Author: Dick Mangrum

Tri-Star Imports won the 2021 Ballenger Award, presented yesterday by the Seneca Rotary Club.  An 18-employee business in the Seneca area, the Rotarians judged Tri-Star to have demonstrated and promoted high ethical standards and dedication to stellar service. The business is owned by Gary Ridley, David Henderson, and James Kuerth. Rotarian Ralph Nix said, “Gary, David and James do a […]

Danny Singleton, a long-time municipal court judge in Oconee County, made his official declaration yesterday that he will offer for the office of Oconee County Probate Judge, during this year’s elections.  Singleton will seek the Republican nomination for the office, now held by Ashley Rice.  At the age of 21, in 1990, Singleton started a career in law enforcement as […]

Questions swirl as to whether the sudden departure of the Walhalla police chief, Sean Brinson, was a simple resignation or a forced resignation.  Brandon Burton, city administrator, late yesterday afternoon confirmed Brinson had resigned and disclosed that the city took possession of all city-issued items that had been in the chief’s possession.  Apparently Brinson is willing to address what happened, […]

Over a 5-day period, new confirmed Oconee County COVID-19 cases topped 1,100.  The period covered was Saturday last weekend through Tuesday this week.  Those numbers are accompanied by an explanation from the state health agency that its data processing issue that caused a delay of reports has “largely been resolved”.  Still, DHEC says, it cannot yet report percent positivity numbers […]

State troopers are reporting a traffic accident at this hour in the South Union Community of Oconee County on SC 11.  First reports indicate it is a serious accident.

Walhalla has lost its third-year police chief, Sean Brinson.  The city administrator, Brandon Burton, says Brinson’s letter of resignation, effective immediately, was received this morning.  Burton did not offer details behind the resignation.  An attempt to reach Brinson for comment was not immediately successful.  Yesterday there was an approximate three-hour special council meeting, called for a personnel issue.  Brinson attended […]

Second and final reading of a controversial ordinance and budget amendment is on tap tomorrow for another special Westminster City Council meeting.  It’s the one that includes a 20% sewer charge increase applying to the per one thousand gallon fee for all rate codes.  Tomorrow’s meeting is 6 o’clock at the Depot.

Seneca set the sun recently on a city program to financially assist commercial business projects.  There’s sentiment to reconsider, as the result of the city’s Improvements Corporation being told that as many as four new businesses missed a deadline to apply.  Some of that failure, said Scott Moulder, can be traced to confusion as to when the business should have […]

State funds amounting to $2.5 million arrived in Seneca for the city’s project to re-develop the former Harper’s and Kimbrell’s properties in the downtown.  Scott Moulder, city administrator, made the announcement at the start of today’s meeting of the Seneca Improvements Corporation.  In that announcement, Moulder also said a French Quarter look is envisioned for the two large properties that […]

Parties involved in a complex civil suit over the death of one child and the abuse of a second child are scheduled to gather for a settlement hearing next month at the Oconee Courthouse.  On the docket for the February term of the Common Pleas Court is a settlement hearing in the case of Rayvyn Hammond versus Upstate Affiliate organization […]