County denies phase five of speedway development plan
By Mike Pulley Special to the Courier news@thepccourier.com PICKENS — The Pickens County Planning Commission denied a proposed Phase 5 More »
Daniel girls advance to round 3
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com CENTRAL — After a dominant first round victory on Tuesday, the Daniel High School More »
Charles Rogers scholarship award winners named
PICKENS — The Charles F. Rogers Scholarship committee has announced this year’s selection for the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. More »
Courier Letters to the Editor 5-13-26
Saitta responds to resignation requests
Dear Editor,
You may have heard or read the leaders of the Save The Greenville Pickens Speedway effort are demanding I resign from the county council. Simply put, Connie Johnson, Tasha Kummer and others are pushing for solutions to save the track that I can not support.
First, and everyone agreed, trying to find someone to buy the track was the best option. The owner lowered the price from $5.6 million to $4 million. The leaders said they had many buyers lined up, but when it came to someone putting down the $250,000 cash deposit due at signing, showing proof of the $3.75 million to get the deal to closing, and signing the contract the effort collapsed.
Plan B was to ask the county council to make it historical. I initially opposed this because it would not protect the site from demolition or pay to buy and restore it. But they insisted and in a 6 to 0 vote the council recognized the racetrack as a historical
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The Star Act
The Major Richard Star Act seeks to allow 55,000 combat-injured veterans (who have less than 20 years of service) to receive their full pay at the same time they get disability 
benefits. The explanation on the website for the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on the history of the act reads like a tennis match, and you could get whiplash watching the ball being volleyed back and
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Protecting against scams
The Federal Trade Commission has some great consumer advice about keeping your 
online information safe from scammers. With new breaches and thefts being reported all the time, we need to know as much as we can.
See consumer.ftc.gov/node/77479 for a detailed list of
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Courier Obituaries 5-13-26
DOROTHY MARTHA ‘DOT’ BATES
MONROE, N.C. — Dorothy “Dot” Martha Bates, 95, of Monroe, N.C., died Saturday, 
May 9, 2026, at her home.
Born in Pickens as a daughter of the late Clive and Anniebelle Henderson Bates, she was a graduate of Pickens High School and Draughon Business College. She retired with more than 40 years of service as an executive secretary at Blue Ridge Electric Co-op. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Easley, before moving to Monroe, where she was a member of the First Baptist Church of Monroe, N.C.
Surviving are one sister, Frances B. Vaughan of Monroe, N.C.; a nephew, Ray E. Vaughan Jr. (Sheri) of Troutdale,
Wave drop Greenville in elimination game
By Eugene Jolley
Courier Sports
news@thepccourier.com
EASLEY – Easley baseball stayed alive Monday night in the District I-5A Division 2 playoffs with a 7-2 win over region foe Greenville.
Easley (17-12) will now travel back to Nation Ford in an elimination game Wednesday with that winner traveling to Indian Land Friday, needing two wins to advance to nextweek’s Upper State best-of-three series.
Easley scored two in the second inning, keyed by senior left fielder Ayden Beeco’s
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Daniel girls advance to round 3
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — After a dominant first round victory on Tuesday, the Daniel High School girls soccer team returned to field on Friday night for round two of the Class 4A playoffs against Emerald.
The Vikings provided a stout challenge for the top-seeded Lions, but Daniel held strong to pick up a 3-0 win.
“We need games like that every now and then,” Daniel head coach Chad Perry said. “We did some things well, but didn’t meet some of our goals. Obviously, winning is the
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Devils down Blacksburg, fall to Central
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — With their season on the line, the Liberty High School baseball team hosted Blacksburg on Thursday night. Despite falling behind 4-0, the Red Devils were 
able to rally back and take down their region foe 5-4.
The Wildcats were able to take control of
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Charles Rogers scholarship award winners named
PICKENS — The Charles F. Rogers Scholarship committee has announced this year’s selection for the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. Morgan Couch and Andrew Hall are the 2026 recipients of the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. Couch and Hall
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Lions battle back to take down Travelers Rest
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Falling behind 1-0 early in its playoff opener against Travelers Rest, the Daniel High School boys soccer team looked to be in danger of losing in the first round for the first time since 2014 on Thursday night.
However, the five-time defending Upper State champions were able to right the ship,
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