Author: Dick Mangrum

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 […]

Recent Clemson graduate Lauren Harroff of Concord, North Carolina has received a Fulbright grant to conduct research in the African country of Uganda. The fourth Clemson alumnus to receive a Fulbright this year, Harroff graduated in May with a degree in bio-systems engineering. She volunteered with the Pendleton Place Children’s Center, took part in peer mentoring with the Calhoun Honors […]

For the first day and the new year of Oconee schools, Superintendent Mike Lucas’s prediction is an enrollment of 10,872. That factors in around 220 students in the kindergarten classes.

  As early as Saturday, the general contractor for Sheep Farm Road will change traffic lanes between U.S. 123 and the Bountyland Road. Paving of the new Bountyland alignment is tentatively scheduled Thursday and the traffic lanes are to be switched once the paving is finished. According to an announcement by Embree Griner III of the U.S. Group, “We will […]

The resource advisory committee of the Sumter and Francis Marion National Forests will consider an estimated $150 thousand in funding next month for Title II projects that benefit forest lands in Oconee, Union, Newberry, and Berkeley counties. The committee meets September 6 in Columbia, and the meeting is open to the public. Though the resource advisory committee will have oversight […]

The day before another year of classes begins at Clemson, the university welcomed back the first African-American to attend Clemson. At this morning’s convocation, Harvey Gantt was greeted with warm applause. The former Charlotte, North Carolina mayor and a distinguished architect by trade, Gantt remembered that emotional, historic time 50 years ago when his enrollment integrated Clemson, an event known […]

Governor Nikki Haley’s schedule brings her to Anderson this morning for the ceremonial signing of a bill, co-authored by State Senator Thomas Alexander of Oconee-Pickens. It’s Senate bill 1213, the Medal of Valor Act. That bill adds a chapter to the state laws “to recognize South Carolinians, or individuals with certain ties to South Carolina, who were killed in action […]

Ken Kopera, the physical plant director at Tri-County Technical College, has been honored with the highest award given for staff excellence at the college. The Powdersville resident received the Presidential Medallion for Staff Excellence. The medallion, along with a cash award made possible by the Tri-County Foundation, goes to a person who best exemplifies the college philosophy and has contributed […]

The summer driving season and the lack of refineries are among the reasons given for a 30-cent-a-gallon increase in the cost of gasoline at the pump. Another reason given for the cost of motoring is nature-related and not lost on an Oconee County man. Harry Wertheimer continues to wage a campaign against ethanol-mixed gasoline, whose costs are increasing because of […]