Author: Dick Mangrum

According to the state, Oconeeans over Thanksgiving week filed 65 first-time claims for unemployment compensation.  The Department of Employment and Workforce published the numbers for first-time claims today, covering the week of November 22-28.  For the tri-county area, the numbers are 65 new Oconee claims; 81 in Pickens County; and 100 in Anderson County.  The last published unemployed numbers (for […]

If you give the gift of life on Saturday, there will be compensation for you.  Those who donate blood at the Shaver Recreation Complex from 10 am to 3 pm receive a $20 VISA gift card, according to the Blood Connection’s Monnie Whitson.

Starting today, public access will be limited to Oconee County government facilities.  The restricted access is in place to protect the health and well-being of the public and county employees and to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.  These are the precautionary measures:  All tax payments will be accepted at the Pine Street drive-thru, over the phone, online, and by […]

An increase of three percent in New York state’s test positivity, in recent weeks, is a concern for that state’s governor.  The only general physician in the small South Carolina city of Westminster says Oconee’s test positivity has been running 18%, and Dr. Billy Campbell says he wants that percentage to be reduced below 5%.  In today’s South Carolina DHEC […]

After the Walhalla police finished a traffic stop, the driver was charged with “sale or delivery of handgun to and possession of by certain persons unlawful stolen handguns.”  The police identified the arrested driver as 37-year old Seneca resident John Arcuri.  “During the course of investigation,” says Chief Brinson, “officers located a stolen handgun in the vehicle.  Additionally, Mr. Arcuri […]

A second re-count of the votes cast in Stephens County, Georgia has ended with no change from the first re-count.  Toccoa’s WNEG quotes the county registrar, Eureka Gober, as saying the entire two-day process ran smoothly and was error-free.

Six additional Oconee County cases of COVID-19 have been placed on the district’s tracking page.  All six cases have a registered date of yesterday, December 1.  Two of the students attend Walhalla Middle School.  The other student cases are one each from Fair-Oak Elementary, Westminster Elementary, and Seneca’s Blue Ridge Elementary.  One additional Walhalla Elementary employee has been determined to […]

If you wear a mask to protect against COVID-19, you need to wear that mask properly and be sure you don’t take off the mask, touch your face, and then put the mask back on.  That’s the gist of a conversation that one Oconee County councilman had last night with the county administrator.  District Two’s Wayne McCall spoke with Amanda […]

All five Oconee County school trustees are scheduled to gather at district headquarters  tomorrow to take part in a legislative and advocacy virtual conference.  According to the announcement, the meeting will not be open to the public and no decisions are to be made tomorrow.