Author: Dick Mangrum

Walhalla’s large outdoor festival, Oktoberfest, will not take place this year—the result of a vote last night by the organizing committee.  The committee was practically divided down the middle as the vote went seven opposed, six in favor.  One of the disappointed committee members is Stacy Jackson, who says the committee can only look forward to next year in the […]

Seneca has been approved for a crowd permit from the state and, after a one-week hiatus, Jazz on the Alley returns at 7 tonight.  Which means the streets around Ramcat and part of N. Townville will close starting at 5.  If you are going, a mask is mandatory, and the police will be there to enforce that rule.

A graduate of a program that provides college campus experience for students with intellectual disabilities has attained honorary deputy status with the Oconee Sheriff’s Office.  A ceremony, led yesterday by Sheriff Crenshaw, accorded Brock Chappelear membership in the sheriff’s office K-9 team.  It means that Chappelear will be part of training the canines that assist regular officers in law enforcement […]

We have an update on the situation involving Walhalla High School football.  The following statement was released by Steve Hanvey, associate superintendent for the Oconee School District: “WHS had an adjunct coach test positive.  He has not been around the players since the middle of last week but was at a coach’s meeting.  Mr. Garrett, in consultation with the nurse […]

A posting on the Walhalla High football twitter page reads:  “Football practice is canceled for the remainder of the week.  We will plan to resume on September 8th after school.”  101.7/WGOG NEWS is attempting to find out the reason.

Today, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 601 new confirmed cases and 45 new probable cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and 26 additional confirmed deaths.  Eleven new Oconee County cases are included in today’s report. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 118,699  and confirmed deaths to 2,652. As of yesterday, a […]

So far, COVID case numbers jumped during the warm weather holiday weekends of Memorial Day and July 4.  With the coming of the Labor Day holiday weekend, a Prisma Health physician urges South Carolinians to avoid large public gatherings, to wear masks, to wash hands, and to social distance.  Prisma Health said the number of in-patients under treatment for the […]

Oconee County officials are optimistic a deal will be completed by early fall that will provide for an existing county industry to expand and add jobs.  They are not identifying the industry by name, but say there will be a hearing for the public to comment on the aspects of the deal for a fee-in-lieu of tax agreement.  So far, […]

The highway patrol reported minor injuries this morning in a traffic accident on Wells Highway near Radio Station Road.  Involved were a 2019 Ford truck pickup truck driven by Daniel Wickizer of Lavonia, Georgia and a 2007 Ford truck driven by Richard Arnold of Seneca.  According to the highway patrol, the 2007 Ford is registered to the city of Seneca.

Walhalla’s new committee tasked with spreading diversity and promoting inclusion throughout the city has held its first meeting.  And the police chief says he has already benefitted.  Chief Brinson told the mayor and council last night that he has adopted the attitude that he can learn from the committee and apply some of it to enhance police officers’ training.