Category: News

An early morning water main break on Avondale Drive has resulted in low system pressures or complete loss of water service for some customers. As a result, the City of Walhalla Water Department advises the customers in the areas listed below, located in Oconee County, to vigorously boil their water for at least one (1) full minute prior to drinking […]

In this afternoon’s state health agency accounting of new cases of COVID-19, here are highlights: New cases statewide:  3,585 (including 74 in Oconee County). Confirmed new SC deaths:  15 Of 32,161 test results received, the positivity decreased from yesterday’s report to 14.6%. These numbers reflect the data for the end of the day Wednesday. Overall cases and deaths were up […]

Oconee County is not yet a county with 80 thousand people, but it’s close. The Census Bureau’s count of Oconee County residents for 2020 was 78,607.  That’s an increase of some 4,300, or 5.8%, from the 2010 Census.  About 50 years ago the county’s population hovered in the range of 42 to 43 thousand, and it wasn’t long before then […]

A teenager at Tamassee went out her bedroom window yesterday on the Cherokee Lake Road, and she remains missing this morning.  The sheriff’s office has issued a missing person alert for Ashlyn Bailey Miller.  Sixteen-year old Ashlyn was wearing white shorts, green shirt, and tie-dye croc shoes.  She could be with a friend in a gold or tan Toyota Camry […]

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office has announced an update to the Intake process at the Oconee County Animal Shelter.  The new program will be called Managed Intake.   “The goal and the purpose of the Managed Intake process is to offer to owners of pets, who are thinking of surrendering their animals to Animal Control, other alternatives in the hopes […]

Last May the Oconee County Council, influenced by citizen opposition, turned down an organization’s request for a “reasonable accommodation” to establish a 16-bed treatment facility.  Residents of the Burns Mill Road, West Union area crowded the council chambers to protest what they understood to be an effort to serve “sexually problematic” youngsters in a Walter Scott Drive home.  Next week […]

In this afternoon’s state health agency accounting of new cases of COVID-19, here are highlights: New cases statewide:  2,181 (including 23 in Oconee County). Confirmed new SC deaths:  9 Of 19,126 test results received, the positivity increased to 16.2%. These numbers reflect the data for the end of the day Tuesday. Cases, deaths, and positivity all were up from Monday’s […]

Authorities in Florida placed an Oconee County shooting suspect into custody last night at Panama City.  Greenfield Road, Westminster resident Sayphonh Miranda Aquilla Xzayachack was the second person arrested in the Oconee Sheriff’s Office investigation of the wounding of a man last week at his home on Ora Road in the Holly Springs Commission.  In this case, the sheriff’s office […]

A group of the top health organizations in South Carolina has combined to issue a joint recommendation for all pregnant women in South Carolina to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to protect them and their babies against potentially severe COVID-19-related complications. There is now a strong body of evidence that women during and after pregnancy are at much greater risk for […]

AAA motor club predicts high traffic volumes during the last holiday weekend of summer, the Labor Day weekend.  However, with the resurgence of COVID-19 cases traced to the delta variant, some travelers wonder if they should take that last summer trip, or continue with their future travel plans.  AAA’s advice is to remain flexible as policies and guidelines continue to […]