Two accused of abusing Easley teen
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com ANDERSON COUNTY — Two men are each charged with sexually abusing a teen girl, More »
Ruff hired as LHS football coach
By Bru Nimmons Staff Reporter bnimmons@thepccourier.com LIBERTY — Coming off one of the most successful stretches in school history under More »
Brotherly love leads to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Pickens County family finds ties to Elvis Presley PICKENS — It’s amazing sometimes what you might discover when you start More »
Duke Energy gives tips to save energy during the winter months
UPSTATE — As winter temperatures hit the Upstate, Duke Energy says it is committed to helping customers manage energy costs More »
Estimates for storm damage cost top $1M
County taking donations for displaced residents
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — The storm that spawned two tornadoes in Pickens County in the early-morning hours 
of April 13 caused more than $1 million in damage.
Acting county administrator Ken Roper discussed the storm during his daily update video on Facebook Live Monday morning.
The storm put the county in “kind of double states of emergency,” he said.
“We had significant storm damage all along the lower part of the county, along (Highway 93) and also up in the the Laurel and Hardy Road area,” Roper said. “Our assessor’s office has
Teen charged in Clemson hotel shooting
CLEMSON — A shooting early Saturday morning that led to the arrest of a 15-year-old remains under investigation by the Clemson Police Department.
Chief Jeff Stone said Monday morning he could not release any details about the case — including how the teenager was able to enter the hotel — since the shooting is still under investigation. Stone also said warrants cannot be released since the shooter is a juvenile.
Police responded at 4:45 a.m. to reports of shots fired at the Comfort Inn on Tiger Boulevard. When
Man arrested after Easley store robbery
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — An Anderson County man is facing charges after an Easley convenience store was 
robbed Wednesday.
Michael Alain Gadoury, 38, is charged with armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and simple larceny, according to a release from Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Chuck James.
The sheriff’s office received a 911 call April 15 about an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Zee Mart located at 1522 Anderson Highway in Easley, James said.
After arriving, deputies were told a white man had
Courier Obituaries 4-22-20
JESSE HAROLD PACE
PICKENS — Jesse Harold Pace, 88, husband of Bobbie Bolding Pace, ascended into the arms of Jesus on Friday, April 17, 2020.
Harold was born in Pickens, a son of the late Vernon and Ada Pace. He graduated from Pickens High School in 1951 and was employed in construction and trucking until his retirement. He was a foreman of a construction crew that helped to clear Lake Jocassee and Lake Keowee. He ended his working career hauling trusses for Mac’s Trusses in Greenville.
He was a member of the South Carolina National Guard in the 1950s. He was a member of East Pickens Baptist Church in Pickens. He was also a volunteer fireman for the Pickens Fire Department for many years and he was a member of the Pickens County Bear Hunters Association.
In addition to his wife of almost 68 years, he is survived by his two daughters, Tebra Cloer (Dr. Michael Cloer) of Rocky Mount, N.C., and Freda Coyle (the late Redmond Coyle) of Easley; grandchildren, Anna Jabali, Clemson Coyle, Cameron Coyle, Jacob Cloer, Noelle Coyle, Aaron Cloer and Courtney Coyle; and great-grandchildren, Nyla Jabali, Michael, Gideon, Sophia and Rachel Cloer, Silas, Mary and Judah Cloer, Pace, Rett and Grady Coyle, and Noah and
Planting in honor of Uncle Jack
It’s best we avoid the news, although we do check in once in the morning and once in the evening for weather and to make sure we’re not in a world war. We’ll get the alert on our phones in case of 
tornadoes, and we can’t do anything about that, either. It’s time to focus on positive things.
For the last two weeks, I’ve been dreaming of eating a ripe cantaloupe. So, on a note of hope, I paged through the Burpee seed catalog and decided to order some Ambrosia cantaloupe seeds. Now, Ambrosia seeds are expensive. I bought 32 seeds for $6.
But if even half of them come up and get the right kind
A bigger picture?
Sometime between 3:30 and 4 a.m. on the night after Easter Sunday, a miraculous thing happened, or so it seemed.
Kathy and I were huddled in the basement watching the weather radar on my phone as a menacing red line of violent, tornado-laden thunderstorms approached Easley from the west. It was a vertical line of destruction, heading right toward us.
As it got closer, though, it split in two, with one segment moving to the north of us and the other passing by to the south.
We were safe! God had heard our prayers.
But wait. What about those people who lived farther to the north and south of us, those who weren’t in the path of the storm until our prayers sent the hostile winds in their
Courier Letters to the Editor 4-22-20
Importance of upcoming local election
Dear Editor,
The upcoming local elections are important to each of us, and thank you for writing about them. For County Council District 3 (Pickens), Alex Saitta has a genuine interest in keeping Pickens County the great county that we all know and love. He has the financial background to get the most from our tax dollars and to help not only the public, but other council members understand the complex financial issues the council will face. I have observed that in many meetings, Councilman Wes
The Stress Of Staying Home
How to handle the mental challenges of social distancing
The concept of “social distancing” was no doubt a mystery to millions of people prior to 2020. But in 
the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19, a novel coronavirus that was first discovered in China in late 2019 but soon spread across the globe, social distancing became a household term.
Social distancing refers to actions deliberately designed to increase the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness. The American Psychological Association notes that social distancing typically requires that people stay at least six feet apart from each other while also avoiding gathering spaces such as schools, churches, concert halls, and public transportation. In
Liberty mayor graduates from Advanced MEOIG
COLUMBIA — Liberty Mayor Brian Peterson has graduated from the Advanced Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government.
Graduates received their certificates during the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Hometown Legislative Action Day on Feb. 4.
The Municipal Association offers the Advanced Institute exclusively to graduates of the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government. Created in 2014, the Advanced Institute provides elected officials with continuing education through classroom instruction and interaction with experienced peers.
“The Advanced Institute gives mayors and councilmembers an opportunity to explore topics of interest to cities and towns in greater depth,” said Urica Floyd, staff associate for distance learning for the Municipal Association.
Officials participate in at least four of six courses to graduate from the Advanced Institute. Topics include public safety, budgeting, utilities, advocacy, economic development and governance.
The Advanced Institute draws its faculty from South Carolina and across the country including recognized local government leaders, state officials, as well as college and university faculty.
Established in 1986, the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government is a program of the Municipal Association of South Carolina. It gives municipal officials a strong foundation in the operation of municipal government.
Owen graduates from MEO Institute of Government
COLUMBIA — Pickens City Councilwoman Donna Owen recently graduated from the Municipal 
Elected Officials Institute of Government. Graduates received their certificates during the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Hometown Legislative Action Day on Feb. 4.
Established in 1986, the institute is a program of the Municipal Association of South Carolina that gives municipal officials a strong foundation in the operation of local government. Participants learn about the role of
