COUNTY — Pickens County’s unemployment figures for July are slightly improved, according to a report issued August 21 from the South Carolina Employment Security Commission.
June’s historic high of 11.1 percent dropped to 10.8 percent in Pickens County. Similar reductions were reported across the state.
In the Upstate, Oconee County is the only nearby county with no improvement, with the June rate of 15.1 percent remaining the same during July.
Anderson County’s rate dropped from June’s 13.1 percent to 12.5 percent in July and Greenville County shrank from 10.7 percent to 10.1 percent.
South Carolina’s ranking on the national unemployment data list has gone from third worst to fifth worst in the nation for July with June’s 12.1 percent rate dropping to 11.8 percent. Although slight, this is the first reported increase in the employment rate since January 2008.
Although the percentages have improved, the labor force shrank by 9,833 to 2,185,575, the lowest level since November 2008. But the number of reported unemployed also shrank by 7,742 to 258,465.
Nationally, the rate dropped slightly, from June’s 9.5 percent to July’s 9.4 percent.
Most job losses in the state occurred in education (31,700), retail trade (900), construction (2,500) and manufacturing (1,500), continuing a steady decline.
Compared to the numbers from one year ago, 77,300 jobs disappeared in South Carolina.
Only the leisure and hospitality and financial industries reported job gains, with 4,600 and 700 respectively.
Roosevelt T. Halley, Executive Director of the commission said in a statement issued last week, “The decrease in the July unemployment rate is welcome news for South Carolina. However, the data trends indicate that people in South Carolina left the labor force for the second month in a row. There is concern that people are becoming more discouraged over job prospects in the short term and are giving up the job search.”

EASLEY — Officers from the Pickens County Sheriff’s office arrested a Greenville woman on August 21, charging her with the armed robbery of an Easley convenience store.
According to an arrest warrant, a woman walked into the Hot Spot on 3908 Calhoun Memorial Highway in Easley at 6:25 a.m. on Sunday, July 16 and asked for directions. She then placed her purse onto the counter and placed her hand inside the purse, keeping it there throughout the incident. The clerk was told by the woman to “give me the money.”
Although deputies said that no weapon was presented, they reported that the clerk believed a weapon was in the woman’s purse.
Deputies reported that witnesses said the woman left in a 2002 Chevrolet truck. Deputies say the truck had been reported stolen in Greenville County.
Sheryl Galbreath Bedoya, 41, of 37 3rd street, Greenville, was arrested and charged with armed robbery.
A $75,000 surety bond was set on Bedoya, and she has been returned to the Greenville County Detention Center, where she is being detained on similar charges.

CENTRAL — A Clemson student is dead as the result of a drowning accident at Issaqueena Lake on Sunday afternoon.
Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley said that Donovan Xavier Jones, 21, of 3270 Poppy Court in Sumter, was swimming with friends when he went under and did not resurface at about 2 p.m.
Kelley said Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was performed on Monday at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
The accident is being investigated by the Pickens County Sheriff’s office.

POWDERSVILLE — Congressman Gresham Barrett spoke at the Easley Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Taste of Distinction restaurant in Powdersville last Thursday.
Barrett, who plans to run for the office of governor in the next election, spoke about health care reform, energy solutions and South Carolina’s need for economic development.
The Republican congressman, a fiscal conservative, spoke against democrats’ plan for health care reform, saying his party has a better plan for solving the health care crisis in our country.
He said one challenge that must be met is producing more doctors to meet public need. He said the cost of medical liability insurance is detrimental and said he supports limited liability, which he said would make medicine a more attractive career and dramatically lower the cost of doing business in the medical field.
He said he opposes a government-run health care program, calling such a program socialism.
Barrett said the current rate of government spending is unsustainable and pointed to the Cash for Clunkers plan as an example of spending money that isn’t there.
Barrett also is a proponent of building more nuclear energy plants, drilling off South Carolina’s coast to tap into natural gas and using other energy sources.
He said building more nuclear energy plants would put an $11 billion investment into the states’ economy and would provide jobs as well as create a source of energy.
He said he doesn’t support cap and trade carbon emissions policies and said he thinks the policy will raise consumer costs.
He expressed concern about government spending and said although government must grow, growth should be in line with population growth.
In speaking about state issues he’d like to see addressed, Barrett said South Carolina needs to overhaul its tax structure with a system that is fair and equitable.
He said the state of New Mexico recently revamped its tax structure and has something in place that is working for them.
Barrett said New Mexico’s system is being reviewed to see if it would be an effective model for South Carolina to use.
He said the state needs infrastructure in place to attract industry and also needs a strong education system.
He said investing in education brings the greatest return dollar for dollar as far as strengthening the state’s economy and providing job opportunities for its citizens.
Barrett will run in the Rebublican primary June 8, 2010, against Henry McMaster, Andre Bauer, Larry Grooms and Nikki Randhawa-Haley.
The general election will be on November 2, 2010.

Certified master gardeners are getting the grounds ready at the historic Hagood-Mauldin House in Pickens for next month’s Pickens County Heritage Corridor tour. The Pickens County Historical Society recruited the gardeners through the Clemson University Extension service.