Airport expansion officially opens
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com LIBERTY — Officials cut the ribbon Friday morning on a long-awaited project at the More »
Habitat for Humanity brings Hope to Pickens
By Marquis Mittelstet Staff Reporter marq@thepccourier.com PICKENS — Homes, community, hope – such is the motto of the charitable More »
Let the games begin
Senior League World Series to open play on Saturday By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com EASLEY — An Easley mainstay More »
DAR holds annual awards program
COUNTY — Fort Prince George Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) gave out 10 awards to Pickens County students More »
Man charged with Central murder
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — A man has been charged with murder after a shooting in Central on Saturday night.
According to a Sunday morning news release from Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Brett Barwick, authorities received a 911 call at 11:25 p.m. Saturday about a man being injured in a shooting in Central.
Upon arrival, deputies found a man with an apparent gunshot
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Pickens to pull out of joint water system
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Less than five years after forming the Pickens Joint Regional Water System (PJRWS) along with other 
local municipalities and water districts, the city of Pickens has voted to withdraw from the group, citing other needs with the city’s infrastructure that have led to discolored water, water main breaks and other persistent issues, as well as higher costs to the city under the previous plan.
“Our primary goal is to ensure that the residents and businesses of Pickens have access to a reliable and sustainable water supply as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Mayor Isaiah Scipio said in a news release issued by the city. “After extensive study, we have decided withdrawing from the PJRWS is in the best interest of our community.”
The decision came with its dissenters, as Scipio and Councilman Floyd Rogers were drawn into a heated argument over whether the measure should move forward without unanimous support from city council before the vote ultimately passed 5-1 at a special called meeting on Monday afternoon.
TEMPERS FLARE
With five years of work on the planning of the local plant already completed and USDA funding for the plant expected
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Airport expansion officially opens
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — Officials cut the ribbon Friday morning on a long-awaited project at the Pickens County Airport — the expanded north ramp.
“In total, this was right at a $10 million project,” Pickens County Airport administrator Carlos Salinas told those on hand for Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “That included the runway resurface, a new taxiway and the apron that you see in front of you here.”
Salinas said the project included “seven different types of funds.”
“That’s federal, state and local,” he said. “That’s just to give you an indication of the kind of creativity that happened to make this thing come together.”
The project increases the Pickens County Airport’s ramp space by 60
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One killed in Pickens crash
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A Salem woman died Monday after a two-vehicle collision on S.C. Highway 11 in northern Pickens 
County.
Pickens County chief deputy coroner Andrew Wilson identified the victim as Emily Whitten Hafner, 30, of Cross Creek Road in Salem.
The collision occurred at 9:24 a.m. Monday, on S.C. 11 near Sliding Rock Road, two
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Nimmons, Wright lauded by SC Press Association
COLUMBIA — Two Pickens County Courier staff members were honored by the South Carolina Press Association recently for their work in 2023-24.
In the SCPA’s advertising Palmy Awards and in the annual SCPA News Contest, Courier graphic artist Emily Wright and sports editor/staff reporter Bru Nimmons received awards voted on by their peers in the newspaper industry.
Wright, a longtime ad designer and graphic artist who has been with the paper since its inception, received three first-place awards and two third-place awards in the recently announced Palmy awards. Wright won first place in the under-7,500 circulation category in
Professional Services for Robinson Funeral Home. The judges’ comments were “I loved the simplicity and elegance of the ad. The message was heartfelt, but not over the top.”
Wright also took a first-place win in the open division in the Gifts category for her Christmas ad designed for Pace Jewelers. “I liked the cleverness of the Santa tagline and the cohesiveness of the Christmas graphics. All-around great job,” judges commented.
To add to her first-place wins, Wright took gold for her Shuckin’ Shack ad in the under-7,500 category for Restaurants and Night Life ads. “Simple but effective. Catchy headline that pairs well with excellent art, color and font choice,” judges said.
Wright also took third-place awards in the open division for Public Service and Holiday ads with Pickens County Animal Shelter and Easley Audiology winning, respectively.
The honors pushed Wright’s total for S.C. Press Association Palmy Awards to 146 in her career at the Pickens County Courier.
“We are so thankful to have Emily as part of the Courier family,” Courier publisher Rocky Nimmons said of the talented designer. “She has been here with us since the beginning, and her talent has been one of the main reasons for our success. Emily’s ability to turn any ad into a head-turner is simply amazing. It is a true gift that everyone who advertises with us is given. She is a generational talent at what she does, and we are so thankful for her.”
Earlier in the year, the S.C. Press Association announced the best of the best on the editorial side of things, with Nimmons taking center stage by bringing home two first-place awards.
Nimmons spearheaded the Courier’s annual Football Frenzy preview section alongside talented writers Eugene Jolleyand Ryan Davenport, and photographers Kerry Gilstrap, Tommy McGaha and Van Hope to earn first place for Sports Section or Magazine. Judges said of his work, “Love the overall look and feel of the section. Very clean and easy to read. I want to see some of your other stuff.”
“Bru and the work of the staff he brings together each year for the Courier’s Football Frenzy is second to none. We pride ourselves on the product we produce, and Bru has taken on the incredible amount of work that is required with gusto and pushes to make it better with each issue from week to week. Bru has taken the guidance and foundation that our longtime editor Zack Mauldin has laid down and pushed to become the best,” Courier publisher Rocky Nimmons said. “Our motto has always been that we can’t get any of the hardworking young players a scholarship, but we can get them noticed, and Bru and his staff do that each and every week.”
On the other side of the coin, Bru Nimmons’ work in hard news also garnered him a first-place finish in the all-weekly division for Investigative Reporting for his story “PAC Board appeals to county council for investigation.” The story covered Pickens County Performing Arts Center board members seeking an investigation for mismanagement of the center before their appointment.
“This investigative reporting award proves what we’ve been saying for a while now — he’s still a young man, but Bru is already one of the most well-rounded newspaper professionals in the Upstate,” Mauldin said. “We’re proud of his growth in the business, and his future is very bright. We — and our readers — are fortunate to have him at the Courier.”
“The Courier prides itself on being the favorite newspaper in Pickens County,” Nimmons added. “Our product and circulation bear that out. Without the incredible talent of the people who work here, that statement would not be true. A community newspaper is only as strong as the community that supports it. It is because of you that we are able to bring everyone the best newspaper in Pickens County every single week.”
Pickens County introduces new way to contact 911
PICKENS — Pickens County has announced a new way for residents to contact 911, according to a Pickens County social media post.
Residents can now text 911. This change was implemented in hopes of creating an easier way for residents who are hearing impaired, have a speech disability, are in an unsafe environment, have phone anxiety or can not make
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Woman sentenced to 55 years in Prison Empire case
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A woman was sentenced in a Pickens County court last week to more than 50 years in prison for her role 
in a drug trafficking organization investigators have called “Prison Empire.”
The Prison Empire investigation targeted a drug trafficking
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Habitat for Humanity brings Hope to Pickens
By Marquis Mittelstet
Staff Reporter
marq@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Homes, community, hope – such is the motto of the charitable and “for the people” Habitat for Humanity organization, a chapter of which is based right here in Pickens County (Pickens County Habitat for Humanity or PCHFH).
The organization strives to help construct homes for new and struggling families every year across the nation, including locally, Habitat for Humanity has repeatedly spoken on behalf of the American people, perhaps most notably with their advocacy for the Self-Help Ownership Program (SHOP) at their Habitat on the Hill annual legislative conference which takes place at our nation’s capital.
Pickens County Habitat for Humanity (PCHFH) is also committed to revitalizing Jaycee Park, in Pickens as part of its ongoing mission to build safe, affordable homes and strengthen communities. For over 40 years, the local organization has worked to create spaces where families can thrive, and recognized the vital role that shared community spaces play in fostering vibrant, connected neighborhoods. As work is done to expand our capacity, PCHFH believe that enhancing this essential nexus of community fellowship is a natural extension of our calling.
On Saturday, thanks to the help of a donation of $5,000 from Lowes and labor volunteered by members of community, work began at the park.
“We are thrilled to announce that Lowe’s, through their national grant program, has generously allocated $5,000 in funding to support the Jaycee Park revitalization project. This grant, coupled with the support of our local Lowe’s stores, will be instrumental in bringing this project to fruition,” said PCHFH Executive Director Tamara Dourney.
Pickens County Habitat for Humanity enlisted Habitat for Humanity’s Clemson University chapter, providing students studying construction with real-world experience in a practical and suitable environment.
Pickens County Habitat for Humanity’s executive director Tamara Dourney was pleased with the turnout to help, especially the younger volunteers, which she says is a consistently recurring and refreshing trend to see.
“I cannot tell you how many of our volunteers are younger people,” Dourney said.
The day of service dedicated to the beautification and enhancement of the Park beginning at 9 a.m. with volunteers spreading mulch next to the tennis courts, panting azaleas to add color and vitality to the park, Painting the playground equipment to create a fresh, inviting play space, painting the block portion of the stadium seats and installing new lumber where it was needed.
The hope is to enhance Jaycee Park and create a vibrant gathering place that will serve our community for generations to come.
Blind snakes and mad dogs
Dogs, stars and the moon collide in July to create the dog days of summer.
The phrase “dog days of summer” is used to describe the hot, humid, sticky days from July 3 through Aug. 11. The dog days could also be called the sweaty days, because you sweat so much that sunscreen melts
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The church equips Christians for ministry
I’ve been in church all my life and I know people who believe that attending an assembly fulfills the majority of their Christian obligations.
Somewhere down through the centuries, the idea of the Ekklesia being a boot-camp to train soldiers and a school to teach disciples how to engage in spiritual warfare and develop their ministries,
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