Author: Dick Mangrum

The next cruise-in in the town of Salem will be 5 o’clock Saturday afternoon, August 8.  Everyone is invited to drive a classic car or truck, bring a chair, for a good time.  Vendors are welcome.  Farmers may bring their produce.  For more information, call 944-2819.

Duke Energy Carolinas proposes a decrease in monthly fuel costs for South Carolina customers starting this fall, as part of an annual adjustment to the actual cost of fuel used to generate electricity at the power plants.  If approved, the monthly bill of a typical residential customer would drop by $6.81.  Commercial customers would see an average decrease of about […]

The main way for truck travel to and from the Oconee County Rock Quarry will close most of next week for a re-paving project, and those doing business at the quarry are being advised to find an alternate route.  The closing between Monday, August 3 and Sunday, August 9 will affect the Duck Pond Road from SC 183/the Westminster Highway […]

Two specialties offered by Prisma Health’s Oconee Memorial Hospital have earned mentioned by a pair of national news magazines.  U-S News and World Report recognized Oconee Memorial for how it handles cases of heart failure and “COPD”—chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  In a partnership between Newsweek and Leapfrog, a national non-profit that reports on safety and quality in health care facilities, […]

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Thursday announced 1,636 new confirmed cases and 20 new probable cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, 48 additional confirmed deaths and 8 new probable deaths. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 87,117 probable cases to 455, confirmed deaths to 1,600, and 67 probable deaths. The 48-deaths included a […]

A 50-year old boater from Pickens has been charged by the DNR with three offenses from a late night accident July 11 on Lake Keowee.  According to authorities, Roy Lee Barrett is charged with felony BUI, no navigational lights, and failure to yield right-of-way in the Fall Creek arm of the lake.  A spokesman for the DNR said the accident […]

The School District of Oconee County will see approximately 74% of students returning to school buildings when school starts on August 24, 2020.  Parents were asked to complete a pre-registration form earlier in the month, choosing from a face-to-face or remote option, SDOC@Home. Preliminary data indicates that of the 8,699 pre-registration forms completed, 6,464 (74%) chose face-to-face, 2,098(24%)  chose SDOC@Home, […]

The police in Seneca have announced the arrest of a 41-year old man who is accused of possession of a stolen moped.  According to police reports the man arrested, John Thomas Walter Campbell, was approached by Officer Welborn at WN 1st and Fair Play streets on Saturday, July 25.  The officer said he received verification that the moped Campbell allegedly […]

A three-way race has been created for one of the available trustee seats in this year’s election to fill Oconee school board seats.  A district spokeswoman says Sammy Grant, a former transportation director for the district and now an employee of Clemson Area Transit, has qualified to contest for Seat #5.  Already running for that seat are the incumbent, Buddy […]

Today’s report on jobless claims shows that, for the first time since pandemic started, South Carolina first-time claims have dropped below 13,000.  And, among the places where there have been fewer claims, is Oconee County.  For the week ended last Saturday, Oconee’s number was 190.  The numbers prompt the director of employment and workforce, Dan Ellzey, to say, “Our economy […]