Yearly Archives: 2020
County wants to reward thrifty employees
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Maintaining a conservative budget was one of the goals acting Pickens County administrator Ken Roper established following a lengthy planning session with county council last year.
At that meeting, council members discussed giving incentives to county employees who come with ideas that save the county money.
During Monday night’s county council meeting, Roper unveiled the new Pinnacle Performer incentive program, which is named after the highest mountain located entirely within Pickens County.
“A lot of people would say it’s Sassafras, but I learned this past week Sassafras is not located entirely within Pickens County,” he said.
The new program’s slogan is “Helping us reach new heights,” Roper said.
“Any county employee can nominate any other county employee, except
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County council has 2020 vision
While many of us were immersed in the holiday spirit — focused on our families and Christmas festivities — Pickens County Council has been hard at work in formulating a vision for the coming year.
At their annual workshop at the Capt. Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley on Nov. 11, council members set six goals and objectives for 2020. These goals represent council at the peak of its authority, providing specific work directives to county staff for the coming year. My role as acting administrator is to take these directives from council and develop implementation strategies for the coming months. To a large extent, my effectiveness and performance as administrator should be judged on how well
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Don’t miss out on the wonders of the world
We all heard about people who’ve lived in New York all their lives but have never been to see the Statue of Liberty, and we’ll comment about how amazing that is.
But I have no room to talk.
There are interesting and unique places throughout the region that I’ve said I want to go see and yet have never done so.
When the subject comes up, we always comment, “Oh, we’ll go and see that or do that one of these days.”
But we don’t act on that statement.
This year we finally did it. We drove the few miles up the road to Sassafras Mountain to see the observation deck built on top of the mountain.
We went on Christmas Eve, an unusually beautiful day this year. It
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Courier Letters to the Editor 1-8-20
Honoring those who’ve come before
Dear Editor,
The new year has me thinking about a time in our great country when we honored our parents and grandparents by joining the family business, small or major corporation, or a long line of independent professionals. It honored what our family taught us. We have two American presidents early in our history who personified that for us.
We’ve been a great country capable of enriching our lives by both formal education and informal, with individual mentoring by teachers, community and family. We’re proud to say we’ve followed in our family’s footsteps. What greater way is there to honor those we respect and love and who came before us?
As a more than 30-year resident of Pickens County and, specifically, Liberty, I’ve watched our young people
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Courier Obituaries 1-8-20
SAM WYCHE
PICKENS — Sam Wyche, who brought imagination to the sport of football, an AFC Championship to the Cincinnati Bengals, and a joy of life to the players, friends and family around him, died Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, 
after a short battle with metastatic melanoma. He was 74.
Wyche, who lived in the country town of Pickens for his last 20 years, died at home, surrounded by his family: wife, Jane; daughter, Kerry; and son, Zak, and their families. He had a Renaissance life as an NFL player, a college head coach, pro head coach, broadcaster, amateur magician, pilot, sporting-goods store owner and county council member in Pickens County, his adopted home. He was close to death with heart disease in September 2016, but got a last-minute heart transplant that gave him three more years of life.
“He was funny, brilliant at football, complicated, forward-thinking and a great human being,” said Boomer Esiason, who had an NFL Most Valuable Player season under Wyche’s tutelage in 1988. “This is such a sad day. He meant everything to me. He made me into the quarterback I became.”
“It’s so sad when bad things happen to good people,” said Joe Montana, whose first position coach in the NFL
Honoring our fallen heroes
Community honors local soldiers killed in Vietnam War
By Perry Gravely
For The Courier
news@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Local soldiers killed in the Vietnam War are still being honored throughout the community more than 50 years after their deaths.
According to the Pickens County War Memorial at the Courthouse, 33 soldiers from Pickens County were killed in Vietnam. Their friends and families continue to honor these heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, including community memorial services held recently for two Pickens natives — Ephriam Rutledge “Rut” Liles II and Charles Johnson Jr.
Ephriam Rutledge ‘Rut’ Liles II
At a recent ceremony for the dedication of a memorial garden, members of the Pickens community stood at rapt 
attention while Boy Scouts from Troop 51 saluted the American flag as it was lowered to half-mast to the sound of a fiddle rendering taps from its strings in honor of Liles. A sizeable crowd had gathered to celebrate the life of a native son of Pickens whom friends and family called “Rut” and the dedication of a memorial garden at the Troop 51 Scout Hut where Rut was an Eagle Scout.
Rut, who was known for his wonderful smile, made a major impact until his life was cut short when his helicopter was shot down during a reconnaissance mission in the Phuoc Long Province of South Vietnam on July 4, 1969. Several of his old friends spoke at the dedication ceremony and described Rut as an “all-American boy,” a true American hero and the embodiment of a Boy Scout Law. These friends still gather each year to celebrate his birthday more than 50 years after his death.
Rut was born in Pickens on May 13, 1947, to Rut and Mary Liles. His sister, Mary Liles Gravely, still remembers the many football games played in their front yard on Glassy Mountain Street and Rut’s passion for the outdoors and sports. At Pickens High School, he played football among other sports and was an active member of Boy Scout Troop
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Wreath ceremony held at Pickens Cemetery
Sponsorships available for December 2020 ceremony
EASLEY — The Fort Prince George Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and Southern Wesleyan University held the first Wreaths Across America Ceremony to be held at Pickens Cemetery 
near Easley last month.
The ceremony, which honored 46 veterans from the Revolutionary War to World War II who are buried in the historical cemetery, was held as part of National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 14, which was being observed at more than 1,100 memorial sites.
In attendance were 14 service and/or historical organizations to lay wreaths honoring the veterans. Along with Fort Prince George Daughters and Southern Wesleyan officials were Central Mayor Mac Martin, Children of the American Revolution, American Legion Posts 52 and 151, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 52, Daughters of the American Colonists, Sons and Daughters of Confederate Veterans, South Carolina Association of Veterans, General Society of Mayflower
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Courier Community Calendar 1-8-20
• Moving Forward Group to meet
The Moving Forward Group for widowed persons meets the second Tuesday of each month at Silver Bay Restaurant on U.S. Highway 123 in Easley. Held at 6 p.m., the meeting offers a night of fellowship, encouragement and making new friends. For more information, call Marian Huskins at (864) 295-1714.
• Pack 51 scouting for new Cub Scouts
Do you want to be a Cub Scout? Cub Scout Pack 51 meets every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens. Cub Scouts is open to all youth in 5K to fifth grade. Boys over 11 years old are
Courier Legal Notices 1-8-20
NOTICE
To: The Unknown Owner
The following vehicle has been abandoned at 110 W Lee Street. There is a lien on this vehicle for towing and storage in the amount of $67,820 plus any available rent from the date of this notice. Contact Smith Automotive at (864) 887-3752 to claim this vehicle
After 30 days from the date of this notice, Smith Automotive will apply to sell the vehicle at the Pickens County
Courier Notice to Creditors 1-8-20
The publisher shall only be liable for an amount less than or equal to the charge for the space of the item in error in the case of errors in or omissions from any advertisement, and only for the first incorrect insertion.
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATES
All persons having claims against the following estates MUST file their claims on Form #371ES with the Probate Court of PICKENS COUNTY, the address of which is 222 MCDANIEL AVE., B-16 PICKENS, SC 29671, within eight (8) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice to Creditors or within one (1) year from date of death, whichever is earlier (SCPC 62-3-801, et seq.), or such persons shall be forever barred as to their claims.
