COUNTY — School District of Pickens County officials this week named seven new principals for county elementary and middle schools for next school year.

Dr. Tim Mullis, who has 28 years of experience in the school district, will move from Easley High School to Liberty Middle School.

Meanwhile, Pickens Middle School principal Jeff Duncan, who has been employed with the school district since 2002, will transfer to R.C. Edwards Middle School.

In the elementary school ranks, five schools will be under new leadership when the new school year rolls

LIBERTY — The Pickens County Republican Party will sponsor a candidate stump meeting and pancake breakfast on Saturday.

The meeting, set to begin at 8 a.m., will be held at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center, at 990 Chastain Road in Liberty.

According to Pickens County Republican Party chairman Phillip Bowers, local and statewide candidates for offices including probate judge, state house, lieutenant governor, state treasurer, state superintendent of education, adjutant general, commissioner of agriculture and U.S. senate will have an opportunity to speak.

“Many races will be decided in June, not November, so this will be a great opportunity for voters to hear from all Republican candidates before we vote next month,” Bowers said.

By Ben Robinson, Courier Staff

EASLEY — People from across the county showed up on the Easley campus of Tri-County Technical College last week to gain a better understanding of plans for the proposed Doodle Trail between Pickens and Easley.

Alta Planning and Design representative Blake Sandersdiscusses the plans for the proposed Doodle Trail between Pickens and Easley at a community meeting last week in Easley. Ben Robinson/Courier

The trail, roughly duplicating the path of the Pickens Doodle Railway — a rail service one used by workers in the pre-depression era — would create a clear connection between the two towns, celebrating a common bond in history.

The plan calls for the construction of the trail in six phases.

Phase one: Structural improvements and repair of bridges. Cost: $344,000.

Phase two: Pave 2.7 miles of trail from downtown Pickens to Wolf Creek. Cost: $873,000.

Phase three: Pave 2.7 mile of trail from Wolf Creek to Rices Creek. Cost: $804,000.

Phase four: Pave 2.1 miles of trail from Rices

COUNTY — If you’re looking for something fun to do this summer, learn how to play a banjo, fiddle, guitar or mandolin.

Enrollment is now under way for the summer session of Appalachian music lessons. The next session of the Evening Music Program will begin the week of Monday, May 26.

This program is open to all ages (third grade through adults) and is designed to teach students to play Appalachian music with acoustic instruments. Instruments include guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo.

The six-week sessions will be held at the following locations:

1. Easley First Baptist Church in Easley (Tuesday nights) 2. Pickens Senior Center (Monday and

PICKENS — Local residents are invited to get their hot rods, boats, motorcycles and even mopeds ready for the first-ever “Redneck Car Show” hosted by Pickens Rescue 7 on Saturday at the Pickens Flea Market, located two miles west of Pickens on S.C. 183.

The event is looking for entries, and now is the time to start signing up.

“You can really enter anything to the show, and if it doesn’t have a motor, you can enter it free,” Rescue 7 Chief Tommy Smith said.

The car show is an event designed to raise funds to go toward special training and other community events for the squad, such as the Halloween family fun night held each year at the squad’s station.

The Pickens squad has offered a safe place for kids and their families to visit during the city of Pickens’ annual Trick or Treat On Main each year. Volunteers prepare decorations, funnel cakes, fried oreos,

By Ben Robinson, Courier Staff

PICKENS — To clear up any confusion over any contracts the city may have with new county-operated fire stations, the city of Pickens is reviewing all agreements.

“(County officials’) misunderstanding was that things were going to go on as they were,” city administrator Katherine Hendricks said. “(The city’s latest contract with the county) was for $315,000. In my opinion, there’s no debate — either full contract, like we’ve had all these years, or we’re going to supplement. I just don’t understand where there’s any gray room, because that’s the way it’s been done for a very long time.”

The city did offer a six-month extension, so as the fire stations become ready to serve the public, the city