Liberty unveils 150th anniversary logo, announces art exhibition
LIBERTY — The city of Liberty celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2026, and officials unveiled a sesquicentennial logo for the More »
Prisma staff encourage early testing for flu
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com STATE — Prisma Health staff encourage the public to get tested for the flu More »
Daniel boys beat Pickens for region lead
PICKENS — With leading scorers Jackson Conley and Will Swann forced out of action early due to foul trouble and More »
Ballenger reflects on his career, legacy at Blue Ridge Electric
By Riley Morningstar Special to The Courier PICKENS — After 55 years of dedicated service, Terry Ballenger retired as the More »
Sunset Ceremony honors departed veterans
SIX MILE — As light winter rain fell at 5 p.m. on December 28, families, veterans, and community members gathered More »
Courthouse bomber gets prison time
PICKENS — The man who damaged the Pickens County Courthouse with an explosive device and left others at Pickens Department of Social Services office was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on Friday.
Michael Lambert Seabrooke, 37, formerly of Barnwell, pleaded guilty to possession of explosive devices and two counts of malicious damage and attempt to damage by means of explosive materials, acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart said in a release.
United States District Court Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Seabrooke to 144 months in
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Nealy, Fulmer win city council races
COUNTY — Voters went to the polls to select a new city councilman in both Pickens and Clemson last week.
In Pickens, Robert Nealy will take over the council seat formerly held by Donna Owen. Nealy received more than 70 percent of the vote in a 
FULMER
NEALY
three-way race, with 158 votes cast in his favor.
Coming in behind Nealy was Ed Leese, who finished with 41 votes (18.6 percent) and Allen Brewer, who finished with 20 votes (9 percent).
In Clemson, meanwhile, John Fulmer will take over the Clemson City Council seat formerly held by Robert Halfacre, who resigned his seat after being elected mayor in November.
Fulmer also won by a resounding margin in a three-man race, taking 80 percent of the total votes, with 780 cast in his favor.
Greg Rice was the next closest competitor in the race, finishing with 128 votes (13.1 percent), and Jim Borick finished in third with 65 votes (6.7 percent).
District names first black principal since desegregation
Anderson-Murray to lead Forest Acres Elementary
EASLEY — The School District of Pickens County has selected Dr. Ashley Anderson-Murray as the new principal of Forest Acres Elementary School.
Anderson-Murray has led the school as interim principal since December, when former principal Darian Byrd became director of Pickens County Virtual Academy.
Anderson-Murray is the first African American to be named a principal in the school
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Navigating Easter celebrations in the era of social distancing
Holidays have been celebrated differently since the outbreak of COVID-19 in late 2019. Easter was among the first major holidays to be 
celebrated differently in 2020, and celebrations likely won’t return to normal in 2021.
Celebrations and social distancing make strange bedfellows. However, it’s possible for people to safely celebrate Easter with their loved ones.
• Watch virtual Mass together. Though it might not be the same as attending
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Superintendent defends prom decision, despite controversy
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — As COVID-19 vaccinations increase, school activities are beginning to open up.
That includes the annual junior-senior prom for high school students in Pickens County.
But that doesn’t mean all students and parents are happy.
Last week, a county student presented the district’s board of trustees with a petition holding 440 signatures asking that students be allowed to bring anyone they want to the prom. Officials are requiring students to bring dates from within their high schools, rather than from an outside school, in a virus mitigation move.
“We just want to have one night to ourselves, to be able to dance, have fun at our own risk,” Easley High School student Brendan Perfater said. “We all already hang out together to begin with. It’s just us — we just want one
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School district announces end-of-year schedule
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — The School District of Pickens County has released its schedule to finish out the school year.
The district announced Thursday that from spring break until the end of the school year, there will be
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COVID-19 cases up slightly in SDPC
COUNTY — Although numbers are still relatively low and fewer people were in quarantine, the School District of Pickens County saw a slight 
increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the district last week.
In its weekly update, the district said Friday that 25 students and six staff members tested positive for
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State health officials tout antibody program’s success
COLUMBIA — State health officials estimate more than 1,000 hospital admissions for COVID-19 have been avoided through a monoclonal antibody program.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antibody infusions in November for emergency use to treat patients who had specific health issues, including those with a body mass index greater than 35, those affected by diabetes, chronic kidney disease, immunosuppressive disease and/or taking immunosuppressive medication, and those older
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The name above all names
Throughout history, no one has made a greater impact on this Earth than Jesus Christ, yet many still do not understand who he is. During Christmas, people around the world acknowledge his birth was more than 2,000 years ago, but actually he existed long before that.
As the Son of God, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, which means he is from the beginning and has no end. This truth of him being infinite is beyond our comprehension, but nonetheless this spiritual reality places him in a unique category all by himself.
Jesus said in John chapter eight and verse 58, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham
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A growing trash and litter issue
I was sworn in to the county council two months ago, and the growing trash and litter problem seems to be one of our biggest issues.
Ten years ago in Pickens County, the tonnage of waste was 36,784. Today, it is about 46,000. The litter on the roads has significantly 
increased and is an eyesore, too.
If we don’t get ahead of the things being stressed by population growth, like solid waste, roads, EMS, sewer and planning/codes, they’ll eat us up.
1. The landfill is full. The 2012 council had a plan for a new landfill — an agreement with MRR
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