Municipal elections set for Tuesday
By Bru Nimmons Staff Reporter bnimmons@thepccourier.com COUNTY — Election Day is right around the corner, with voters set to return More »
SCDOT closes more bridges in Pickens County
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — The South Carolina Department of Transportation last week closed two more bridges More »
County leaders eye CATbus expansion
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — Members of the Pickens United group discussed the possibility of seeing More »
Soapstone Preservation Endowment reaches goal
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com PICKENS — An effort to build a $1 million endowment to protect and promote More »
This week in the PICKENS COUNTY COURIER’s FOOTBALL FRENZY Sponsored by MOUNTAIN VIEW FUNERALS AND CREMATIONS
TWO IN A ROW Red Devils take down Landrum for second straight region win Lions lash Blue Ridge; Yellow Jackets More »
Nonprofit collecting sunglasses for seniors
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — A local nonprofit is collecting sunglasses to give to 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.
The July drive aims to provide “fun in the sun” for its recipients, according to Tammy Ferguson, the group’s CEO.
“We are collecting new pairs of sunglasses for those who go outside,” she said. “We’re also promoting a movie night or movie day with popcorn, those individual plastic popcorn containers and a can of Coke, Sprite or Pepsi.
“If you have any old movies — DVDs or VHS — you would like to get rid of, we can use those,” Ferguson continued.
Items can be dropped off at the YMCA in Pickens, in Easley at Under the Carolina Moon, Integrated Yoga Therapy and Earthworks and in Powdersville at Front Porch Fixins.
“Thank you from all of us at Warmth and Comfort for your continued support,” Ferguson said.
For more information about the group, email warmthandcomfort@gmx.com or call (864) 668-1021.
Learn more about the group at its Facebook page.
The woman behind Roe V. Wade
I was sitting in the back of a pickup truck talking with a woman named Norma McCorvey one afternoon in 1998, and people all around us were raising a ruckus.
We were parked on Laurens Road in Greenville in front of the Piedmont Women’s Center, a crisis pregnancy center — which was right next door to the Palmetto State Medical Clinic, an abortion clinic.
The reason we were sitting in the back of the truck was to keep a protective
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Whose report will we believe?
Whatever we are concerned about today, faith and discernment are key components of our prayers. Without spiritual sensitivity, we do not understand God’s will and faith is what empowers and activates our communication 
with Him.
We believe in miracles because we know that God listens and is the only one who has the authority to restore and provide. If someone is having a health crisis, the Bible declares that He is the Great Physician
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Courier Letters to the Editor 7-6-22
Fire tax on all properties
Dear Editor,
I read the op-ed where Councilman Roy Costner explained why he voted for the 2022-23 county budget. It passed 3-2. I along with Trey Whitehurst voted “No,” and I want to explain my reasoning.
First, year over year county government spending is growing more than 9 percent. The average annual increase the
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Studying the second half of our lives
Sometimes the results of research and studies are suspect if we don’t trust the sources, but AARP and National Geographic recently published a joint study on the realities of the second half of life, and it doesn’t get any better 
than that.
Their study covered the big topics as we age: health, relationships, financial security, housing, independent living, end of life, retirement and
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New COVID rules at VA medical facilities
The Department of Veterans Affairs has just instituted a three-tier safety program to keep veterans, visitors and staff safe from COVID at medical facilities.
Starting in May the Veterans Health Administration COVID-19 Health Protection Levels program, aligning with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s health care setting data, will determine on a weekly basis just what needs to be done before you can access care at a
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Courier Obituaries 7-6-22
MENDEL MASTERS
EASLEY — Mr. Mendel Ray Masters, 91, husband of the late Betty Cannon Masters, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
Born in Pickens County, a son of the late Russell Snow Masters and the late Lois Grant Masters, Mr. Masters was a graduate of Easley High School and North Greenville College. He retired as personnel director from Alice Manufacturing with 41 years of service and was of the Baptist faith.
Mr. Masters was a member of many organizations, including the State Chamber of Commerce, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Textile Manufacturers Association and the Pickens Area Personnel Association, where he served as a former president. He was also a former president of the Pickens County
Camp held for special needs students
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — With the help of the Pickens High School cheerleading and girls’ basketball program, PHS hosted the 
inaugural Project Freedom camp for students with special needs in grades 6-12 on June 28.
According to event organizer Rikki Owens, Pickens schools had never hosted a camp for their special needs population. Owens, a special education teacher at Pickens Middle School, decided that needed to
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Sailor’s service to youth earns award, regional recognition
By Ulysses R. Grisette IV
Courtesy US Navy
news@thepccourier.com
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Originally from Clemson, U.S. Navy Air Traffic Controller First Class Austin Holliday was 
introduced to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida after graduating high school.
Through his dedication and volunteering, he was recently awarded the Ron Mobayed Military Big of the Year Award for 2022. Holliday earned the award through mentorship and care for his little brother,
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First responder awards
American Legion Post 52 presented its annual Firefighter and Law Enforcement Awards on June 28. Pictured, from left, are Shannon Ellenburg with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office (2021 Sheriff’s Office Officer Award); Randall Tyler Carson with the Easley Fire Department (2021 Department Firefighter Award); Joshua Blinkey with the Easley Police Department (2021 Public Safety Award); and Justin Stegall with the Easley Police Department (2021 Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer Award).
