Author: Dick Mangrum

Relying on state “C” fund money, the Oconee County road paving program is to kick into action in the month of March, according to an announcement made at today’s “C” Fund Committee meeting.  Kyle Reid of the Oconee County Road and Bridge Department announced that contracts for 18 miles of county roads will be bid.  

The three-member state “C” Fund Committee for Oconee County authorized around $700 thousand this morning for street and sidewalk work in the city of Walhalla.  Sam Dickson, committee chairman, requested Brandon Burton, the city administrator, to apply most of the money to street paving.  Burton gave the committee a long list of street and sidewalk projects, with estimated price tags.  […]

Betty White smiling down from heaven.  In honor of the late actress, comedienne, and animal lover, Oconee Humane Society threw her and the animals at the shelter a birthday party.  Angel Newman, humane society director, said 39 spay and neuter vouchers were sold and one dozen pup cakes were nearly swallowed by the shelter pets.  The hope was to raise […]

The new president of the South Carolina Senate, Thomas Alexander of Oconee-Pickens, likes what Governor McMaster said in the governor’s state of the state.  Said Alexander: “Governor McMaster did a great job tonight outlining a bright future for our state by making us more competitive in a number of areas including education funding, income tax, infrastructure, and workforce development.  I […]

The sound of sirens on 183/the Westminster Highway just before 7 this morning.  Emergency responders were alerted to a nearby accident that has left 183 blocked to traffic at the Mountain Road crossing.

In their official reaction to the vote by the Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority to implement a mid-year rate increase, the Westminster City Council voted 4-0 to pass the increase onto its water and sewer customers.  The increase is to show up on customers’ bills in March to reflect February usage.  The decision is prompted by Westminster concerns that the […]

At last night’s meeting the Westminster city administrator took the prerogative of reading aloud the last paragraph of a 7-page letter from the city’s outside law firm to a Seneca-employed lawyer who is helping that city pursue a potential lawsuit challenging the board make-up of the Joint Regional Sewer Authority.  Kevin Bronson called attention to the following paragraph written by […]

In a rare Wednesday night meeting, the Westminster City Council approved a number of personnel changes.  What’s left of the council accepted the resignations from the council of Brad Chastain and Danny Duncan and informed that Rusty Cater’s resignation is timed for January 31.  Further, in the figuring given by the city attorney, Westminster voters will be asked to go […]

“After evaluation of the roads and the fact that temperatures are not due to be below freezing tonight, SDOC will operate on a normal schedule tomorrow.” That statement this afternoon from the spokeswoman for Oconee public schools.

Personnel at low state Santee Cooper, one of the suppliers for the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, are preparing for the anticipated effects that forecast winter weather, including freezing rain, may have on customers in the next two or three days.  About two million South Carolinians depend on the state-owned electric and water utility as their power source, either directly or […]