Category: Editorials

Oconee County and the employees who work there can be grateful to the large manufacturing complex in West Union that marks 50 year of business this month. The plant known for its electric meters originated in 1962 under the shield of Illinois’s Sangamo Electric Company and today is operated by Itron of Washington State. In cost-cutting moves that are the […]

Earthquakes are not an uncommon occurrence in South Carolina. That’s a statement everyone should always keep in mind, especially this time of the year when we practice what to do in the event of the unthinkable. According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, the state experiences numerous minor earthquakes annually. Most of them are so minor, they cannot be […]

The stark reality is that apparently nothing could have been done on the local level to avert last week’s wrenching announcement that Covidient is moving its entire Seneca workload to Costa Rica. Local government leaders say that once they got a whiff that something was afoot, they tried to contact officials of the Massachusetts-based company, but were unsuccessful at establishing […]

How often do you get the chance to question your elected leaders . . . and get an answer back immediately? Critics of Oconee overnment leaders will likely tell you not enough. But the chambers of commerce are to be commended for the time and expense they’ve taken to hold countywide town hall meetings. The last in a series of […]

It’s Apple Festival week in Westminster! The 51st Annual South Carolina Apple Festival picks up steam tonight through this weekend with plenty of attractions and events for all ages. There will be lots of musical entertainment, arts, crafts, a parade, a rodeo, a classic car show, a 5k and fun run race, and of course, plenty of food! Critics like […]

The new Walhalla City Council is moving to take a stab at the Partners for Progress Plan for a streetscape project in downtown Walhalla. When the plan was completed a few years ago, a scare ran through the downtown that the plan would make so many changes that they would be counterproductive to the benefits. There appears to be consensus […]

With every Census, population increases move Oconee County closer to what the federal government calls metropolitan planning zones. A pro active reaction by the Seneca City Council may save the city from some day being gobbled up by a metropolitan planning organization in which the larger city Greenville holds sway. Greg Dietterick, the Seneca city administrator, had little trouble convincing […]

An architectural-style building so reminiscent of the mid to late 20th century will soon be replaced by a new Blue Ride Bank at the corner of Main and College in Walhalla. The new-look Blue Ridge Bank will incorporate the look of a mountain bank. And, why not, for the higher elevations are within eyeshot. But the new investment being made […]

The recent tragedies that took lives and injured Oconeeans in cases of murder-suicide and other crimes in the home place have prompted some of our community’s leaders to step up a public awareness effort. As assistant solicitor Lindsey Simmons put it, it’s important for everyone to understand that violence in the home is no longer a private matter. It’s a […]