County library director fired
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — Just four months before her firing last week, Pickens County Library System More »
Hinton to succeed Lovinggood as Blue Ridge President, CEO
PICKENS — The Blue Ridge Electric Co-op announced last week that President and CEO Jim Lovinggood is set to retire More »
Hagood Mill Foundation asks county to continue support
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — Members of the Hagood Mill Foundation are asking Pickens County Council to More »
Liberty wrestlers win state titles
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com FLORENCE — Nearly two dozen wrestlers from around Pickens County descended upon on the More »
Daniel boys ousted by Lancaster in round 3
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com CENTRAL — Having watched a double-digit second half lead slip away, the Daniel High More »
PCSO lauds ‘Devil in Disguise’ guilty pleas, sentences
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
STATE — The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office is hailing recent guilty pleas entered in the multi-year, multi-agency “Devil in Disguise” investigation into drug trafficking in South Carolina.
According to an agency statement released Monday, the PCSO “would like to thank the
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Lady Lions clinch third straight region title with win over Tigers
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
TIGERVILLE — The Daniel High School girls’ basketball team traveled to Blue Ridge 
on Feb. 10 looking to secure a third straight region championship.
The Lions took control in the first half and never let up, relying on a stellar two-way effort from senior guard Braelin Cumbie as they clinched the Region 2-4A championship with a 61-34 win over the Tigers.
“Their commitment, their energy and their competitiveness has shown all year,” Daniel head coach Cosandar Griffin said. “I thought they brought toughness tonight. They played hard, they played together and they finished the job.”
No player exemplified the toughness and the competitiveness of the Lions more than Cumbie. The senior finished with a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, but impressed Griffin the most with her play on the defensive end as she hounded Blue Ridge all-state guard Opal Maralit, holding her to less than 10 points.
“Braelin is one of the best defensive guards in the state of South Carolina,” Griffin said. “She’s disciplined, she listens, she’s coachable and she can pretty much guard anybody. She’s an assassin out there on the court.”
While Cumbie knew it would be a challenge to try to slow down the Tigers’ leading scorer, she said she approached the matchup just as she would any other.
“It’s tough, but honestly I feel like I just try and play the same way I do against anybody else,” Cumbie said. “At the end of the day, I just have to do my job.”
Maralit proved how dangerous she could be with a three-pointer to open the night, and the Tigers looked like strong challengers for the Lions as they built a 7-3 lead over the first three minutes. Daniel forward Shala Williams responded with a standout stretch, scoring eight of the Lions’ next 12 points before assisting Cumbie on an and-one basket to put Daniel ahead 20-11 after one quarter.
Makes from Lila Mann and Campbell Epting kept the Lions going into the second quarter before Blue Ridge’s Kaydin Sullivan stopped a 13-0 Daniel run with just under four minutes left in the half. The Tigers got the lead back down to single digits, only for Williams and Cumbie to add two more baskets and put Daniel ahead 32-19 at the half.
Daniel showed no signs of slowing down to start the second half, with another and-one basket from Cumbie and a three-pointer by Mann kicking off the second-half scoring. The Lions went on a 17-2 run to open the quarter before Blue Ridge’s Macie Hanley added a pair of free throws to end the drought. The Lions got the last laugh though, with a three-pointer from Mann and consecutive baskets by Williams putting the lead at 56-23 going into the fourth quarter.
“We knew we needed to finish the job,” Griffin said of the Lions’ transcendent third-quarter effort. “We knew we had to come out and be a little more aggressive and work a little more together against a very good Blue Ridge team. I’m extremely proud of this team.”
With the large lead heading into the fourth, the Lions slowed down their offensive onslaught, with Cumbie adding the team’s only field goal of the period. Even with just one make, the Lions were still able to cruise to the 27-point win and secure the region championship
“It was very fun to see the result of all the work we have put in and finally not having a close game against them,” Cumbie said. “We pulled through and really played together as team.”
The Lions finished out the regular season with a win over Seneca on Thursday night before taking down Berea 66-44 on Monday night in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.
Winners of 23 straight contests, the 24-1 Lions will look to keep their win streak going on Friday night at home against the 16-8 A.C. Flora Falcons.
“We’ve just got to continue to work on getting better, working on ourselves, being confident and stressing defense,” Griffin said after the win over Berea. “I think if we do those things, we’ll be OK.”
Daniel 61, Blue Ridge 34
DWD 20 12 24 5 — 61
BRHS 11 8 4 11 — 34
Daniel (61) — Mann 15, Williams 15, Cumbie 14, Epting 13, McAlister 2, Wilson 2.
Blue Ridge (34) — Maxwell 10, Maralit 8, Heaton 6, Sullivan 5, Bosken 2, Hanley 2, Santana 1.
3-point goals — Daniel 4 (Mann 3), Blue Ridge 2 (Maralit 2). Rebounds — Daniel 35 (Cumbie 11), Blue Ridge 30 (Maxwell 10). Assists — Daniel 19 (Mann 7), Blue Ridge 9 (Maralit 4).
Pickens girls fall to Wren in round one
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PIEDMONT — Returning to the playoffs after a down season in 2025, the Picken High 
School girls’ basketball team traveled to Wren on Monday night looking to play spoiler against the higher-seeded Hurricanes.
While the Blue Flame gave Wren a battle in the opening quarter, the hot-shooting Hurricanes pulled away behind a standout performance from star sophomore Hailey Burgess to end Pickens’ season with an 80-51 loss.
“It was just inexperience, nerves, and we got in
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County athletes sign to compete at next level
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Two local athletes took the next step in continuing their academic and athletic careers earlier this month, signing letters of intent with colleges on National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
Liberty High School’s Holli Gaffin and Pickens High School’s Emerson McCall signed at
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Examining our hearts at the Lord’s table
Last week, we touched on the subject of baptism, and this week I thought we could follow up with a chat about communion. For those who are Christians, the church 
ordinance of communion is a sacred and spiritually personal event.
In some circles, the Lord’s Supper is referred to as a sacrament, while others call it an ordinance, depending on the theological tradition. However, regardless of the term, within Christian churches, it is seen as a means of grace and an integral part of obedience and worship, established by Christ Himself. A time of sacred reflection on Christ’s death and resurrection. Where does it come from? It’s a recorded true event
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Keep track of food recalls
If you’ve been keeping an eye on recent food recalls you know that salmonella has been in the news, because salmonella has been in our food.
We have Moringa superfood capsules, the powder of which comes from the leaves of plants in India and Africa, an organic food known for containing healthful antioxidants, protein and minerals … except it can make us very ill if we get the wrong capsule and salmonella is present in the powder.
Then there are the organic chia seeds with salmonella. And the pouches of super greens supplements that promote health via kale, barley grass and parsley — with salmonella. And the chocolate candy bars — with salmonella. And the dog biscuits — with salmonella.
But salmonella isn’t all that’s been discovered in our food recently. We have plastic in
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Courier Letters to the Editor
Saitta gives update on road paving
Dear Editor,
Last month, I wrote the SCDOT had added repaving S.C. 183 from Pickens to S.C. 135 (by BJ’s and Fairlane Flats) to their list, in 2027 or early 2028. With the help of Sen. Rex Rice, the SCDOT is now fast-tracking that. The repaving project will go out for bid next month. The hope is to have that section repaved by the end of the summer or by year-end. Three cheers for Rex Rice on speeding that up.
The SCDOT is also putting in a traffic light at the intersection at Jameson Road (going out for bid in August). Jameson Road intersects S.C. 183 in two places; this is the intersection that is furthest east. Not the one by BJ’s.
As you can see, the SCDOT is starting to repave U.S. 178 (Main Street Pickens down to Mauldin Lake Road); S.C. 8 from Ross Avenue (four-way stop by U.S. 123) north past the Woodside Mill and to the top of the hill at Mulberry Road; and S.C. 93 in Easley from U.S. 123 through town to S.C. 8.
Repaving those three highways is a two-step process. Now they are patching the worst areas by digging down six inches, packing down a new base and patching it with asphalt. You see those patches and the SCDOT trucks out there now. After the patching is finished and the weather heats up, those highways will be milled down two inches, get a fresh layer of asphalt and new lines painted. Finished by late summer.
Country Creek Road is a county road, and we have replaced two culverts on that road, which is behind Aunt Sue’s (by the Table Rock recycle center). That second culvert went in last week, and the road will be reopened later this week (loose gravel for awhile). The road should be repaved by early March. Thank you for being patient on that one. That road was closed too long. On the bright side, those 10-foot-by-4-foot concrete culverts will out last our children.
Alex Saitta
Pickens
In utter disgust
Dear Editor,
I’m outraged at the corruption and hypocrisy being unraveled in D.C. For decades the American people have been played. Incomprehensible evil will devour our children and theirs with taxes that will rob them of any decent lifestyle. Taxation necessary to avoid
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