Author: Dick Mangrum

In 20 years, Joy Scharich has run countless elections that run the gamut from town hall to the halls of the highest offices in the country.  But her career, as director of Oconee Registration and Elections, will come to an end next year when she retires.  Scharich has settled on a new retirement date, June 2021 effective with the end […]

Drug and weapons charges were laid against a 42-year old driver after a traffic stop late Sunday night in Seneca.  Police reports indicate Seneca resident Charles Phillip Davis was placed in custody after a Honda automobile jumped the curb on W. South 5th Street.  Arrest warrants allege Davis possessed methamphetamine and a handgun while in the commission of violent crime.

Two federal grants totaling more than one million dollars have been approved for mental health and drug rehabilitation in Oconee County.  The first, $585,693 through the Department of Justice, will fund a 30-day in-patient substance abuse recovery treatment program in the Oconee Detention Center remodeled by Christ Central Ministries.  Last month the substance abuse program served 460 people.  The second […]

  A Pioneer Rural Water customer accidentally let the water run at a location and wound up with a one thousand dollar bill.  The water office applied a leak adjustment clause that cut his bill to $546 dollars.  But the customer today appealed to the board of director for further relief.  After hearing Terry Pruitt, general manager, say he could […]

In an Election Day accounting by South Carolina DHEC, 741 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed among the state’s population.  There were 18 new deaths.  None of those deaths was reported for Oconee County.  However, Oconee added nine cases to the running totals kept by the state health agency.  On Monday statewide, 5,027 test results were placed in the hands of […]

One of the candidates who were effusive last night in amazement of the Oconee County voter turnout was the long-time coroner, Karl Addis.  Alone on ballot, Addis tallied 99% of the vote.  That equates to 35 thousand voters who are keeping Addis in the office which has responsible to declare and, where necessary, investigate deaths of the citizenry.  Voters did […]

Oconee officials marveled over the county’s participation in the 2020 General Election.  Vote tallies last night showed 72.69% of eligible Oconeeans cast ballots – whether they voted by mail, by in-person absentee, or by showing up yesterday at their polling places.  If that percentage holds, it’ll reflect an increase of about five percent from 2016.  The county’s voters delivered winning […]

  Trump and Biden now focus on three industrial states that could prove crucial in deciding the White House, according to the wire service The Associated Press.  By early today, neither candidate had the 270 Electoral College votes to win.  South Carolina, however, stayed true to its solid red leanings, as South Carolina voters delivered whopping margins for President Trump […]

The Oconee electorate has given Republican incumbents votes in the range of 70% in their bids to win back offices.  Benefitting were President Trump, Senator Graham, and Rep. Duncan.  Jody Gaulin, chairwoman of Oconee Democrats, said earlier tonight that Graham enjoyed a 52-46% advantage statewide, but she’s hopeful her party’s candidate, Harrison, can reverse that.  There’s to be a new […]

  Agents from the South Carolina Department of Revenue arrested a Pickens County man on charges of forgery and furnishing a false tax document.  According to the DOR, Six Mile resident Ricardo Antonio Ramos is accused of filing a state individual income tax return in which he allegedly claimed a $31 thousand credit in February 2019.  He also allegedly claimed […]