Author: Dick Mangrum

The latest Oconee Habitat for Humanity home sponsored by Schneider Electric will be dedicated during a Friday afternoon ceremony in Seneca. It’s a 4-bedroom, two-bath home for Rick and Shelia Smith and their four children. The Smiths, along with Schneider Electric employees and their families worked on the site-built house at 907 Jaymory Way. The first Schneider Electric-sponsored house was […]

Westminster leaders are one more vote away from outlawing chickens and other livestock inside the corporate limits. Last night the city council gave preliminary approval to changing the animal control law. The keeping of honeybees will also be outlawed, but the change doesn’t apply to domesticated dogs and cats. Last month the council members discussed concerns raised by residents about […]

The Oconee Chapter of the American Red Cross expressed its gratitude this week for a donation of $2,750 dollars from the Oconee County Council. As Kathy Rogers, the executive director, put it the donation will help the chapter get back on its feet after this summer’s multi-day response to the drowning of a Tennessee man in the Chattooga River. Rogers […]

Walhalla’s new hospitality tax brought $11 thousand, 861 dollars to the city’s coffers in its first month, according to an announcement during last night’s council meeting.  

Walhalla City Council gave preliminary approval last night to a lease to relocate the Farmers Market from the city parking lot on S. Catherine Street to a vacant lot at Main and Spring. Chairman James says it’s a better location for the farmers and for the downtown as a whole. Powell said other details, such as the considerations of the […]

An Easley teenager lost his life in a car accident late Monday night in his hometown. According to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley, the victim was 16-year old Kevin Daryl McNab. Kelley said McNab was ejected from his vehicle and landed beneath it at S.C. 183 and the Jameson Road.    

A former Walhalla policeman who is now a city councilman suggested last night his colleagues would be inconsiderate of police officers and fire fighters by prohibiting them and other city workers from using tobacco products while on duty. David Underwood cast the only no vote on first reading of an ordinance amending the smoking policy as it applies to city […]

Four of six of Walhalla’s elected leaders want no part of an ordinance that would prevent anyone convicted of a crime from carrying anything around that could be misconstrued as a weapon. Chairman T-J Bagwell of the General Government Committee could muster only one other supporter for his proposed ordinance, which apparently grew from complaints by senior citizen walkers concerned […]

After the final vote of last night’s meeting, Mayor Danny Edwards declared the dawning of a new day in Walhalla. Edwards reacted to the 6-0 vote to move forward with the streetscape plans developed by Partners for Progress but never implemented. Voting yes were the mayor and five council members. Councilman Deek Biemann did not attend the meeting. The vote […]

The computer database of Oconee public schools showed 10, 537 students on day one. Males outnumber females in all grades with four exceptions. Females are the largest percentage in grade 2 and grade 4. Males and females are balanced in grade 3 and grade 10. Blue Ridge Elementary, with 648 students, recorded the highest enrollment for elementary schools. Seneca, with […]