Author: Dick Mangrum

The owner of a van, by accident, left his van unlocked Tuesday night at an address on W. Pine Grove Road in rural southern Oconee.  The next morning he discovered the car break-in.  A responding deputy sheriff documented damage to the ignition, wirings hanging from the ignition.  Damage estimated at $200 dollars.  According to the sheriff’s office, the vandalism is […]

A fatal car accident occurred last night five miles north of Pickens, on the Hagood Mill Road.  It was a one-car accident that took the life of the driver, not yet publicly identified, and came to an end when the Silverado hit an embankment.

In these dry conditions, fire fighters at the 6 o’clock hour this morning still trying to douse a brush fire north of Walhalla — described as fairly large in size.  The fire scene is the vicinity of Fairfield and Capps roads.  County rural fire was alerted at 4 am.

A Westminster man remained jailed, pending a bond hearing, after his arrest  Tuesday night on Trafficking in Methamphetamine in relation to a traffic stop in Oconee County. The arrest of 49 year old Lee Roy Witt, of S. Hampton Street is traced to an ongoing joint pro-active criminal enforcement operations between the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and the Pickens County […]

Westminster’s new assistant administrator, Reagan Osbon, received compliments last night from Mayor Brian Ramey for obtaining a $10 thousand energy grant to be used to replace streetlights downtown.  On both Main Street and Windsor Street, the phosphorous lights will be replaced by LED lighting.

Here is the coroner’s account of what happened this morning on s. highway 11: “A 58-year-old Liberty man died Wednesday morning in a highway resurfacing construction zone on South Highway 11 near Fire Station Road, Westminster.   The deceased was employed by King Asphalt and was struck by a truck owned by King Asphalt which was backing up at the […]

Scientists have known for many years that South Carolina has been home to 14 bat species, but another bat species has now been recorded.  DNR staff discovered the first gray bat in South Carolina roosting on a crevice on the underside of a Greenville County bridge.  The DNR’s Jennifer Kindel and retired heritage preserve manager Mary Bunch a week later […]

Oconee Courthouse buzz is that one of its own will enter the field next year to be chief prosecutor in the 10th Circuit.  David Wagner is retiring as solicitor, so that’ll leave an open office for the 2024 election cycle. Beth Blundy, an assistant Oconee solicitor, says she’s “99%” sure she’ll run.  Blundy has hired a campaign manager; however, she’ll […]