Author: Dick Mangrum

Jeff Duncan, South Carolina’s 3rd District representative, calls on law enforcement to find the perpetrators and prosecute them “to the fullest extent.”  In a statement today, Republican Duncan defends himself against critics who’ve called for his expulsion from Congress for signing legal briefs to support election integrity and for voting to object to the electors.  “I am following a constitutionally […]

Three Walhalla High students have made the latest list of COVID-19 reported within the Oconee School District.  Thirteen cases were placed on the district’s tracking page, effective yesterday.  Besides three Walhalla High students:  three from West-Oak High; two from Westminster Elementary; two from Ravenel Elementary; and one from Northside Elementary.  From Blue Ridge Elementary:  one student and one employee.

Three members of Oconee’s five-member board of school trustees gather privately tomorrow to interview applicants for the position of administrative assistant to the superintendent and board of trustees.  At the end of the month, Shannon Gibson will transfer to the job of director of procurement.  Gibson succeeds Scott Orr, who is leaving to go to work for another school district.

COVID or no COVID, Duke Energy remains committed this year to filing an official application to extend the operating license of its Oconee Nuclear Station for a second, 20-year extension.  A spokeswoman for the company said yesterday, “Duke Energy plans to submit Oconee Nuclear Station’s subsequent license renewal application in 2021, and COVID-19 has not impacted the schedule.”  Duke’s current […]

South Carolina DHEC is telling hospitals they should vaccinate any state resident who qualifies under any category of Phase 1a, which encompasses healthcare workers.  Currently, almost 70 thousand healthcare workers across the state are scheduled to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  To speed the vaccinations, Phase 1a individuals or their employers should contact a provider to schedule an appointment by Friday, […]

Thirteen Seneca High School choral students were recently selected to the 2021 South Carolina All-State Chorus.   Auditions were submitted through a taped recording and students sang a selected piece as a solo. Not included in the audition process were quintet singing and sight singing.   Congratulations to the following students who were selected: Chris Blackwell Ansley Brock Ann Marie […]

Senator Lindsey Graham, strong supporter of President Trump, tweeted during the height of the protests: “I support peaceful protests but not violence and destruction.  People need to leave the Capitol now.  This is a national embarrassment.”  While the Capitol was under seige, Graham issued  four tweets including one in which he said, “I could not agree more with President-elect Biden’s […]

Most of WGOG land can expect little or no snow accumulation tonight.  However, precautions are underway in the upper elevations, as evidenced by announcement from the South Carolina DNR that the Horsepasture Road within the Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges in northern Pickens County has been closed in anticipation of what’s expected to be significant snow in that […]

Today’s DHEC report notes an additional 4,000 (4,037)COVID-19 cases in South Carolina, including 71 more deaths.  Five of those deaths make for Oconee’s first COVID-19 deaths so far in 2021.  Four of the five are elderly people, one middle-age.  New Oconee cases numbered 50 people.  Total test results received statewide were 13,052; and the positivity was 30.9%.