Author: Dick Mangrum

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office has been notified today by some citizens with the Pursuit Alert App that it was being activated. Contact was made with the manufacturer due to the Sheriff’s Office not being involved in any pursuits today. “The company that owns and operates the Pursuit Alert App is doing a technology upgrade which caused the app to […]

The state has on the drawing board plans to replace two Oconee County bridges, but the work likely won’t start until the fall of 2023. Scheduled for replacement are bridges for secondary 129 over Oconee Creek and secondary 200 on the Stamp Creek Road. For both projects, according to DOT official, the state is estimating $5.5 million. Warren Hart, assistant […]

The freefall in gas pump prices continues and in at least one gas-seller in Oconee, the price has fallen below the $1.50.  We’re told that a convenience store on the Shiloh Road is advertising $1.39 cents a gallon, provided you pay by cash.  After Katrina devastated Louisiana and other parts of the southeast in 2016, Senator Lindsey Graham predicted the […]

The death of an 81-year old man near Asheville, North Carolina has been categorized as Buncombe County’s first official fatality from COVID-19. And, according to an account in the Asheville Citizen-Times, George Lloyd Lamb at one time had a connection to South Carolina’s Lake Keowee. The newspaper reported that for six years Lamb and his wife worked as park rangers […]

A decision of Walhalla City Council last night closes most facilities at Sertoma Field on SC 183/N. Catherine Street.  But the walking trail remains open.  Councilman David Underwood made the case to keep the walking track open, as long as users do not violate the social distance guidelines.  At last night’s meeting, Underwood spoke about keeping open a healthy recreation […]

The city of Walhalla officially adopted a State of Emergency ordinance that suspends certain meeting rules and delays the payment of new business licenses and renewals.  The city council tonight also agreed to allow merchants to delay paying their share of hospitality and accommodations taxes due for March, April and May to one lump sum payment on June 20.  The […]

In this evening’s special meeting, Walhalla City Council has voted to immediately close the entire Stumphouse Mountain Park and Trail to all visitors.  This is in keeping with government’s wish to keep down gatherings that violate the social distancing guidelines.  Councilman Keith Pace said he visited the tourist and recreation attraction last weekend and found large crowds that included several […]

The Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority (OJRSA) is asking for sewer customers served by the cities of Seneca, Walhalla, Westminster, and the town of West Union to avoid flushing wipes, paper towels, and other such products into the sewer system. Even if the packaging says “flushable,” these products should be disposed of in the garbage. While wipes and other materials […]

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced four additional deaths related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. This brings the state’s total number of deaths to 26. The four patients were elderly individuals who also had underlying health conditions. They were residents of Anderson, Beaufort, Lee, and Richland counties. “Every day that we unfortunately have to […]