Author: Dick Mangrum

If you run a Walhalla business and employ fewer than 25 people, chances are you could qualify for financial help from your city government.  In a meeting today, the city council might vote to create a COVID-19 business retention grant program.  The Downtown Development Corporation would administer the program and its board would consider the applications.  The promise put forth […]

Without regular school classes at least until May, the Oconee Sheriff’s Office has been able to put additional resources on the streets to protect against the possibility that criminals will target businesses. Sheriff Crenshaw announced yesterday that his patrol staff has been beefed up by 17 officers who’ve temporarily abandoned their duties as school resource officers. And, so far, for […]

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced 183 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, including four additional deaths. This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 2,232, and those who have died to 48. Oconee’s numbers remain eight confirmed cases, no deaths. The additional deaths occurred in […]

Governor Henry McMaster issued Executive Order 2020-21, which includes a mandatory “Home or Work” order and mandates capacity limitations to retail businesses still operating. “As we have said before – when the science, data, facts and experts determine it’s time to take action, it would be taken. It’s time,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “Taking this measure now will hopefully slow […]

On the week, pump prices continued to push less expensive with gasoline demand registering at its lowest point since 1993, and it is likely to push lower as Americans are urged to stay at home at least until the beginning of May. “Crude oil prices started to increase at the end of last week,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA spokesperson. “However, […]

The Oconee Chamber of Commerce deployed an information technology tool called a webinar today to bring together its executive director, JoAnn Johnson, with Mike Crenshaw, the Oconee County Sheriff. For Crenshaw, it was a chance to expound on a series of subjects related to the pandemic. As a community service, 101.7/WGOG will re-play the 20-minutes program. You can hear it […]

Statement from Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul about COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments for Beneficiaries “I want to provide an update to people who receive benefits from the Social Security Administration. The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced on April 1 that Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file an abbreviated […]

Prisma Health announced today that it is collaborating with Ethicon Inc., part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, to make and distribute a ventilator expansion device, called the VESper™ Ventilator Expansion Splitter. The VESper Ventilator Expansion Splitter is authorized for emergency use only to allow a single ventilator to be fitted with the Ventilator Splitter to be used […]

On April Fool’s day last week, someone grabbed a set of keys and took off running from the Seneca Wal-Mart. Oconee Sheriff’s Office describes the thief as a male with dread locks and a face mask who took from the pocket of a Walmart employee the set of keys for the electronics case. The theft occurred Wednesday afternoon. The sheriff’s […]

The annual meeting of the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative will take place on Thursday, April 23, but there are changes required by the health concerns and meeting limits brought on by COVID-19. This year, instead of an in-person annual meeting, special drive-thru registration, voting, and gift giveaways will be conduct by the Oconee and Pickens offices. The special drive-through will […]