Category Archives: Local News
SC House includes another raise for teachers in budget
By Andrea Kelley
Courtesy The Journal
akelley@upstatetoday.com
COLUMBIA — Teachers across South Carolina could see another pay raise if the State House of Representatives has its way.
The House budget for fiscal year 2024 includes a $2,500 raise in teacher salaries, bringing the minimum starting salary up to $42,500,
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according to Rep. Bill Whitmire of Walhalla, who represents most of Oconee County and the northwestern corner of Pickens County.
“We’re trying to get more people into the teaching profession,” Whitmire said last week. “We have had so many people opt out, especially younger teachers. I think I was told last year 20 percent of all new teachers don’t make it past five years in the profession, so that’s very concerning. And we were short 1,200 to 1,500 teachers at the start of last year, I think, statewide.
“I don’t think that’s a real issue up here, but you go down to the lower part of the state and they are really struggling to find teachers there,” he added. “They don’t have a local supplement like we do here in Oconee and Pickens and Anderson and Greenville counties, so it’s hard.”
The School District of Pickens County salary schedule lists a starting salary of $41,492 for first-year teachers, and the district’s employment webpage showed more than 50 open positions as of last week.
School districts are required to meet the statewide minimum salary schedule in the current fiscal year and provide the annual step increase, according to the budget, but do not have to increase salaries above that amount.
Boosting other school positions
The House budget also includes a 20 percent starting pay increase for bus drivers, Whitmire said, and provides enough funding to have a school resource officer in every school in the state.
The Ways and Means Committee, which Whitmire sits on, is also working to make sure districts can afford to have a nurse in each school.
“We had a very good budget. I can say it — I’m over public education,” Whitmire said, laughing.
His tone then turned serious as he brought up the battle with the private sector to keep state employees, including school employees.
“Private sector comes in and offers these folks more money, and you can’t blame them. They’re going to go where the money is,” he said. “Keeping folks is not easy.
“They deserve (the raise), because it is a tough profession now with all the different issues,” Whitmire added. “It didn’t used to be that way, but it’s gotten to be very hard, so I really respect folks that go into it.”
The budget was passed by the House on March 15 and headed to the Senate.
Library, BHSPC plan substance abuse town halls
COUNTY — The Pickens County Library System and Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County are partnering to present a series of four town hall meetings to be held across the county next month.
The town halls will discuss different “hot topics” in substance use prevention and will give community members a chance to discuss these issues and have their questions answered.
The meetings are set to be held at 5:30 p.m. each Monday in April, with all four at different library branches across the county and each focusing on a single topic.
The first town hall, set for April 3, will focus on marijuana and be held at the Captain Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley. The second, with methamphetamine as the topic, will be held April 10 at the Sarlin Library in Liberty. Underage drinking will be the focus of an April 17 meeting at the Village Branch Library in Pickens, and the April 24 town hall at the Central-Clemson Library will concentrate on vaping.
Keowee Lodge members encouraged to attend 3 upcoming meetings
PICKENS — The Keowee Lodge #79 A.F.M. wants to inform all its members that the group will be discussing some important changes to its bylaws at the upcoming meeting and the next three meetings.
These changes will impact the dues and fees collected from members.
“As an organization, Keowee Lodge #79 strives to maintain a sustainable and transparent financial model,
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PHS Scholar-Athletes
The February Scholar-Athletes of the Month at Pickens High School are Adelyn Jewell and C.J. Martin. Jewell is a JV soccer player and was nominated by Tim Murphy. She is the daughter of Phillip and Caroline Jewell. Martin is a member of the varsity baseball team and was nominated by Dirk Ellenburg. He is the son of Tripp and Sherri Martin. This month’s awards were in memory of longtime supporters of PHS athletics Mr. and Mrs. Gene Hooper. Awards were sponsored by coach Stan Butler and Dr. Ashley Butler.
Courier Community Calendar
• Pinewood Derby set for Doodle Pavilion
Cub Scout Pack 51 is inviting all area first responders to participate in the annual Pinewood Derby competition, which has a new location this year.
Emergency officials’ attendance will give Cub Scouts an opportunity to meet and engage with local first responders while enjoying a fun event. Previously planned at
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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 field
sobriety 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.
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.
PHS JROTC hold flag burning at Legion post
PICKENS — On the morning of March 15, cadets from the Pickens High School Blue Flame Battalion conducted a flag retirement ceremony at American Legion Post 11.
In the ceremony, more than 50 worn, faded and tattered American and South Carolina flags were committed to the pyre.
Battalion Commander cadet Lt. Col. Caydin Tucker, executive officer cadet Maj. Landon Galloway and cadet
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