Author: Dick Mangrum

The death last week of an Oconee County resident is being termed by the state health agency as a probable COVID-19 death.  The death May 20 was that of a young adult, between the ages of 18 and 34.  On DHEC’s report this afternoon:  133 new cases of the virus across the state, but no additional cases in Oconee County.  […]

An unloading mishap yesterday morning at the Oconee County Landfill near Seneca.  A customer got a little too close to the hole into which he had just unloaded debris from  his pickup truck and fell a distance of about 10 feet.  He required some bandages.  Swain Stihl, solid waste manager, stresses the importance of customers paying close attention to the […]

The group Clemson United for Racial Equity invites the public for a discussion of affordable housing, policing, and healthcare.  All three are topics for discussion in the first in a series of get togethers, with this one to take place 6:30 to 8 o’clock tomorrow night at 362 Chapman Hill Road, Central.  Limited seating available – social distancing encouraged.  If […]

Taking a page from the federal government, South Carolina is easing the tax burden on South Carolinians who are drawing unemployment benefits during the pandemic.  The state Department of Revenue announces that Governor McMaster last week signed a bill to allow recipients of unemployment compensation to exclude state taxes up to $10,200 of benefits received in 2020.  The Congress earlier […]

A 41-year old man near Westminster has been given a 15-year prison sentence for trafficking methamphetamine second offense, burglary third degree, and grand larceny.  The sentence handed down by the judge yesterday makes Derek Wayne Gibson ineligible for parole.  Solicitor David Wagner said, “My office will continue to focus on repeat offenders in our community and strive to ensure that […]

The town of Salem has announced the resignation of Police Chief Brian Lusk.  He had held the job nearly three years.  Officer Scott Peterson will serve as interim chief.

For an approximate one and a half year period, it’s alleged, a Long Creek woman engaged in sexual relations with a minor, according to an announcement by the Oconee Sheriff’s Office.  Janice Allen, 37 years old, turned herself over to authorities yesterday and was booked into the county jail.  There, according to the sheriff’s office, Allen faces 17 counts of […]

The Seneca police late yesterday afternoon had developed and were pursuing a lead into why the driver of a wrecked car left the scene before they arrived to investigate.  The wreck, involving a blue 2003 Chevy Tahoe, was reported at 6:50 yesterday morning around 200 WN 1st Street.  According to Capt. Shuler, the car was headed east, ran off the […]

Across South Carolina, for the latest 24-hour count, the state broke its long-running triple digits of new cases of COVID-19.  On today’s report that reflects data from Sunday, there were 97 new South Carolina cases, three of them in Oconee County.  However, 15 people were added to the death toll.  Of 5,552 test results, the positivity was 3.2%.

A defendant changed his mind in the Oconee General Sessions Court and pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.  Judge Sprouse handed down a 15-year prison term to Derek Wayne Gibson.  A jury was sworn yesterday to start taking testimony this morning, but their services were no longer required when Gibson entered the guilty plea.  On the first day of court yesterday, […]