Author: Dick Mangrum

Steady growth and improvement by the Seneca High School Band is paying dividends this fall. By its 10th place finish last weekend at the upper state finals, the Seneca band competes this Saturday in the state finals. Sixteen years have passed since the Seneca band competed in the the Class 3-A finals. The band is directed by Matt Smith and […]

U-S Engine Valve/Nittan Valve made a $15 thousand donation to the Tri-County Technical College Foundation to purchase a milling machine for the Oconee Quick Jobs Center. The gift will support classes taught at the center. U-S Engine Valve has been a member of the college’s Center for Workforce Excellence since 1989 and a supporter of the college foundation, having endowed […]

A 26-year old rural Oconeean is behind bars  in Walhalla, charged with homicide by child abuse in the death of his seven-month old niece. Oconee Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest of McKenzie Lee Turner, 26, of Hicks Lane, Seneca, uncle of the late Amy Genesis Stashluk. The brief announcement reads: “Further details regarding the case are not available for release […]

Walhalla is a city looking for a new drinking water source, along with raising money to reopen its swimming pool. Tonight the mayor and council received a pitch from officials of Foothills YMCA organization, who want to establish an indoor pool and other physical fitness facilities at a central location in Oconee County. The Y’s Fred Stutsman announced that he’s […]

A plea of guilt to burglary brought a 15-year sentence today in the Oconee General Sessions Court. A court officer said the judge ordered the prison term for Tommy Joe Cooper, who pleaded guilty to five instances of burglary.

Just after opening statements, a young Seneca man changed his plead. The judge in Oconee General Sessions accepted Tyson Tyrone Watt’s plea to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and handed down a sentence, sending Watt to prison for 15 years. The office of Solicitor Chrissy Adams released […]

Special efforts are made being in the Oconee School District to open some of the new Walhalla High School to smaller, local contractors. According to assistant superintendent for operations, Dr. Michael Thorsland, few local contractors have the resources to undertake a high school building as large as 250 thousand square feet, but four smaller buildings on the new school campus […]

When you send your children to school, you expect they will get the best education possible. You never expect that your child one day will return home, having been molested by a teacher. Oconee school district officials said today that, for the past four years, they have taken pro-active steps to prevent pedophiles from taking advantage of young people. Earnestine […]

Common core education standards, now adopted by 45 states, arrive in two years at the Oconee School District. And Dianne England, assistant superintendent for instruction, says the district is preparing now to meet a states initiated set of standards that’ll place students on an even-playing field, with the end goal to prepare them for college and career. England says it’s […]

A 43-year old Oconeean has been arrested in a three-month investigation of stolen golf carts. Law enforcement records show that Steven Lamar Craig of Harbin Road, Westminster was arrested yesterday and charged with receiving stolen goods. Since July 19, the Sheriff’s Department has been investigating the disappearance of three golf carts from the clubhouse at Chickasaw Point Country Club.