Daily Archives: 07/14/2020
Easley encouraging, not requiring, masks
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Easley City Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday night encouraging — but not requiring — residents to wear masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Councilwoman Pat Webb led the committee that researched mask requirement ordinances. She reviewed the committee’s discussion during a city council work session held before city council’s regular meeting Monday night.
“We had quite a lively discussion in our committee meeting,” she said. “We had city council folks, lots of staff and members of the community who came,
Another virus death reported in county
COLUMBIA — Pickens County recorded its eighth confirmed COVID-19-related death this week as 
virus cases continue to surge around the county and the state.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 13 new confirmed deaths around the state on Monday, including an elderly resident’s death in Pickens County.
As of Monday afternoon’s DHEC update, the county was up to 1,194 confirmed COVID-19 cases and three probable cases. Tuesday’s figures were unavailable at press time.
DHEC said Monday that the state was up to 58,003
School district officials unveil reopening plan
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — The School District of Pickens County has released a 30-plus-page reopening plan using 
six-week schedules containing both face-to-face and
online instruction.
“In our first month of school, we will attempt to create a sense of belonging in all grade levels and to prepare for eLearning instruction,” superintendent Danny Merck said in a letter sent to parents last week. “The first two weeks of school will allow us to gather vital information from teachers, parents and students to adjust moving forward. To protect our students and to make sure we have a healthy workforce, these schedules will be updated periodically as we continue to monitor community outbreaks of the virus.”
Merck added that following the first two weeks of school,
Official: ‘This virus is real’
Roper says COVID response threatens fall events statewide
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Acting Pickens County administrator Ken Roper urges residents to listen to 
“established voices” when it comes to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and not to “fall into conspiracy theories.”
Roper discussed the pandemic during a Facebook Live update video posted Friday morning.
“Pickens County has right now, according to DHEC, 415 active cases going on in the county,” he said. “Those active cases are mainly focused around 29630, 29631, 29642 and 29640, although there are active cases as we speak in every ZIP code within Pickens County.
“There’s no area that’s not being impacted, but it mainly seems to be focused around the Central-
Woman charged with tax evasion
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — A Central woman is accused of evading taxes on more than $1 million in income.
Julie Ann Scott, 63, is charged with seven counts of tax evasion, according to a release from the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
SCDOR agents arrested Scott on July 8, the release said. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the Central Police Department assisted in the arrest, the release said.
Scott is an independent contractor, the release said.
Warrants allege that Scott failed to file individual income tax returns from 2012 through 2018. During that period, she earned $1,321,444, resulting in a tax
British man drowns in Lake Keowee
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
SUNSET — The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is investigating after a 24-year-old British man drowned in Lake Keowee earlier this month.
Derrick Andrew Otim drowned at a boat ramp at The Cliffs at 5:40 p.m. Friday, July 3, Pickens County deputy coroner Gary Duncan said.
Otim was from Nottingham, England, and was visiting friends at The Cliffs when he drowned,
Easley OKs sewer bond ordinance
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Easley City Council is moving forward with plans to issue a stormwater bond intended to 
allow a number of repairs and replacements to be addressed throughout the city.
During a called meeting June 30, council passed second reading of an ordinance to allow for the issuance and sale of a 10-year stormwater bond not to exceed $800,000. First reading was held June 8.
The bond will help address “systems that were designed 40, 50 years ago that are undersized for
Courier Obituaries 7-15-20
DIANE MARIE ARMSTRONG
SIX MILE — Diane Marie Armstrong passed on Saturday, July 11, 2020, in her 59th year.
Mrs. Armstrong was the daughter of the late Samuel Merashoff and Frances Verceo Merashoff. Born
in Bentleyville, Pa., she was the loving wife to husband Myrl Ray Armstrong and mother to Becky Armstrong from Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition, she is survived by her grandchild, Brian Emmanuel Vega, and many loving nieces and nephews. Diane is also survived by sisters, Frances Moses of Reno, Nev., Patty Szczyt (Thomas) of Cleveland, Ohio, Janet Benak of Cleveland, Ohio, and Paula Rock (Donald) of Glasgow, W. Va.; and brother, Samuel Merashoff of Cleveland, Ohio.
Mrs. Armstrong was predeceased by a son, Rondell Ray Armstrong, and a grandchild, Luis Emmanuel Vega Jr..
Diane will always be known by her caring nature toward others. When you saw her in her workplace, she would always ask how your family was doing and what they were up to. She loved her family and had many, many
A scary encounter with wild boars in the Pickens mountains
I am almost ashamed to recount this frightening encounter with wild hogs in this article. Some may wonder about my mental acumen. However, I will recount exactly how I planned to avoid disaster, and that might mitigate your thoughts of my possible mental deterioration — at least somewhat.
Unfortunately, wild hogs are everywhere in our state, including the Upstate. It is important to note that the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources encourages the harvesting of wild boars. They are destructive to habitat and voraciously eat all the food that falls to the forest floor. They root with their snouts, make destructive gullies and cause mountain erosion.
A Serene and Successful Hunt in the Pickens Mountains
I was hunting up U.S. Highway 178 in the Pickens mountains when I found unbelievable gullies made by wild hogs while rooting for acorns that were falling. I made myself a natural blind out of downed logs in mountain laurel. I sat for several evenings waiting for a boar to appear. I was situated so I could see all the gullies. After sitting for several trips, I decided to try and call a buck since the fall deer season was underway. I would call about every 20 minutes with grunts that, I thought, resembled a big buck wanting
TCTC nursing scores surpass average rates
PENDLETON — Students in Tri-County Technical College’s associate degree nursing and practical nursing programs continue their status of surpassing state and national pass rates on the state certification exam — amid the challenges of shifting to remote learning mid-semester in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“I am so proud of our students and faculty for their dedication and resilience. These are challenging times. We all just had to do it a different way this semester,” nursing department head Jackie
