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 »
Could COVID
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Although he hopes the state is on the downward curve of COVID-19 cases by then, Rep. Neal Collins believes the coronavirus could cause the June 9 primary election to be delayed.
During a Facebook Live question-and-answer session he hosted last week, Collins was asked about the possibility of a delay.
“Yes, there is a possibility,” Collins said. “I support it. I think that it’s the fair thing to do, especially,
Sheriff: No plans to make arrests for violating order
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark said his deputies will avoid arresting people for violating Gov. Henry McMaster’s stay-at-home order “unless absolutely necessary.”
Clark took part in a question-and-answer session hosted by Rep. Neal Collins on Facebook Live last week. In order to maintain social distancing, the officials participating submitted statements that were read aloud by Collins.
Clark said he wished to calm people’s concerns about the governor’s order.
“We will not be setting up a police state, as some fear, period,” Clark said. “The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office will not purposefully go out and stop vehicles because they are on the road or stop and ask people why they are out and about. To do so puts our deputies at risk. This is not Soviet Russia, where you are asked for your papers. We can take care of each other like we do every day.”
Deputies will take action, if needed, “on those rare situations where there are a lot of people who are hanging out in public, obviously in defiance of the governor’s order,” he said.
Even then, deputies will not immediately take people into custody, Clark said.
“Even in that case, we will first educate and try to disperse the group,” he said. “We’ll avoid arrests
Roper gives county COVID-19 update
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — The leading cause of death in the United States last week was COVID-19, acting Pickens 
County administrator Ken Roper said.
“It wasn’t heart disease,” he said during a Facebook Live update Monday morning. “It wasn’t cancer. It wasn’t suicide. It wasn’t automobile accidents. It wasn’t homicide. It wasn’t drug overdoses. It was COVID-19. That tells you how serious this is.”
Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order issued Sunday basically keeps his previous stay-at-home order and other orders “active for 15 more days,” Roper said.
“He renewed the order,” he said. “It’s now active through April
The good and the bad of corona quarantine
Coronavirus diary, week 4:
So, we’re a month in, and the virus has not yet directly touched anyone I know — at least not that 
I’m aware of. But there are still many uncertainties about how long this will last, and how many people it will eventually infect — and kill — right here in Pickens County.
Maybe we’ll be lucky and have no deaths here. Or maybe I won’t be around to write the conclusion of this pandemic.
My mom’s coronavirus test came back negative, so that was good. She’s doing remarkably well for a 94-year-old woman who had a
Letters to the Editor 4-15-20
Be a part of that hope
Dear Editor,
Ever felt out of heart to the point of giving up? Yes, haven’t we all?
No matter how bad we have it, though, in life, there’s always someone who has it at least a little bit worse, if not more.
I have been furloughed for 30 days. I’m not complaining, though. I have sometimes in times past complained when I really shouldn’t have. I’ve complain about my feet hurting and about being tired all of the time. Although I’ve been furloughed, I’ll be retiring in five months and am looking forward
Summer dreams
Surely our world will be back to normal this summer … right? Surely we’ll be able to get out of the house without fearing every person who comes near us. We’ll be able to leisurely wander through 
the grocery store, which will be stocked as it used to be. We’ll stop to talk to friends on the street and sit in coffee shops and chat. We’ll attend church, go to our meetings, stroll through the neighborhood admiring the flowers and
Surveying the damage
The sun rose on Monday morning with many local residents in shock at the destruction done by
overnight storms. Two tornadoes touched down in Pickens County, and high winds and heavy rain caused even more widespread damage. Although there were no deaths in the county, several people were injured, thousands found themselves without power, and many residents were forced to spend the day dealing with insurance companies, downed trees and limbs and storm cleanup. Photos by Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
Courier Obituaries 4-15-20
JERRY BENJAMIN KELLEY SR.
EASLEY — Jerry Benjamin Kelley Sr., 79, born May 18, 1940, went to be with our Lord on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
Born in West Union, he was the son of the late Allen Kelley and Edith White Kelley.
Mr. Kelley Sr. was owner and operator of K&M Tool and Die, which he started back in 1977. He was known to be a hard worker and a good businessman in the community until retiring from the business in 2018. Mr. Kelley loved his church and his church family at Free Wesleyan Church and helping missionaries and ministers. He loved spending as much time as he could with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. People knew him for having chickens and giving away fresh eggs to those he came into contact with as long as his health would allow. He always wanted to bring
SDPC still working to feed kids
COUNTY — The School District of Pickens County is still offering breakfast and lunch Monday 
through Friday for anyone under the age of 18 and special needs adults up to age 21.
The meals are available from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Central Academy of the Arts, Chastain Road Elementary in Liberty, Dacusville Elementary, McKissick Academy of Science and Technology and West End Elementary in Easley and Pickens Elementary.
In addition, meals are available at the same time at churches around the county, including Shady Grove
SWU changes spring graduation
CENTRAL — Southern Wesleyan University has remained student-focused and open for business by temporarily converting all of its on-site classes to online and has now announced changes to graduation.
Due to concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak and federal and state bans on larger groups meeting together, Southern Wesleyan University will be creating a variety of commencement opportunities for prospective spring graduates, including converting the already established May 8 graduation ceremony on its Central campus to a virtual event.
Southern Wesleyan University president Dr. Todd Voss said in a letter emailed to graduates, “I write to all of you personally today to thank you for entrusting your educational experience to Southern
