Author: Dick Mangrum

Of 12 aspirants for the open Oconee school trustee seat, we are told by a person in position to know, that three have made the cut to be interviewed during the board’s meeting October 19.  The announcement of who the three names is pending, we are told, verification of their District One residencies and, perhaps, other questions that school officials […]

  Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 1.3 percent in 2021, the Social Security Administration announced today. The 1.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 64 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2021. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on […]

At this point, there’s still little hope for Oconee County to return to the business of recycling plastic materials.  At first, the issue of accepting plastics at the convenience centers centered on protecting the workers from possibly contracting COVID-19.  Now, however, as explained by Swain Still, solid waste director, the market to sell plastics has begun to dry up.  That […]

A new page on the South Carolina DHEC website is used for the rate of co-morbidity as it relates to deaths from COVID-19 in the state.  By going to the county-level dashboard and clicking the “Deaths” tab, you go to a new page where in the top right is the co-morbidity information for South Carolina.  It is not broken down […]

In a preventive measure, Oconee School District has moved a Westminster Elementary kindergarten class to distance learning.  The district’s COVID-19 tracking page lists three confirmed Westminster Elementary cases since last Wednesday:  one student and two employees.  Students may return to school October 27, unless under quarantine for another reason.

Dr. Michael Thorsland, district superintendent for Oconee public schools, acknowledged last night that COVID-19 case numbers among Oconeeans have been on the rise, but he said he believes there’s an explanation for that.  And it does not tie into the 7-week old public school year.  Rather, says Thorsland, the Oconee cases numbers have jumped because of the arrival of Clemson […]

  Last night was expected to be a long night for the remaining four Oconee school trustees, as they made their way through the resumes of 12 Oconeeans who’ve applied for the vacant District One seat.  And sometime today the district will announce which of the 12 have been deemed worthy enough to merit personal interviews. Board vice chairman Joe […]

No fewer than 12 people aspire for the two years left in the term of the late Oconee school trustee Jerry Lee.  Board vice chairman Joe Rukat calls that an “amazing” number.  As announced by Rukat tonight, the 12 are:  Randy Abbott, Steve Anderskow, Dean Bare, Richard Blackwell, Jeff Bright, Kay Corney, Cynthia Dalton, Amanda Holder, Kurt Kreuzberger, Lee Ann […]