Daily Archives: 03/17/2020
Cutting the ribbon
A formal grand opening and ribbon cutting was held last Thursday at Pickens’ newest attraction, the Market at the Mill. The market is located in the old Singer/Ryobi building and offers a great variety of storefront businesses, as well as well as tables of items from local merchants. The huge facility that has lot of room to grow even has a church on site. David Hosea, owner of the complex, said during the event that he was bringing much more to the site, including Pickens’ first skating rink. Pictured are members of the Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce Board, along with Pickens-area S.C. State House Rep. Davey Hiott, along with Hosea (cutting ribbon) and market manager Barry Crawford.
Government belongs to you
Here’s a shout out to South Carolina’s 98 newspapers.
It is Sunshine Week, an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information and what it 
means for you and your community. In these times when the media is increasingly accused of lying, it is appropriate to look at important stories S.C. readers would not likely have gotten recently if it weren’t for newspapers and their reporters:
A dogged weekly newspaper found that in Atlantic Beach general sessions court, 75 percent of the warrants were dismissed because police routinely didn’t show up for court.
Reporters at a daily newspaper exposed how sheriffs across the state lined their pockets on the public’s dime. The five-month investigation found that in the past decade, no fewer than 11 of South
Just the facts, if you can find them
By the time this runs, my hope is that testing for coronavirus will be readily available in Pickens 
County. And maybe that will happen. But for now, we must fall back on common sense and accurate information to make decisions.
We’re all facing the unknown, but I am confident in the ability of Americans to survive the next few months and do what is necessary to make that happen.
In February, a friend and I traveled to the Doraville MARTA station on the outskirts of Atlanta, parked the car and rode MARTA downtown. From there, we took the bus a few blocks to the orchid show at the Botanical
Legislators stepping up to the plate?
Baseball players and state legislators are the only people I can think of who can be considered successful if they fail twice for every success.
In fact, the bar for legislators is probably a little lower, even, considering that the vast majority of bills introduced never even make it onto the floor for a vote.
Anyway, with this year’s session half over and the House on spring break, I thought it was high time that we take a look and see what our Pickens County legislative delegation has been accomplishing.
The four key players on our roster — Sen. Rex Rice and Reps. Gary Clary, Neal Collins and Davey Hiott — are batting a cumulative .123, based on their success in getting their bills made into law in the two-year legislative term that ends in May.
If you add in bills that passed in one house but not in
Something Special celebrates 30 years in downtown Easley
EASLEY — Something Special, located at 231 W. Main Street in Easley, is celebrating 30 years of 
excellent service to Upstate shoppers.
Owner Tammy Seay started working with crafts when she was only 12 years old. She began with pottery and evolved to offer the area’s most unique and sought-after decorative pieces to complement any home or office space.
When asked if you she ever imagined 30 years in business Seay said, “No, I never really thought about that, but I am
Ivy rain barrels on sale now through April 12
PICKENS — Anderson and Pickens Counties Stormwater Partners (APCSP) is offering Ivy rain 
barrels through a special program to encourage residents to conserve precious water resources as well as to protect water quality.
The normal retail is $129, but through the special promotion, they are only $68.
Rain barrels must be pre-purchased online by April 12 at rainbarrelprogram.org/apcsp.
Pick-up is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, from 2-6 pm at the South Carolina Water Resources Center, 509 Westinghouse Road in Pendleton.
The rain barrel captures rainwater from rooftops by connecting to a home’s downspout. This water would
Courier Obituaries 3-18-20
DON GRANT
PICKENS — Mr. Donald Sidney Grant Sr., 79, husband of Carol Jo Reeves Grant, died on Monday, March 9, 2020, at his residence.
Born in Walhalla, Mr. Grant was a son of the late Sidney C. and Sula Gillepie Grant.
Don was a lifelong resident of Pickens. He was the owner of the Grant Body Shop and the former owner of Grant Ford Inc. He was also involved in many other business throughout his life, including Grant Lumber Company and Grant Brothers Chip Company.
He was very active in the Pickens community, serving as a volunteer fireman for the Pickens Volunteer Fire Department. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens for more than 40 years. Throughout his life, he served on several boards including the Pickens County
Area hospitals set visitor restrictions
By Norm Cannada
Courtesy The Journal
ncannada@upstatetoday.com
PICKENS — Area hospitals are taking extra precautions and setting new visitor restrictions in 
reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak.
New restrictions for visitors began this week at all Prisma Health facilities in South Carolina, including Oconee Memorial Hospital and Lila Doyle nursing and rehabilitation center in Seneca, as well as Baptist Easley Hospital in Pickens County, according to a Prisma news release.
AnMed Health officials are asking visitors to stay away from the system’s hospitals, including AnMed Health Cannon in Pickens, and are limiting hours and making other restrictions if they do come to see patients. Officials announced Sunday that two patients at AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson had tested presumptive positive for the virus.
Prisma restrictions
No visitors — including family members — are being allowed at Lila Doyle except in “special circumstances,” such as “end of life care,” according to the news release from Prisma Health. The
Lydia Branham of Troop 2831 earns Girl Scout Gold Award
EASLEY — Lydia Branham of Girl Scout Troop 2831 in Easley recently completed her special project at Pickens County Meals on Wheels and the McKissick Center.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Branham decided to work with the Young at Heart Program, which provides daily planned activities and a congregate lunch for seniors.
After finding out what the seniors were interested in and what they currently have, Branham created a craft closet full of grab-and-go craft packets that contain instructions and everything the senior needs to compete a project. She had more than 70 packets ready for the seniors when they arrived on
Courier Community Calendar 3-18-20
• Vietnam vets to be honored March 29
March 29 has been set aside as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The day will be a chance to honor all Vietnam veterans and a moment to say welcome home and thank you for your service. As Vietnam veterans came home, most were not shown the respect and honor that other veterans from other eras before and after received. Vietnam veterans are America’s greatest population of veterans, who suffered in war and are still fighting the battles of cancers and other diseases caused by Agent Orange today.
• PCMA hosts Lenten worship services
The Pickens County Ministerial Association Lenten Lunch Worship Series will continue on March 24 at Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church, led by the Rev. Chris Gibson (Amazing Grace Lutheran
