Author: Dick Mangrum

Authorities say the body of an unknown male was found today at a fire scene in the Utica Community near Seneca. Coroner Karl Addis says the victim in the house fire at 6 Lonsdale Street is presumed to have been a homeless individual. The Oconee Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are investigating.

101.7/WGOG NEWS has been made aware of a house fire in progress this morning in the Utica Community. The fire location is believed to be a house on Lonsdale Street.  Yesterday afternoon, according to the Westminster Fire Department, a fire that started in a storage building spread to a truck parked on Keener Drive near the Marcengill Road.  The nearby […]

The completion and opening of the Foothills YMCA is still a few months away, but Oconeeans can get in on the ground floor of memberships now. John Derwent, vice president for member services, says by going to the website faymca.org and clicking join and you will see the various options open to both individuals and families. Even though the construction […]

While the Foothills YMCA and the Center for Family Medicine buildings take shape on the grounds of the Oconee Memorial Hospital, two other projects have been placed on delay. The start of the project to triple the size of the emergency department has been delayed from this fall until early next year. And Hunter Kome, chief operating officer, said the […]

A field in front of the Oconee Memorial Hospital is being transformed into a facility where the doctors of tomorrow will get their training. Bricks, drywall, and HVAC are some of the components now being added to what will be Prisma Oconee Memorial’s Center for Family Medicine. Besides training future doctors, it’s the hope of Prisma Oconee Memorial that some […]

A 12-year old girl is the latest auto accident fatality in Pickens County.  The coroner, Kandy Kelley, identified Kelsi L. Merck of Easley as the passenger who died of blunt force trauma in Saturday afternoon’s accident on SC 135 in the Dacusville Community.  One other person was hospitalized from the crash off an SUV into trees of the highway.

A North Carolina-based charity is in hot water with South Carolina authorities over required financial reports and compliance with the solicitation of charitable funds law. Mark Hammond, South Carolina secretary of state, today announced that the state’s Administrative Law Court has held Miracle House of Hope Ministries in contempt for violating an order that forbids the organization from soliciting funds […]

A large part of a block in downtown Seneca for many years was the prideful home store of Harper’s, a regional family-run 5 and 10. But the building aside N. Depot Street between the blocks of Main and N. 1st fell into condemnation in recent times, only to be acquired by city government. Now those in government are finding surprises […]

A traffic safety grant will allow the Oconee Sheriff’s Office to assign an officer to the task of targeting impaired drivers.  As part of “PACE”–Pro-Active Criminal Enforcement–Corp. Irvin Reyes will also have the duty of educating Oconeeans about traffic safety.  Each day, impaired drivers cause injury and death to innocent persons, and it’s a matter taken seriously by the Sheriff’s […]

Through the years, Clemson extension agents in Oconee County such as J-C Morgan, A-D Boggs, and others have often been the frontline between the land-grant university and the county’s agricultural community.  But, with the pending retirement of current agent Morris Warner, there’s concern within the local farming community that Warner’s job might not be re-filled.  State Senator Thomas Alexander is […]