Author: Dick Mangrum

South Carolina lakes Hartwell, Russell, and Thurmond have come out of drought level 2 and, says the Army Corps of Engineers, are back in drought level 1 — thanks to the rains across the Savannah River Basin.  Nevertheless, lake users are advised to use caution.  Privately-owned reservoirs upstream of Lake Hartwell are releasing water, accounting for additional inflow for Lake […]

An obvious conclusion to draw for the state’s committee of rain monitoring is that all of South Carolina is now drought-free.  Because of significant rain since mid-December, the drought response committee yesterday removed the incipient status of 16 counties and the moderate drought status of seven others.  Most stations across the state reported 7 to 14 inches since December 1, […]

The office of Oconee Coroner has identified a 67-year-old Westminster woman as the fatality in yesterday’s crash at SC 11 at Armstrong Road.  Cherry Howard, a van driver, lost her life in a collision with a dump truck at 1:22 pm.

The renovations of the highest-sitting building on the Pendleton campus of Tri-County Technical College have reached the midpoint.  Yesterday a beam was hoisted into place to mark the halfway and, according to Tech’s Mandy Elmore, it was a sight to behold.  Harper General contractors have a $22M budget to do the job.  Included in the work are renovations to the […]

Grace’s Closet is awarded $2,500 for its non-profit programs, as the first-place winner in the World of Energy’s recent Festival of Trees display and public voting contest.  In all, Duke Energy is donating $5 thousand to local non-profits that were crowd favorites during the Christmas season.

In the first few days of the second semester in Oconee public schools, countywide enrollment is down – for a third straight year.  Steve Hanvey, the associate superintendent, has some thoughts on why – which he is sharing in an interview airing today on 101.7/WGOG NEWS.  The current total enrollment is 10,153, with Walhalla High, Walhalla Middle, and Seneca’s Northside […]

A worker from Oconee Emergency Services will teach a class at the Seneca Library on hands-only CPR, how to help a choking victim, and how to operate an AED– an Automated External Defibrillator.  The class will run 5 to 7 pm, and registration on Eventbrite is required.  The program is designed for those 18 and older.

West Union can expect to grow by some 27 new homes, as discussed in this week’s town council meeting.  Mayor Linda Oliver says the plans for the 27 new homes on property off Anderson Street are being pursued by Oconee Habitat for Humanity, in that organization’s phase two at the West Union property.  

A Monday domestic disturbance investigation in Walhalla led to the police filing five charges against a Greenville man.  Law enforcement records identify the arrested man as Taylor Earl Howard.  Of the five offenses, Howard is charged twice with kidnapping. A domestic violence high and aggravated warrant accuses 30-year-old Howard of wielding a knife in the commission of the crime.