Category: News

If COVID-19 numbers continue their slide, Walhalla’s big outdoor festival will likely return in 2021.  By the narrowest of margins, the Oktoberfest Committee put safety ahead of fun last year and cancelled last October’s event.  But Governor McMaster’s decision to give the state Commerce Department leeway in permitting gatherings of 250 and more has been received by the Walhalla Oktoberfest […]

Total new confirmed COVID cases in South Carolina for the latest 24-hour period:  740.  Of those 740, there were 15 Oconee County residents.  New deaths statewide were three.  Of 25,197 total test results received, the state positivity fell to 4.1%.

A fire fighter with nearly 25 years experience for the Beaufort County town of Bluffton is moving across the state to land as Clemson University’s new chief.  Most recently, Rick Cramer worked as deputy chief of operations in the Bluffton Township Fire District.  At Clemson, he succeeds the retired Bill Daniel.

The police at Seneca say they seized dangerous narcotics in a late night traffic stop last week on the south side of the railroad tracks. Stopped was a Chevy Trailblazer on Fairfield Drive.  Arrested were the driver and his passenger.  The police list the following charges have been placed against driver Calvin Hunt:  driving under suspension; simple possession of marijuana; […]

At their meeting tomorrow, Oconee County Council will be asked to award Thrift Development of Seneca a contract worth in excess of $400 thousand for new turn lanes and an eastern entrance road to the Heritage Farm Center on the 123/the Sandifer Boulevard.  Another staff recommendation to the council is the award of $44 thousand to Trehel Corporation to handle […]

Effective today, South Carolina establishments licensed to sell beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption may resume normal alcohol sales (pre-pandemic) as licensed by the state Department of Revenue.  Governor McMaster has terminated COVID-19 related safety measures related to the sale of alcohol.  McMaster’s previous executive order had prohibited sales of beer, wine and liquor for on-premises consumption after 11 […]

The Third District’s Jeff Duncan cast a no vote in the House on the $1.9 trillion dollar COVID relief bill, which arrives today in the Senate.  The measure does not include a 15-dollar-an-hour wage boost.  Rep. Duncan, Republican from Laurens, notes that the House bill passed without any support from his party.  Although the bill includes $1,400 payments to Americans […]

A new drug bust conducted by the police in Seneca is being called “significant” by Chief Bowling.  And he promises an announcement with details shortly

Student meals eaten in the classrooms and limited crowds in recess.  They are part of the new normal during COVID-19.  However, with new lifting of certain restrictions the question has been posed by a listener of whether Oconee public schools are going to start easing some protocols.  Here’s what the district spokeswoman told 101.7/WGOG NEWS this morning:  “We’ve had a […]

The short month of February is now in the record books kept by the U-S weather observer in Walhalla.  Weather watcher Barbara Wilson recorded a wide temperature swing in the winter month–from a low of 22 degrees on both February 4 and 5 and a high of 74 degrees on the 26th.  Total February precipitation was 4.8″ which included 2021’s […]