Author: Dick Mangrum

The higher the thermometer reading, the more likely black bears look for easy food.  South Carolina DNR reminds everyone to secure food attractants such as garbage, bird feeders and pet food to prevent bears from stopping by.  The most common conflicts between bears and man involve unsecured food.  And keep in mind that you should never feed or approach a […]

Law enforcement officers from the Upstate and the Midlands start their 140-mile relay today of the Special Olympics Flame of Hope.  It’s their commitment to raise awareness, money, and other support for South Carolina’s 300 thousand-plus Special Olympic Athletes.  The torch escort run starts at Clemson’s Jervey Meadows Field and finishes tomorrow at the steps of the Statehouse in Columbia.

You can exchange one plant for another during a community event Saturday in Westminster.  The 25th Westminster Community Plant Exchange takes place at 9 o’clock Saturday morning at the Westminster Baptist Church.  Organizer Mildred Spearman says you simply bring a plant and take one home.  But, even if you don’t have a plant to exchange, come anyway and you’ll be […]

(Authorities in both South Carolina and Georgia were involved in the following investigation as detailed this afternoon in a release from the Oconee Sheriff’s Office) “An Investigator from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office obtained arrest warrants this morning against two Virginia men in relation to a road rage incident, where shots were fired, along and near I-85 Tuesday afternoon. The […]

You have to drive deep into an Oconee industry park to find it.  But if you’re in the Industry and Technology Park on Highway 11, drive to the back, make a right turn, and you’ll find a Dutch company’s first manufacturing operation in the U-S.  It’s inside a new, 33 thousand square foot building where, at first, a handful of […]

The pilot whose plane went down Sunday evening in the Tennessee mountains has been confirmed to be Toccoa-Stephens County resident and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Lionel Meadows. Late Monday, the staff at Meadows Surgical Arts in Commerce released a statement on their FB page confirming it was Dr. Meadows. Meadows had been visiting family in Indiana and was flying back to […]

Tentatively, city of Westminster can project expenditures compared with revenues for a new year.  A new budget of about $28.5 million received first reading approval during the May meeting last night of the city council.  Commensurate with second and final reading next month, there’ll be a hearing to allow the public to comment and ask questions.  City Administrator Bronson’s explanation […]

If your mode of transport is an electric car, you can rely on Westminster to provide the juice to make it go.  The city council was told last night an electric charge station now occupies a part of the city parking lot adjoining the police station.  Kevin Bronson, city administrator, says there are fees associated, but those charges are less […]

Who will serve as a permanent replacement for Danny Singleton as Seneca judge?  It remains an unanswered question.  City council met privately last night, leading some to think that this would be the night to announce a new judge.  But turned out it was not.  Also, no action after the executive session on whether Seneca will agree to a new […]

The Westminster city administrator reacted to Facebook posts, speaking last night to the city council, about a city employee who transported a child to school driving a city vehicle.  That’s a no-no, in line with city policy.  The employee is new to the city, and Kevin Bronson, city administrator, summed up the incident by saying, “I believe he didn’t think […]