Author: Dick Mangrum

In a seven-day average, the Oconee Memorial Hospital treats 19 COVID patients on any one day.  The factoid is found in a University of Minnesota COVID-19 hospitalization tracking project analyzed by NPR—National Public Radio.  The numbers analyzed were included this week in the federal government’s release of hospital-level data that show the impact COVID has on health care facilities across […]

Westminster will limit its city hall staff to two employees while COVID-19 cases continue their climb.  Mayor Brian Ramey says the decision to limit the office staff to no more than two employees at any one time is a pro-active move to hold down the possibilities that a worker could contract or spread the virus.  Such a scenario would strictly […]

Here are new COVID-19 numbers from South Carolina DHEC.  On today’s report:  1,833 new cases (42 are from Oconee) and 12 new deaths (none from Oconee).  Total test results:  8,828 for a positivity of 21.3%.

A $200 thousand federal grant, announced today, will allow two energy companies and Clemson University to collaborate on a study of the use of hydrogen for energy storage and as a low-or-no-carbon source to make energy at Duke Energy’s combined heat and power plant at the university.  The grant was awarded to Siemens Energy.  It’s a pilot project to ramp […]

An alert from On Star led an Oconee sheriff’s officer to a stolen car and the eventual arrest of the man allegedly in possession of the stolen car.  A 35-year old Seneca man was arrested around 1 o’clock yesterday morning when the officer determined that the car occupying row #2 in the Seneca Wal-Mart parking lot was stolen in Charlotte, […]

The public school year has been anything except normal.  But there’s hope for 2021-22.  At their meeting Monday, Oconee school trustees will talk about two different suggested calendars.  One would have the next school year start on August 11; the other would have it start on August 16.

The contracting economy is beginning to feel the increasing COVID lockdowns.  The lockdowns are believed to having an effect across Upstate South Carolina when it comes to displaced workers.  According to the latest chart from the Department of Employment and Workforce, every Upstate county, Oconee included, reported triple-digit numbers for first-time claims covering the week November 29-December 5.  Oconee’s new […]

Oconee School District has a report fraud hotline.  There might be one on its way to regular county government.  Amanda Brock, county administrator, confirms to 101.7/WGOG NEWS that the county has explored several possibilities and is “reviewing implementation options.”

The police in Walhalla are announcing arrests and charges against two city residents as part of the investigation of incidents last month at a Greenwich Drive residential address.  Multiple charges, including petty larceny and assault and battery third degree, were placed against Megan Cheyenne Summerlin, 25 years old.  A second woman, Alicia Brooke Wilbanks, 20 years old, was charged with […]