Category: News

An Oconee County native has embarked on his second deployment to northern Afghanistan. Sgt. Andrew Evatt will serve until July next summer as a combat engineer for the U-S Army. Evatt is based out of Fort Lewis, Washington. He’s the son of Mike Evatt of the Keowee Community and is a 2008 Walhalla High graduate.

Congressman Jeff Duncan makes at least two Oconee County appearances. The Laurens Republican has Oconee County in his schedule Thursday, September 26. He’ll speak to the Seneca Rotary Club at 1 p-m at the International Deli. Later that afternoon, he’ll be the featured guest for a meeting of the Stamp Creek Republican Precinct from 4:30 to 6 p-m at Keowee […]

The police in Seneca arrested a man they’ve been looking for since a middle of the night safety checkpoint last weekend at E. Main and N Cherry streets. The police began to handcuff the driver after stopping a Ford Expedition, but he ran away—with the cuffs attached to one of his wrists. The police say they arrested their suspect this […]

Community volunteers are joining Walhalla Presbyterians today in salvage operations at the fire-damaged church at E. Main and S. Johnson streets. State Senator Thomas Alexander, who is acting as a spokesman for his church, says, “We are moving forward.” In the meantime, the investigation to pinpoint the fire cause remains open and church leaders.  Fire Chief Doug Kelley says insurance […]

A Pickens County road damaged by this summer’s heavy rains is getting attention today from county crews. Six families live along Warbranch Road near Central. Planning and working with the homeowners, police, fire and other services, Pickens County work crews are starting a culvert project on Warbranch Road that they hope to finish in 72 hours.

Clemson University’s Air Force ROTC and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 120 in Seneca are among organizations drawing attention to National POW/MIA Day this Friday. Cleta Bryson of the Legion Auxiliary says her unit is dedicated to ensure that America’s prisoners of war and those missing in action are honored and not only memorialized. CU’s Air Force ROTC marks the […]

Why were so many striped bass found floating in Lake Hartwell  September 7? The Army Corps of Engineers and the DNRs in Georgia and South Carolina investigated the scene, 2.5 miles upstream from the Hartwell Dam. Biologist Jamie Sykes found that high outflows resulting from exceptionally high rainfall dissolved oxygen levels and affected the water temperature. Striped bass prefer cool […]

The trial judge and the defense attorney in South Carolina versus Joshua David Toney have disqualified themselves in the case of South Carolina against the defendant. For the 31-year old Toney, it means he’ll have to find a new lawyer to defend him in the Oconee County General Sessions Court. And it means that a judge, other than Alex Macaulay, […]

A new Family Court judge has gone to work in Oconee County. David Phillips of Anderson this week is presiding at his first session of Family Court at the Oconee County Courthouse.

Sidewalk and parking lot construction is underway at Oconee Medical Center. It’s a project intended to add a new walkway and move handicap parking closer to the entrance of the patient tower. Work should take four weeks. The effect on vehicle traffic is predicted to be minimal. Signs and fencing are being posted to direct foot traffic.