Category: News

The Hampton Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) in Pickens, which has been the subject of numerous calls and around 100 patient escapes in the past 13 months, has closed its doors. The closure follows a violent incident involving several juvenile patients. The facility is moving its residents to other locations for consolidated and comprehensive care. Police Chief Randal Beach expressed […]

Pickens County welcomes Cynthia Wolthuis as the new Director of the Department of Social Services (DSS) this week. With an extensive background in social services spanning the tri-counties, including a pivotal role as an investigations leader and team coordinator in Oconee County, Ms. Wolthuis is well-prepared for her new responsibilities. She will commence her duties with the Pickens County DSS […]

Tonight, the Walhalla City Council will convene with a full agenda. They are poised to grant final approval to ordinances revising the water and sewer regulations, economic development incentives, and the 2023-24 budget fee schedule. Discussions will include a wage study, a sidewalk project quote, and a transfer request. The Mayor will issue proclamations for Small Business Week, Peace Officers […]

The Board of Trustees for the Oconee County School District is set to meet at the newly constructed Seneca Middle School, situated at 15440 Wells Highway, Seneca, at 6 p.m. today. The meeting’s agenda features a report by Superintendent Michael Thorsland on School Library Month, Special Olympics, and the Testing Calendar. Thorsland, along with Steve Hanvey, the Associate Superintendent of […]

Clemson City Council Member Catherine Watt, an opponent of the “Hub” project, reportedly is aiming to prevent the final approval of the contentious residential-commercial development in Clemson tonight. Watt said she plans to propose a motion to return the project to the Planning Commission for a final four-week evaluation, based on insights gained over the previous two months. She added […]

The South Carolina Welcome Center at Fair Play is gearing up for an annual event next month that aims to provide a unique welcome to visitors. Oconee’s business community members have the opportunity to exhibit their products by setting up tables at the I-85 welcome center. The event, which surprises and delights guests with a celebration in their honor, will […]

King Asphalt, a road paver from Liberty, is poised to secure a $6.7 million contract for road work in Oconee County. The county council will consider a recommendation to award the multi-year contract for paving 22 miles of county roads at their meeting this week. Out of 13 companies invited to bid, only two responded. The recommendation includes a preliminary […]

The Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative held its annual meeting on April 10 and 11, with a record 9,063 members registering at its Oconee and Pickens offices. Despite intermittent rain, members voted on bylaw amendments and board of directors’ elections. Incumbents Jimmy Lee Dodgens and Frank Looper retained their seats, while Mendel Stone was reelected unopposed. Stephen Hunt won the grand […]

The annual State of Oconee luncheon, held on Friday, celebrated Oconee as the “Golden Corner” of the state, an ideal place for work, leisure, and investment. The event, attended by around 200 individuals, took place in the cafeteria of a new public school in Seneca, which is set to open its doors to students in August. Attendees were given a […]

Adam Tyler Cole, a 29-year-old resident of Bates Road in Marietta, was apprehended by Seneca Police on Wednesday on charges of grand larceny exceeding $10,000, related to the theft of three all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The ATVs were reportedly stolen in October 2022 from a business located on U.S. Highway 123, where they had been dropped off for servicing. In addition […]