Author: Dick Mangrum

An 8th grader at Seneca Middle School, Ellie Cannon, earned first chair trombone for the state and became the only Oconee School District student to make South Carolina All-State Band.  An honors student, Ellie practices each week for hours and will participate in the All-State Clinic and Concert March 11-13 at Furman University.

Salem would prefer that its middle school and high school remain.  But once the middle and high school buildings are abandoned in June, town government has interest in them.  It’s part of a report to be received Monday night by the Oconee school trustees.  Salem leaders have toured the facilities about two weeks ago.  Three days afterward Brad Norton, town […]

A committee that controls the use of nearly $5 million dollars for work on state secondary roads in Oconee made commitments this morning to get seven projects goings.  With DOT officials present, the Oconee “C” Fund Committee committed the funds to re-pave parts of Poplar Springs Road, Radisson Road, Sitton Mill Road, E. Reedy Fork Road, Davis Creek Road, N. […]

A South Carolina Family Court judge from Walhalla will return to the bench for a new term.  Karen Ballenger was among several judges who were chosen yesterday for new terms, by votes of the state legislature in Columbia.

Tri-County Technical College’s RN and LPN graduates’ performance on state board exams exceed both state and national pass rates, according to a year-to-date report released by the SC Board of Nursing. The College’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program reports a 90.91 percent pass rate for first-time candidates licensure exam takers between the period of January 1 and December 20, 2015.  […]

If you have a compelling reason why you can’t cast a ballot in person in either of South Carolina’s Presidential preference primaries, election officials are willing to listen.  Absentee voting is already underway, and the office of the State Elections Commission is announcing procedures to cast an absentee vote.  You can qualify if you can meet one of 16 criteria […]

The following is a submission for the U-S Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District Jeremy S. Buddemeier, Corporate Communications Office:  “For all the hubbub this year’s strong El Niño has generated among forecasters, January’s precipitation, which delivered about 80% of the average at each sub-basin, felt more underwhelming than the numbers suggest. It’s like when LeBron James only scores 20 points. Hartwell […]

A 12-year deputy with the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, Bryan Long, walked away from a dinner in Seneca Monday night with the Officer of the Year Award, presented by the Seneca American Legion.  Since 1977, the Seneca legionnaires saluted law enforcement agencies with an annual dinner.  Guest speaker for Monday’s event was John Magill, director of the South Carolina Department of […]

A second candidate has signed up for the West Union Town Council contest.  Bethany James qualified as a candidate for one of the four council seats.  With the filing deadline noon tomorrow, West Union has two candidates for council and one for mayhor.