Author: Dick Mangrum

Tools and tactics can benefit law enforcement when it faces service calls with individuals suffering from mental illness.  And the right skills can lead to de-escalating potentially violent situations.  Oconee sheriff’s officers benefited recently from training conducted by Marty Wilkes, who worked 25 years for the Greenville police.  Wilkes’ training in crisis intervention led him to a new career in […]

In today’s South Carolina health agency report, there are 229 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 20 additional deaths.  There were two new Oconee County cases and no deaths.  The numbers bring to nearly 144 thousand the number of confirmed cases statewide and the death toll to 3,203.  Individual test results reported to DHEC yesterday statewide were 1,693 and the […]

Distracted driving is a leading cause in fatal car crashes.  Cell phone use is a major distraction that endangers lives every day, and the motor club AAA urges all drivers to put down their mobile devices.  October is National Distracted Driving Awareness month.  Other behaviors that can cause fatal injury and crashes are checking and posting to social media, browsing […]

A circuit judge has ordered civil judgments against a former Westminster police chief ordered by the court to make restitution to cover his criminal embezzlement crimes. A spokeswoman for the court says the order by Judge Maddox of Anderson consolidates previous criminal penalties into civil judgements.  Four judgments against Johnny Scott Bannister amount to nearly $114,500 dollars.  The order was […]

COVID-19 has caused cancellation of this year’s annual tree lighting in Fair Play.  Which begs the question of whether the need to avoid crowds will be sufficient reason to call off community and municipal Christmas parades.  Fair Play’s Hope Parker, in the Fair-Town Times, writes, “I hope the Fair Play Christmas Parade will take place on Saturday, December 12 at […]

Eighth graders at Seneca Middle School who were forced into 14 days of distancing learning returned yesterday for in-classroom instruction.  So far, in the one-month old school year, they represent the only cluster of classes directed to learn at home temporarily.  About three out of every four Oconee public school students have opted for in-class learning and, so far, according […]

In the thousands, South Carolinians are complaining that they’ve been the victims or attempted victims of crimes that are committed by typing out characters on keyboards.  According to the South Carolina Department of Revenue, there were 4,541 complaints from South Carolina filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Report in 2019.  That number represents the highest number of cybercrime complaints to […]

Former Sealed Air Corporation employee Chris Rothell became the seventh employee hired to work at Horton, Oconee’s newest manufacturing plant.  And he went to work as Horton’s maintenance group leader.  Rothell previously had spent his working career at Sealed Air after graduating from Tri-County Technical College with a degree in industrial electronics technology.  His new employer makes fans and fan […]

After 13 years of faithful and dedicated service to the Seneca Police Department, Lieutenant Brian Sheriff will retire today.  He served as the department’s events coordinator, accident re-constructionist and was over vehicle services.  Before coming to the police department he served many years with South Carolina Highway Patrol.  “Brian wore many hats and worked closely with other city departments as […]

COVID-19 cases in South Carolina, including Oconee County, dropped today.  The total of new cases statewide amounted to 197 and there are 21 new confirmed cases of death including a second elderly Oconeean who died on Monday. The total number of test results reported yesterday to DHEC 1,252 and positivity was 15.7%.