Author: Dick Mangrum

Nearly 1.5 million Americans filed first time claims for unemployment for the last week.  That’s higher than economists predicted.  South Carolina provided a slither of good news on the workforce front. Thomas Alexander, state senator for Oconee-Pickens, said first time claims across the state were 17,098—some 2,200 fewer than the previous week.  In an in interview with JoAnn Johnson on […]

If you, Mr. or Mrs. Oconee, ever imagined yourself as part of a board that sets policy for public education in the county, you have an opportunity later this year to make a difference.  Three of the five seats on the county board of trustees are available in the November 3 General Election.  They are the seats representing districts 2, […]

An Oconee sheriff’s SUV has crashed this morning in the Crossroads Community near Seneca.  94.1 The Lake’s Kevin Hollis reported from the scene that the sheriff’s car apparently left Deer Knoll Drive near highway 59 and crashed into a tree.  Two ambulances were seen in the vicinity.  An officer has been injured, but there’s no immediate information about injuries and […]

One person is reported in custody after what the Oconee Sheriff’s Office says was a pursuit this morning in the vicinity of Crossroads community and highway 59.  Jimmy Watt, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, confirms there was motor vehicle  pursuit and the suspect was in custody after a short foot chase.

By this morning, there had been no answer as to whether a California utility company superintendent is agreeable to a cross-country move to take over the Westminster utilities department.  Leigh Allen Baker apparently is still weighing to accept Westminster’s offer of an $85 thousand salary to be electrical supervisor/interim utility director.  The job of permanent utility director would hinge on […]

A missing Walhalla teenager, Jayne Reyes, has been located in Florida.  Capt. Tim Rice of the Walhalla Police said last night, “We are working now to get her reunited with her family.”  The police on Tuesday made Jayne the subject of a missing endangered report and had received indications that she might have been in a car in the company […]

On the evening of Thursday, July 2, Walhalla will take another step to form its diversity and inclusion committee by inviting city residents to come and take part in a meeting to be attended by the city council, the police chief, and city staff.  The meeting will take place at the Depot and start at 6 o’clock that evening.  Mayor […]

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced 1,291 new confirmed cases and 12 new probable cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, and 10 additional confirmed deaths. There are currently 832 hospital beds occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19. This brings the total number of people confirmed cases […]

Seneca is announcing bus route changes and invites the public for a discussion today at the City Hall.  A public hearing to discuss those changes is set for the noon hour today.  Route changes are displayed on the lower level of City Hall in front of the planning and community development office.  If you can’t make today’s hearing, you can […]

A man who the Oconee Sheriff’s Office says has a record for burglary finds himself back in jail for a new case in which he allegedly burglarized a home last weekend near Westminster.  According to the sheriff’s office, Wayne Emory Drost was taken into custody Sunday morning on the property of the crime scene.  Fifty-nine year old Drost lists addresses […]