By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff

Most of us leave cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. In our house, we also leave celery for the reindeer. Last year the girls were each given a bag of Magic Reindeer food.

Making it with your children can be a fun holiday tradition. In addition, it can also be put into bags and ornamented with a cute tag and explanation. Magic Reindeer Food makes a great gift for school parties or last-minute gift ideas for little ones.

The recipe is both simple and inexpensive. Some people add glitter to the recipe; however, if you are going to sprinkle it on the lawn with your children, the glitter might be unsafe for animals like squirrels, rabbits or birds to ingest.

Mix 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1/4 cup of sugar. In lieu of glitter add red or green sugar crystals — the type you would use for baking. Depending on how fancy you wish to get or how much money you want to invest, you could add any kind of glittery edible confection used for cookie or cupcake decorating. Again, if you want to be creative, you might add cheerios or seeds that other animals might enjoy.

By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff

In the book The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, written by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda A. Bell, Aebersold shares how the elf became part of her family tradition and how an elf can become part of yours:

“Have you ever wondered how Santa could know if you’re naughty or nice each year as you grow? For hundreds of years it has been a big secret. It now can be shared if you promise to keep it.

“At holiday time Santa sends me to you. I watch and report on all that you do. My job’s an assignment from Santa himself. I am his helper, a friendly scout elf.
“The first time I come to the place you call home you quickly must give me a name of my own. Once you are finished my mission can start. What will you call me – Markle or Zart? Will it be Foddle, Criddle or Clyde? Fisbee’s cute, too, but you must decide.

“Each night while you’re sleeping to Santa I’ll fly to the North Pole right through the dark sky. Of course Christmas magic helps me to be quick. I laugh with my friends and report to Saint Nick.

By Nicole Daughhetee
Courier Staff

I recall telling this story in one of my columns last year because I was so proud of my daughter’s tender heart and thoughtfulness. The short version is that Ella had overheard one of her classmates telling their teacher that she wouldn’t have Christmas because her Mommy and Daddy didn’t have enough money.

Ella came home and wanted to give her classmate our tree and ornaments.

What we ended up doing was purchasing a tree, with lights and ornaments, for the family. We also picked out gifts for her classmate and wrapped them up. With the help of Ella’s amazing teacher and a few other teacher and parent elves, we worked together to share the true meaning of Christmas: love and benevolence.

It was such a special blessing to be able to help a family in need and to be able to share that with my daughters, because giving and thinking of others is something my mom always emphasized and modeled for me when I was a little girl.

Louise S. Keasler

Pickens — Sarah Louise Stewart Keasler, 74, of Red Hill Road, died Monday, Dec. 10, 2012.

Born in Pickens County, she was the daughter of the late William Jackson Stewart, Sr. and Grace Brucke Stewart. Mrs. Keasler was a homemaker and member of Red Hill Baptist Church.

Surviving are her husband of the home, Bailey Keasler; her children, Mike Keasler (Wendy) of Pickens, Susan Kastner (Ernie) of Mauldin, David Keasler (Bettina) of Pickens and Joy Keasler of Greenville; three grandchildren, Andrew Kastner, Bailey Keasler, and D.J. Keasler; and a sister, Mary Alice Craig of Pickens.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by a brother William Jackson “Jack” Stewart, Jr.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. in the chapel of Dillard Funeral Home. Burial followed in Hillcrest Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Fund of Red Hill Baptist Church, 558 Red Hill Rd., Pickens, SC 29671.
Online condolences may be expressed by visiting DillardFunerals.com
Dillard Funeral Home is assisting the Keasler family.

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CENTRAL — The Central-Clemson community is still reeling from what police say was a drug-related home invasion, robbery and murder that claimed the life of a Clemson University student on Saturday.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office has made three arrests in the case, but a fourth suspect is sAtill at large and considered armed and dangerous, according to officers.

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of Lester Devaria Mosley, Jr., 18, of 312 Watkins St. in Central. Anyone with information on Mosley’s whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 898-5500.

According to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley, Steven Gregory Grich, 23, of Fort Mill, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound at the scene of the crime, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. at the Chimney Ridge neighborhood complex in Central. Grich was a sophomore electrical engineering major at Clemson University.

By Nicole Daughhetee
Staff Reporter

PICKENS — Bank of America customers in Pickens will soon be faced with a decision: travel to another city to visit the bank or choose an entirely new institution altogether.

The Bank of America branch located at 334 East Main Street in Pickens will officially close its doors on February 22.

Nicole Nastacie, director of communications for Bank of America, said that customers who bank with the Pickens branch were mailed letters in November so they would have ample time prior to the February closing to get acquainted with the Easley branch, Pickens’ nearest BoA location.

While customers may have concerns about the Bank of America closing its Pickens branch, Nastacie says the decision was based on a decrease in bank traffic. Closing the office has nothing to do with the financial health of the bank,” she said.

PICKENS — Cannon Memorial Hospital is the first and only hospital system in the state of South Carolina to receive ISO 9001: 2008 certification after successfully passing the audit of its quality management system (QMS) by DNV Healthcare Inc.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) accreditation is a rigorous process in which a hospital improves and monitors the delivery of patient care, measures quality, and places the highest priority on eliminating errors. ISO standards are used internationally in different fields including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, medical devices and healthcare.

“Cannon is proud to be ISO certified throughout our hospital. This demonstrates to our customers — our patients — that Cannon Hospital is focused on a commitment to quality within all levels of our organization,” said Norman Rentz, CEO of Cannon Hospital. “It also indicates the level of care and standardized treatment patients can expect when services are provided to them at our hospital or physician practices.”

By Ben Robinson
Special to the Courier

EASLEY — A small group of citizens took a break from the holiday season Monday night to help the city of Easley conduct a few matters of business.

“Looks like we’re going to have a pretty brief meeting, unless something happens pretty soon,” Mayor Larry Bagwell said before beginning the meeting, as he looked at the night’s brief agenda and the small crowd in attendance.
The meeting went as quickly as Bagwell predicted.

Each council member passed on the opportunity to present a report, choosing instead to wish Easley citizens a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Councilman Chris Mann added his thanks to Lisa Garrett for her work with the city’s Farmer’s Market and the Community Garden.

CLEMSON — Clemson police say they have made a second arrest in the robbery of a pizza delivery person that occurred in mid-November.

According to a release from the department, on November 15, Clemson police began investigating an incident where a pizza delivery person had been robbed by two people at gunpoint. The investigation led to a composite sketch being done of one of the suspects, who was not wearing a bandana over his face. The sketch led to the arrest of the first suspect.

The first suspect, Jamel Deshon Brown, was arrested on December 5 and charged with armed robbery. The investigation continued, leading to the identification of the second suspect.