Author: Dick Mangrum

The civil lawsuit Bartee versus Blackwell is no more. The parties have signed a stipulation of dismissal, and an officer of the Oconee Common Pleas Court says it’s a dismissal “with prejudice”—meaning the case cannot be brought back. In 2012, James Bartee waged a campaign for Oconee Sheriff, only to see that campaign collapse when he was arrested and later […]

 The South’s most famous ground hog emerged shortly after 7:30 this morning and he did not see his shadow which is a portent that, perhaps, there will be an early end to winter in these parts. The conditions were cloudy and blustery this morning when “General Beauregard Lee” came out at the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn, Georgia.

Fire that nearly destroyed a Walhalla home last week remains under investigation. Chief Doug Kelley this morning said his department suspects that last Thursday night’s fire at 6 Keowee Street was an electrical fire, but will turn to an insurance company for its evaluation. Those who lived there received help from the Oconee Chapter of the American Red Cross.  

The 2015 Blue Ridge Fest takes place Friday, May 8 on the grounds of the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in Pickens. It’ll be a beach night show and dance and a classic car cruise-in. Underlying the fun is a serious purpose: financial support for one dozen area human-help agencies. This year four of those help agencies are based in Oconee […]

A weekend traffic fatality reported in Pickens County. Coroner Kandy Kelley said the victim was a 23-year old Pickens resident—Alanah Elizabeth Holcombe. The fatal accident occurred at 9:30 Friday night at Prater’s Creek Road and Allgood Bridge Road.

Walhalla fire fighters put out a mattress fire this morning in the stairwell of an apartment complex on N. Laurel Street.  While that call was in progress, fire fighters requested all residents of Walhalla Gardens to temporarily evacuate their premises.  No one was hurt.

In the 21st century high tech world, the quality of our lives or, in some cases, a person’s ability to make a living depends on being connected. Oconee’s director of public libraries, Philip Cheney, is well aware of this and has been speaking out about it. He tells us it’s good to be on the correct side of the “Digital […]

Within two to three months, the Oconee Sheriff predicts, he will finish his investigation of the case of $500 thousand worth of missing drug money which came to light a little more than five years ago. A former Sheriff’s Office manager admitted embezzling the money and was sent to prison for a year and a half, but concerns raised by […]

Though there has been speculation that last year’s death of a Clemson student in Oconee was an accident, Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said his office is resisting speculation and, in answer to a reporter’s question, is not willing to conclude that Tucker Hipps’ death was an accident. Early one morning last September 19-year old Hipps, in the company of other students, […]

Community-oriented policing principles are beginning to pay off for the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, in the opinion of third-year Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. The first-term sheriff put a cap on the year 2014 with a seven and a half page report that highlights accomplishments in his administration’s attempts to establish better relations with citizens and build partnership to make the county safer. […]