water will ask for a five percent increase in its sewer charges—both inside and outside the city limits.  Bob Faires, utilities director, says the rate increase is included in his  department’s budget request for 2016-17 which is to be presented to the mayor and the council for a vote prior to July 1.  Seneca […]

A research project by a Seneca High School student merited an award at a Junior Academy of Science meeting at Winthrop University in Rock Hill.  Sally Cannon’s project examined the effect of weathering bullets on lead concentrations in soil and water.  Sally became interested in the project after learning about the impacts of heavy metals and chemicals on human health […]