Pickens sweeps Bishop England for 18th volleyball championship
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com COLUMBIA — Having dropped just one set on its way to the Class 4A More »
Balance key for state champs
Last season, when the Pickens High School volleyball team overcame a year of adversity to secure the 17th state championship More »
Pickens runoff set for Tuesday
By Bru Nimmons Staff Reporter bnimmons@thepccourier.com PICKENS — Voters from Pickens will return to the polls one final time this More »
TD Bank closing one Easley branch
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com EASLEY — A TD Bank branch in Easley is among the more than 50 More »
This week in the PICKENS COUNTY COURIER’s FOOTBALL FRENZY Sponsored by MOUNTAIN VIEW FUNERALS AND CREMATIONS
DROUGHT ENDED Red Devils take down Pelion for first playoff win since 2016 Lions survive Dreher to advance; Easley season More »
Remembering the past, looking to the future
By Steve Townsend Special to the Courier news@thepccourier.com CENTRAL — As the late summer sun set at the at the More »
Adams saves $1M for City of Pickens
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Efforts by the city of Pickens’ public works director will result in significant savings for the city as it works to replace its water meters, according to officials.
During Pickens City Council’s Dec. 9 meeting, city administrator Tim O’Briant and public works director Trey Adams discussed the ongoing replacement of water meters.
“We’ve been working for a while on examining our water meters and what we needed to do,” O’Briant said.
Officials had budgeted a $3 million expenditure “to replace everything involved in
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Pickens to begin talks on salary study results
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — City of Pickens officials are set to begin discussing recommendations from a firm tasked with conducting a 
study of city employee pay rates next month.
City administrator Tim O’Briant discussed the salary study in both his report to council during its Dec. 9 meeting and his written report included in the council packet.
“The work is largely complete on the Evergreen Solutions market comparison,” he said.
Council members went over “peer cities” with the goal of determining “what cities we
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Pickens musician Gantt plays the Grand Ole Opry
NASHVILLE, TN – Local musician and singer Jack Gantt of Pickens got to live a dream once again on Dec. 9 when he took 
the stage at the Mecca of county music, The Grand Ole Opry.
The appearance marked the fourth time that Gantt was asked to perform on the most prestigious stage in country music.
Gantt plays lead guitar and band leader as well as sings vocal harmonies for Country Music Association international
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Local ties to the Battle of the Bulge on the 80th anniversary
By Tom von Kaenel
Special to the Courier
news@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — The 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge is an important milestone because it allows us to honor and 
reflect on one of the most significant battles of World War II, which played a pivotal role in shaping the outcome of the war and demonstrating the resilience of those who fought in it. Here are some reasons why remembering this anniversary is essential:
Commemorating the Sacrifice and Bravery
The Battle of the Bulge, which took place from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, was the last major German offensive on the Western Front. It involved brutal combat in harsh winter conditions and cost thousands of lives.
Local residents like Douglas Bradbury, from Seneca, Clemson Class of 1940, and
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Wave douse Flame
It proved to be Easley’s night on Friday against Pickens as both the Green Wave’s boys and girls basketball squads picked up wins over Pickens. Below: Easley’s Josalynn Gamble puts up a shot over a Pickens defender in the Wave’s 33-25 win. Above: Easley’s R.J. Stack defends a layup from Pickens’ Riley Owens during the Green Wave’s 76-57 win. Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
Daniel boys maul Franklin County
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Coming off a massive win against Powdersville on Tuesday night, the Daniel High School boys’ 
basketballteam returned to action on Wednesday looking to carry the momentum over against Franklin County (Ga.).
With crisp passing opening up the floor, the Lions scored a
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Red Devils outlast TR in foul-ridden contest
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — Despite letting their nine-point halftime lead slip away against Travelers Rest on Friday night, the Liberty High School boys’ basketball team entered the fourth quarter with plenty of confidence as they hoped to regain control and pick up a win over their Class 4A foe.
“I had major confidence,” Liberty junior Kendrick Jackson said. “We practice way tougher than what we do in the game. We
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Daniel girls down Lions
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Playing their second game in two days, the Daniel girls’ basketball team would have had an easy excuse to come out slow against Franklin County on Wednesday night.
Instead, the Lions legs looked nothing but fresh as they hit 12 three-pointers and put the pressure on Franklin County in a 66-41 win to move them to 6-1.
“They’re shooting the ball well right now,” Daniel head coach
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Liberty girls can’t hang with Travelers Rest
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — Still looking for its first win of the season, the Liberty High School girls’ basketball team hosted Travelers Rest on Friday night.
The Red Devils struggled to get good looks early, while the Devildogs completely controlled the boards allowing them to build a big lead that Liberty couldn’t match in a 53-19 loss.
“They’re a new team, they’re young and they’re still trying to learn,” Liberty head coach Pat Jackson said after the loss. “When somebody puts pressure on us and is a little physical,
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Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Editor’s Note: In 1897, 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages. We offer the letter and editorial response to you in this week’s issue. Merry Christmas.
Dear Editor:
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O’Hanlon
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, 
whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
