PICEKNS — Friends of the Hagood Mill will host a special “Agriculture and Military Day” concert at the mill site this Saturday, May 21.

The free event will feature musical performances by Pretty Little Goat String Band, delivering a fresh, driving, energetic take on old-time string band music. This five-piece group from Brevard, N.C., includes the driving and innovative bass fiddle work of J.T. Linville, the train-whistle, foghorn buck dancing of Tim Fisher’s fiddle, the cigar-box chunking mandolin rhythm and leads of Josh Carter, the charming percussion of Mallory Carter’s home-made washboard contraption, and Owen Groom’s fretless banjo sounds like water rolling off rocks. Everyone in the group trades off strong old-time vocal leads and harmonies. Just as musicians of the Southern Appalachians have done for centuries, the Goat Band creates their own music from old mountain ballads and fiddle music, while paying respect to the grand tradition. Pretty Little Goat String Band will be performing between 1 and 3 p.m.

Warming up the stage around 11:30 a.m. will be Dakota Waddell. Born and raised in Western North Carolina, Waddell is a musician who specializes in acoustic traditional music of the Appalachian Mountains. You can usually catch Waddell playing upright base with his band Nitrograss, formed with two-time national banjo champion Charles Wood. Waddell’s musical influences stem from all across the spectrum. Some of his greatest inspirations for banjo have been Mark Johnson, Ralph Stanley, Adam Hurt, Bruce Molsky, Cathy Fink, Dan Levenson, Dusty Lee Elmer, Doc Boggs and Wade Ward. Along with Nitrograss, Waddell regularly performs with acoustic groups that include Grits and Soul, Asheville-based Sanctum Sully, electric funk jazz rock power trio Max Gross Weight and a number of other artists and groups.

The gristmill and all other demonstrations will be running from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

This year’s Agricultural Celebration is co-sponsored by the Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum of South Carolina.

Kids and adults are welcome to take part in a variety of activities hosted by the museum including proper milking techniques with “Clarabelle the milking cow,” hand grinding corn, operating an old-fashioned water pump, corn darts, and much more.

Local farms will be on hand selling live plants, vegetables, hand cut herbs and more.

Visitors won’t want to miss the opportunity to meet and greet with one of the Southeast’s premiere heirloom seed providers, Heavenly Seed LLC. This highly respected company will be onsite offering a variety of heirloom, open pollinated, and certified organic fruit and vegetable seeds for visitors to purchase.

Present on site for the Military Day Celebration will be the Military History Club of the Carolinas with military vehicles, historians and re-enactors. Cpt. Jim Bay, Calhoun Light Artillery and the Second South Carolina Regimental Rifles Volunteers will be onsite with an encampment of “War Between the States”-era soldiers, along with firing demonstrations of cannon and rifles.

The featured demonstrator will be gunmaker Don Bruton, who specializes in the creation of Southern long guns circa 1760-1780. Bruton will demonstrate how a “Boone Gun” was traditionally loaded, fired and utilized on the American frontier during this time period. He will also explain how these guns were created and give insight to the items carried within the typical hunting pouch of the mid-to-late-1700s.

There promises to be plenty to see and do and lots of fun. There is a $5 parking fee for the day, but admission is free to the Hagood Mill Site, as well as the Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site. All proceeds from parking support the Hagood Mill Site.

Food from the Gatehouse Restaurant will also be available on-site.

For more information, contact the Hagood Mill at (864) 898-2936 or visit visitpickenscounty.com/calendar.

COUNTY — Alliance Pickens developed the Scholar Technician initiative to encourage students to consider STEM manufacturing technical careers and to create a highly-skilled, technically trained workforce that would both support existing companies and attract top-notch manufacturing firms to Pickens County. This initiative has been very successful, and Pickens County industry and students are benefiting from the applied technical training students are receiving at a young age.

The School District of Pickens County has developed one of the best Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives in South Carolina, and a large part of that success starts at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center (CTC). The CTC provides students with hands-on career training in a variety of areas, including Machine Tool Technology and Mechatronics Integrated Technologies. This advanced technical training has helped many Pickens County students obtain full-time employment with industrial firms in Pickens County immediately after graduating high school.

For example, students who successfully completed Brian Aiken’s courses in Machine Tool Technology have been very successful in obtaining full-time work here in the Pickens County industrial community directly after graduating; last year’s graduating class placed seven of the ten students who completed Mr. Aiken’s courses at manufacturing facilities in Pickens County, at businesses such as Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc., Integrated Automation Inc., United Tool and Mold Inc., Southeastern Industrial Services and Imperial Die Casting Co.

“It is a real blessing to see students begin to be productive, responsible young adults in our community. The technical skills that are instilled in them here at the CTC are what open doors for these entry-level positions. Many progress quickly on the job and soon become valuable team members,” Aiken said.

Hank Hutto’s Mechatronics Integrated Technology students have also been very successful in finding employment in Pickens County directly after completing high school; his former students now work at companies such as Yokohama Industries Americas, JR Automation Technologies LLC, Cornell Dubilier, and Sealevel Systems, Inc.

The high-quality, hands-on education these students received at the CTC allowed them to obtain quality, well-paying jobs in Pickens County at a young age, thereby setting them up for long and successful careers here in our community. By integrating hands-on training and first-class education at a young age, Pickens County is developing a workforce with the technical skills modern industrial firms require, which is why more and more business leaders are deciding to move their manufacturing facilities to Pickens County.

By educating students to solve problems with their minds and their hands, Pickens County is seeing an ever-increasing number of young residents merit jobs that pay family-raising incomes.

PICKENS — Eleven teams participated in the 12th annual Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award Golf Tournament held at Pickens Country Club on May 7.

The event, which is held annually, raises money for scholarships that will be awarded to Pickens High School basketball team members who plan to further their education. A senior from the varsity girls’ team and a senior from the varsity boys’ team will receive the scholarship awards later this month.

First-place winners in the annual Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Golf Tournament were, from left, Chad Roper, Craig Roper, Matt Gutschow and Josh Durham.

This will be the 13th year the scholarship has been presented in honor of the late Charles Rogers, a man who gave so much to Pickens High School as a player and coach for so many years.

“This tournament honors the memory of Charles Rogers, and his legacy lives on through this award,” PHS girls’ coach Butch Morris said. “It’s the least we can do for a man that gave his time and talents to Pickens High School, as well as our community.”

First-place winners of the tournament were Chad Roper, Craig Roper, Matt Gutschow and Josh Durham. Second place went to Clyde Carr, Tom Green, Bernard Johnson and Tee McGowens. Third-place team members were Tyler Burgess, Parker Owens, Derek Smith and Seth Lamb. Other winners were Bernard Johnson and Tom Green for longest drive, and Craig Roper and Matt Gutschow for closest to the pin.

Of course, the big winners from the golf tournament are the future recipients of the scholarship award, as donations brought in almost $2,500. The first year the award was given in 2004, seniors received $200. This year the scholarship award will be $1,000.00. The scholarship money they receive can be put towards their college education.

“This scholarship fund continues to grow thanks to so many caring and giving individuals,” Morris said.

Morris gave a special thanks to Rodney Wakefield for coordinating the event again this year, as well as a sincere thank you to all the participants and the volunteers who made the tournament run smoothly. Donations for the fund can be turned in at South State Bank in Pickens.

Jen Trammell was recently hired as Liberty High School’s new competition cheer coach, taking over for Lauren Hudson. Trammell is a 2010 graduate of Liberty High School. Trammell cheered for LHS for six seasons and was a part of four state championship teams.

She earned All-State honors in 2009. After graduating from LHS, she attended Southern Wesleyan University, where she earned a degree in special education in 2014. Trammell has been teaching in the LIFE Program at LHS for two years. Since beginning her teaching career at LHS, she has been head support cheer coach, assistant competition cheer coach and assistant softball coach.

Recently, Boy Scout Troop 51 of Pickens welcomed six new scouts who crossed over from Pack 51 after earning their Arrow of Light, the highest rank in Cub Scouts. New scouts, who are pictured in the front row, from left, are Benjamin Poore, Timmy Williamson, Jacob Santeler, Justin Lipscomb, Dominick Maritato and Alex Malone. Also pictured are current Scouts and leaders of Troop 51. Chartered in November 1940, Troop 51 recently celebrated its 75th anniversary in the Pickens community. The troop meets every Monday night at its Scout Hut on Black Snake Road.

PICKENS — Pickens High Blue Flame football supporters are ready to hit the links, as the annual Pickens Touchdown Club Golf Tournament is set to get underway at The Rock golf course this Saturday, May 21.

The event will kick off with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. It will feature a four-man captain’s choice format, with a $300 per team entry fee.

The fee includes breakfast before the tourney and lunch after the tourney. “Cheater packages,” — including one throw, one red tee and one Mulligan — are included for each person, and there will be door prizes, a putting contest, longest drive and closest to the pin prizes.

To get your team registered, call the pro shop at The Rock at (864) 878-2030.

Corporate sponsorships are also available. If you own a business and want to support Blue Flame football, call Michael Burgess at (864) 270-0918.

UPSTATE — Duke Energy has been powering South Carolina for more than a century, and continues to power the minds of its students by investing in innovative education programs and initiatives across the state.

Through the Duke Energy Foundation, $500,000 in grants will go to initiatives across the state that emphasize science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), as well as programs that increase childhood reading proficiency.

“Supporting effective education programs that focus on fields related to science and technology are a critical focus for our company,” said Clark Gillespy, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president. “These initiatives will help strengthen the pipeline of highly skilled workers that fuel the economic engines that drive South Carolina.”

Duke Energy’s education grants this year include:

Clemson University Women in Science/Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention (PEER): To provide continued support to programs that provide camps for minority engineering majors, and to provide camps, encouragement and support to women pursuing careers in science and math.

S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics: To support summer training for teachers in Pickens, Florence and Kershaw counties with hands-on STEM activities and curriculum, and summer camps that focus on STEM topics.

iMAGINE Upstate: To support pre-event activities focused on science and engineering for students leading up to the STEM-focused community festival.

Junior Achievement of the Upstate: To provide kits that will help middle school children in Greenville County understand STEM career paths.

School District of Oconee County: To support a district-wide initiative of accelerated professional development for the implementation of STEM curriculum.

School District of Pickens County: To provide literacy teacher training for all kindergarten through 5th grade teachers.

United Way of Greenville County: To support afterschool programs for students from underserved neighborhoods that engage in hands-on STEM activities.

United Way of Pickens County: To expand the successful “Camp iRock” summer literacy program countywide.

Upcountry History Museum: To support literacy development through the Upcountry History Museum Book Club.

Winthrop University: To support internships for students pursuing STEM majors.

“Camp iRock is an innovative educational program in Pickens County that addresses summer literacy loss in students advancing to second, third and fourth grades,” said Julie Capaldi, president of the United Way of Pickens County. “More than 200 struggling readers will experience intensive literacy instruction from highly qualified teachers in a fun camp atmosphere this summer thanks to Duke Energy.”

“Our portable training program is designed to improve student outcomes by empowering middle-school math and science teachers with quality, hands-on lab experiences that integrate useful technologies into standards-based curriculum,” said Kim Bowman, CEO of the Governor’s School for Math and Science Foundation. “Duke Energy’s investment in our statewide outreach programs will have a tremendous impact this summer on teachers and students in Florence, Kershaw and Pickens counties.”

In addition to these grants, Duke Energy and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy organization, recently announced a partnership to minimize the summer slide and improve the reading proficiency of more than 3,000 current second graders in South Carolina. The $400,000 program will be available in 36 Title I elementary schools in the Pee Dee region in northeast South Carolina.

The grants are administered through the Duke Energy Foundation, which provides philanthropic support to address the needs vital to the health of its communities, with a focus on education, environment, economic and workforce development and community impact.

The foundation annually funds more than $25 million to communities throughout Duke Energy’s six-state service area. Last year, the foundation donated more than $1.7 million to nonprofit organizations throughout South Carolina.

PICKENS — The Pickens County Museum of Art and History has announced the opening of J. Michael Johnson’s photograph show “Unseen: Street Scenes.”

An opening reception for the show is scheduled for Saturday, June 19, from 2-4 p.m., and the show is scheduled to continue through Sept. 9.

The show is a brief glimpse at the humor, flamboyance, passion and dedication of the motorcycle lifestyle from an award-winning photojournalist.

Johnson uses both black and white and color to capture these very special moments in his photographs. This is a large exhibit consisting of more than 45 works depicting pride, joy, sorrow, festival events and even a wedding celebration during bike week in Daytona. Johnson will be on hand and available to meet during the opening reception on June 19.

Johnson was born and raised in East Tennessee and has been taking photographs of the motorcycle lifestyle since 1997. His photographic and written works about Daytona’s Bike Week were featured in Easyriders, Biker and In The Wind magazines. Lehman Trikes of Canada has published Johnson’s work in its Pride Matters magazine.

Johnson continues to provide commercial photography services to various companies in the motorcycle industry.

The Pickens County Museum of Art and History is located at 307 Johnson St. in Pickens, at the corner of Johnson Street and U.S. Highway 178, two blocks south of Main Street. The museum’s hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Saturday, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

For more information, call (864) 898-5963 or visit visitpickenscounty.com.

SIX MILE — Mile Creek Baptist Church, located at 104 Lakeside Drive in Six Mile, is currently holding its May Days revival.

Preacher Chris Haizlip will be featured this Tuesday, May 24, and Preacher Joe Arthur will deliver the message on Tuesday, May 31.

Local choirs will be singing each night.