CLEMSON — Longtime Clemson mayor Larry Abernathy died Saturday at age 64.
Abernathy, mayor of Clemson since 1984, left indelible fingerprints on everything he touched. He will be missed by many.
Abernathy enrolled at Clemson University in 1965, where he earned a B.A. in English in 1969 and an M.A. in Liberal Arts in 1973.
His love and loyalty for Clemson and the community members it houses was evidenced by his commitment to public service for the city. After serving on Clemson city council, Abernathy was elected Mayor of Clemson in 1984 — a position he held until his death.
Clemson city administrator Rick Cotton said that what stands out most about Abernathy was his genuine caring and inclusiveness when it came to people and the city of Clemson.

EASLEY — After much discussion during Monday night’s city council meeting in Easley, an ordinance to allow limited sales of alcohol at events held in Old Market Square passed its first reading.
Council approved the ordinance with a 5-2 vote, with council members Thomas Wright and Libby Dodson voting against the measure.
The ordinance will have a second reading at the March city council meeting.

Employees at Liberty city hall got a taste of sports entertainment last week, as 3Count Pro Wrestling’s “Loaded Gunz” Ken Magnum paid a visit to shoot a promo video for the upcoming “Showdown in Liberty.” Magnum faced off with Liberty mayor Michael Sheriff, who tossed Magnum out of the ring the last time 3Count held a live show in Liberty. As part of last week’s promo, Sheriff promised to show up at the March 3 show at Liberty Middle School. Liberty officers detained Magnum in the Liberty city jail as a part of the shoot. For information about tickets to the event, call Liberty city hall or 3CPW president Jim Constance at 915-8722.

PICKENS — The Pickens County Sheriff’s office is looking for those involved in stealing more than $30,000 worth of grave markers from Hillcrest Memorial Park in Pickens.

UPSTATE — ClubCo., the Cliffs communities subsidiary with ownership of its golf courses, clubhouses and other amenities, like so many other developments impacted by the nation’s economic recession, is filing for bankruptcy.

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of a multi-part series of interviews conducted between Courier staff reporter Nicole Daughhetee and SDPC board trustee Jim Shelton, a former board chair.

There was nothing out there. No building plan existed. What existed was a Powerpoint presentation advocating the construction of four new high schools in Pickens County, a state of the art career and technology center, renovations of existing high schools into larger capacity middle schools, much needed renovations to other existing middle and elementary schools, and the elimination of portables… the cost of which conveniently equaled a clean $315 million dollars to the penny.

PICKENS — The city of Pickens’ “Turtles on the Town” project is entering the next phase.
Intricate artistry by sculptor Zan Wells has the turtles off to the foundry, where the 12 clay models of the turtle species will be used to make the molds for the final bronze statues. This involved process will take about three months for completion.

EASLEY — Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding those responsible for the theft of a Bobcat skid steer and the trailer it was sitting on from a parking lot in Easley.

COUNTY — It’s not every day that you get to be part of a team that designs, builds and teaches a robot to play basketball, but that is exactly what the members of Pickens County FIRST Robotics Team 2751 are doing.