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Category Archives: Local News

More convicted in ‘Las Senoritas’ trafficking case

By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com

COLUMBIA — More convictions and guilty pleas have been obtained in an ongoing investigation into organized crime being run from within state prisons using contraband cell phones, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson announced last week.

The “Las Senoritas” case goes back to 2023, Wilson said at a July 9 press conference.

“This was a major meth trafficking investigation in the Upstate,” he said. “It involved targeting a cartel-supplied drug You must be logged in to view this content.

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Local man faces CSAM-related felony charges

By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — A Pickens man faces multiple charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said Monday.

Dallon Christoper Barnwell, 22, of Pickens, was arrested on July 3, Wilson said in a news release.

Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest, he said.

Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National

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Celebrating 100 years of American Legion baseball

Easley American Legion Post 52 Baseball completed its regular season on Monday night with a 15-3 win over Klutch Collegiate at Alice Mill Field. Following the win, a firework show sponsored by Carolina Fireworks of Easley was held to honor 100 years of American Legion baseball. Post 52 finished its regular season with a 9-8 record, including an 8-4 record in league play and will soon open playoff play.

Duke Energy proposes new rate increases

GREENVILLE  — Duke Energy Carolinas has proposed a rate increase that would raise monthly electric bills for South Carolina customers, citing ongoing investments to improve grid reliability, storm resilience and energy generation across the state.

The utility filed a request this week with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) for a public review of its current rates. If approved, the proposal

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Banjo Festival begins Friday at Hagood Mill

PICKENS  — The Banjo Extravaganza Festival will return to the Hagood Mill Historic Site this weekend offering a weekend of toe-tapping tunes, Appalachian heritage and traditional artistry.

The festival begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. with “Early Banjo History with Clifton Hicks.” Hicks, a well-known performer and

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Welborn provides update, expresses concerns

By Evan Smoak
Courtesy The Journal
evan@upstatetoday.com

PICKENS — At its regularly scheduled meeting last week, Pickens County Council received an update from clerk of court, Pat Welborn.

Welborn spoke about the new Carolina Investments Building the county purchased in 2024 to help alleviate courthouse traffic and space constraints.

“Probation, (Department of Juvenile Justice) and possibly the public defender’s office will be moving, and we need to expedite that as we can,” he said. “The solicitor’s PTI office is losing (its space) and is needing to move into the courthouse. (We want to) get

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Courier Community Calendar 7-16-25

• Harmonizers to celebrate 39 years

All are invited to join the Mighty Gospel Harmonizers of Liberty as they celebrate their 39th anniversary on Sunday, July 20, at 103 West C Ave. Ext. in Easley.An evening of praise, worship and gospel music will begin at 4 p.m., with doors opening at 3 p.m. There will be several special guests for the event, including the Gospel True Notes of Travelers Rest, the Mitchell Gospel Singers of Wellford, the Gospel Determines of Gaffney, Men of Faith of Chesnee, the Gospel Truetones of Easley, and the Rev. Floyd Johnson & the Silvertones of Iva. Devotional leaders will be the New Popular Springs Male Chorus of Central, and the M.C. for the evening will be the Rev. Julius Hunt. The singing is a free event, but a love offering will be collected.

• Legion Post 67 seeks members

American Legion Post 67 in Liberty is accepting applications for membership from all U.S. military wartime veterans. For more information, call (864) 787-2322.
• Legion Post 52 to meet on 4th Tuesday

American Legion Post 52 officials invite all military veterans to join them in Easley.
Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Post building at 310 Pope Field Road in Easley.

• H.O.P.E. meetings scheduled monthly

Dillard Memorial Funeral Home and Hillcrest Memorial Park have announced the renewal of the H.O.P.E Ministries program. The program, which helps others through programs and the exchange of ideas and information, will host its next meeting on July 22.
“We are pleased to offer this as a support system for families in our community and surrounding areas who have experienced a loss,” said Tanya Gravely, general manager of Dillard Memorial Funeral Home. Meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Hillcrest building beside Dillard Funeral Home in Pickens with the Rev. Lewis Edwards, community relations and director of H.O.P.E. For more information, call (864) 878-6371.
• Fleet Reserve meets on third Saturday

Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 15 meets on the third Saturday of each month at Chicopee United Methodist Church, located at 403 S. Catherine St. in Walhalla.
The Fleet Reserve is open to all veterans of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Contact Tom Smith at (864) 868-9397 or fleetrevbrn015@gmail.com for more information.

• Pickens Rotary meets Wednesdays

The Rotary Club of Pickens meets at 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Pickens County Museum. Guests are invited to the meetings to learn the 20 reasons to join Rotary.

• Dacusville Lions to host monthy bingo

The Dacusville Lions Club will be hosting Bingo night on the second Thursday of each month at the Lions Building in Dacusville, located at 1384 Thomas Mill Road.
The next Bingo session will be Thursday, August 12.
There are set to be 10 games beginning at 7 p.m., and
proceeds will go toward funding community events and other community needs.
The games should conclude around 9 p.m. Bingo night will be a family-friendly event and monetary prizes will be available. Cards are $1 each, with no limit on the number of cards that can be purchased for each round. For more, contact Bob Spalding at (864) 430-0119 or bob@bobspalding.net.

• Widowed persons group meets monthly

Moving Forward, a widowed persons group meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Silver Bay Restaurant at 7027 Highway 123 in Easley. For more information, call Marian Huskins at (864) 270-6032.

• Sertoma Club invites locals to meet

The Clemson Sertoma Club invites all local residents to attend its meetings. The club meets at noon the first and third Tuesdays of each month at Occasions at Wedgefield, located at 1551 Eighteen Mile Road in Central.

PC Delegation members look back on session

By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com

COUNTY — Bridges, funding and teacher pay were among the issues area legislators helped address during the recently-concluded legislative session.

Pickens County Legislative Delegation members discussed the session during the June 30 meeting of Pickens United, held at the Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center on the campus of Clemson University.

SC Senate President Thomas Alexander believes this year

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Fatal shooting of son ruled self-defense

By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com

EASLEY — Officials with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that a father’s fatal shooting of his son was self-defense.

In a release issued the morning of Saturday, July 5, Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said his office was investigating the death of a man who died after being shot by

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Projects sought for local Make a Difference Day

By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com

CLEMSON — Organizers are seeking applicants for projects to benefit from a countywide Make a Difference Day this fall.

DJ Laws, Presidential Coordinator for Community Relations in the Office of the President at Clemson University, discussed the effort during the June 30 meeting of Pickens United, which was held on campus at Clemson.

Laws said Pickens County Administrator Ken Roper and

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