Daily Archives: 12/17/2014
School board delays capital needs vote
EASLEY — The Pickens County School board didn’t take a third and final vote on the district’s capital needs plan Monday night as scheduled.
The school district announced last week that the special called board meeting scheduled for Monday was canceled at the recommendation of its financial advisor. Third and final reading is now expected to take place after the refinancing of the installment purchase revenue bonds for
Delegation plans annual meeting
EASLEY — Members of the public will have a chance to make their voices heard when the Pickens County Legislative Delegation holds its annual meeting next month.
The delegation’s meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8 at the Carr Center at West End Hall in Easley, located at 201 S. Fifth St.
Reports from organizations and boards will be heard beginning at 5:30 p.m., and the floor will
A season to remember
Liberty Mortuary
Services of remembrance were held for local families in Pickens and Liberty on Saturday. In Pickens, Dillard Funeral Home hosted a service at its chapel, followed by a candlelighting ceremony at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Liberty Mortuary also hosted its annual luminary ceremony at Liberty Memorial Gardens. Clockwise from above: Local residents
listen to speakers at the Liberty event.
Hillcrest Memorial
Susan Pilgrim and Caroline Roper light a
Liberty Mortuary
candle for a loved one’s grave at Hillcrest. Christmas trees decorate graves at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Rev. Gene Lockaby delivers a Christmas message at Liberty Memorial Gardens.
Kerry Gilstrap and Rocky Nimmons/The Courier
Former officials ask city for help with fire district
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — At Monday’s Pickens City Council work session, former mayor Ted Shehan and longtime firefighter Jim Porter shared their concerns about the county entering into the fire protection business.
“I want to make sure everybody knows how we got to the point where we are now,” Shehan said.
Cities in the county and volunteer fire districts provided protection for the past 50 years.
“It all started when the county said ‘we can do it cheaper and better than the city is doing,’”
Clemson to award 1,300 degrees, honor alumnus
Around 1,300 Clemson University students will receive degrees when the school holds its annual December graduation ceremony Thursday.
CLEMSON — Approximately 1,300 students will receive degrees when Clemson University holds its fall graduation ceremonies in Littlejohn Coliseum on Thursday.
Both ceremonies will be streamed live at www.clemson.edu/tv.
Degrees will be handed out during two ceremonies, the first beginning at 9:30 a.m. for graduates of the colleges of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Architecture, Arts and Humanities; and Engineering and Science.
The second ceremony, at 1:30 p.m., will be for graduates of the colleges of Business and
Southern Wesleyan University’s community service recognized
Dwayne Bryant of Brunswick, Ga., sorts through produce at Golden Harvest Food Pantry during a recent day of service involving 200 Southern Wesleyan University students. Southern Wesleyan was recognized for its students’ many hours of service to the community by being awarded a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
CENTRAL — For the first time in its history, Southern Wesleyan University was awarded a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, an honor recognizing the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems while engaging their students in community projects.
The President’s Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions in four categories: general community service, interfaith community service, economic opportunity and education.
Justin Carter, associate vice president for student life, credits Maggie Turner, director of community engagement, for spearheading the application process at the university. According to Turner, 935 Southern Wesleyan students logged a total of 58,499 community service hours during the 2012-’13 academic year.
“The combined hours between our day of service, earth day, education practicums, mission and service trips, athletic team service hours and other community service efforts contributed to our amazing grand total,” Turner said. “I consider it an enormous honor to work along such engaged and generous students. They are truly adding value and sharing love with the local and greater communities around them. Kingdom work is being done here at Southern Wesleyan University, and it is exciting to be a part of it.”
“It is a rather lengthy application that requests data from several university departments. Maggie was responsible for collecting this data, calculating the combined service hours from our institution and reporting these hours in predetermined categories identified by the Corporation for National and Community Service,” Carter said. “The actual data collection and reporting took months to complete, but you can see the results of Maggie’s hard work.”
Southern Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community devoted to transforming lives by challenging students to be dedicated scholars and servant-leaders who impact the world for Christ. For details about degree programs, go online to swu.edu.
Clements: Clemson supports growth of S.C. agribusiness
STATE — Clemson University plans to expand its support of startup and existing agribusinesses in South Carolina, President James P. Clements said at the recent S.C. Farm Bureau annual meeting.
“South Carolina’s growing network of agribusiness companies and suppliers is increasing the demand for top talent. Clemson is responding to that need with new and strengthened degree offerings, continuing education, workshops, online information resources and certification
School board chairman addresses capital needs
A great deal of discussion has taken place throughout the School District of Pickens County over the last couple of months related to capital needs funding. When looking at the funding for the school district, one must understand that there’s two “pots” from which funding is pulled. Debt service (capital needs) funding is used to fund buildings, facility improvements, facility upkeep, and other needs such as technology that is used in our schools. Operational funding is what is used to pay
Best Christmas pageant ever
If you want to recapture the innocent joy of celebrating Christmas, go to the annual Christmas pageant at McKinney Chapel. It’s scheduled to be held Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. inside the historic Methodist church in the Eastatoee Valley.
It’s an experience not be missed. Although the chapel is located in Sunset, just past the gated entrance to The Cliffs on Cleo Chapman Road off S.C. Highway 11, all visitors need to do is tell the guard they’re going to McKinney Chapel, and there’s no problem with driving in.
This small Eastatoee country church is a
Central church donates to Feed a Hungry Child
CENTRAL — On Dec. 7, ALIVE Wesleyan Church presented a $10,000 gift to Feed a Hungry Child, an organization alleviating hunger for children in Pickens County.
Pictured from left are Rev. Tom Harding of ALIVE Wesleyan, along with Kathy Brazinski and Milledge Cassell, co-founders of Feed a Hungry Child.
Many children do not receive adequate nutrition over the weekend and come to school hungry on Monday mornings. To address this issue, Feed a Hungry Child provides weekend meal packs for children in Pickens County schools. The organization currently serves children in 16 schools, including R.C. Edwards Middle School and 15 of the 16 elementary schools.
ALIVE’s gift will cover a month of the organization’s budget.
“We wanted to be a part of something that
