Author: Dick Mangrum

Incumbency was an asset that stood candidates well throughout yesterday’s municipal elections in Oconee County.  In every instance, an incumbent held onto a seat.  Case in point:  Seneca, where the voters preferred status quo.  All four council incumbents were returned for new, four-year terms.  Walhalla provided the night’s drama, as the available mayor’s office went to Tim Hall.  He tallied […]

A church worker in Walhalla says, “We have seen a consistent large response.”  And the St. Luke Methodist Church on E. Main Street may see such a response this afternoon.  Today is a free Wednesday food day.  From 4:30 to 5:30 today the church will give away boxes of packaged foods, fresh fruit, along with frozen meat and vegetables.

The city of Seneca offices, along with its Light and Water department, will be closed Friday for Veterans Day.  Utility customers wishing to make a payment may do so in the night deposit, available for payments 24 hours a day.  If you have a utility emergency, call 864/885-2723 for assistance.

A national online outfit that studies FBI crime data to rank cities for safety is recognizing Seneca as one of South Carolina’s top 20 safest places to live.  The honor from SafeWise is considered an accomplishment that the city police chief, Casey Bowling, is proud of.  In new rankings, according to the city, Seneca climbed 12 spots to land at […]

Principal Scott Dixon and his staff will have the welcome mat out Friday morning at the Walhalla Middle School for local veterans to enjoy breakfast — the school’s annual tribute to those who’ve served the country.  The breakfast will be served at 8:45 Friday morning in the cafeteria.  All veterans and their families are invited for the meal, along with […]

Stage 2 Mandatory Water Reduction has been declared by Highlands, North Carolina.  Now, according to an announcement from the town hall, all customers of the mountain town are expected to reduce their water use by 10% in comparison to their previous month’s bill. The Highlands declaration reads:  “Due to the prolonged drought conditions and the lack of measurable rainfall in […]

A “Central Oconee County Sewer Planning Stakeholder Meeting” is announced for tomorrow afternoon in Walhalla.  It will be a two-hour meeting, from 1:30 to 3:30 tomorrow afternoon at the Walhalla Depot.  According to the Joint Regional Sewer Authority, “As this is a presentation and discussion for a specific project, comments and questions from the public will not be received at […]

Apart from final striping, the newly paved and widened section of Clemson’s Perimeter Road is complete.  From end to end, Perimeter Road is now four lanes, two lanes each way, and the speed limit remains 35 miles an hour.  Thrift Development’s Rush Thrift, explained in an interview with 101.7/WGOG NEWS, the greatest challenge was coordination and communication with the university, […]

Vista Drive and Vista Circle in Clemson are the spot for a city-contracted utility company to inspect and complete repairs in the right-of-way of that neighborhood’s wastewater collection infrastructure.  The repairs are designed to correct any obstruction issues in the lines.

In a popular TV series way back in the last century, Jackie Gleason’s sidekick, Art Carney, spent his working days in the sewers of New York.  Not a glamourous job, but a necessary one.  These days there’s great need for workers to man Oconee’s treatment plant, as several of the plant’s workers are within a few years of retirement and […]