Monthly Archives: April 2015
‘My Hometown hero’
Pickens resident Marlene Aiken credits her 13-year-old beagle Smidget with saving her life during a recent low blood sugar incident. Although the dog has been diagnosed with kidney failure, Aiken said his heroic deeds will help him live forever in her heart.
Woman credits 4-legged
friend with saving life
By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher
rnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Heroes, they say, come in all shapes and sizes.
For Pickens resident Marlene Aiken, hers walks on four legs and always wants a rub on the head.
Her hero, a 13-year-old beagle, has been with Aiken for 11 years as her best friend and protector.
These days, Aiken has been going through the trauma of losing her best friend. Smidget, as she lovingly calls him, is sick. The beagle has been diagnosed with kidney failure, but despite his sickness, Smidget has never stopped giving.
At around 5:30 a.m. on March 18, Aiken’s fiancé, Jimmy Davis, who was sleeping in a different room, went to check on Aiken, who had been sleeping with her sick pet.
“When I walked into the room, I could tell something was wrong,” Davis said. “Smidget was
Blue Ridge Coop construction set to make more room for members
PICKENS — At the beginning of 2015, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative embarked upon a major construction program at its Pickens office campus.
According to Blue Ridge officials, two chief concerns drove the building plans. One is what officials said was the long-overdue establishment of a modern, multifaceted operations center. Another was their need to strengthen the cooperative’s ability to conduct a quality annual meeting of its members.
One annual-meeting problem had been the lack of close and convenient parking to the site — the
School district looks at teacher pay increases
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
COUNTY— The board of trustees of the School District of Pickens County has been looking into funding increases in teacher pay to try to keep up with surrounding counties.
“Our turnover rate of 7.6 percent is lower than the average of 8.8 percent for Anderson, Greenville and Oconee,” board member Alex Saitta said at last week’s meeting. “Oconee has the
Man charged in beating of convenience store clerk
PICKENS – The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Pickens man on Monday in connection with a brutal attack on a local convenience store clerk.
Benny Ray Morris
According to PCSO Chef Deputy Creed Hash, Benny Ray Morris, 40, of Pickens, was arrested without incident and is currently being detained within the Pickens County Detention Facility with bond being denied. Arrest warrants states that Morris is charged with assault and battery 1st degree and kidnapping.
In a statement the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office say they responded to the “Country Corner” convenience store located on SC 183 at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, regarding an assault to the female attendant.
Deputies arrived on the scene to find a female employee that had been
Easley Police Chief Traber set to retire
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Easley Police Chief Danny Traber has announced his plans for retirement after serving more than three decades with the police department.
“After 35 1/2 years, it’s time to move on and do some of the things I’ve always wanted to do while I’m still young enough to do them,” Traber said.
Traber has been police chief for 16 years.
“It doesn’t seem like 16 years,” Traber said. “It’s been a good ride.”
Traber won’t be involved in naming his replacement, but he hopes Major Tim Tollison will be
Does no one dye eggs anymore?
The world as I know it doesn’t exist anymore. It changed on Saturday afternoon.
The day began well. It was sunny, and the birds were hopping around in the yard doing bird stuff. The buds on the dogwood trees showed promise, and the peonies were well up.
It was a day conducive to getting things done. And that’s what we did. Amazingly enough, several projects were finished without interruption. That doesn’t happen very often.
A visit to the grocery store was on the list of things to be done, and it was during this task that
I’ve been hacked
It turns out that through my computer’s Facebook somehow I’ve been hacked.
Starting last week, I started getting messages from my friends saying, “I feel this picture is too explicit, please remove it from your Facebook site.” When I first saw such a message, I dismissed it as junk mail. After all, I am still not smart enough to actually download a photo for my own use, much less send it to anyone else.
But I kept getting more and more messages, so I decided to investigate. I tried to find the offending picture, and eventually I found that I somehow had a message on my home page that was
Courier Obituaries 4-1-15
Emily O. Finley Parsons
Pickens — Emily Parsons, 87, wife of Cecil A. Parsons, went to be with Lord on Friday, March 21, 2015 at her home.
Mrs. Parsons was born in Pickens County, a daughter of the late Albert and Floy Ferguson Finley.
Mrs. Parsons was the first female bailiff in Pickens County and a member of Grace United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband of 67 years; one daughter, Nancy Parsons Lanford (Fred) of
BPWC wrestlers medal at Laurens High event
LAURENS — Six Berkshire-Pickens Wrestling Club wrestlers were double winners in a SCUSAW competition hosted by Laurens High School last weekend.
Blake Chandler garnished two silvers competing in the intermediate 75-lbs. weight class, and Trent Burdette brought home two golds competing in novice 75 lbs.
Hunter Powell won his first matches in Olympic-style wrestling, taking a silver in Greco Roman
Number One Volleyball Camp sets 2015 dates
COUNTY — Dates have been set for the 2015 Number One Volleyball Camp. Sessions 1, 2, & 3 will be held at the Larry Bagwell Gymnasium, 111 Walkers Way in Easley. Sessions 4 and 5 will be held at the Pickens Recreation Gymnasium, 545 Sangamo Road in Pickens.
Session One, for rising 2nd – 4th graders will be held Monday – Thursday, June 15-18, from 9 a.m. – noon. Session Two, for rising 5th through 8th graders, will be held from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m., June 15-18. Session Three, for rising 9th through 12th graders, will be held Monday and
