Author: Dick Mangrum

A young Westminster man must answer to charges of criminal exploitation of a minor in the second degree.  Oconee Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of Bradley Jadon Neely, 18 years old.  The sheriff’s office released this statement:  “Based upon evidence that was gathered during the investigation, and according to arrest warrants, it was determined that Neely had distributed material that […]

Those individuals who received first COVID-19 vaccination shots September 8 in Walhalla are due back tomorrow for their second and final shots.  Their appointments are automatically set between noon tomorrow and 8 o’clock tomorrow night at the Walhalla Library on WS Broad Street.  This vaccination event is arranged by Healthy Me/Healthy SC.

A spokesman for the U-S District Court in South Carolina says a former Oconee school resource officer, John Towery, pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.  Towery is a former SRO at the Fair-Oak Elementary School.  As part of the normal process in federal court, a defendant must await sentencing while a pre-sentence […]

Three days of new COVID-19 numbers are reported today by South Carolina DHEC.  On the counts made Thursday:  2,277 new cases statewide, including 65 in Oconee County. The count Friday showed 2,339 new cases, including 56 in Oconee.  Saturday’s count:  1,827 new state cases, including 33 in Oconee.  New, confirmed deaths Thursday:  33 in the state, including one Oconee resident; […]

A forest ecologist who has been making foliage predictions for nine years from Clemson University believes there will be brilliant colors this fall in the higher elevations.  Don Hagan paid a visit to the western edge of the Pisgah National Forest, 5,500′ in the air, and saw no evidence of drought-caused stress.  Instead he found a full canopy of leaves […]

Oconee public schools are partnering with DHEC to increase the availability of tests for county students and staff.  Drive-thru tests will available Monday through Friday at the Bountyland Education Campus from 8 am to 2 pm.  The PCR test specimen will be collected by a nasal swab, and those tested may, for the most part, expect results within 24 hours.  […]

A van carrying four people went out of control and overturned this morning on I-85 at Fair Play.  The Fair Play Volunteer Fire Department reported minor injuries to those involved.  The accident occurred around 7 o’clock this morning I-85 northbound on the bridge over the Fair Play Creek section of Lake Hartwell.  The left northbound lane was blocked to traffic […]

A lawsuit that alleged excessive force by Walhalla police officers has been settled, according to an order filed last week by a federal judge.  The filing last week in U-S District Court, signed by Judge Joseph Dawson III, states that the case against Walhalla and two officers has been settled without prejudice, a legal term meaning that a new lawsuit […]

An additional pledge has raised to $75 thousand the reward money to solve the death of Clemson student Tucker Hipps.  Crime Stoppers of Oconee has announced an additional $25 thousand is available, after the chief executive officer of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity last Thursday reached out to Helen Westmoreland, coordinator of Oconee Crimestoppers.  Earlier, last week, a private donor pledged […]