Category Archives: Local News
County must decide road funding source
South Carolina Supreme Court decision casts future of road user fees in doubt
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Pickens County Council members met Monday night to begin discussing how to pay to maintain roads in the county, now that the South Carolina 
Supreme Court has struck down a similar funding mechanism in Greenville County.
In June, justices invalidated two “user fees,” including a road maintenance fee, ruling that the fees were actually taxes, and as such could only be authorized by the General Assembly.
Although that ruling only applied to Greenville County, Pickens County Council held a special called meeting to consider an ordinance repealing the road use fee ordinances and amending the Fiscal Year
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Filing open for city elections
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Election filings opened for the 2021 municipal elections last week, and Pickens County has already seen incumbents and newcomers alike file for 
seats across the county.
Liberty has seen the most newcomers filing, with three candidates who are not currently in office vying to join Liberty City Council. Robbie Shoenleben has filed for the vacant Ward 1 seat that was previously held by Brad Dover, Peggy Edwards is running for the Ward 2 seat currently held by
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Administrator says most COVID cases likely delta variant
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Like many others, Pickens County administrator Ken Roper said he has “COVID fatigue.”
“I’m tired of it,” Roper said in a Facebook Live update video posted Friday. “I know a lot of you are tired of it. I’m tired of the things that we have to do, the worries that we have to have.”
Roper wished to address questions he’s getting from residents — what is the delta variant, and when will it be in Pickens County?
“The news that I would give you is this — the delta variant is probably a lion’s share, the majority of the cases that we’re
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Woman killed in weekend wreck
CENTRAL — A West Union woman died Saturday after a two-vehicle collision in Central.
Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley identified the victim as Deborah Williams, 71, of Ebenezer Road.
The collision occurred at 5:55 p.m. Saturday on S.C. Highway 133
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Central Fire Department receives state, federal grants for equipment
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
CENTRAL — The Central Fire Department has been awarded federal and state grants of more than $200,000 to provide protective gear and breathing apparatuses for firefighters.
Elijah Reynolds, lieutenant for the Liberty Fire District and assistant coordinator for Pickens County Haz-Mat, and his brother, Central firefighter Isaiah Reynolds, applied for the grants.
Isaiah applied for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant headed up by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for breathing apparatuses. The fire department was awarded $182,000 of a $1.7 million countywide grant that purchased 26 air packs and required a $7,000 match from Central and a $9,000 match from the Pickens County portion of Central Rural Fire. Elijah, with assistance from State Rep. Jerry Carter of Clemson, applied for and received
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DHEC warns against virus misinformation
COLUMBIA — The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is backing U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s warning about the danger of COVID-19 misinformation.
Murthy said recently that some 67 percent of unvaccinated American adults had heard at least one COVID-19 vaccine myth as of Late May.
“Health misinformation is an urgent threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust and undermine public health efforts, including our ongoing work to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” Murthy said in a statement. “As surgeon general, my job is to help people stay safe and healthy, and without limiting the
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Korean War vets asked to take part in Honor Flight
GREER — The Upstate Honor Flight organization is looking for Korean War veterans in South Carolina as it prepares for 
a trip to the Korean War Wall of Remembrance on July 27, 2022.
The flight is the award for South Carolina raising $200,000 for the 576 South Carolinians who were either killed in action or prisoners of war in the Korean War, according to a press release from retired South Carolina Sen. Lewis Vaughn.
The release said that while contributions would be appreciated, they are not
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Stronger corn stalks could lead to greater food security
Courtesy Clemson University
news@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON — Corn is one of the most important cereal crops in the world.
But stalk lodging destroys up to one-quarter of the U.S. corn crop each year. Stalk lodging is breakage of the stalk at or 
below the ear. when Last August, a derecho — a straight-line windstorm with hurricane-force winds — destroyed 8.2 million acres of corn in the Midwest and caused approximately $2 billion in losses to the agricultural industry.
Stalk lodging has several causes, including high nitrogen
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Melonfest set to bring fun and music to Hagood Mill
PICKENS — No one will want to miss Melon Fest at the Hagood Mill Historic Site this Saturday, July 31.
There will be plenty to do and much fun to be had. The event will run from 11 a.m. to about 7 p.m., with fun melon 
activities all day long. Admission to the event is $10 for ages 13 and older, $5 for kids ages 4-12 and free for 3 and under. Back by popular demand, JDew will be emceeing the event, and organizers have country and blues musicians lined up all day. Luke Deuce will kick off the musical entertainment at noon. Luke Smith will take the reins at 2 p.m., and Freddie Vanderford and Mill
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Local athletic trainers provide care for student-athletes in community
COUNTY — Athletic trainers are health care professionals who render medical services or treatments, under the direction of a physician, in accordance with their education and training and the state statutes, rules and regulations.
The importance of athletic trainers and the care they provide has been proven time and time again when athletic injuries occur. As health care providers, athletic trainers have the foundational skill set and education to manage challenging and unpredictable situations when they occur. Some of the medical services that athletic trainers provide include injury prevention, wellness
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