Author: Dick Mangrum

Prisma Health announces that it is partnering with the air medical program Air Methods to base aircraft at the Pickens County Airport near Liberty to provide quicker response times for emergency and trauma patients.  The partnership plans call for an EC 135 aircraft in the Greenville area and an EC 130 craft in Orangeburg to carry patients to Prisma hospitals. […]

If you happened to be up and in downtown Walhalla early this morning, you’d have caught a glimpse of a large bus pulling an equipment trailer.  The bus carefully maneuvered Main Street for a turn onto N. College bound for the Center for the Performing Arts.  Tonight’s featured act is the Allman-Betts band, whose members are sons of original members […]

Oconee County law enforcement records identify a 27-year old Georgia man as having been arrested and charged in a crime investigation at a Fair Play business. The records show Toccoa resident James Saul Dugas arrested yesterday and charged with burglary second degree and grand larceny at Wood-Tex Products on s. highway 11 at Fair Play.  Wood-Tex makes cabins, horse barns, […]

A CATBus official says video cameras are now part of every bus in the system and they serve to deter crime and to help law enforcement solve crime.  CATBus’s Holly Brown says the police frequently contact the bus operations to look at video that helps them solve crime and investigate traffic accidents that occur within the vicinity of bus routes.  […]

Salem and Westminster are in line next week to receive financial assistance for water improvement projects, courtesy of coronavirus funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.  Oconee County Council has on its schedule Tuesday first reading of ordinance to provide $1.3 million to Westminster and $2 million to Salem.

If Oconee’s county councilmen agree next week, the rock quarry near Walhalla will be less of a dusty place.  The council is scheduled to address a staff recommendation to buy a $215 thousand dollar water truck, whose main purpose will be dust suppression throughout the quarry.  County staff is telling the council that a used 2014 Bell B30E Articulated Water […]

Lake Julian, Joy Scharich, and Karen Lee are leaving Oconee County government service for a new venture in their lives–retirement.  Julian, director of facilities; Scharich, director of registration and elections; and Lee, an associate probate judge are to be recognized with proclamations during next week’s meeting of county council.

In these parts the recent rains have soaked soils to the extent that the integrity of some trees are impacted, and they’ve begun to fall.  The Walhalla Fire Department is an example of Oconee County fire departments who’ve responded this week to downed trees across the roadways.  With the likelihood of more rain starting this afternoon, motorists–and pedestrians–should be on […]