Category: News

Abnormally dry conditions like those experienced across three-quarters of South Carolina recently are a double whammy for the state’s valuable forest resources: Drought puts stress on trees and, in turn, stress makes trees more vulnerable to threats such as native and invasive insects. With 63 percent of the state in a moderate to exceptional drought and 37 percent experiencing at […]

A candidate for Westminster City Council next month has switched her endorsement. In a blog, Theresa Noe has withdrawn support for Susan Ramey for mayor and given it instead to Brian Ramey. Noe is one of 10 people seeking the three available city council seats in the November 5 election. Noe had joined Susan Ramey and three other women in […]

Two people and one pet escaped without injury a home fire early this morning near Walhalla. Fire Chief Brandon Burton reported the fire call to 201 Timberlane Drive, off 183/the Walhalla-Westminster Highway, was sounded at 2:30 this morning. The fire is being investigated, though Burton says there doesn’t appear to be anything of a suspicious nature. The American Red Cross […]

The highway patrol has announced that the driver of a pickup truck in a late night Oconee County accident died after being taken to the hospital.  Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis has identified the deceased as Rene Vargas-Pacheco, 38, of Walhalla.  Lance Corp. David Jones said in the circumstances of the accident a pickup truck left the right side of […]

Walhalla has announced three blocks inside its core commercial area of downtown will be closed to vehicle traffic for Oktoberfest weekend—October 18-20. Officials have decided that for pedestrian and other safety, the city will shut Main Street between the blocks of College and Ann streets. Main Street and the nearby Sertoma Field, as usual, are the venues for the city’s […]

Four residents of South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District have applied to represent the district on the state Public Service Commission. The role of a PSC board member is full-time and well-paying. Commissioners hold jurisdiction over on matters pertaining to investor-owned electric and gas utilities, water and wastewater companies, among other entities. The four PSC applicants from District Three are Kevin […]

Two residents at a rural Oconee home have been charged in law enforcement’s investigation into the death of a one-year old boy. The two charged have been identified in an Oconee Sheriff’s announcement this afternoon as Molly Morgan Spivey and Ronald Glenn Christen of Bright Eyes Drive, Westminster—each charged with unlawful neglect of a child. That announcement came simultaneous with […]

Oconee County has a memorandum of understanding with a group of developers who want to bring new life to the village of Newry with a large multi-family residential project, a café and a grocery store. On behalf of Oconee, county administrator Amanda Brock on September 25 signed the memo of understanding in which the limited liability company the May Corporation […]

Concrete walls are in place in a back section of a highway 11 Oconee County industrial park. The work is in progress where a Minnesota company promises 122 jobs and a 105 thousand square foot building. All for the purpose of making engine cooling systems for heavy, medium, and light duty trucks.

The board of Oconee Economic Alliance and others turned out in large numbers today to welcome the county’s new economic development recruiter and bid farewell to her predecessor. Annie Caggiano was applauded when she was introduced and she spoke to the meeting held at the Oconee campus of Tri-County Tech. She succeeds Janet Hartman who, with her husband, starts a […]