Category: News

One Seneca apartment project is underway. A second is in the works! A Lexington contractor has started work on a $2.5 million remodeling of Applewood Villas on South Fourth Street. All 50 units of the complex are being remodeled and a clubhouse is being added. According to Tamy Sanford, city planner, Connelly Builders expects to complete the work by the […]

An assistant principal in Seneca is transferring to Walhalla to be an elementary school principal. Ashley Robertson July 1 will leave Seneca Middle School to succeed Michelle Grant as principal of James Brown Elementary. Her appointment, approved last night by the county board of trustees, was announced this morning by the school district.  

A spokesman for Pickens County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed homicides have been discovered this morning in the Dacusville Community, near the Greenville County line. Chief Deputy Creed Hashe referred to the discovery as “multiple homicides,” but says investigators do not believe there is danger to the general community, as everyone in the incident, as he put it, “….we have identified […]

Things are about to start buzzing! “Insect activity has been quiet lately primarily due to the wet, cold weather this spring, but that is about to change,” said Jeremy Greene, a Clemson University Extension entomologist at the Edisto Research and Education Center. “Our kudzu bugs are out there, and they will be in full swing in the next few weeks. […]

The South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff in Columbia is auditing Duke Energy’s books ad records to assess the fairness of the utility’s request to raise its South Carolina rates. Duke Energy Carolinas filed day with the South Carolina Public Service Commission a request to raise electric rates by about $220 million—an overall increase of 15.1%. However, the average rate […]

Oconee County Councilman Wayne McCall asked his colleagues last night to think about the possibility that the county’s revenues for 2013 could be less than projected, if the new Duke tax assessment falls. Duke Energy remains the county’s number one taxpayer and, to a great extent, the county’s budgets are figured. McCall said the assessment could reflect a shift by […]

Oconee County councilmen acceded to the views of their budget committee chairman to kill the idea of the county’s first road maintenance fee. But, to square revenues with expenses next year, the council instead will move toward a general three mill tax increase. The fee had been the idea of County Administrator Moulder as a way to restore some semblance […]

An official ceremony to break ground to build the new Walhalla High School takes place next week—even though trustees have yet to nail down a guaranteed maximum price for the project. That total price was discussed last night during a work session attended by three of the five trustees. Dr. Michael Thorsland, assistant superintendent for operations, announced the public ceremony […]

A magistrate today sent all charges against a former Westminster police chief to the Oconee General Sessions Court. Scott Bannister, who resigned last year, was charged this year with forgery, misconduct in office, and embezzlement of public funds. This morning’s preliminary hearing, before Magistrate Will Derrick, lasted 30 minutes. Bannister was present and represented by attorney Druanne White. Assistant Solicitor […]

Significant rainfall this month has improved lake storage in the Keowee-Toxaway River Basin and that, according to Duke Energy, allows the regional drought plan to return to Stage O. In Stage O, Duke is required to monitor conditions. Rainfall has resulted in Lake Jocassee gaining about 10 feet of storage since April. The Keowee-Toxaway basin had been in Statg 2 […]