Author: Dick Mangrum

  South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 525 new confirmed cases of the  coronavirus COVID-19 and 7 additional confirmed deaths.  Nine new Oconee County cases are reported. This brings the total number of SC confirmed cases to 130,256 and confirmed deaths to 2,922. The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC yesterday statewide was 5,357 (not […]

What Oconee schools call a small cluster of COVID cases will require the 8th grade at Seneca Middle School to move from face-to-face learning to distance learning for 14 days starting tomorrow.  Unless under quarantine for another reason, they are to return to face-to-face Tuesday, September 29.  According to the school district, meantime no Seneca 8th graders are allowed in […]

Sheriff’s deputy Buddy Joe Duncan Jr. has been released from the Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital after his treatment for injuries from last evening’s accident on the Sheep Farm Road near Seneca.  A second driver injured in the accident, Carrie Leighanne Underwood, was jailed temporarily after also being treated.  Charged with driving under the influence, Underwood secured her release from […]

Cases of COVID-19 are being discovered and added incrementally to the list kept by the Oconee School District.  Since Friday the following cases are noted:  four students at Seneca Middle School, one student at Walhalla High, and one employee at West-Oak Middle School.

The larger the crowds, we’re told, the greater the chance for the spread of COVID-19, so it’s no longer a secret that the pandemic will likely prompt some urban residents to flock to the country.  Oconee County home sellers are aware of this potential market.  But those who re-locate often want to be assured that their new home will be […]

This is the week that Westminster officials are to confer with South Carolina DHEC about the nagging problem of infiltration in sewer lines.  But Mayor Brian Ramey says he doesn’t believe the city has anything to be overly worried about because his city has done most of what Health and Environmental Control has asked of it to keep the lines […]

Indications this morning that Walhalla will back off its mandatory mask law.  The agenda for tomorrow’s city council meeting includes items to end the emergency ordinance and a resolution to encourage the wearing of masks or face coverings in public places and settings where there is risk of exposure.  On the public input part of the agenda are comments from […]

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 515 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 AND  24 additional confirmed deaths, including one additional death of an Oconee County resident.  That Oconeean was elderly and died August 17. Yesterday’s report included 17 new cases of the virus among Oconeeans. This brings the total number of SC confirmed cases to 129,484 […]

A college educator living at Toccoa, Georgia died Saturday of complications from COVID-19. Dr. Mark Ivester was 57 years old and the president of North Georgia Technical College at Clarkesville, according to WNEG Toccoa.  The college released the following statement:  “With incredibly heavy hearts, we are so sad to say that Dr. Mark Ivester passed away around midnight (Saturday) after […]