Author: Dick Mangrum

The members of the Oconee County Council are to gather for special meeting and public hearings at 6 o’clock this evening in their chambers at the Pine Street administrative complex at Walhalla.  These hearings will cover new budgets for county government, for the public schools, and for the special tax district of the Keowee Fire Department.  The county fathers will […]

The mayor says Westminster has made no progress in filling to available two positions.  Mayor Ramey says the city continues to search for a city administrator and a utilities director.

An email has arrived at 101.7/WGOG announcing plans to stage another demonstration in Walhalla.  The sender says it is to be a peaceful demonstration to take place at 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon outside the Oconee County Courthouse.  Further plans, including a way to enlist participation by Facebook, are expected to be announced, perhaps later today.  The front of the Walhalla […]

The Seneca-based Journal is out today with an apology to those offended by the paper’s printing of a cartoon editorial in yesterday’s paper.  The paper admits the cartoon’s depiction of an African American family was offensive and insensitive and promises steps in the future to ensure nothing like that is repeated.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Wednesday announced 528 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and 7 additional deaths. This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to 15,759 and those who have died to 575. Five of the deaths occurred in elderly individuals from Chesterfield (1), Florence (1), Greenville […]

Two criminal charges were placed this week as the result of an Oconee Sheriff’s Office investigation this week into a car break-in incident on the Westminster Highway.  Three squad cars of Oconee officers arrived at a home to investigate.  According to authorities, charges of breaking into auto and malicious injury to property were filed against Jerry Lee Rogers, a 55-year […]

Social distancing will entail limited stadium seating Saturday, June 20 for Oconee’s three graduating ceremonies for the 2020 senior classes.  Those ceremonies, to be held in the football stadiums on the high school campuses, will be live-streamed.  The school district announces that the ceremonies will be live-streamed in partnership with the Bagby Group.  Links will be posted to the school […]

The board that governs Oconee elections convenes at 9 in the morning to evaluate challenged ballots. The board, chaired by Jim Murray, will have the duty to accept or reject ballots cast as provisional votes in the primaries.   And the outcome of those provisionals for one race, according to elections director Joy Scharich, will determine if there shall be a […]

By proclamation, Seneca has gone on record with the city’s remorse and upset over the death in Minnesota of George Floyd while in police custody.  A proclamation was read into the record last night by City Administrator Scott Moulder.  Mayor Alexander requested Moulder to articulate city government’s feelings and attitudes about the injustice to Floyd, as well as what other […]

Scott Moulder, Seneca city administrator, feels compelled to backtrack on his earlier position that the city can make another year without raising its property tax rate.  Last night Moulder blamed rising health insurance costs and the financial impact to city government by the EF3 tornado for causing what appears to be a decline in $800 thousand worth of revenue.  The […]