Author: Dick Mangrum

A rural part of Oconee County north of Salem became the scene yesterday morning of emergency power service repairs.  Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative officials say an oak tree collapsed onto a power line on the Knox Creek Road near Cherokee Lake.

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court ruling yesterday that dealt a setback to the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test requirement on large private businesses, Prisma Health doctors in South Carolina again stress the basic precautions that everyone should follow to help eradicate the spread of COVID-19.  A Prisma Health physician in the Midlands, Dr. Ahuja is especially worried if the virus, spurred by the […]

Confidence grows on the part of forecasters that the storm headed east from Pacific Northwest and western Canada will affect much of South Carolina, especially Oconee County and the mountains; however, they are now less confident that it will be the big snowstorm speculated earlier.  Frank Straight at the South Carolina Climate Office in Columbia says Upstate snow lovers will […]

Large numbers in today’s COVID-19 report from South Carolina DHEC.  New cases of the virus approached 10 and one-half thousand for the 24-hour ending Tuesday night.  Of the newly confirmed 10,412 virus cases statewide, 201 were Oconee County people.  DHEC recorded one additional probable Oconee death case.  There were two new confirmed deaths of Pickens County residents; three new confirmed […]

Across Prisma Health’s Upstate and Midlands service area (including the Oconee Memorial Hospital at Seneca) there are new COVID-19 hospital numbers.  They were released today in tandem with a lengthy zoom conference that included multiple Prisma Health doctors.  By today, 628 people remained in the hospital.  Of that number, 22% are vaccinated; 78% are not.  Some of those patients, though […]

All roads within the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges in northern Pickens County will be closed by the SC DNR tomorrow, in anticipation of significant snow accumulation this weekend.  This includes roads from the Laurel Valley entrance on US 178, Camp Adger Road at US 178 and roads at the Shooting Tree Range location on Cleo Chapman […]

A court officer says, by an order of a continuance, the state’s death charge against a Seneca man has been postponed from next week until a General Sessions court term in March.  101.7/WGOG NEWS learned that the solicitor’s office earlier this week had been making preparations to call the case of Mack Adam Gaines for next week’s, four-day term of […]

A TV report and social media are reporting that Salem’s charter school, the Next School at Eagle Ridge, is closing.  Mayor Towe of Salem is reserving comment at this time because neither he nor town hall has been officially notified. Word has it that both the Salem school and Next School’s Greenville location are closing.

For the unvaccinated, a free COVID-19 vaccine clinic is scheduled next week in Pickens. The City of Pickens Mobile Clinic will be Tuesday, January 18 from 9 am to 4 pm at 208 Johnson Street, Pickens.

The Oconee Humane Society is taking part in the viral social media event #BettyWhiteChallenge, in which $5 dollar donations to local animal shelters by January 17 are encouraged in honor of the late entertainment personality.  On January 17, White would have been 100 years old.  The Oconee Humane Society the following day will further remember animal lover White by throwing […]