Category Archives: News
Inspiration Is Out There
Local legislator’s bill could send SC residents to space
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COLUMBIA — A Pickens County lawmaker wants to create an annual lottery that would send a South Carolina resident to space.
In December, Rep. Neal Collins prefiled H.3460, a bill that would create the Blue Origin Flight Lottery Commission.
Collins called it “the fun bill.”
“But I’m serious about it, and I think that we can do it,” he said Monday. “I love the idea of what
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
House fire kills owner of iconic Mac’s Drive In
CLEMSON — Authorities are investigating a fire that killed the owner of one of Clemson’s most iconic businesses.
Edgar T. Hunter Jr., 81, died in the fire Friday at his home at 307 Pendleton Road in Clemson, according to a news release from Pickens County chief deputy coroner Andrew Wilson.
Also known as Ted or Teddy, Hunter was the owner of Mac’s Drive In on Pendleton Road. A fixture in town for nearly seven decades, Mac’s has been featured on
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Grand jury indicts former teacher on student sex charge
By Riley Morningstar
Courtesy The Journal
rmorningstar@upstatetoday.com
PICKENS — The Pickens County Grand Jury has formally indicted a former School District of Pickens County teacher who was accused of having a sexual 
relationship with a student last year.
Online court records show Katherine Folger Pelfrey, 35, formerly of Clemson, received a true bill indictment on Jan. 24 for sexual battery of a student aged 16-17 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was released from the
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
‘Nothing short of magical’: Annual YAM jubilee a success
By Pauline Blackston
For The Courier
news@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Hosted Saturday at Pickens High School, the 2023 Winter Bluegrass Jubilee will go down in the record books probably not as the one with the greatest attendance or the greatest funds raised — although both of those were fabulous — but as the most magical, awe-inspiring Jubilee to date of those preceding it and of those to follow.
“When the curtains parted and the crowd roared, the hair stood up on the back of my neck,” Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music (POSAM) board member
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Daniel destroys 10th-ranked Walhalla
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — According to Daniel High School boys’ basketball head coach Ben Touchberry, the ninth-ranked Lions upped their practice intensity following a loss to 
Pendleton on Jan. 17, leading to instant results in a 40-point win over Crescent a few days later. However, the real test for Daniel was on Jan. 24 against the 10th-ranked Walhalla Razorbacks.
The Lions (15-7, 4-2 Western 3A) passed that test with flying colors with a 74-37 decimation of the Razorbacks at home to move back to the top of the region standings alongside Walhalla and West-Oak.
“The guys are starting to get a little hungry and they’re staying locked in defensively,” Touchberry said.
The Lions’ defensive pressure was readily seen in the result, as they held Walhalla (11-7, 4-2) to their third-lowest scoring output of the season.
“They played great defense, and we really didn’t handle that well,” Walhalla coach Bobby Norizsan said. “They shot well, they defended and they rebounded well — and those are three pretty big things to win in basketball.”
The Daniel defense helped set up things for a big offensive night, with four players scoring in double figures for the Lions. Still, the Lions’ biggest contributor on the court — according to Touchberry — was guard Jaylen Brown-Wallace.
The senior set the table for the Lions offensively with seven assists while flashing highlight plays like a steal and dunk in the fourth quarter.
“Jaylen Brown-Wallace is emerging not just as a leader, but as a vocal leader,” Touchberry said. “He leads in all facets of the game, whether he’s getting in passing lanes, rebounding or distributing. He’s just a very unselfish kid.”
Brown-Wallace’s leadership was on display from the start, as he hit a three-pointer, drew a charge and assisted Ian Williams’ basket to help the Lions jump out to a 21-9 lead in the first quarter.
In the second, Daniel guard Simms Disbrow added 10 points, allowing the Lions to boost their lead to 39-14 at the break. The hits kept coming for Walhalla in the third as Daniel’s Brady Jones matched the Razorbacks’ scoring output for the entire quarter behind a trio of three-pointers.
The Razorbacks finally managed to show some life offensively in the final quarter, but with the Lions making 11 threes on the night, it wasn’t close to enough as Daniel pulled out the win.
While heeding Touchberry’s advice about taking things one game at a time, Brown-Wallace says the Lions know the importance of every game down the stretch.
“We’re in the final half of region,” Brown-Wallace said. “Everything is going toward our goal of winning region.”
The Lions stayed hot with a 35-34 win over West-Oak on Friday night.
Daniel 74, Walhalla 37
WHS 9 5 9 14 — 37
DWD 21 18 14 21 — 74
Daniel (74) — Disbrow 13, Lipsey 13, Jones 12, Anderson 11, Williams 9, Brown-Wallace 6, Smith 5, Carrington 3, Young 2.
Walhalla (39) — Porter 13, Richardson 6, Beesley 5, Williams 4, Hunnicutt 3, Lusk 3, Shepard 3.
School district announces 3 new leadership position hires
COUNTY — Pickens County School Board trustees approved three hires for school district leadership positions for the 2023-24 school year at their meeting on Monday night.
Dr. Paula Alexander was named executive director of elementary education, Michelle Craddock was tabbed as executive director of human resources and Wanda
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Local nonprofit collecting Valentines for area seniors
COUNTY — A local nonprofit is seeking Valentine’s Day cards for area senior citizens.
Members of Warmth and Comfort for the Elderly in Upstate SC use their crochet skills to provide warm items for nursing home patients, hospice groups, home health patients and elderly people who live at home and can’t afford them.
They also hold regular donation drives.
“Our next drive is Valentine cards for each resident and our shut-ins,” said Tammy Ferguson, the group’s CEO. “Last year, we
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
