Author: Gary Butts

The Town of Pendleton announced that planned downtown road closures for Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10, 2026, have been canceled because the Fall Harvest Festival has been relocated indoors to Riverside Middle School due to forecasted high winds and weather conditions. Town officials, the Community Engagement Team, and department heads made the decision to safeguard residents, visitors, vendors, […]

While the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office investigates the related truck theft, the Walhalla City Police are searching for multiple subjects following a pre-dawn Sunday attempt to steal an ATM from the Blue Ridge Bank branch on South John Street. According to City Police Captain David Carr, the suspects first stole a Ford F-250 truck from a Gaines Street residence in […]

During a Tuesday committee meeting, Walhalla finance director Brittney Martin and city administrator David Poulson announced to the city council that over 80 percent of the general fund budget remained available at the close of September, marking a healthy start to the fiscal year. Officials reported nearly 14 million dollars budgeted with over 11.2 million dollars still unspent, while staff […]

Following an accidental shooting on Sherwood Lane in Walhalla, a teenager was fatally shot in the head when a friend negligently handled a firearm that had been retrieved from under a pillow. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office subsequently detained a 15-year-old male on an involuntary manslaughter charge. The victim succumbed to his injuries Thursday afternoon at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial […]

Following a months-long narcotics trafficking investigation, the Seneca Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant on October 7, 2026, at 900 East South 6th Street, recovering crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, and a firearm. Three Seneca residents were arrested and booked into the Oconee County Detention Center: Antonio Bernard Holden, 49, charged with multiple counts of trafficking and distributing methamphetamine; […]

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an accidental shooting that occurred on Thursday morning, October 8, 2026, at a residence on Sherwood Lane near Walhalla. Deputies and paramedics responded to an 8:28 a.m. E-911 call reporting that a teenager accidentally shot a teenage friend in the head while moving a firearm. The victim was transported to the hospital, and […]

An early Wednesday morning shooting on Cedar Ridge in Anderson left a 17-year-old hospitalized with gunshot wounds to both legs and six other home occupants injured after multiple rounds struck the residence around 1:38 AM. The teen, who was asleep on the couch when the gunfire erupted, is expected to recover, while authorities urge anyone with information to submit tips […]

According to jail records, Seneca Police arrested 27-year-old Franklin Matthew Valentine of Anderson on Tuesday and charged him with first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Details surrounding his arrest have not yet been released, and he was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center to await bond and judicial proceedings.

City officials invite all Walhalla business owners to a community meeting this evening at 6:00 PM at the new community center. The goal of the gathering is to collaborate on strategies and resources the city can provide to help local enterprises finish the final quarter of the year strong.