Jury picked for civil trial

An Oconee County jury has been directed to report back for duty at 3:30 this afternoon for lawyers’ opening statements in a civil trial that may take two weeks. The jury will hear the case of Plateau Excavation against Oconee County and Talbert-Bright, the county’s former airport consultant. It’s a dispute that arose over what was a two-year project to extend the runway at the Oconee Regional Airport near Clemson. There’s the potential for 50 or more witnesses, and the jury can expect to become familiar with such terms as sediment, erosion control, and storm water management—among other terms associated with Plateau’s financial claim.