Category: News

Out of precautions, Westminster has closed its city hall, likely for a few days.  City officials announced that a city hall worker tested positive for COVID-19, and the remaining staff are being asked to take a test before they return to work.  Mayor Brian Ramey says it’s a precautionary move.  Ramey quotes Kevin Bronson, city administrator, as saying that anyone […]

If you’ve ever wondered about the size of Oconee County agriculture, take a ride some day on SC 182 from Oakway to Fair Play.  Any doubts will be erased.  Much of southern Oconee remain a strong agriculture base.  Andy Whitten is part of a working Oconee County farm family.  He has raised issues of safety involving the general motoring public […]

The newly-appointed hospital CEO in Toccoa, Georgia says the Stephens County Hospital is still there and open for business.  Recently, hospital CEO Van Loskoski sat down with Toccoa Radio WNEG and knocked down rumors that the hospital is closing.  He made this statement:  “Truth of the matter is any rural hospital could close pretty quickly if they are not supported […]

Gas prices in the Carolinas are still reflecting summertime levels when demand was higher, seeing a very small decline on the week. The big culprit being higher oil prices which is keeping the pressure on at the pump. “Motorists should soon see the usual relief at the pump that comes with the fall season,” said Tiffany Wright, spokesperson, AAA – […]

Free STD/HIV testing and educational webinars are part of PrEP Awareness Week initiatives aimed at increasing awareness about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a pill that can help greatly reduce HIV infection if an individual is exposed to the virus. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2012, PrEP is a daily pill for use by people who don’t have HIV but […]

A young Westminster man must answer to charges of criminal exploitation of a minor in the second degree.  Oconee Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of Bradley Jadon Neely, 18 years old.  The sheriff’s office released this statement:  “Based upon evidence that was gathered during the investigation, and according to arrest warrants, it was determined that Neely had distributed material that […]

Those individuals who received first COVID-19 vaccination shots September 8 in Walhalla are due back tomorrow for their second and final shots.  Their appointments are automatically set between noon tomorrow and 8 o’clock tomorrow night at the Walhalla Library on WS Broad Street.  This vaccination event is arranged by Healthy Me/Healthy SC.

A spokesman for the U-S District Court in South Carolina says a former Oconee school resource officer, John Towery, pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.  Towery is a former SRO at the Fair-Oak Elementary School.  As part of the normal process in federal court, a defendant must await sentencing while a pre-sentence […]

Three days of new COVID-19 numbers are reported today by South Carolina DHEC.  On the counts made Thursday:  2,277 new cases statewide, including 65 in Oconee County. The count Friday showed 2,339 new cases, including 56 in Oconee.  Saturday’s count:  1,827 new state cases, including 33 in Oconee.  New, confirmed deaths Thursday:  33 in the state, including one Oconee resident; […]

A forest ecologist who has been making foliage predictions for nine years from Clemson University believes there will be brilliant colors this fall in the higher elevations.  Don Hagan paid a visit to the western edge of the Pisgah National Forest, 5,500′ in the air, and saw no evidence of drought-caused stress.  Instead he found a full canopy of leaves […]