Local councils take part in state leadership training
COLUMBIA — City council members from the City of Liberty and the City of Pickens spent last week in Columbia More »
Hot-shooting Hillcrest keeps Easley winless in region play
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com EASLEY — Holding a 60-57 lead entering the fourth quarter of their matchup against More »
LWVOP receives empowerment grant to expand local voter education efforts
UPSTATE — The League of Women Voters of Oconee and Pickens Counties (LWVOP) is excited to announce that it has More »
PC Native Plant Jubilee returns on May 2
LIBERTY — The Pickens County Native Plant Jubilee will return for its second year Saturday, May 2, bringing together gardeners, More »
An open mind and a fresh economic outlook
First, a standard disclaimer: Anything you read in this column that ever delves into politics or religion or college football is entirely my own personal opinion and not necessarily the opinion of the Pickens County Courier.
That said, we here at the Pickens County Institute for Advanced Theoretical Engineering, Economics and Barbecue Arts & Sciences — my own personal think tank sometimes augmented with the brain power of my best buddy Allen Senn of Clemson — have been doing a fair amount of pondering lately about a concept that on its surface seems outrageously ridiculous. I am referring to something called a “basic minimum income.”
If you’ve been following the Democratic presidential nomination race — which here in Trump country many of you may have been doing purely for entertainment value — you may have heard of a lower-tier candidate named Andrew Yang who has made this concept a centerpiece of his campaign.
Now, I’m not endorsing Yang, or any candidate of either party for that matter, but I think there’s more to this idea than, “Vote for me and get
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Pickens girls take second in Nation Ford tourney
FORT MILL — The Pickens High School Lady Blue Flame were the runner-up in the 16-team Nation Ford Volleyball Invitational held Saturday in Fort Mill.
The Lady Blue Flame will square off against archrival Easley High School in a non-region volleyball match set for tonight (Wednesday) at the Peggy Harden Anthony Gymnasium at Pickens High School. The junior varsity match will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity.
Pickens High won five matches in the 16-team Nation Ford tournament before falling to Class 5A Rock Hill in the
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Pumpkin Fest set to be held on October 12
PUMPKINTOWN — The 41st Pumpkin Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Oolenoy Community Building in Pumpkintown.
The theme of this year’s Festival is “Fall, Festivities and Fun.” Festival activities will include a parade, 152 booths of quality arts and crafts, music, clogging, activities and rides for children, barbecue chicken lunch, barbecue sandwiches and other country foods. The festival will start at 9 a.m. with the start of the parade.
Barbecue lunch will be served around noon. Anyone who would like to help with the festival or who needs more information should call Buddy Cox at (864) 878-2045.
Anyone who would like to participate in the parade is asked to contact the Pumpkintown Fire Department at (864) 878-3473. Leave a message and someone will return your call.
Driving them Glazy
You Drive Me Glazy Mini Gourmet Donuts opened its doors at 317 E. Main St. in Pickens on Saturday. Michael Hine and Bettina Koepke cut the ribbon on their ‘50s-style donut shop, serving warm donuts where customers pick their glaze, topping and drizzle. Close family friends Sandra De Alemar and John and Chloe Grier helped create the one-of-a-kind donuts while guests waited in anticipation. In attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Lisa Turnick, Jacquelyn Gamble, Liza Holder, Lisa Bryant and Donna Owens from the Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce, city administrator David Poulson, acting county administrator Ken Roper, Lake Hartwell Country’s Anna Chastain and other Pickens residents.
Good times at Twelve Mile Elementary
On a cool September morning in 1951, I debuted for my first year of formal learning at Twelve Mile Elementary School in rural Pickens County.
I was an ordinary, inauspicious child of 6 who had never been away from home alone for any extended period of time, 
and I was terrified. I think I was terrified mainly because my older sister had made me wear short pants to my debut. In my opinion, a man did not wear short pants in public. The attire of ALL the other boys proved me right. There were no other boys in the first grade dressed in sissy short pants. As I recall, I spent most of that first school day trying to hide myself from public scrutiny.
However, I did survive that first day of school and came to enjoy the daily get-togethers of all us guys. Besides, there were plenty of things to do to fill the gaps between book learning sessions.
All the students at Twelve Mile School were from the country. Some of us were not the cream of the crop intellectually. My memory reminds me of a couple of older kids who were as big
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Drink your milk, it’s good for you
A long time ago, when we were very young, we lived on a peninsula, Cape Charles, in Virginia. Sometimes we had the car. Those were the days Daddy didn’t need it in Norfolk. We’d pile in the backseat and Mama would drive Daddy to 
the ferry for his morning ride across the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk. He worked for a marine engineering company whose name I don’t know.
Cape Charles was not heavily populated. People made their livings mostly from agriculture or fishing. Shopping was challenging, because many things easily available in larger towns were not an option for the residents.
The Sears and Roebuck catalogue was the store of choice for many things. And any clothing items that had to be tried on required a ferry ride across the bay into Norfolk, which was an entirely different world.
Norfolk is a Navy base, and the streets would be packed with sailors. There was traffic, an unknown to us where traffic was
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Courier Letters to the Editor 8-28-19
It’s an evil, horrible thing
Dear Editor,
It’s an evil, horrible thing that someone has recently vandalized four local churches and graveyards. They should realize that they will have to answer to God almighty at the judgment seat of Christ after they die. This is a serious offense when anyone damages God’s house of worship. They need to wake up before it is too late.
Also, we all need to pray for our school teachers, staff and most of all, students for their salvation and safety this school year. Pray that there will be no more mass shootings or violence for all the schools of the entire world.
Diane Finley
Easley
Thinking outside of the box
Dear Editor,
Has anyone reading this thought as I have about how the more technology advances, the more abstract
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Pickens man gets 25 years for child assault
PICKENS — A Pickens man will spend more than two decades in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old child.
Brandon Jerome Clark, 28, was convicted in court last Thursday of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, 13th Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins said in a news release.
A Pickens County jury found Clark guilty after a four-day trial, according to Wilkins.
Evidence presented by assistant solicitors Britni McCall and Scott Todd during the trial established that Clark assaulted the child at her Pickens home between Feb. 20 and March 20, 2017, Wilkins said.
Judge Donald Hocker sentenced Clark to 25 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, he said.
Defense attorney Jenny Barwick represented Clark.
Vet’s walk across SC to start Thursday
COUNTY — An Army veteran and three-time Purple Heart recipient will start a walk across South Carolina for awareness at the highest point in the state this week.
Greg Quarles’ journey will begin early Thursday morning at Sassafrass Mountain in Pickens County. Quarles’ walk
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‘Hee Haw’ to have final performance Saturday
PICKENS — A play based on popular 1970s and ‘80s TV show “Hee Haw” was a smash hit in its last two performances at the Pickens Senior Center/Hagood Community Center.
More than 50 people had to be turned away from the jam-packed auditorium at the the last performance at the center, located on School House Road in Pickens.
As a result of the incredible response, officials at the center have announced a farewell presentation.
The Hagood Community Center/ Pickens Senior Center will present the final presentation of “Hee Haw” with local
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