Category: News

A 36-year-old Westminster woman, Rachel Marie Foster, was arrested Thursday during a traffic stop on S. Highway 11 near Old Seneca Road by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office P.A.C.E. Team and booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at 2:51 p.m.; she faces charges of kidnapping, domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, and possession of a weapon during […]

Ballenger and Nuttall are names synonymous with successful Seneca businesses, and yesterday, Thursday, Steve Nuttall was recognized for his 43-year career in insurance with the annual Ballenger Award from the Rotary Club, honoring the club’s first president, pioneering hardware store owner Grady Ballenger, and exemplifying high ethical standards in business. Rotarian and lifelong friend Debbie Dubose praised Nuttall’s deserving recognition, […]

For the first time, the Oconee County Republican Party (OCRP) is endorsing candidates in the nonpartisan city council elections for Seneca, Walhalla, and Westminster on November 4, 2025. A committee of nine OCRP Executive Committee members selected candidates after hosting forums, reviewing voting records, and conducting interviews to ensure alignment with conservative values. Endorsed candidates include Dana Moore, Dan Alexander, […]

Oconee County Council Chairman Matthew Durham continues to question Clemson University’s transparency after its executives, including the CFO, flew on a private jet owned by a developer whose board includes compensated members President Jim Clements and Trustee Nikki Haley ($350,000/year each) to scout expansion ideas, initially denied by Clemson but later admitted as a “routine review,” prompting demands for details […]

The FAA is considering a reclassification of Oconee Regional Airport, according to Aeronautics Commission Chairman Dan Suddeth, who urged commissioners to take the potential change seriously due to the airport’s heavy reliance on federal grants. While details and final impacts are still under review with support from the airport’s external engineering consultants, Suddeth emphasized that any shift in classification could […]

Since June 2024, Walhalla, SC, has advanced nearly $14.5 million in grant-funded water and sewer upgrades via SCIIP and state funds, while pursuing $25 million more over the next decade. Projects include: Highway 11 pipe replacement (10,000 ft, completed 2024) and expansion (spring 2026); West Main water main upgrades with testing (spring 2026); Rocky Knoll pump station replacement and SC […]

The School District of Oconee County Board of Trustees will hold two special called executive sessions—at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 3, and Tuesday, November 4—to advance the search for a permanent superintendent, with Dr. Scott Mercer currently serving as interim since Dr. Michael Thorsland’s June 2025 retirement; the meetings follow Associate Superintendent Steve Hanvey’s weekend announcement to 101.7/WGOG NEWS […]

The City of Seneca invites the public to the dedication of the restored Oberlin Faith Cabin Library on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 12 Noon. The event will take place on the grounds of the Seneca River Missionary Baptist Association at the Seneca Family Life Institute, 298 S Poplar Street & South 3rd Street, Seneca, South Carolina. The Oberlin Faith […]

John Justin Casey Ward, 46-years-old, was arrested on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office on multiple charges including failure to stop for blue light; attempted murder; domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature; burglary in the first degree; breach of peace aggravated in nature; malicious injury to personal property; possession of a weapon during a […]

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office announced an additional arrest in its ongoing drug round-up, which began with a briefing on October 1 and involves 35 warrants against 23 individuals based on undercover purchases of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and prescription medications, plus charges for criminal conspiracy, narcotics seizures, and accessory after the fact. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, 17 people have been […]