Author: Dick Mangrum

A federally funded program, administered in the state, is designed to help renters in Oconee, Pickens, and 37 other South Carolina counties stay safely in their homes during the pandemic by providing payments directly to landlords and utility companies.  The CDC recently extended a federal moratorium on evictions until October 3 for counties still battling the spread – which includes […]

During this afternoon’s tornado warning, all Oconee public schools went on Code Black.  During such, all students and staff seek safety in halls, closets and bathrooms, away from flying glass.  Jennifer Dodd, district spokeswoman, said the weather alert code started around 12:30 and lasted for just under 30 minutes.  Because the warning area was extended to highway 11 and West […]

A 29-year old West Union area man remained jailed today, charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor.  The crime alleged against Efren Contreras Jr. was an incident reported to a school resource officer to have occurred on or about New Year’s Eve in Walhalla.  According to the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, the school resource officer learned of the incident on […]

During a four-hour period today, Walhalla’s official weather watcher, Barbara Wilson, measured a little more than two-and-a-half inches of rain.  The rain, steady and pounding at times, created a good bid of anxiety throughout Oconee County, especially when an area of northern Oconee was placed under a tornado warning early this afternoon.  At times, the rain was heavy at the […]

For the first time in one week, new South Carolina COVID cases fell below two thousand for a 24-hour count.  The DHEC report case number of 1,991 reflected the count made at the end of the day Sunday.  Of that number, there were 42 new Oconee County cases.  Statewide, the virus death toll increased by six persons.  Of 21,096 test […]

Because of a technical issue, the toll-free call center telephone line normal to help customers of with the sale of SC Department of Natural Resources (DNR)-issued hunting and fishing licenses or watercraft registration renewals is unavailable for an indeterminate time. Recreation hunting and fishing licenses, tags, and permits can still be purchased on line at https://wwwdnr.sc.gov/legallicense.html.  A small convenience fee […]

Former Walhalla football player Adam Thorsland has earned a spot on the fall roster of the number-one rated team in the country, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Nineteen-year old Adam managed the feat as a walk-on and has been slotted as a tight end and assigned the number 80.  He’s the youngest son of Denise and Michael Thorsland, Oconee superintendent of […]

In our story about COVID-19 comments during last night’s meeting of Oconee school trustees, we erred when we said that some of the public comment speakers pressed the board to follow the Pickens County School District’s switch to virtual learning.  Speakers who expressed concern that the Oconee schools aren’t doing enough to protect students from the virus urged the district […]

A Seneca woman urged the Oconee school trustees to further the idea of inclusion and diversity in the county district.  Jody Gaulin registered her comments during the audience part in last night’s meeting, and called attention to last month’s controversy over CRT—Critical Race Theory which district officials have said isn’t being taught in their district and won’t be.  Gaulin conceded […]

Following an analysis that revealed more than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases and deaths in June and 86 percent of hospitalizations were among individuals who were not fully vaccinated, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has determined similar findings for the month of July.   From July 1-31, DHEC reported 26,848 cases among South Carolinians. Among the 14,262 […]