Monthly Archives: August 2019
First impressions
Local football teams set to kick off preseason
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — In what seems to be an ever-shortening preseason schedule, local high school football teams 
got started with practice on Friday and will kick off scrimmages and jamborees this week in anticipation of their Aug. 23 season openers.
Daniel and Pickens will both kick off their preseason scrimmage schedule on Thursday, with Daniel playing at Hillcrest in a scrimmage that afternoon before Pickens will
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Concerns raised about Christian group home’s move to county
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
SUNSET — Residents of Sunset heard last week from a woman who said she wanted to warn them of abuse 
allegations against a Christian ministry and group home that is planning to move into their area.
Liz Runge is one of the organizers of Freedom Village Experience. She gave a presentation on Freedom Village USA during a meeting Thursday night at the Vineyards Fire Department.
“I am a mother, a wife, an auntie, a firefighter and a Christian,” Runge said. “Along with all that, I am a
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Easley fire chief put
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Easley Fire Chief Butch Womack has been placed on administrative leave after his filing as a candidate to become the city’s next mayor.
City officials issued a news release Monday about the decision, citing the city’s personnel policy.
The release quotes the policy as stating “in certain circumstances involving real or potential conflicts,
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Races set for city elections
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — With more than a dozen municipal seats across Pickens County up for grabs in November’s election, the races have taken shape after filing closed last Thursday.
Easley has the most municipal seats open this election cycle in the county, with five different spots available, including the mayor’s seat. Running to replace longtime mayor Larry Bagwell, who decided not to seek re-election, are city newcomer and former CIA engineer David Koster, current City Councilman
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More traffic troubles ahead for Easley?
Raise your hand if you think it’s a good idea to put an additional 1,000 cars on the roads in Easley during rush hour.
… I don’t see many hands.
Sorry, but that’s what’s going to happen.
More than 1,000 new homes are either under construction or are expected to begin construction within the next year in Easley. The city has approved 10 new subdivisions, ranging in size from 10 to 110 lots, totaling 867 units. Another 192 homes are expected to get the green light to begin construction within the next year.
Now, I know that “growth” is a golden word among city officials and business boosters in any small town, and it’s good to know that a lot of people are coming to see that this is a great place to live. Welcome to Easley.
But I’m concerned about how we’re going to deal with all the extra traffic, particularly on U.S. Highway 123, which already has as many cars and trucks rumbling down it every day as
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Local man heads to prison for tax evasion
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A Pickens County jury found a tax preparer guilty of tax evasion last week.
Sonny M. Ninan, 65, of Easley, was charged with multiple tax charges in January 2017, according to a release from the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
Ninan was tried last week on six counts of tax evasion. A jury convicted Ninan on each count of attempting to evade income tax from 2010 to 2015, the release said.
Judge Perry Gravely sentenced Ninan to five years in prison on the first count, suspended to service of 18 months, the release said.
Gravely sentenced Ninan to three years on the remaining counts, to run concurrent with the first, the release said.
Ninan must all pay the state $75,000 in restitution.
Ninan operated Global Consultants and Taxpayers Services
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County opioids summit scheduled for next week
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON — A conference next week will discuss the opioids epidemic in South Carolina, including resources for support and treatment.
The Pickens County Opioid Summit will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Madren Center in Clemson.
As of Monday morning, there were only a few spots left for the conference, according to Michael Crouch, a
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West champion wins SLWS
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — The Senior League World Series came to an end Saturday, and for U.S. West champion Central East Maui from Hawaii, it was a walk in the park on their way to the tournament title.
Maui faced little opposition throughout the tournament, sweeping its regional in convincing fashion before making its way to Easley.
Maui continued its dominance in Easley, starting off the tournament with its toughest matchup, facing off against East regional champion Central Accomack (Va.) Little League on July 27. The West champions scored early and often, but still saw Accomack score the most runs they gave up all tournament in a 12-4 victory.
Maui decimated Central champ West Madison (Wisc.) Little League 14-1 on July 28 and shut out West University Little League of Houston 11-0 on July 30 to advance to the U.S. pool final against the host S.C. District 1 suqad on Friday, Aug. 2. However, multiple rain delays forced the game to move to Saturday morning. District 1, no stranger to rain delays and fierce competition, had high hopes. but Maui proved to be too much for the home team, as the West champions shut down the hosts’ bats and cruised to a 10-0 victory.
Maui couldn’t rest for long though, as the team took on the defending champion Liga Pariba Little League from Curacao on Saturday afternoon in the series’ finale. Lee Souza, a standout for the West champions all tournament, got the start and delivered a big performance. Souza pitched a six-inning gem for Maui, giving up only one hit, as the team shelled Pariba early to take an early advantage and eventual 11-0 win and the championship.
The tournament was also a successful one for the local team from District 1. The team made its deepest run ever in the tournament’s third year in Easley, going 3-2 with wins against the Central, Southeast and Southwest regional champions before falling to the eventual champions from the West.
For more information on the results of the 2019 Senior League World Series, visit littleleague.org/world-series/2019/slbws.
Do hummingbirds really hum?
Have you ever wondered why hummingbirds will fight over access to a feeder when there’s plenty to go 
around? It’s almost like humans. There’s a feeder right outside my kitchen window. To refill it, all it takes is to open the window, detach the feeder from its hook, clean it and refill it.
There are eight little openings in the feeder, and in theory eight hummingbirds could eat at a time.
But even if there are but two competing for the sweetened water, they will attack each other. I read that the red dye in hummingbird water can be hazardous, so I mix my own for the feeder. When there’s a crowd out ther I’ll mix four cups,. As the population declines the amount will be reduced
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House on the farm
The year was 1943, some two years before I showed my pretty little mischievous face in this world, when George and Dessie O’Shield bought and moved to a farm in northern Pickens County. They carried their 
brood of eight children with them to this farm called the Old Looper Place.
It was a rather large farm consisting of 111 acres. The farm had a couple of branches running through it and was bordered on the eastern side by Twelve Mile River. It was traversed by three roads. Shady Grove Road, the highway to Pickens, was the main highway, and it was paved. Meece Mill Road, bordering on the north and west, was also paved. Red Hill Road ran between the house and river, and it was unpaved.
I remember helping my older brothers wash their cars in the small branch that ran across Red Hill Road. The property extended across a hill to encompass what is now the county
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