Daily Archives: 05/21/2014
52 indicted for drug trafficking
Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark addresses reporters at a news conference announcing the indictments of 52 people on drug trafficking charges Friday morning.
Far-reaching operations target
meth, marijuana, prescription drugs
PICKENS — Local law enforcement agencies continue to wage a battle against drugs, and those efforts took a big step forward last week when officials announced that 52 people had been indicted in two different drug trafficking operations that reached as far as California.
As officers from the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and Oconee County, Anderson County and Greenville County sheriff’s offices stood in support at a Friday morning news conference at the Pickens County Courthouse, Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark detailed the two operations — codenamed Operation Chill Factor and Operation Loud Tiger — which began as many as five years ago.
Chill Factor concentrated on an Upstate methamphetamine trafficking operation, and 17 people were
Blue Ridge Fest a success
The 17th annual Blue Ridge Fest brought thousands to Pickens on Friday night to enjoy the Upstate’s largest classic car cruise-in and beach music from Lloyd Price, The Tams, and Jim Quick and Coastline. The festival, hosted by Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative at its headquarters on Main Street in Pickens, has
Blue Ridge Fest 2014
raised more than $1.5 million for Upstate charities since its beginning in 1998. (Kerry Gilstrap/Courier)
Clark asks for jail study
By Ben Robinson, Courier Staff
PICKENS — Sheriff Rick Clark rarely asks county council for anything, but Monday night was an exception.
At its meeting Monday, Clark asked council for a study to determine the county’s needs in jail facilities.
Clark said the county facilities are overcrowded, calling the jail the “biggest liability and the biggest headache” he has to deal with.
Clark said he was not requesting a new facility, but to have someone look at the situation and determine what makes the most sense financially.
“We need to study what we need,” Clark said. “We need to come together and start looking at solutions.”
County passes second reading of ’14-’15 budget
By Ben Robinson, Courier Staff
PICKENS — As interim county administrator Ralph Guarino presented the proposed county budget for 2014-15 at Monday night’s county council meeting, he warned that some may not be pleased.
“We had to make some cuts that were not popular,” Guarino said, “just to balance the budget.”
The budget was balanced, though county council will have to adjust the budget when it becomes clear how much of a contribution will be made from state money.
Those adjustments will be discussed at council work sessions May 28 and May 29.
A version of the state budget that is currently going through the senate may require local governments
Teachers honored
Holly Springs Elementary dedicated a new garden at the school to teachers at the school who have dedicated their time to helping the school’s students learn through gardening programs. Pam Jones started the program 20 years ago and has been working with Ann Bowen for the past 16 years, entertaining the children and maintaining the garden projects. The school also is home to an upper garden and a greenhouse. Above, students gather around Jones and Bowen and the markers that note their contributions.
PRA seeks volunteers
PICKENS — The Pickens Revitalization Association is dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of sustainable growth in Pickens’ historic downtown area.
The goal of the Pickens Revitalization Association (PRA) is to work with the City of Pickens to ensure a sustainable future. As such, Pickens is uniquely positioned to strengthen its existing assets, while also diversifying its economic base by bringing in new businesses. The PRA is asking for communty help to be successful in Pickens.
Contact officials today for a volunteer application, or find one online at www.historicpickens.com/pickensmatters/.
Below are some of the ways to get involved:
Organization establishes consensus and cooperation by building partnerships among the various
3rd annual Kids Classic tournament set June 6
PICKENS — The warm weather is here, and it is time to hit the golf course. Officials are asking you to come play “Fore the Kids” as Pickens Presbyterian Church Child Development Center hosts its third annual Golf Classic on Friday, June 6, at The Pickens Country Club.
Registration is at 9 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. Cost to enter is $100 per person or $400 per team, including breakfast from Bojangles’, and a barbecue lunch will be served after the tournament. Hole-in-one prizes include a BMW, airline tickets and more.
Call 878-9953 for more information.
The truth can be a scary thing
On The Way
By Olivia Fowler
Olivia Fowler
The last time I wrote about relations marrying each other, I got into a lot of trouble, as I linked this practice to abnormalities in the offspring of such unions. There were some complaints about this, and some called me insensitive.
After tracing three lines back on my mother’s side, I have discovered that my own family is riddled with marriages between second cousins, so much so that we now know many of what we believed were second cousins are actually also fourth and fifth cousins on different family lines. Now I’m kind of afraid to look too closely into the fourth line on Mama’s side.
Fowler says this explains a lot about my family. And it’s true that there are an awful lot of “forceful” outspoken people in my family. And there are a few Grandmama always referred to as “high-strung,” which of course translates to “crazy.”
For example, “Aunt Sally isn’t able to come to the reunion becomes she’s having a bad time with her nerves.” This means Aunt Sally is at home in a straitjacket or under sedation, or
Dealing with a virus
All About Ben
By Ben Robinson
Today I am dealing with a computer virus. This obviously is a lethal virus, because it is aimed at those of us who are not really that bright.
Ben Robinson
Each time I try to save anything to the computer, a message will come up telling me that I have a virus and suggesting ways I can deal with it. Each way the computer suggests involves me purchasing a program online to solve the problem. It makes one wonder if the virus was not somehow sent with these messages of how to solve the problem. Each one has a price attached for the “savior” program.
So I am here struggling to get this column into the system. Last week I had to write my column twice before I got lucky enough to have it land in a place where it could be used. Of course, if I wrote the column twice, I felt the first one was better.
Rocky said he will work with my computer after deadline, and he’s probably smart enough to fix it. But I’m not, so for the next day or so I will be struggling.
We’re continuing to struggle raising funds for my Kentucky trip. I was going to use my tax refund to cover the cost. As I wrote last week, my state check was used to pay an old hospital bill. So I became nervous about my federal check also being
Berkshire-Pickens wrestlers bring home state championships
FORT MILL — For the second year in a row, Berkshire-Pickens Wrestling Club’s Blake Chandler and Cole Murphy won state championship gold in their respective weight classes in both freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions at the SC-USAW state championships Saturday at Fort Mill High School.
Three other teammates joined the pair in winning state titles in both disciplines — Matt Frey, Kris Murphy and Devan Powell.
Other club members who took home medals were Devon Johnston, who took silver in both styles, McKinnon Stewart and Jacob Rogers who earned silvers in freestyle and Trent Burdette, who earned
