Author: Dick Mangrum

Officials have announced that a wild duck harvested by a hunter in Colleton County is the first wild bird since 2016 to be found infected in the U-S by the Eurasian H5 type of highly pathogenic avian influenza.  The bird, an American wigeon, was tested by Clemson University Veterinary Diagnostic Center and the diagnosis was confirmed by the Animal and […]

The Anderson County coroner, Greg Shore, has requested the public’s help in providing information that can help identify the person found dead in an abandoned house fire early yesterday morning on highway 413 near McCoy Crossroads.  The body was found after the flames were extinguished, and investigators believe the fire was started by the person attempting to stay warm in […]

Snow, sleet, and freezing rain on Sunday meant a long day–and perhaps a long night last night–for homeowners who lost electric power service and remained on wait for it to be returned to working order.  By late last night, the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative had reduced its numbers of outages to 782 customers in Pickens County and 2,219 customers in […]

Some melting was seen on 123 early this morning, between Seneca and Clemson.  But it can be deceiving, as there is still a good amount of black ice.  And all you have to do is leave Miracle Circle for the direction of Walhalla and very little melting was noticed.  And Oconee County Dispatch says hazardous driving conditions remain, especially in […]

With snow, sleet and freezing rain expected in the Carolinas this weekend, Duke Energy says it will respond to possible power outages.   As Duke Energy’s team of meteorologists continues to monitor the storm’s development, Duke Energy crews are making preparations to safely handle weather-related service interruptions.   Heavy, wet snow or freezing precipitation can cause trees and tree limbs […]

If you spot smoke in the air at Round Mountain in the Long Creek vicinity, it’s likely it is likely smoke from prescribed burn, as carried out by the U-S Forest Service.  USFS’s Randy McCoy says it’s a small burn, 14 acres in size, at Round Mountain near the Charlie Cobb Road.  From that prescribed burn, smoke is likely to […]

Governor Henry McMaster recommends South Carolina allocate $360 million dollars of American Rescue Plan money to complete the widening of  Interstate-26 between Columbia and Charleston.  In the governor’s words, this investment would accelerate a high priority project on one of the state’s most-traveled interstates by at least six years.  The governor’s new spending recommendations say nothing about I-85, in particular […]

A letter to students and families (circulating on social media) of the NEXT School Eagle Ridge in Salem starts this way, “We are writing to you today with news that no community wants to hear.”  It is signed by the school’s board of directors. The contents of the letter lay out the decision to close Salem’s charter school, after the […]

For a variety of reasons, it’s easy to be down on Westminster.  But, the mayor says, Oconee’s third largest municipality will move ahead, even though one-half of the council is quitting at the mid-term point of their offices.  Mayor Ramey encourages Westminster residents who care about their city—and have something to add—consider running in a special election to fill the […]