Author: Dick Mangrum

Walhalla officials are in favor of a two-week period in which politicians may place campaign signs on city property and public rights-of-way.  The judgment of the city planning commission is in favor of allowing signs 15 days prior to election, in place of the 90 days currently permitted.  And the planning commissioners recommend to city council that candidates, win or […]

The Pickens County coroner said the body pulled from Lake Hartwell Saturday was that of a 28-year old Charleston area man who jumped to his death from a railroad trestle.  Coroner Kandy Kelley said Joshua Corey Savage was walking on the trestle from Seneca to Central when he jumped as a freight train approached at 7:45 Friday morning.  Savage lived […]

After more than one year of inactivity, Walhalla has a re-organized planning commission, with new officers and a strategy to go forward.  The planning commissioners last night re-formed by electing Chris Grant chairman and Rosemary Bailes vice chairman.  As they tackled a meeting agenda with several items, they resolved to hold quarterly meetings.  The city council was anxious for the […]

By late this afternoon, one person had signed up to run in Walhalla’s special April election.  The candidate is Gwen Owens, widow of the late Councilman Dennis Owens.  Today started a two-week period to qualify that is scheduled to end on February 26.

On President’s Day, DHEC reported 1,109 new COVID cases statewide, including 11 from Oconee County.  Statewide there were 31 new confirmed deaths.  Of 24,556 total test results received from the state, the positivity fell to 6.5%.

South Carolina DHEC has announced a new, online resource to provide information about the age group, gender, race, and ethnicity of those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine in the state.  The data within the online dashboard is considered provisional and subject to change, as it is based on what providers record about the people they are vaccinating.  Some people […]

Consecutive days of rain, cold weather, combined with the pandemic, has caused low blood donor turnout, and the Blood Connection is calling on donors to replenish the supply as soon as possible so that hospital needs are un-interrupted.  One donation of blood can save up to three lives.

Five teams of researchers have received funding to develop tests and strategies that Clemson University and the community can use to continue fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.  The project aims to develop, long-lasting sanitizing solutions, faster diagnostic tests and additional tools to more accurately predict COVID-19 spread and severity.

A 101.7/WGOG NEWS story speculating that Amy Welch is interested to run for the Walhalla city council seat available in the special April election was incorrect.  Welch says she has no intention of being a candidate in this election, and this reporter has apologized to her for that erroneous suggestion.    

Investigations of unsolved cases, including missing women, continue in Oconee County.  And Sheriff Crenshaw says, “Our investigators, along with the Walhalla Police Department, have been working on these missing persons cases since these ladies have been reported missing.  We requested SLED’s assistance to review these case files as the next step in the investigation.  Our investigators have not discovered any […]