Category Archives: Local News
SCHSL unveils new alignment
COLUMBIA — The South Carolina High School League announced its proposed realignment for the 2022-24 seasons on Friday, and some big changes are coming for Pickens County’s high school teams.
The biggest changes will come for Liberty, which will remain in Region I-2A but will face an almost entirely new region of teams. The Red Devils’ new region is made up of Blacksburg, Chesnee, Greenville Tech, Greer Middle College and Landrum. Since Greenville Tech and Greer Middle College don’t have football programs, Abbeville and
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Clemson confirms cases of omicron variant
Officials keep eye on data to decide on return plans
By Riley Morningstar
Courtesy The Journal
rmorningstar@upstatetoday.com
CLEMSON — Although final exams ended more than 10 days ago, a Clemson University lab has confirmed 10 positive cases of the COVID-
19 omicron variant.
School officials announced Monday that the cases were detected at the on-campus lab and further sequenced over the weekend.
“While the samples are de-identified, we can confirm they were obtained through
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County reports 4 more COVID deaths
COLUMBIA — With the threat of the omicron variant coming to Pickens County, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has reported four COVID-19 deaths in the county over the past week.
According to DHEC, there were three confirmed and one probable deaths in the one-week period from last Tuesday to Monday, when the latest numbers were available.
As it has for much of the pandemic, Pickens County remains the worst out of the state’s 46 counties
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Rec funds paying for work at park, airport
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Recreation funds are paying for the creation of a new amenity at the Pickens County Airport and further improvements to a park off of S.C. Highway 11.
County administrator Ken Roper discussed those projects during his report to county council at its Dec. 6 meeting.
A handicapped-accessible playground is being installed at the Pickens County Airport, he
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Man charged with drug trafficking
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — A man faces multiple drug charges following a traffic stop earlier this month.
According to a release from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were patrolling Easley in the
Black Snake Road area during the early-morning hours of Dec. 10 when they saw a driver fail to use a turn signal.
Conducting a traffic stop for the turn signal violation, deputies detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, the release said.
During a vehicle search, deputies discovered large You must be logged in to view this content.
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Winter Bluegrass Jubilee is next month at Pickens High
PICKENS — The Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM) program will hold its annual indoor music festival, the Winter Bluegrass Jubilee, on Jan. 22 at Pickens High School.
“In less than two months, we will be back in the Pickens High School Fine Arts Center for the Winter Bluegrass Jubilee,” said Russ Hennessee, who coordinates the jubilee along with his wife, Sondra. “We can’t wait to reunite with our
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Golden anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. James Curtis McGowens Sr. celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 11 at Occasions at Wedgefield in Central. The happy couple enjoyed a great time with the many family and friends who were in attendance for the ceremony. May Heaven continue to bless the couple.
Community Calendar
• Local friends and newcomers to meet
The Tri-County Friends and Newcomers will meet the second Monday of each month through April 2022.
The group has a new meeting location in the Powdersville Branch Library off S.C. Highway 81. Social time is 10 a.m. Business meeting is at You must be logged in to view this content.
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Attorney calls ruling in coal ash case ‘a great victory’ for county
Landfill company lawyer says decision will provide for ‘true facts coming to light’
By Ron Barnett
Staff Reporter
rbarnett@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — The South Carolina Supreme Court last week sent the Pickens County coal ash case back to a lower court, which the county’s attorney hailed as a victory but a lawyer for the landfill company said gave new life to its case.
The high court said the Administrative Law Court (ALC) erred by not determining whether the state Department of Health and Environmental Control had wrongly approved coal ash for the site near Liberty without notifying the county.
The ALC passed over that issue because it said the county missed a deadline in appealing DHEC’s action.
Gary Poliakoff, the lead attorney representing the county, said
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Season of warmth
Blankets donated to residents at Easley Place, MasterCare
EASLEY — In 2013, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Patty Looper and her family visited her maternal grandmother Tressie Ragsdale for a normal Christmas visit at a local assisted-living facility, gifting her a large throw blanket.
According to Looper, one of the ladies who was a resident next door to Ragsdale asked in a sweet but bold manner where her blanket was 
and inquired as to why she didn’t receive one.
The following year, Looper brought blankets for both her grandmother and her neighbor,
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