Author: Dick Mangrum

Oconee County has a new probate judge.  It’s Ashley M. Rice.  Rice’s appointment by Chief Justice Donald Beatty brings with it the authority for her to perform all acts, duties, responsibilities, and obligations of the county probate judge’s office.  The appointment, effective this week, expires January 3, 2023. Rice is a seven-year employee of the office, and she told 101.7/WGOG […]

A new public service desk will be installed next week at the Walhalla Main Branch of the Oconee Public Library, and that’ll require the closing of the Walhalla branch for parts of two days.  Blair Hinson, library director, announces the Walhalla library will close at 1 o’clock Tuesday afternoon and remain closed all day the next day, Wednesday.  Funds for […]

  Deaths from drug overdoses in the U-S have set a record every year for the past 20 years.  But now, for the first time, the number of Americans who fatally overdosed over the course of one year surpassed 100 thousand.  Drug overdose figures published today by South Carolina DHEC reflect the year 2019 and show that, during that year, […]

The mayor and those men and woman elected to city council in November are scheduled to take their oaths of office to start four-year terms in Seneca.  The Seneca swearing-in ceremony will be the night of Tuesday, December 14, to be followed by city council’s regular December meeting.  The public is invited.

A bridge near Salem is considered unsafe for fire trucks and other heavy vehicles, but Oconee County has a plan.  At their meeting Tuesday next week, the county fathers will be asked to award Thrift Development of Seneca a contract worth nearly $750 thousand to build a replacement bridge at Cheohee Valley Road by what’s called super elevating the roadway […]

Chances are you can get a look at Santa Claus tonight in Westminster.  The city’s annual Christmas parade will roll down the main street starting at 6:30.

The policy board for the Joint Regional Sewer Authority is scheduled Monday to exercise its right to take up a threatened lawsuit behind closed doors.  The court action, on behalf of Seneca, should it come to be, would pit the county’s largest user of the system against the two smaller ones.  According to Monday afternoon’s meeting agenda, the purpose for […]

A lingering fire of brush is pronounced contained this morning at the interchange of 11 and 123 between Seneca and Westminster.  The fire originally sparked on Wednesday when a trash truck, with its forks in the air, took down power lines and poles.

The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps was established this week, in response to the school shootings in Oxford Township, Michigan, and this region’s Blood Connection is part of a partnership to prepare the Carolinas and Georgia for emergencies when blood needs are great.  Three “on call” blood centers sent extra blood to Versiti – the blood center that serves the Oxford […]

The Westminster police say a K-9 sniff of a Jeep stopped by the police this week led to multiple drug charges against the 24-year old driver of the Jeep Liberty.  The police stop took place Tuesday at the Long Creek Highway and W. North Avenue.  Law enforcement records show the following charges against Kristal Jasmine Lynn Bernhardt:  possession with intent […]