Daily Archives: 01/14/2015
Man charged with attempted murder
PICKENS — An Easley man is being held without bond at the Pickens County Detention Center after police allege he shot a man last month.
Christopher Michael Cox, 30, of 100 Parkway Drive, was arrested Jan. 7 and charged with attempted murder and possession of a deadly weapon during commission of a violent crime.
According to an arrest warrant, police believe Cox shot an Easley man on Dec. 28.
An incident report says the shooting victim told police he and his wife were at a home on Robert P. Jeanes Road a little after 4 a.m. on Dec. 12 when Cox asked to borrow a phone. The man said
Local legislators hold meeting with public
Photo courtesy Greg Oliver
State Rep. Davey Hiott of Pickens, left, is greeted by Central resident and former Pickens County Council chairman Bob Nash following the annual Pickens County Legislative Delegation meeting last week in Easley. Also pictured is State Rep. Gary Clary of Clemson.
Residents express concerns on topics
including education, business, roads
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — The members of the Pickens County legislative delegation held their annual public meeting last Thursday at the Carr Center of West End Hall in Easley.
The delegation — consisting of state senators Larry Martin of Pickens and Thomas Alexander and state representatives Gary Clary, Davey Hiott, Neal Collins and Joshua Putnam — heard from a number of residents about their concerns heading into the 2015 session of the South Carolina General Assembly, which began Tuesday in Columbia.
Pickens resident Johnelle Raines of Parents Involved in Education said after many complaints from parents, the state moved from requiring Common Core standards in South Carolina
Easley OKs trail funding
Mayor appoints committee to help make
Doodle Trail as profitable as possible
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — One half of the funding for the Rails to Trails project on the former line of the Pickens Doodle was approved by Easley City Council on Monday night.
The next step will be for the city of Pickens to approve its half of the funding for the project to move forward. The project will retrace the path of the old Pickens Doodle train that used to run between Easley and Pickens with a multi-purpose recreational trail.
The trail is planned to be 8.5 miles and end on Fleetwood Drive in Easley.
Vicki Ciplickas, owner of the Starving Artist Café on Main Street, appeared before council to
Police: Man led chase on stolen motorcycle
CLEMSON — Clemson police are looking for the public’s help in finding a man accused of leading officers on a chase on a stolen motorcycle.
Benjamin J. (BJ) Hill, 39, is charged with possession of stolen goods, failure to stop and driving under suspension, second offense.
According to a news release from Clemson police chief Jimmy Dixon, officers received a report Jan. 6 of a 1999 Yamaha YZ4R6 motorcycle stolen from an apartment complex within the city.
On Saturday, a Clemson officer spotted a motorcycle being driven within city limits with a tag matching that of the stolen motorcycle, Dixon said.
During an attempt the stop the vehicle, the driver sped up to evade the stop, at one point stopping to allow a passenger to
Two charged with stealing more than $2k in merchandise
WALHALLA — Two Pickens County women were arrested last week and charged with shoplifting more than $2,000 worth of items at the Wal-Mart in Seneca.
Amy Michelle Johnson, 40, of Watts Road in Liberty, and Stephanie Dawn Porter, 33, of Latham Road in Easley, were arrested on Jan. 7. Warrants charging them with shoplifting allege the two stole 36 miscellaneous items with a value of around $2,282.19.
Oconee County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Jimmy Watt said a deputy responded to the Wal-Mart store at around 7:12 a.m. Jan. 7 in reference to a shoplifting in progress.
Watt said a female store employee told police she discovered the women in a stall in the
Ring in the new year at Hagood Mill
PICKENS — Traditional musicians from the Upstate area will gather to celebrate a new year with 100-year old music from the mountain culture that surrounds the beloved Hagood Mill.
Pretty Little Goat String Band
This Saturday, Jan. 17, Hagood Mill will feature the “Pretty Little Goat String Band” delivering a fresh, driving, energetic take on old-time string band music.
The five-piece group from Brevard, N.C. includes the driving and innovative bass fiddle work of J.T. Linville, the train-whistle fog-horn buck dancing of Tim Fisher’s fiddle, the cigar-box-chunking
Easley High NJROTC wins regional orienteering meet
EASLEY — The Easley High School Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) orienteering team easily took the title of Area Six orienteering champion on Saturday at Oconee State park in Mountain Rest.
The competition was also hosted by Easley NJROTC, however setting the course and all scoring was professionally done by Georgia Orienteering Club (GAOC).
Twenty two NJROTC units from North and South Carolina with teams strong enough to
4-H shooting sports instructor certification workshop planned
CLEMSON — Clemson Extension will conduct a 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification workshop at the Clemson University Pickens Bend range in Clemson on Jan. 23-24.
Cost for the one-day workshop is $125, which includes snacks, drinks, lunch, ammo, targets, all necessary equipment and curriculum manuals. Lodging is on your own, if needed.
The Clemson Extension will be offering shotgun, rifle or archery certification, assuming the minimum number of registrants sign up for each discipline. Each participant can get certified in
Acting company announces productions
EASLEY — The Young Actors Company of Easley will produce two classics this spring.
The junior troupe (ages 7-11) will be performing J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan,” and the senior troupe (ages 12-18) will perform Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The Fine Arts Center of Easley also recently announced a film and TV acting class with Upstate talent agent and acting coach Shelby Ferguson.
Ferguson will share her expertise with actors interested in adding film and TV acting to their resume. The class is open to adults and teens only, and registration is open now, with limited space available. The class will be held on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. starting Feb. 5.
For parts in both casts or to get more information on the acting class, call The Fine Arts Center of Easley at (864) 442-6027.
American chestnut expert James scheduled to speak at Native Plant Society meeting
CENTRAL — At the Jan. 20 meeting of the SC Native Plant Society at Southern Wesleyan University, Dr. Joe James will present the latest “progress report” regarding his extensive restoration work with the American Chestnut Foundation and Clemson University.
The great American chestnuts (Castanea dentata) — the trees that once dominated eastern forests, reaching heights of more than 100 feet and diameters of more than 10 feet, whose nuts
