Author: Dick Mangrum

Without any dissent, Walhalla leaders are turning to the number two man in charge to lead their police department. On a motion by Councilman James Powell, the city council last night appointed Ronald Wilbanks as the successor to Tim Chastain. In a report of the latest police department activities, Powell complimented Wilbanks for the manner in which he has served […]

Oconeeans who own vehicles and boats are meeting their obligation to pay their property taxes, but the county auditor says airplane owners are falling short. Auditor Ken Nix asked the County Council last night for a determined effort to collect more than $267 thousand in back taxes that Nix says is owed on nine of the 62 planes kept by […]

South Carolina tree sales were up 15% last year, and growers expect another strong year, according to Steve Penland, York County tree grower and executive secretary of the S.C. Christmas Tree Association. Another grower is George Kessler. He operates Hilltop Christmas Trees and, since 1971, has been growing trees in the Central area. Kessler believes more people are realizing that […]

Governor Nikki Haley said South Carolina now knows the identities of its taxpayers whose private information was breached in the cyber attack and those breached will be notified by mail. In other highlights from the governor’s news conference this afternoon, she announced the resignation of James Etter, the Department of Revenue executive director, effective December 31, explaining that it has […]

October’s jobless figures for South Carolina show, once again, the number of individuals unemployed but actively looking for new work has dropped. For Oconee County, it’s the second straight month of lower numbers on the unemployment rolls. October’s rate is 8.4%. September’s was 8.6%. In October one year ago, the unemployment rate stood at 9.5%. Across the state, unemployment fell […]

The diversion of money away from public education and a new method of teacher accountability were the hot-button topics for the annual meeting today of Oconee school leaders and the county’s state legislative delegation. Lawmakers tried to assure the district administrators and three school board members attending the meeting that education remains the state’s top priority, though State Senator Thomas […]

Residents of southern Oconee are invited to mark their calendars for a public event next month with the county’s Sheriff-elect. Mike Crenshaw, who takes office January 1, will be featured at a “meet-and-greet” sponsored by the Voice of Southern Oconee at 7 o’clock Monday night, December 10 at the South Union Baptist Church. According to a representative of VOSO, the […]

Congressman Jeff Duncan is one of 97 members of Congress who have signed a letter urging President Obama to reject Susan Rice as a nominee for Secretary of State. In a statement, Duncan, the Third District S.C. Republican, alleges Rice, as the U-S Ambassador to Libya, “either willfully or incompetently misled the American public in the Benghazi matter.” Specifically, Duncan […]

Seneca’s planning commissioners have decided that town homes would be a poor fit on fewer than two acres that slope downward from By-Pass 123 to Lake Keowee. They voted 6-0 last night to reject an application by the property owners to change the property from highway commercial to RM-16. Of 25 audience members opposed, six of the opponents spoke. Much […]

Four vehicles were involved in an accident late this morning in Seneca. According to the police, two people were sent to the hospital to be evaluated. The accident apparently began when one vehicle headed west on W. N. 1st Street slowed to turn onto N. Perkins Creek Road, which caused a chain-like accident from the rear.