Category: featured

In Oconee County, a legal challenge has been initiated against the county government over a $25 million bond issue for capital projects. The plaintiffs include Jim Mann, Chairman of the Oconee Republican Party; India Lancaster, candidate for Oconee County Council District 2; Gwen McPhail, candidate for District 5; and David Dial, a member of the Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority. […]

Prescribed burns are conducted annually in South Carolina, covering less than 3% of the state’s 14 million acres of wildlife habitat. These controlled fires, which are used to reduce wildfire risks and promote new growth, are applied to approximately 385,000 acres each year. The process involves burning potential fuel sources such as dead leaves and twigs and managing the flames […]

A 37-year-old Seneca man, William Christopher Johnson, was arrested on a third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge and is currently in jail on a $5,000 surety bond. The arrest followed a report of sexual assault at an address on Lacey Lane. Johnson, found with a bloody nose, was taken to the hospital before being transported to jail. The investigation revealed that […]

Leonard Jonas Burdette, 54, from Belton, SC, was arrested last Friday by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office on outstanding first-degree burglary charges related to an incident in March 2023. He was initially taken into custody by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, then transferred to Oconee County. Burdette was booked into jail around 9:26pm on March 15th. The charges stem from […]

Tamatha Franklin Collins, a 51-year-old woman involved in an Oconee drug case, was sentenced to 13 years in prison today for methamphetamine trafficking. Arrested in 2019, she was found with 106 grams of the drug while with a motorcyclist at night. Both vehicles were facing the wrong direction, attracting police attention. Despite appeals for a minimum sentence by her defense […]

During the regular board meeting on Monday, March 18, the Board of Trustees of the School District of Oconee County confirmed the appointment of Ashley Ramirez as the new principal of Seneca High School. Mrs. Ramirez, a native of Oconee and the current assistant principal at Walhalla High School, is set to return to Seneca High, where she formerly taught […]

For Oconee County taxpayers who’ve yet to satisfy their 2023 obligation, doing so will get more expensive today. Monday was the last day to pay the tax bill before a “15% plus cost” late penalty goes into effect today.

The Pickens County Coroner’s Office reported a tragic incident on Monday, where a man lost his life after being crushed by approximately 2,000 pounds of metal at his workplace. The coroner received a call around 10 a.m. regarding a fatality at the NuLife Municipal Truck Center. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office has stated that the incident seems to be an […]

Seneca’s 14th annual Race for the Green, held on Saturday, featured a Kids Fun Run, a 5K, and a half marathon. James Quattlebaum won the half marathon, followed by Brett Morley and William Krier. Alyssa Bloomquist was the fastest woman, and Matt Shock won the 40+ division. In the 5K, Alex Marchek came first, followed by Greyson Barringer and Eric […]

On Monday at Mountain Rest, a hiker was assisted by rescuers using a Stokes Basket. The female hiker is suspected to have incurred a knee injury during her exploration near the Big Bend waterfall, located south of the Chattooga River corridor.