Author: Dick Mangrum

    Increasing local and area COVID case numbers are believed to be linked to the return of college students, and now Clemson University has decided that after the Thanksgiving break, it will     move to online-only instruction.  That’ll cover the last two weeks of the fall semester.  The final day of regular on-campus classes will be Tuesday, November 24.  The […]

Thursday, November 26 is the day that Seneca’s chief of police, John Covington, will retire.  The city made the announcement late yesterday afternoon, saying that until Thanksgiving Day its chief will remain on personal administrative leave.  Which means Casey Bowling, the interim chief, will continue in that capacity until a successor is found.  Covington is part of a large Seneca […]

South Carolina DHEC reported Thursday 929 new, confirmed cases of COVID-19, along with 40 additional, confirmed deaths.  One new Oconee death reported, that of an elderly resident who died October 7.  Today’s numbers bring to 160,384 the number of South Carolina confirmed cases.  The latest death toll statewide is 3,526.  The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC […]

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the University of South Carolina (UofSC) are leading an extensive initiative to fortify the state’s response to COVID-19. This science-guided, year-long project will provide information about disease infection and immunity over time and will help identify health inequities. Led by Dr. Virginie Daguise, DHEC’s Bureau of Chronic Disease and Injury […]

Agents from the S.C. Law Enforcement Division Wednesday arrested two suspects in an incident on I-85 in Greenville County that resulted in the death of a deputy from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Ray L. Kelly, 37, was charged with Murder, Resisting Arrest with a Deadly Weapon, Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature, Weapons Possession During a […]

    Numbers released this week from the state capital show that Oconee County in September registered an unemployment rate of 3.4%–practically the lowest jobless rate of any of the 46 counties.  Only Lexington and the small county of Saluda had lower jobless rates.  Conversely Marlboro County, at 8.2%, was the highest.  South Carolina averaged 5.1% of its workforce out […]

  The director of the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Michael Leach, would like South Carolinians to embrace the perspective that poverty alone does not equate to neglect.  That is the attitude being adopted at the state agency level in recognition that even staff members are not immune to the challenges posed by racial bias.  Leach says, “We acknowledge […]

In a drive-up food giveaway today in Westminster, 1,152 boxes of food were given away, and Mayor Brian Ramey says there are many people and organizations to thank, including Oconee First Steps.

A traffic accident around 3:15 this afternoon on SC 188, the Keowee School Road.  From the scene, it appeared at least two vehicles involved, one a large vehicle.  Responding were EMS, fire trucks, and police.  The highway is two-lanes and a backup resulted for those trying to make their past the accident scene.