Author: Dick Mangrum

Duke Energy projects hazardous wintry precipitation and high-winds from the approaching winter storm could cause nearly 1 million power outages – some lasting several days – beginning Thursday in North Carolina and South Carolina, based on the storm’s current forecast track.   Duke Energy has thousands of employees supporting the company’s response, including 5,400 line technicians and vegetation workers. More […]

A second candidate will compete for an open seat on the six-member Walhalla city council.  Joy Scharich, the elections director, says the newest candidate is Palmetto Drive, Walhalla resident Christy Marlow.  She joins Gwen Owens as the two candidates so far to complete the term of Dennis Owens, Mrs. Owens’ late husband.  Candidate qualifying continues until noon on Friday, February […]

Armed and masked robbers struck a 123 By-Pass gas stop early this morning.  One of the robbers carried an assault rifle.  The police have video that shows the hands of two of the robbers reaching into the till for cash.  The robbery occurred at 1:15 this morning at Marathon Oil.  If you can provide information that helps solve the crime, […]

Oconee County Council will send $210 thousand to the town of Salem, money that had been earmarked three years ago, to help the town extend waterlines on highway 11.  Water service is a money maker for the small town, and this project is expected to raise its service capacity by more than 200%.  The money will complement $215 thousand of […]

Chairman John Elliott of Oconee County Council says a week doesn’t go by without someone asking him when the county will once again take plastics to be recycled.  The county’s convenience centers stopped taking plastic to be recycled once the world pandemic was declared, and the decision remains unpopular to county residents who believe that mixing plastics with general trash […]

The tax that Keowee Key residents and others who live in nearby lake developments pay for fire protection is headed higher.  County Council last night gave first reading to an ordinance that raises the millage in the Keowee Fire District from 14.5 mills to 17.5 mills.  Chief Brandon Shirley told the council that the tax increase had been discussed and […]

The crowd that gathered to make its way into Oconee County Council chambers was an indication that the council was about to hear a direct message from some of its citizenry.  And, during the comment session, speaker-after-speaker addressed property rights.  In the end, the council members made clear there’s nothing wrong with their hearing.  One controversial proposed ordinance restricting signs […]

The idea of a Dollar General store doesn’t sit well with several Walhallans who made their feelings known last night to the mayor and city council.  In recent years, the city’s downtown has gained a number of independent stores, and that’s a trend some Walhalla believers hold in their vision to give further re-birth to the core commercial district.  Brent […]

In remarks to a committee of the Oconee County Council, Sheriff Mike Crenshaw may have succeeded to create a consensus that his department needs as many as four or five new officers each year.  Even with an excess of 100 officers now, the sheriff’s office workforce gets stretched in a county where home construction is on the rise and the […]

For the newest 24-hour count, total COVID-19 cases in South Carolina fell below 1,000–to 868.  Of those 868, there were 16 Oconee County cases.  Statewide the new one-day death number was 16.  Of 21,315 test results results received, South Carolina positivity dropped to 5.9%.  Overall, according to the COVID Tracking Project, Monday’s case count was the lowest since October 18 […]