Yearly Archives: 2020
District official lauds teamwork fighting virus
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — A School District of Pickens County official said Monday night that the district has done 
an excellent job working as a team to address the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Certainly, since March it’s been a challenging time as we’ve dealt with COVID,” district director of adult education Allen Fain said. “There’s been plenty of opportunities for people to shine, as far as teamwork.”
Fain specifically pointed to three groups of people who he said
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SDPC releases case numbers
COUNTY — The School District of Pickens County’s weekly COVID-19 report showed just four students and three staff members tested positive for the virus last week.
District officials said two students who tested positive for the virus had entered school buildings — one at Easley High School and one at Liberty High School.
According to the district, 114 students and 18 staff members were quarantined quarantined last week.
The Liberty area was the most affected, as Liberty Middle School and Liberty High School had 15 and 22 students quarantined, respectively.
Pickens High School also had 11 students quarantined.
CU students’ positive COVID-19 test rates below state average
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON — The majority of Clemson University students are adhering to the new rules and 
guidelines about face coverings and social distancing while on campus, according to Clemson University president Jim Clements.
Clements issued an update Friday afternoon, the end of the university’s first week of in-person instruction and on-campus activities for the fall semester.
“It was great to see our students back on campus and to know that they are getting back into the classroom
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Official urges reason during pandemic
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Pickens County administrator Ken Roper urges residents not to get caught up in political debate or philosophical exercises surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
KEN ROPER
“Let’s just do what’s reasonable,” Roper said Friday during a Facebook Live update video. “Let’s do what’s reasonable here locally to support each other, particularly to support our older citizens here in Pickens County.”
In his role as administrator, Roper feels one of the most important things he can do is to encourage the public to continue
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I shouldn’t complain, because I am alive and feeling good today.
I shouldn’t complain, because I am alive and feeling good today.
And a lot of people have been through a lot worse than what I have in this pandemic.
But the past month has been an ordeal for me, a guy who has rarely been sick in almost 67 years of life.
Here’s how it happened.
I woke up on Saturday morning, Aug. 29, and my lungs felt kind of funny, like I had slept in a weird position and got them shifted out of place or something. Then I started having a headache and body aches, like the flu coming on.
I wouldn’t have been too worried about it, because I had a flu-like illness around the same time last year,
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Lady Flame win three road matches
PICKENS — The Pickens High School Lady Blue Flame volleyball team went on the road last week and collected three wins, against Greenville, Westside and Walhalla.
The Lady Blue Flame’s record currently stands at 6-2 overall and 5-0 in region play. The wins against Westside and Walhalla were in Region I-4A matches.
“Being on the road all week is tough, but the girls always make the bus rides home fun and memorable,” Pickens coach Rikki Owens said. “The girls are developing a strong chemistry,
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Lingering effects of COVID-19 infections
So far, there have been more than 6.8 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. More than 200,000 people have died from COVID-19-related complications, making COVID the third-leading 
cause of death in the U.S.
In S.C., there have been more than 140,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 3,000 confirmed deaths.
Most people who contract COVID-19 do recover. CDC defines recovery as:
(1) At least 10 days have passed since the start of
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A guide to agreeably disagreeing
Back in the olden days when I was a child, our family had heated political discussion at the dinner table. Not heated in an angry way, but passionate, in an interesting way.
We all participated. And everyone contributed their opinions. But there was a rule, unspoken but followed. Everyone had the right to disagree.
When there was a point being debated, the arguments had to be backed up with facts. It was alright to hold different views on issues, but when your particular view was stated, the reason for your view on an issue had to be explained.
We could disagree. But we couldn’t accuse those who disagreed with us of stupidity, ignorance or insanity. We couldn’t call anyone a liar or get up and leave the
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Courier Letters to the Editor 9-30-20
Keepers of tradition
Dear Editor,
I read the story titled, “DNR denies permit for Jocassee Gorges event.” DNR said the decision was made to deny the permit for the cycling event after hearing the public comments.
I attended the meeting and agree with DNR’s decision, though my reasoning was a bit broader.
For those who didn’t attend the meeting or missed the article, the overall question was whether DNR should approve an event that could lead to the commercialization of the Jocassee Gorges.
Decisions that touch on or deal with local tradition center on the question of who has the standing
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