Category Archives: News
Decades-old mystery
Chamber hoping to ID local residents who made an impression in Midlands community in 1989
By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher
rnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce officials have a mystery, and they need your help to solve it.
The chamber received a package of appreciation in September and has asked many in the Pickens community to help identify agroup of Pickens folks who took the extra step to help those in need more than 30 years ago.
The letter was accompanied by a beautiful matted and framed picture from the community of Dalzell, S.C. Located between Sumter and Camden, the small community was hit hard by Hurricane
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Market at the Mill to open Thursday
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A Pickens plant site that has sat empty for several years will officially begin its 
newest chapter Thursday.
The Market at the Mill, located at the former Singer plant, will hold a soft opening Thursday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., facility manager Barry Crawford said.
Following the soft opening, the market will be open from 8 a..m.-5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays.
Those hours may expand, Crawford said.
“We’ve got businesses that are looking to move in that may want to
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Local wrestlers qualify for state
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — With winter sports nearly coming to an end, many of the county’s top high school 
wrestlers are preparing to wrestle for a state championship on Saturday in Anderson.
In the 5A ranks, Easley High School will be represented by a trio of seniors at this year’s championships, with Shylo Carr, Josh Hill and Caleb Holcombe placing at the Upper State qualifiers for the Green Wave.
Carr was a five seed in the heavyweight qualifying bracket, but upset Sean Grennan from Nation Ford and Zach McRae from Byrnes to lock up the three seed in the state
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Eva Aiken: Anchor for a rich, dysfunctional white family
By Dr. Thomas Cloer, Jr.
Special to The Courier
Last week, for the celebration of Black History Month, we introduced the book “Hush Now, Baby,” by Angela Williams. Williams is a marvelous writer with a master’s degree in English from Duke University. She taught English and was in charge of the Writing Center at the 
Citadel. I was on the campus several times when Williams was there.
The book tells the story of Williams’ black nanny, Eva, in her wealthy and dysfunctional Lowcountry South Carolina home. The book’s author had Eva Aiken as a surrogate mother from her birth to marriage. Eva was working as a nurse’s aide at the hospital where Angela was born in 1941. Buster and Clara Lee Williams hired Eva on the spot to run the Williams household. Throughout Buster Williams’ alcoholism, infidelity, and abuse, the family had Eva as the anchor. This was happening as the struggle for civil rights continued in South Carolina. The book delineates the progression of the transformation occurring as the nanny runs the household of a wealthy white family whose political views regularly welcomed Strom Thurmond as a dear friend into their home.
Williams writes about how Eva was the one she could depend on in any circumstance. Buster
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It don’t mean a thing if it isn’t green
By Olivia Fowler
For the Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
Broccoli appears in grocery stores year-round in varying degrees of freshness.
Before buying, check out the cut end of the stems. If they have a greyish look, don’t buy. That indicates the broccoli isn’t very fresh.
If possible, buy broccoli directly from someone who grows it.
It’s a vegetable we take for granted, but it is delicious and very good for you.
Blue Flame football legend remembered for life on, off field
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Pickens High School legend who helped lead the Blue Flame football team to its 
only state championship in his first full season playing the sport will be remembered for his accomplishments both on the football field and in the community.
Rudy Hayes died Saturday at his home. He was 85.
Hayes was a running back for the Blue Flame in the early 1950s, earning all-state honors three times and graduating with more than 50 school records on the gridiron before taking his talents across the county to play for the Clemson Tigers and eventually enjoying an NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hayes finished his Pickens
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Durrah picked to lead Green Wave football program
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — A new era is underway for the Easley High School football program, as former 
Green Wave assistant coach Jordan Durrah was named the team’s 
head coach on Feb. 14.
Durrah was chosen after a nearly two-month search that began with the abrupt departure of former coach Caleb King, who went 3-7 in his only season with the Green Wave.
“I started out at Easley, and when I felt ready to become head coach, it was the kind of place I wanted to be,” Durrah told The Courier last week. “Everything just kind of fell into place the last few weeks, and it’s been a dream come
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Flame knock off Daniel
By John Robert Ayers
Courier Sports
news@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — The Pickens Blue Flame girls pulled off a senior night stunner at home last week, 
taking down the Region I-4A-leading Daniel Lions, 50-45.
Kaylee Gillespie led the Flame with 17 points, and Alex Dow contributed as well with 15.
The win was huge for the Blue Flame, a talented squad that has faced many ups and downs this season, because without it the team would have likely missed the playoffs.
“This shows we never give up,” Pickens head coach Rikki Owens said. “We have fought, we have scrounged, and we have gotten better. A few weeks ago, this
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Living in two worlds
The story of a black nanny
in segregated South Carolina
—– Part 1—–
By Dr. Thomas Cloer, Jr.
Special to The Courier
To celebrate Black History Month, I would highly recommend “Hush Now, Baby,” by a 
wonderful South Carolina writer, Angela Williams. This book is a read I’ve been wanting to undertake for a while.
Angela Williams is an educator and writer close to my age in her 70s. She taught English at the Citadel for 20 years, and I was on Citadel’s campus several times when she was there. I had a colleague at the Citadel who invited me to be a speaker there on different occasions. My wife and I were treated royally as we lodged and took our meals in the Officers’ Quarters.
Angela is from a rich family in Berkeley County. The Williams family held vast amounts of
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African Children’s Choir coming to SWU March 1
CENTRAL — The African Children’s Choir melts the hearts of audiences with their charming smiles, beautiful voices and lively African songs and dances.
Southern Wesleyan University invites the public to experience the “Just As I Am” tour of the African Children’s Choir at 6 p.m. March 1 at Newton Hobson Chapel and Fine Arts Center Auditorium, located on the Central campus.
The choir combines traditional
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