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 »
Blue Ridge Fest raises record $235K for charities
PICKENS — The 22nd annual Blue Ridge Fest, held on May 3, raised a record-breaking amount of $235,000 to benefit local nonprofit organizations in Greenville, Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties, according to a news release from Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative.
Since the event’s inception, Blue Ridge Fest has raised nearly $3 million for local human help organizations that provide people with basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing and health care.
The charities receiving funds in 2019 include A Child’s Haven, Anderson Free Clinic, Anderson Interfaith Ministries, Cancer Association of Pickens County, the Dream Center of Pickens County, Feed a Hungry Child, Fostering Faithfully, Golden Corner Food Pantry, Grace’s Closet, the
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Pickens County Council to hear update on new drug program
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Pickens County Council will receive an update next month on a program that aims to help provide opioid addicts with pathways to treatment.
During last week’s county council meeting, Councilman Chris Bowers said officials with the Community Out-reach by Paramedic Education (COPE) program would like to get on council’s June agenda.
Pickens County officials announced the launch of the COPE program in late January. The county is the first in the state to launch the program, which sees community paramedics and peer support specialists visit residents who have recently received Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
Bowers Emergency Services community paramedics and
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Spring celebration
The weather was warm and the sun was bright for last Saturday’s “Celebrate Liberty Spring Festival.” The event was held in downtown
Liberty and featured crafters, food vendors, music including Luke Smith (pictured above), inflatables and many other activites for the whole family. The event was sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, AM Mechanical, the city of Liberty, PTS and LibertySCevents.com.
Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Birds of a feather flock together
The recent county attack on the Hagood Mill operation is just one more blow to the county’s reputation. Whatever the motive behind this ill-judged action, some things are clear.
Several statements from the county administrator are misleading at best.
First, an organization classified as a nonprofit is not operating as a for-profit. By law, making a profit isn’t what nonprofits operate for.
Second, since the county’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year, the statement that Hagood Mill’s funds would soon be depleted is correct, although not complete in itself. But as each county department is funded a year at a time and each department’s budget is projected annually, it is true to say that every department in the county will be out of money at the end of the year.
Other nonprofits have been targets also — not just the Hagood Mill. For example, the same logic was applied when there was a recent attempt to close the Sarlin Community
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Lessons in life and other disorders
Being number nine in a family of 10 children gave me a different perspective on child rearing. I could watch my older brothers and sisters as they mismanaged their children’s upbringing.
At least that’s what I thought at the time. In retrospect, it’s apparent that I should have kept better notes.
Bring back the hickory switch! No, I do not mean to use it as a weapon on the untenable, misbehaving little munchkins. But there was always that threat that a parent could use to guide them along the path to perfect minding.
My mother, bless her soul, would always order us to go outside and select our switch of choice when we were needing a little better direction — or should I say, guidance.
There was this hickory tree, at least that was what we kids called it, just outside the back door of our home that I truly believe our Daddy planted for this purpose. It was actually
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Letters to the Editor
The wrong direction for Hagood Mill
Dear Editor,
Concerning the Hagood Mill and the termination of its director, the county council has a responsibility to ensure employees are treated fairly. That means being on the lookout for bogus write-ups aimed to frustrate an employee so they’ll quit, and when that doesn’t work, firing the employee unfairly.
The mill is in Councilman Wes Hendricks’ district. He should be investigating this, learning all the facts and stating if he agrees with the firing. If not, then sticking up for the employee publicly and arguing for his reinstatement.
Second, is there truth to the claims employees have been ordered by the administration not to talk to their elected councilman? Have
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Time is right to enjoy outdoors
Winter has finally let go and summer is taking its first steps. But nearly all of us, no matter what kind of winter we experienced, are eager to get out and about. Here are some ideas for activities to do outdoors:
Community Garden: Do you have a community garden near where you live? These are often managed by local groups such as the senior center or the town. Each person who signs up is given a small plot of dirt to plant flowers and vegetables. Sometimes fertilizers and tools are provided. All you need to do is show up and plant something, keep the weeds under control and reap the harvest at the end. If you have a community garden but don’t think you can manage a whole plot, see if you can split it with a friend. If you end up with
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DAR presents annual awards
EASLEY — The Fort Prince George Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) held its annual Awards Day May 8 at the Capt. Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley.
The chapter presented several students 
with awards, and American Legion Post 52 of Easley also presented the winners with a booklet on the American flag and a small flag.
Families and teachers were also in attendance to help the students celebrate their successes, and refreshments were served.
Scholarship award winners recognized
The Charles F. Rogers Scholarship committee has announced this year’s selections for the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. Pickens High School seniors Savannah Noblitt and Nathaniel Hickey are the 2019 recipients of the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. The two will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to put toward their college education. “Congratulations to Savannah and Nathaniel for representing our basketball program and for their perseverance to achieve success on and off the court,” the scholarship committee said in a news release.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program returns to Pickens County
EASLEY — The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) returns this summer with the goals of supplementing the diets of low-income seniors with fresh, nutritious produce and supporting South Carolina’s small farmers.
The seasonal USDA grant program allows those 60 and older to purchase unprocessed fruits and vegetables from authorized farmers markets, roadside stands and community-supported agriculture programs May through Oct. 15.
Participants receive $25 in the form of five checks of $5 to spend at authorized locations. Checks are distributed on a first-come,
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