Author: Dick Mangrum

A zoning change will allow a couple to place a mobile home at Seneca’s 104 Worth Street—near the Old Salem Road. No opposition was presented last night to the request of Lonnie and Kim Hammond to change the zoning at the property from Residential-10 to Residential General. According to Tamy Sanford, city planner, the mobile home will will cover 1,200 […]

A long-time Oconee County school board member, Jerry Lee, hopes to make it another four years this November. Lee told 96.3/WGOG NEWS last night that, when candidate qualifying for the school board opens next week, he plans to sign-up. Lee represents District One and is one of two current trustees whose seats will be voted on during the General Election. […]

Now that exit exams are no longer the law of the land in South Carolina, as many as 16 former Oconee County students are qualifying for high school diplomas. At last night’s meeting of the county school trustees, Superintendent Dr. Michael Thorsland announced, “So we’ve ordered 16 diplomas and at an upcoming board meeting we’ll be inviting all of those […]

Oconee School District officials have identified two companies who graded out the best to provide architect and engineer services for the next building projects within the district. The companies–Jumper Carter Sease of Columbia and McMillan Pazden Smith of Greenville/Spartanburg–are being considered for renovation work at two elementary schools—Ravenel and Fair-Oak. The district’s purchasing coordinator, Wayne Putnam,  said it’s not beyond […]

At last night’s meeting of Oconee school trustees, Superintendent Dr. Michael Thorsland announced construction of the new Walhalla High School is coming under the $55 million budget and is likely to be ready on time for the academic year that will begin in August of 2015. Thorsland declined to put an exact dollar figure savings, but said it’s expected to […]

A former Westminster chief of police has been sent for prison to two years and ordered to pay his ex-employer money that he embezzled.  Scott Bannister this afternoon pleaded guilty in the Oconee General Sessions Court to misconduct in office and embezzlement.  As part of a suspended sentence that could have sent him to prison for 11 years, the 46-year […]

Multiple charges have been placed against two Westminster area residents after deputies say they found shake and bake meth labs in the yard and inside a Mountain Rest house. An anonymous tip led one of the deputies to an abandoned house near the Cassidy Bridge Road. There, deputies say they arrested Matthew Blake Sosby, 40-year old resident of the Long […]

South Carolina has assigned a new agent-in-charge of its Oconee County office for Probation, Parole and Pardons. Steve Harris of Anderson went on the job today. Harris’s predecessor, Greg Stewart, gave his replacement a tour of the Oconee Courthouse. And Harris got a look the county’s largest courtroom, on the fourth floor of the courthouse.

A jury was selected today to hear the state’s case against a young man, arrested in the Oconee Sheriff’s Office investigation of a stabbing last summer near Seneca. Oconee General Sessions Judge Alex Macaulay told the jury to report for duty at 10:30 Wednesday morning and be ready for the start of Laquavius Cleveland’s trial. Sixteen years old at the […]

The woman killed in last night’s accident near Townville has been identified as Jessica Hope Bramlett. Coroner Karl Addis said Bramlett, a 29-year old Seneca resident, died of a head injury and other blunt force traumatic injuries suffered when hit while walking on South Carolina 24. Authorities say the car that struck Bramlett was driven by a 16-year old Townville […]