Author: Dick Mangrum

Oconee public schools are running this morning on time and on regular schedule. According to Dr. Mike Lucas, superintendent, it appears we missed the snow, but driving should be approached cautiously as water is still on some of the roads. The S.C. Department of Transportation has activated its online site for winter weather conditions. For current conditions, go to www.scdot.org […]

The U-S House Foreign Affairs Committee, whose members include S.C. Third District Congressman Jeff Duncan, takes testimony next week from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about last year’s terrorist attack on the U-S diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. That attacked killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans: Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty. The Wednesday, January 23 hearing, […]

Two cars collided during heavy rain shortly before 10:30 this morning on the Flat Rock Road near Walhalla. One responder reported no injuries though, for a while, the road was blocked to traffic. One of the cars involved was pulling a trailer.  

The board for Pioneer Rural Water transacted business during its first meeting of 2013. At last week’s meeting, according to Chairman Jerry Barlow, the board moved forward with its intent to buy property within the county’s Golden Corner Commerce Park for the construction of the district’s first treatment plant. Contractors’ bids will be sought by the summer, he said. Pioneer […]

In spite of this week’s abundant rains, the Savannah River Basin drought remains ongoing. And this week District Commander Jeff Hall of the Army Corps of Engineers addressed the need to balance outflows during dry spells. “We updated our drought plan after a series of droughts. We also recently completed the 2012 Interim Drought Environmental Assessment. This assessment provides updated […]

Workers who lost their jobs last year at a manufacturing plant in Rabun County, Georgia can expect to be returned to those jobs this year. Parkdale Mills, which runs a plant in Rabun Gap, has announced it is re-hiring about 45 laid-off workers

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) due to a landslide which undercut the road near mile marker 22 between Collins Creeks and Webb Overlook at 9:40 am. As reported by WFSC in Franklin, N.C., the slide is estimated to be a 200 foot section of road extending 1000 foot down slope, but the full […]

In considering a career change, have you ever thought about becoming a school teacher? The education non-profit American Board specializes in addressing teacher shortages in high-need subjects such as math and science, and this month will conduct a community information meeting in Walhalla to counsel career-changers on the chance to become certified teachers in South Carolina. At the Walhalla Library […]

A presentation on what to do about the jail is to be made by first-month Sheriff Mike Crenshaw during the next meeting of Oconee County Council. That meeting takes place Tuesday, beginning with public comment at 6 o’clock. Public hearings are scheduled on the Fair Play overlay and the sale of the former courthouse to motel developers. Under matters involving […]

Two Upstate developers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and await sentencing. According to an announcement by the U-S Attorney, William F. Binnicker, 47, of Easley, and Rufus G. Revis, 78, of Anderson tried to put together a real estate project called Riviera Estates. The government called Riviera Estates a straw buyer scheme in which investors would borrow […]