Daily Archives: 03/21/2023
American Hero
Pickens post office named for fallen soldier Johnson
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — The legacy of Specialist Fourth Class Charles Johnson, Pickens County’s first Vietnam War casualty, will be remembered for years to come in his hometown following the renaming of the Pickens post office in his honor last week.
“It is a great day in South Carolina and it is even a greater day in the city of Pickens,” Pickens Mayor Fletcher Perry said at the dedication ceremony last Thursday, held at Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Charles Johnson was born to Essie Jamison Johnson and Charles Griffin Johnson Sr. on Aug. 4, 1940. Johnson attended and graduated from Clearview High School in 1958 before enlisting in the United States Army at the age of 17.
Johnson spent time stationed in South Korea and the Dominican Republic
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CU student arrested after man hit, killed
Police: Student faces DUI charge after refusing tests
By Riley Morningstar
Courtesy The Journal
rmorningstar@upstatetoday.com
CLEMSON — A Clemson University student accused of driving under the influence and killing a 68-year-old man Wednesday night refused to participate in a fieldsobriety test, take a breathalyzer or provide a urine sample at the hospital, with police saying he smelled like marijuana.
An incident report provided by the Clemson University Police Department late Friday afternoon offered new details into the incident that killed Robert Barrett of Patrick Square around 8 p.m. Wednesday at S.C. Highway 93 near Perimeter
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Coroner: Man dies after being struck by train
EASLEY — Authorities are investigating after an Easley man was hit and killed by a train on Saturday.
James Flowe, 31, of Grace Avenue, was hit by a Norfolk Southern train on the railroad tracks near S.C. Highway 8 at Fleetwood Drive in Easley according to a news release from Pickens County chief deputy coroner Andrew P. Wilson.
Wilson said Flowe was taken to Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of blunt force trauma in the emergency room at 7:52 p.m.
Flowe’s death is being investigated by the Pickens Coroner’s Office, the Easley Police Department and Norfolk Southern, Wilson said.
Easley hospital asks public for memories
EASLEY — Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, and officials are looking to the community to help bring some of that history to life.
“To commemorate the impact of having an outstanding community hospital, we are asking you to please send us pictures and stories of your and your families’
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Lieutenant governor speaks at Rotary Club luncheon
CLEMSON — South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela S. Evette spoke to a group of almost 100 community leaders at the Rotary Club of Clemson luncheon last week at Clemson United Methodist Church.
While her presentation at the March 13 meeting focused mainly on her experiences as a small business owner and how she was called into public leadership, she also pointed to the many exciting things going on in South Carolina, especially in the area of business development and secondary technical education.
Behind Nancy Stevenson, Evette is the second woman lieutenant governor elected in South Carolina and the first Republican woman to hold the office.
Changing of the vane
Officials at Dillard Funeral Home and Hillcrest Memorial Park traditionally change the weathervane atop the Dillard building to recognize the winner of the annual Clemson-South Carolina football game. Although the Gamecocks knocked off the Tigers in November to end a rivalry losing streak, the vane was only recently changed with the arrival of spring. Pictured above, Joe Zarate, head of the grounds crew at Hillcrest, wears his South Carolina hat as he replaces the tiger vane with the chicken in honor of the Gamecocks’ 31-30 win.
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Stupidity
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Stupidity and the Tower of Babel.
Ok, let’s start there.
Natural Stupidity: Any fool can see that the Earth is flat (except for mountains and hills) and that the sun flies across the sky each day and goes back to where it started from during the night. It’s obvious!
I don’t deny that I possess ample Natural Stupidity. But I don’t let that stop me from pondering things that are above my level — possibly above anyone’s level.
So let’s talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Computers, we must concede, are a whole lot “smarter” than us, if smartness is measured by the amount of knowledge one possesses.
Does any one person hold in their brain all the works of Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, William
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Courier Letters to the Editor 3-22-23
Importance of being a blood donor
Dear Editor,
In 2022, the American Red Cross declared the first-ever blood shortage crisis with the spread of the omicron variant. This left many health professionals to make tough decisions about who would receive life-saving blood transfusions. Although the number of donors has been steadily increasing, the shortage of blood persists. In fact, only 2-3 percent of Americans donate blood every year, but an estimated 38 percent are eligible.
One whole blood donation can potentially save three lives, but there are many different types, including plasma, platelet and power red donations, where the volunteer gives a concentrated amount of red blood cells. One car crash victim or surgical patient could need dozens of whole blood transfusions, while people with
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What does having a pure heart mean to you?
Many are familiar with the beatitudes, which are a section of a larger discourse spoken by Jesus in His earthly ministry. They are found in His sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5, and some of them are mentioned again in the sermon on the plain found in the 20th chapter of Luke.
Both homilies are filled with spiritual wisdom and laid the groundwork for New Testament Christianity. There are also beatitudes found in the Psalms, and all of these truths are timeless and just as life-changing and relevant today as they were when they were spoken.
The Greek word for “beatitude” simply means blessed, fortunate and content, and presented in the context of living each
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moment with a relentless determination for having a clear understanding of right and wrong and demonstrating boldness to accomplish God’s purpose, no matter the cost.
When you think about the condition and direction of your life today, do you consider yourself being this type of Christian? It’s easy to read over these precepts while yawning, but they were never meant to be options or suggestions. You might have heard the old saying that beatitude is short for “be-in-this-attitude,” and this is a good way to make them more personal.
When we take the time to meditate on the deeper meanings, we realize they are pillars in the foundation of our faith and our relationship with God and humanity. Today, I want to focus on one of these statements found in Matthew 5:8 — “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Within the context of the next two chapters, Jesus is basically teaching us what being His follower is about. Christ is clear about the importance of being holy and pure in our conscience, but how do we develop this attitude and retain it?
As we ponder about the state of being pure, we also notice Jesus mentions the word heart. What do you think of when you hear something like, “well, bless your heart,” “she broke his heart” or “he loved her with all of his heart?” Some say it is the conscience, the emotions, the intellect and our will, and others believe it is the deepest recess of the soul.
Whatever — or wherever — it is, it is the most sacred place of our existence and the very location that God wants us to surrender to Him so that He can dwell there. Daniel 1:8 talks about how Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with sin. In this light, we see that it is our responsibility to guard and protect our inner sanctuary from the darkness and corruption of carnality.
The first several chapters of Proverbs explain that we are to store the treasures of God’s word in our hearts and the authority of His truth will produce joy and peace. “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” Proverbs 4:20-23.
This is about staying focused and being consistent, which by the way is one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life. A pure heart is not divided, and as James 1:6-8 reminds us, a double-minded person does not receive help from the Lord. A pure heart for God walks with integrity, repents often and does not fear what the world thinks of them. A pure heart embraces humility, comprehends and embraces our identity in Christ and makes a covenant vow to surrender our will in order that we might accomplish His.
It’s a beautiful thing to be close enough to God to feel conviction from the Holy Spirit. This is His way of getting our attention when He wants to correct or give us special instructions. Hebrews 10:22 talks about drawing near to God with a true heart in the full assurance of faith and having our hearts purified from an evil conscience.
Living in God’s presence and being pure in heart does not happen by accident. We see what we are trained to see. May we be awakened and allow the refiner to have His way. Let us be consumed with a passion to be holy, knowing those who are pure in heart will see God.
William F. Holland Jr. is a minister, chaplain, psalmist and author. As a freelance faith writer, his books and newspaper and magazine articles are enjoyed around the world. Dr. Holland’s weekly column, “Living On Purpose” is focused on bringing spiritual hope and encouragement through God’s Word. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.
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Easley shuts out county rival Pickens to take season series
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — With a chance to clinch the season series, the Easley Green Wave baseball team hosted Pickens on Thursday looking to take down their rivals and get a leg up on the rest of their league in conference play.
The Green Wave took care of business in commanding fashion, as they routed Pickens for a 10-0 win in five innings.
“These guys just work so hard,” Easley head coach Gill Payne said. “After the other night when we didn’t have a great game over there (Easley’s 5-1 series-opening
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