Category: News

The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce announces it will be hosting our new United States Senator Tim Scott and Congressman Jeff Duncan for a business Meet and Greet. This will be Senator Tim Scott’s first visit to Oconee County as our United States Senator and everyone is encouraged to come out and give him an Oconee County welcome, says Oconee […]

Many Americans became poorer during the great recession, losing the value of assets like homes, investments and savings accounts. But a new Urban Institute study finds minorities were hit harder, especially blacks and Hispanics. As of 2010, white families, on average, were about six-times as wealthy as black or Hispanic families. Before the recession, white families were only about four-times […]

The National Association of Government Communicators awarded the South Carolina Emergency Management Division its prestigious 2013 Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Award.  The Division received this national recognition for the South Carolina Earthquake Guide, a brochure that contains information on what to do before, during and after one of the Palmetto State’s greatest natural vulnerabilities. The National Association of Government Communicators’s […]

The Oconee County Chapter of the NAACP presented its 27th annual ‘Women of the Year’ awards this weekend. According to local NAACP president Beverly Jenkins, the second runner-up was Brenda Carson of Mt. Olive Baptist Church. First runner-up was Brianca Nelson of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and the 2013 NAACP Woman of the Year is Mia Lee of Ebeneezer Baptist Church.

Last week during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, Oconee County Emergency Services saluted the more than 400 professional volunteers who serve the community every day.  Emergency Service Volunteers in Oconee County annually respond to nearly 6,000 incidents and participate in 20,000 hours of training, without compensation. These volunteers sacrifice and dedication to service is invaluable to those they swore to protect. […]

Within days of the crime, the Seneca Police Department has made an arrest in their investigation of a pickup truck break-in on April 19.  Police officers arrested and charged 19-year-old Demarcus Shawntez Taylor with receiving stolen goods. The police investigated a reported break-in of a Ford F-350 in which a laptop and a wallet were taken. The police traced the […]

Autopsies will be performed today on the victims of a suspected murder-suicide at an Easley hotel. Pickens County deputies say shots were heard at the Sun Inn Saturday afternoon. Investigators say it appears a 77-year-old man shot a 39-year-old woman, and then turned the gun on himself.  Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley identified the man as Robert McPeak of Iva […]

On March 28, Oconee Medical Center launched a new state-of-the-art hospital information system called Paragon, which enhances quality, safety and efficiency through the seamless sharing of information. Previous information systems at the hospital were disconnected and most processes returned to paper, explains Oconee Medical Center marketing manager Heather Goss.  “What Paragon has allowed us to do is to integrate most of our patient support […]

South Carolina has received 1.2 million adult doses of potassium iodide for distribution to residents in Oconee and Pickens counties and others within a 10-mile emergency planning zone of five nuclear power plants. According to DHEC, potassium iodide provides additional protection for the thyroid gland against one form of radiation. In the event of a nuclear power plant emergency involving […]

There is mixed news in the Commonwealth Fund’s latest health insurance survey. It found nearly half of all working age adults went without coverage for a time last year or were underinsured. Spokeswoman Sara Collins says they will get help as more provisions of the Obama Health Reform law take effect.  “Starting in October, people who don’t have health insurance […]