Welcome to the 42nd annual Azalea Festival
‘When the Azaleas are blooming in Pickens, South Carolina, the little town celebrates!” For over 40 years, Pickens has celebrated More »
Planting Freedom
Liberty tree planted at County Courthouse By Lynda Abegg Special to the Courier news@thepccourier.com PICKENS — In 1776, the pot More »
Sizemore named Liberty’s deputy administrator
LIBERTY — The City of Liberty has named Katie Sizemore as its new deputy administrator, city officials announced. Sizemore brings More »
Easley Chamber celebrates 2025 achievements
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com EASLEY — The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce had a year of growth in More »
Pickens City Council surveys proposed comprehensive plan
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com PICKENS — Pickens City Council members received an introduction to the city’s proposed comprehensive More »
A Way To Process Life
Toney shares stories of strength, family, and home In a quiet corner of Pickens, S.C., author Rebecca Toney is doing More »
Tigers set to take on Vols in Orange Bowl
By Ian Taylor
Courtesy The Journal
itaylor@upstatetoday.com
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — In a news conference earlier this month in Miami Gardens, Fla., ahead of the Orange Bowl, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney looked back on the first time he was a part of the storied game.
It was Jan. 1, 2000, when Swinney was a wide receivers coach for Mike DuBose’s Alabama Crimson Tide, which had gone 10-2 and won the SEC championship. The 
season ended on a loss though, as Michigan quarterback Tom Brady — playing in his last collegiate game — led the Wolverines back from two 14-point deficits to send the game to overtime, where Alabama kicker Ryan Pflugner missed an extra point and the Tide lost 35-34.
“One of my notables of life was coaching against Tom Brady in his last college game, and I didn’t
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Moss plans to resume efforts for prison rehab facility at old county stockade
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
PICKENS — Local pastor Joe Moss said unforeseen circumstances derailed efforts to present county council this year with a plan for building tiny houses for a prison 
rehab facility on the site of the former Pickens County Stockade.
But Moss said he plans to resume those efforts after the first of next year.
“I went to the Rocky River Association, which is in Anderson, since we do have inmates from Anderson and have an appointment to go to the Seneca River Association, which is Pastor (W.C.) Honeycutt, who is the moderator, and the next stop will be the Oolenoy Association, which is right outside of the prison,” Moss said. “I’m going to reach out to
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
City may move elections to odd years
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
CLEMSON — The city of Clemson is the only Pickens County municipality to hold regularly scheduled elections in even-numbered years.
But the head of the county’s election system appeared before city council earlier this month to explain why that may no longer be possible.
“The proposed change for Clemson’s election cycle is primarily related to the new election laws that were passed in the spring of 2022 and how those laws must be implemented across different types of elections,” Pickens County Board of
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
A musical review of 2022
First, let me set the scene:
Imagine the voice of Johnny Cash and the guitar pickin’ of Carl Perkins, with a rowdy crowd of Folsom Prison inmates cheering them on, to a boom-chicka boom-chicka beat…
Now, in your mind’s ear, take an imaginary listen to my musical review of the old year, as it slowly fades into the tattered pages of history.
Kick it off, Carl!
Boom-chicka boom-chicka boom-chicka, boom…
Well I’m gonna sing a song about 2022
And it goes to the rhythm of “A Boy Named Sue.”
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Our hope for the New Year
We are at the end of another year, and it always brings thoughts of starting fresh and having hope for the future.
Most of us have watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, which officially declares “out with the old and in with the new.” At midnight, people from all over the world 
will celebrate the turning of the next page of their lives.
Over the years, the “time ball” has undergone several changes in design, and the most recent was created for the millennial celebration in the year 2000 by Waterford Crystal. It’s a geodesic sphere, six feet in diameter and weighing approximately 1,070 pounds. It’s covered with a total of 504 crystal triangles that vary in size, and each piece has a
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Enrolling in VA life insurance
As of now, for the first time in 50 years, the Department of Veterans Affairs is opening up enrollment in Veterans Affairs Life Insurance, aka VALife. Veterans who 
are age 80 or under, with any level of service-connected disabilities, are guaranteed to be accepted to receive up to $40,000 in whole life insurance.
A bonus is that there is no requirement for medical underwriting, meaning that no one is going to squint
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Billion safety recalls
It was recently disclosed that in the first half of 2022, there were over 1 billion recalls across the country of products that we buy.
That’s billion, with a “b.” Depending on the level of the recall, some of them can be extremely serious … even deadly.
How do we know whether we missed an announcement about a product we own? We can go online
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Courier Obituaries 12-28-22
BRYAN LOYD SMITH
SIX MILE — Bryan Loyd Smith, 93, passed away on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.
Bryan was a lifelong member of Six Mile Baptist Church.
Bryan is survived by a sister, Jeanette Thomas; a brother, Carlos Smith; daughters, Diane Singleton (Stephen) and Jackie Smith; stepson, Jim Patterson (Jane); grandchildren, Tori Bell (Jerad), Kiley Dorth (Ryan), Sara Lazarus (Kyle), Michael Schmidt and Aaron Geller; great-grandkids, Regan and Tahlia Bell, Zeik and Kelce Dorth and Evie, Gabe and Theo Lazarus; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bryan was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Selma Smith; wife, Mozelle Nations Smith; wife, Aletha Patterson Smith; and several brothers and sisters.
A private committal service will be held sometime in early January.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Six Mile Baptist Church, 149 N. Main St., P.O. Box 134, Six Mile, SC 29682.
Daniel falls to Westside in tournament championship
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Off to a great start to the season and ranked fifth in the state in Class 3A, the Daniel High School boys’ basketball team took part in its own annual 
Christmas tournament last week, going 2-1 and falling just short of the championship with a 61-55 loss to Westside in the title game.
The Lions kicked off the tournament against county rival Pickens on
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Blue Flame go 1-2 in tournament
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Coming off a win against Liberty last week, Pickens High School boys’ basketball coach Jeff Harrelson said he believed his team was playing its best basketball of the season.
Despite going 1-2 in Daniel High School’s annual Christmas tournament, the Blue Flame lived up to that billing and have Harrelson feeling good about his team heading into region play.
The Blue Flame kicked off the tournament against county rival Daniel and jumped out to a great start behind senior forward Coley Gillian, who scored seven points and blocked two shots as Pickens jumped out to a 13-9 lead over Daniel. Gillian and the Blue Flame kept their strong defensive effort going in the second quarter, as they held the Lions to just four points, with Gillian and Wyatt Reeves adding three blocks apiece in the first half.
Leading by as many as 12 in the third quarter, the Blue Flame continued to keep the Lions at bay and went
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
