Author: Dick Mangrum

Salem is a place to be this morning for a 9-11 remember event.  Town officials have organized a program on Main Street, and everyone is invited.

Today, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 264 new confirmed cases and  24 additional confirmed deaths from COVID-19.   For a second straight day, Oconee County reported no new cases.  However, there was an additional documented death of an Oconee County resident who died on Tuesday. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 124,397, […]

One of the hardest hit parts of Oconee by the April EF3 tornado was the former textile mill village of Utica, which adjoins Seneca.  Oconee County is calling for volunteers to lend a hand this weekend for a four-hour cleanup project.  It will take place 8 am to noon on Saturday, and everyone is encouraged to meet at 7:30 Saturday […]

  Free COVID-19 tests are coming to southern Oconee County.  A mobile testing clinic will set up from 10 am to 3 pm Thursday, September 24 at the Fair-Oak Youth Center.  Making possible this testing event is the Healthy Me, Healthy SC team, a partnership of Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina.  This will be entirely drive-thru, […]

Oconee public schools have added one employee and two students to their running totals of COVID-19 positive cases.  The employee works at Hamilton Career and Technology Center; the students attend Seneca Middle School.  Since the return of classroom teaching August 24, these numbers bring to 25 the total number of students and employees who’ve been deemed positive.  By this morning, […]

The number of Oconeeans who filed first-time jobless claims in the past week jumped by 109, to a total of 159, for the week ended September 5.  But Dan Ellzey, director of the state Department of Employment and Workforce, is not overly worried.  “Initial claims remain steady in the last reported claim week.  As we have previously mentioned, minor upticks […]

As it’s likely to be elsewhere, the appetite of Oconee County voters to cast a ballot for November is strong…and getting stronger.  The office of county Registration and Elections remains busy processing applications to vote absentee.  There are many reasons available for voting early, and there’s no shortage of Oconeeans requesting absentee ballots.  Ryan Nowland, assistant elections director, estimates that […]

Oconee County government workers who qualify can look forward to $1,500 pay raises, based on Tuesday’s vote to add $2.4 million to the current budget.  Of the $2.4 million, County Administrator Amanda Brock says, $585 thousand will be divided among the employees whose evaluations show them deserving.  The pay raises approved for county workers last year were approved on the […]

  Oconee County Council is in the process of adding to its budget, but officials insist the addition of $2.4 million in expenses won’t force a tax increase to appear on the 2020 property tax bills.  John Elliott, chairman of the council budget committee, says the headline to the story should say no tax increase, and he’s backed up on […]

A Westminster councilman who changed his vote and helped lead his colleagues toward a state legal opinion to address conflict of interest questions in city government is making a request.  Brad Chastain says he wants the city council to review the letter that City Attorney Andrew Holliday will send to the Attorney General.  That letter is expected to address at […]