Monthly Archives: November 2019
54 indicted in drug investigation
Officials say cell phone jamming needed in state prisons
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Authorities are calling for cellphone jamming to be used in state prisons after a multi-jurisdictional investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than $20 million in drugs and 54 people being indicted and accused of participating in a trafficking ring orchestrated in part by current and former inmates.
Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark and other officials held a news conference Friday morning announcing the results of Operation Prison Empire, which included indictments on a total of 192 counts.
“The main charge is this particular case is a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine 400 grams or
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County honors veterans with parade, show
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — Pickens County’s veterans were honored Sunday afternoon with a program celebrating their service and recognizing their sacrifices.
The “A Salute to Veterans” program followed the Veterans Parade through Liberty. Attending veterans were asked to register beforehand so they could be announced and welcomed as they arrived at the Pickens County Performing Arts Center.
Former Miss Liberty and Miss South Carolina Dawn Smith Jordan emceed the event.
“We have a packed show for you this afternoon,” she said. “This day belongs to you.”
County council chairman Roy Costner said he was
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School district officials OK early start date
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — After two public meetings in which a number of concerns were expressed about the school district’s 
proposed Aug. 4, 2020, start date, the Pickens County School Board voted 4-2 Monday morning to approve a compromise calendar with a starting date for students of Aug. 10.
Elementary, middle and high school students in the county would start school a week earlier than the state-mandated starting date of no earlier than the third Monday in August.
“I’m proud of the school board and proud of the community for their input, for
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Easley council runoffs planned Tuesday
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — More than 20 percent of registered voters went to the polls last week to select leaders in municipalities around the county.
But for two Easley City Council seats, voters will have to cast their ballots again next Tuesday in runoff elections to determine their representatives.
In City Council Ward 3, local businessman and Pickens County Republican Party chairman Rick Tate will face off with Easley Planning
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Will Bradley-Boggs House rise again?
Great David Franklin Bradley’s ghost! It looks like Pickens’ Bradley-Boggs House will rise again.
Or at least a building that looks a lot like it and has a good bit of the original materials in it.
The city of Pickens’ Board of Architectural Review has approved detailed plans presented by owner Charles Monks, who intends to build a microbrewery there.
The new structure will stand at 118 Main St., on the same lot from which the iconic landmark graced the streetscape for more than a century and a half until it was torn down in July.
“It looks almost exactly like what was there,” city planning and zoning director Jennifer Vissage said of the rendering
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Taylor given Wilkins Award
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
PICKENS — Sgt. Art Taylor, a Daniel High School graduate and 27-year veteran of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, has a reputation for always being available when he is needed, even earning the nickname “Mr. Reliable.”
Those qualities are among the many that led to Taylor being awarded with the 2019 Billy Wilkins Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement during a special ceremony Wednesday morning at the Pickens County Courthouse. The award was presented by Wilkins, a longtime 13th Circuit solicitor, and his son, Walt Wilkins, who now represents Pickens and Greenville counties as 13th Circuit solicitor.
Surrounded by family, Taylor said he was deeply touched by the honor.
“It’s the highest honor you can get with the sheriff’s office, or any agency in the county,” Taylor said. “It means a lot to me, because
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Flame volleyball wins Upper State title
Pickens falls short of state championship
LEXINGTON — Despite a heartbreaking loss in the Class 4A state championship Saturday in Lexington, Pickens High School volleyball coach Rikki Owens said the future continues to be bright for Lady Blue Flame.
“We are blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to coach such amazing young women,” Owens said, noting that this year’s Blue Flame team, in addition to the four stellar seniors, included two juniors, eight sophomores and two freshmen. “The relationships and memories that we have made are well worth the consolation prize. Losing at state does not define who we are and how hard we worked the past six months. We won as a team and we lost as a team, and I could not be prouder of our team. We are a family.”
The Lady Blue Flame fell to a senior-laden North Myrtle Beach Chiefs team in the state championship 19-25, 23-25, 16-25. The match was played on Saturday at River Bluff High School in Lexington. The Chiefs returned nine seniors on a team that defeated the Lady Blue Flame for
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Native American Celebration set for this weekend at Hagood Mill
PICKENS — In observance of Native American Heritage Month, Hagood Mill officials are inviting the public to join 
them for a special weekend of milling, memories and a Native American celebration at the site on Friday and Saturday.
The old mill will be operating, rain or shine on Saturday only from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The South Carolina Petroglyph Site will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dennis Chastain will host a presentation titled “The Cherokee Path in Pickens and Oconee Counties” at the Heritage Pavilion at the Hagood Mill Historic
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Daniel girls win second state golf title
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — The Daniel High School girls’ golf team finished last season on top of the world.
The Lions dominated the competition on their way to a Class 4A state championship — a first for the program — but the team undoubtedly faced questions following the graduations of top performers Gillian O’Brien and Emileigh Swords.
Daniel head coach Andy Swords and his girls answered those questions in resounding fashion on Oct. 29, when the team brought home its second consecutive state championship by a margin of nearly 60 strokes.
The Lions, fresh off their fifth consecutive upper state championship, entered state tournament play confident in
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Ignore advice from the fashion experts
There used to be a television show titled “What Not to Wear” featuring ordinary people going about their lives in horrible clothes that didn’t serve them in their professional lives.
It was interesting. A couple of experts in fashion would swoop in unexpectedly, throw away the victim’s entire wardrobe and give them $5,000 to replace it with.
Then they’d supervise their shopping expeditions in New York to help them learn how to dress appropriately.
I’m thankful I was never selected as a candidate, because I really love my around-the-house and yard clothes and would hate to give them up.
As long as we live on a farm, we must accept the fact that good clothes are not to be worn. If they are to stay good, they must remain hanging in
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