Author: Dick Mangrum

Oconee County Council was told this week the council’s annual investment in an outside government service agency represents a return of $70.77 for every $1 dollar.  And council members’ comments reflect they appreciate what the South Carolina “A-COG” – the Appalachian Council of Governments—does for the county.  “A-COG’s” executive director Steve Pellisier delivered copies of his agency’s annual report, along […]

Rain or shine on Saturday, a volunteer Salem effort to cleanse the town of litter will take place.  It’s one of a number of litter pick ups scheduled Saturday to mark Earth Day 2023.  There’s still time for you to get involved.  Just call the town hall at 864/944-2819 or Mayor Lynn Towe at 864/723-3263.

The city council in Walhalla agreed on a contract this week to bring change to a one-block section downtown.  It’s the block of S. Catherine, between Main and S. Broad.  Brandon Burton, city administrator, says that one block will be re-striped to accommodate one-lane traffic.  Part of the contract calls for a crosswalk between the city parking lot and the […]

Officers came calling Tuesday to a home near SC 24, the West-Oak Highway, and made an arrest.  It’s at that home, they believe, a sex crime occurred on Monday.  According to the sheriff’s office, 45-year old Charles Lee Hightower is charged with kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct first degree.  An adult female accused Hightower of sexual assault.

Everyone inside a trailer home near the Dr. John’s Road escaped a kitchen fire yesterday afternoon without injury.  The fire occurred at a home on Footprints Trail, south of Westminster.

Skeletonized remains discovered yesterday morning near Seneca could be those of a murder victim.  And the coroner considers the remains of the male add up to a homicide.  Coroner Karl Addis’s announcement last night follows an earlier one issued by the office of the state Attorney’s General.  According to A-G Wilson’s announcement, Emmanuel Quarles, 27, was last seen leaving his […]

At what would have been final reading to change Walhalla law and allow the conditional raising and keeping chickens, city council last night tabled the issue to allow for further discussion.  Ahead of last night’s decision to table, the city council heard Clemson poultry specialist Michelle Hall recommend that anyone wanting to keep or raise chickens become educated first.

Wayne McCall took his push for additional Oconee sheriff’s officers and higher law enforcement pay to the political body on which he served 12 years, including time as chairman of the county council law enforcement committee.  McCall, the former District Two councilman, recently issued a position paper calling for 20 additional deputies and a starting salary of $65 thousand.  That […]

Audience members vocalized their joy and applauded for the return of Matthew Durham to the Oconee Council.  Not only was Durham able to re-take his District Two seat at the council table, he was the choice—by a one-vote margin—to chair the council for the rest of 2023.  Votes taken showed that Durham, Glenn Hart, and Don Mize hold the majority, […]