Category: News

Congressman Jeff Duncan and the Department of Homeland Security Director, Janet Napolitano, engaged in a contentious question-answer session about a person of interest in the Boston terrorism attack. That person of interest was eventually cleared of any involvement, according to Duncan, the Third District representative from South Carolina. But Duncan questioned Napolitano about an apparent decision to deport the individual […]

An Oconee jury found the defendant not guilty this afternoon on both charges. Melissa Dawn Ramey walked speedily out of the courtroom, proclaiming her innocence and faith in the judicial system. The jury found the 37-year old woman not guilty of grand larceny and burglary at a Long Creek farm caretaker’s home in 2011. Ramey paused long enough to tell […]

Oconee County investigators believe a motor home near Seneca was set on fire this week—but not before more than one thousand dollars worth of contents were stolen. The Sheriff’s Office seeks your help to solve the crimes of arson and larceny at Ashley Lane—not far from Reedy Fork Baptist Church. The Wednesday morning fire, just before 6:30, destroyed two-thirds of […]

Oconee County teacher Lori Chappelear has been named South Carolina Ambassador for the National Down’s Syndrome Society. In that capacity, Chappelear will serve as liaison between the national society and the South Carolina General Assembly. She and her husband, Dan, have a son, Brock, who is a 15-year old student at Walhalla Middle School. The Chappelears made made it their […]

Across the Duke Energy Walhalla service territory, power outages required personnel to put in a night of repairs—before all service was restored. A spokeswoman for Duke, B-J Gatten, said, “Those storms resulted in some trees on power lines and stands of line going down….Afterwards there was a blinking problem which was difficult to troubleshoot. It ended up being an equipment […]

The team putting together an application for the federal government to re-license part of Duke Energy’s operations in Oconee County will extend the welcome mat next month to anyone interested in the Keowee-Toxaway re-licensing. Duke Energy’s Erin Culbert says that public meeting will run from 4 to 8 p-m Wednesday, May 22 at the Clemson University Madren Center. Culbert says […]

One final witness testified before the defense rested this morning in the Oconee General Sessions Court. S.C. versus Melissa Dawn Ramey is now on a track to reach the jury room some time today. The 37-year old woman is charged with grand larceny and burglary at the Long Creek home of a farm caretaker in 2011. Stolen were a safe, […]

DOT officials say one Burns Mill Road bridge has re-opened, another remains indefinitely closed. The DOT announced yesterday the completion of a one-day job to replace a piling on the bridge near Ebenezer Road. That bridge is now open once again for traffic. But about one mile away the bridge between West Union and Scenic Heights Road remains closed until […]

As a grower and rancher, Long Creek’s Kitty Land is always looking for ways to grow her Long Creek agribusiness. Land and her husband, Ed, own and run Chattooga Belle Farm. The three-year old business offers “u-pick” fields, grass-fed Angus beef, educational farm tours, farm-to-table dinners and more. Kitty Land traveled three hours yesterday to learn about labeling and packaging, […]

U-S Senator Lindsey Graham says President Obama wanted three things on gun control—-and lost on all three. Graham is hailing his votes as the Senate rejected a ban on assault weapons, limit on magazine sizes, and expand background checks. “Today we saw that President Obama’s politically-driven solutions to gun violence could not withstand scrutiny from Congress and the American people,” […]