Category: News

A car chase at midafternoon yesterday from Toccoa, Georgia ended in an accident scene near Westminster and apparent injuries to one of the people in a gray car chased by the police.  The chase apparently ended with an accident on highway 76 at Dewey Street, where the Westminster police deployed their K-9 to assist in the investigation.  Information received by […]

A controlled woodland burn announced by the U-S Forest Service for today in Oconee County will require the closing of the Cedar Creek Rifle Range.  Today’s burn is to consume 826 acres between the Rich Mountain Road, the Cedar Creek Road, and the Cassidy Bridge Road.

On Wednesday’s South Carolina COVID-19 report:  64 new confirmed deaths statewide, three of them from Oconee County.  Two of the Oconee victims on January 28 were middle age; the other, on January 30, elderly.  Across the state, 1,762 new cases reported, including 29 from Oconee.  Of 15,289 test results received statewide, the positivity was 16.1%.

A man and a woman from Oconee are in jail after being arrested and charged with armed robbery in Lavonia, Georgia.  The Lavonia police chief, Bruce Carlisle, says the robbery occurred the night of January 26 at the Royal Foods store.  A man wearing a mask and gloves entered the convenience store and pointed a gun at the clerk and […]

The delay announced this week in the timetable to finally run piped sewer to I-85 in Oconee is not anticipated to jack up the multi-million dollar price of the project.  In fact, according to Oconee’s chief honcho of sewer, there might even be some savings to realize.  Chris Eleazer, executive director of the JRSA, said, “I just got off the […]

Governor Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced that beginning Monday, February 8, any South Carolina resident aged 65 or older, regardless of health status or preexisting conditions, can begin scheduling their appointment to receive COVID-19 vaccine. DHEC’s online tool at scdhec.gov/vaxlocator shows locations currently accepting appointments for COVID-19 vaccine and provides […]

Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and West Carolina Telephone Cooperative have sent a letter of intent to acquire the fiber and broadband network assets of One Tone Telecom.  Last October Blue Ridge and West Carolina Telephone entered a partnership to start high-speed internet across a five-county service territory.  Soon afterward, they started negotiations with One Tone to buy its assets that […]

Oconee County government announces it will help county residents, especially those 70 and older who are part of phase 1A, in setting up the necessary account with the federal government to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.  Help in setting up a “VAMS” account with the CDC is available by calling the Oconee History Museum/helpline number 864-638-2224 between Tuesdays and Saturdays, 11 […]

Walhalla officials are intent on seeing an idea for a community garden for the public becomes reality, but they aren’t quite sure about the best location.  Councilwoman Melendez last night proposed property at the W. Main Street city park that contains the municipal swimming pool.  Her idea is for the garden to be planted in place of volleyball area, but […]

The first month of 2021 was kind to Oconee Humane Society officials and to the pets housed in the county shelter.  For the first time, the shelter on the Sandifer Boulevard achieved the status as a no-kill shelter for one month.  National animal groups define no-kill as not euthanizing adoptable animals for overcrowding and reaching a 90% “save rate”, for […]