Monthly Archives: January 2019
Hipps Foundation donates $25K to the Dream Center
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — The Tucker W. Hipps Foundation has donated $25,000 to the Dream Center of Pickens County.
The Dream Center received the funds last week, according to Chris Wilson, the center’s executive director.
The funds will be used to renovate a transitional house in the center’s Opportunity Village, she said.
The village is a homeless shelter program developed and operated by the center.
Following a “tiny house” model, the village provides 23 units and 10 transitional houses to shelter homeless individuals and families.
“We’ll have a house that, when we get it renovated, it will be named after
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‘Eight Flew Out, Seven Returned’
I wanted to share this heartwarming story as part of my holiday gift to readers, titled “Eight Flew Out, Seven Returned.”
Twas the day after Christmas and all through the wood
The deer were out prancing and looking for food.
A doe crossed the road at just the wrong time
And a car hit her hard on the road’s center line.
We looked out the window and just as we feared.
The road was obstructed with carcass of deer.
The traffic kept coming with screeching of brakes
They tried not to crash, for their lives
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Simplicity, fairness, competitiveness
South Carolina is a business-friendly state, a fact long evident by its aggressive pursuit of new industrial investment and jobs. Tax incentives play a big part in the state’s commitment to economic development, the success of which speaks for itself.
But those tax breaks can create an uneven playing field for existing businesses, and should encourage legislative tax reform. That’s one of the surprising conclusions of a tax study released last month by the state Chamber of Commerce, aimed largely at improving the state’s business climate.
The Chamber commissioned the Tax Foundation, a Washington-D.C.-based think tank, to develop options that are generally
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O come let us adore him
Christ is called Emanuel, which means, “God is with us” and we are so grateful that he came to save us. Yes, we enjoy the nativity and he was once a baby, but he’s not a baby today. He was born, lived and was willing to be 
crucified because he loved us more than anything in the world. Whatever you are going through today, be encouraged to know that God wants to be with you and is more than able to take care of you. He is El Shaddai, God Almighty, The All Sufficient One! Here are seven attributes of our creator that remind us why we celebrate the incarnation and sing, “O come let us adore him.”
1. God knows: God is omniscient and is fully aware when we are going
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Courier Obituaries 1-2-19
JAVY TAYLOR
LIBERTY — Carlos Javier “Javy” Taylor, 24, of 110 Piney Trail, died on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, in Kern County, Calif., from injuries sustained in 
an auto accident.
Born in Easley, he was a son of Joseph Emory and Leticia Rivera Taylor of the home. Javy loved baseball. He played little league ball through the Liberty Rec growing up and later played at Liberty High School, where he graduated in 2012. He went on to play with the California City Whiptails. Javy also loved music, as well as spending time with his family and friends. He was a member of Calumet Baptist Church.
Surviving, in addition to his parents, are a brother, Joseph Taylor and his
The Jocassee Gorges of today
Bountiful fishing and stellar natural resource management
By Dr. Thomas Cloer, Jr.
Special to The Courier
Part one of this article attempted to describe Duke Energy’s Keowee-Toxaway Project that dammed the rivers of the Jocassee Gorges, and 
resulted in lakes Keowee and Jocassee. That massive project was just underway for the 100th birthday of Pickens County in 1968. Part 2 will view things after the project was completed.
Serendipity
I remember vividly what happened on tributaries of Lake Jocassee soon after the lake filled and trout were stocked. Each of the rivers already had big trout. However, the hydroelectric process began to entrain fish, and the cannibalistic nature of huge trout soon began a phenomenon that produced really huge fish. When water from Lake Keowee was pumped backward and upstream into Jocassee, many fish would be entrained and belched out in Jocassee around the water intakes. Monstrous trout would cruise around the intakes waiting for fish morsels.
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Fort Prince George DAR chapter tours Hagood-Mauldin House
PICKENS — The members of the Fort Prince George Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met recently at the Hagood-Mauldin House in Pickens to tour the home and to learn about the founder of the chapter, Frances Hagood Mauldin.
The Hagood-Mauldin House was moved from Old Pickens in 1868 when the Pickens District was divided into Pickens and Oconee counties.
Frances Hagood, known throughout her life as “Miss Queen,” was born in the home in 1870. In 1920, she was the one of the founding members of the new Fort Prince George
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Ralston named DNR instructor of the year
COLUMBIA — Michael Ralston of Pickens has been named the Certified SCDNR Fishing Instructor of the Year.
Each year, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources trains freshwater anglers to become certified SCDNR fishing instructors for the agency’s Aquatic Education section.
The sixth annual Certified SCDNR Fishing Instructor Banquet was hosted at Phillips Market Center at the Farmers Market on Dec. 11 to thank the instructors for their hard work and dedication. Since the inception of the
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Lending a helping hand
Fraternal Order of Police Foothills Lodge No. 9 treasurer R.A. Gibson, left, and president J.B. Kelley recently presented the Rev. Rob McElea with Life House Children’s Project in Dacusville with two checks. Gibson presented McElea a check for $500 as a memorial tribute for Deputy Mike Doty of York County. Doty was killed in the line of duty in 2018. Kelley presented a second check in the amount of $2,000 from the Lodge to help complete the home’s needs.
Spring sports signups open at Pickens Rec
PICKENS — Registration is open from now through Jan. 25 for both spring volleyball and spring soccer at the Pickens Recreation Center on Sangamo Road in Pickens.
Financial assistance is available for those who qualify and will only be taken through Jan. 18.
For volleyball, the following age divisions are offered: 7-9, 10-12, 13-14 and 15-17.
For soccer, coed age divisions are 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12. Depending on
