Category: News

Josh Holliday, the principal at Keowee Elementary School, introduced one of his school’s talented students last night to the county board of trustees.  Tate Caigle led last night’s meeting in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.  Tate is an athlete who also has shown a skill in writing.  Holliday announced Tate is a district essay winner.

An official of Oconee NAACP sought assurance last night that the county schools will carefully and actively consider all applicants for teaching jobs, especially those of color.  The NAACP’s George Anderson said minority members of a teaching force can serve as incentive to students of color to someday want to enter the profession, and Superintendent Thorsland was quick to agree.  […]

Fire broke out at two homes in the northeast quadrant of Oconee County.  No injuries reported in either of last night’s fires, although EMS was called to check the occupants at one of the homes near Salem.  The fires occurred around 11:30 on the Shack Hollow Road near Salem, not far from U-S Forest Service property; and just before 3 […]

After the first day for Oconee school staff to be vaccinated, the district superintendent has changed his tune when it comes to protecting his teachers from the spread of COVID-19 in school settings.  Previously, Dr. Michael Thorsland registered his disappointment that vaccine providers would not agree to conduct mass vaccinations for school personnel.  But, after got to roll of up […]

Already the federal government has poured millions of dollars into the Oconee public schools in the form of relief from the world pandemic.  The total figure is likely to increase four times over, provided President Biden gets to sign the latest relief bill.  Dr. Michael Thorsland, district superintendent, learned during a superintendents’ meeting last week with Molly Spearman, the state […]

  Gas pump prices continue their upward climb, and motorists across the Carolinas are paying it.  The states’ average price is now the most expensive daily average price since April of 2019.  According to the motor club AAA, pump prices are increasing as refinery utilization is at an all-time low and on Friday crude oil prices surged.

Pump prices in the Carolinas continue to increase on the week, with North and South Carolina state averages now being the most expensive daily average price since April 2019. North Carolina’s gas price average has climbed 22 cents since mid-February, while South Carolina’s average climbed 23 cents. “Many factors are causing an uptick in prices at the pump including rising […]

A police investigation in Seneca has determined a cause for a multi-vehicle accident around 10:15 Saturday morning at the East End intersection–the 123 By-Pass and SC 130, the Rochester Highway.  Responders were faced with reports a possible entrapment and one overturned small truck that came to rest atop two others.  The driver of a Nissan, a Seneca man, was sent […]

The Sumter National Forest proposes to replace 59 road-stream crossings, 26 of which are in the Andrew Pickens District.  An inventory of crossings has determined that many impede or prevent fish movements in streams.  All of the crossings are on Forest Service land, but some are on state and county jurisdiction roads.  The Forest Service promises that they won’t replace […]

  Clemson University credits a student majoring in bio-engineering with strides toward a career that has been male-dominated.  She’s Ashley Babinchak, who arrived at Clemson with an interest in biology and engineering.  And now Ashley has been accepted a summer intern with the medical device company Arthrex.  She’ll be an intern at the company’s headquarters in Naples, Florida.