Monthly Archives: July 2021
Upstate in midst of blood supply, donor shortage
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
UPSTATE — A combination of a high demand for blood and a low number of blood donors is creating a potentially dangerous situation in the Upstate, according to Delisa English, president and CEO of The Blood Connection.
English and officials with regional hospitals held an emergency press conference over the shortage Thursday morning.
“We simply cannot keep pace with the unprecedented need for blood,” English said. “It’s worsened by the fact that we are seeing the lowest donor turnout than we’ve ever seen before. At this moment in time, we need all blood types.”
Hospitals are seeing a higher need for blood, as the number of previously deferred surgeries has increased and trauma cases are climbing, she said.
Tropical Storm Elsa is “a reminder that things can change in
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Candidate filing starts Monday for November
COUNTY — Those wishing to run for municipal office in the November election can file their candidacies beginning at noon next Monday, July 19.
Filing will close at noon on Monday, Aug. 2, according to the Board of Voter Registration & Elections of Pickens County.
The cities of Easley, Liberty and Pickens and the towns of Central, Norris and Six Mile will hold elections for municipal office this year.
Registered voters who have lived in and been a resident of the municipality and/or ward for at least 30 days prior to the Nov. 2 elections can file.
Candidates will file with the city clerk at the city/town halls of their respective municipalities during normal Monday through Friday business hours. At that time, candidates must submit a statement of candidacy form and pay the filing fee. Candidate forms can be found at scvotes.gov.
Central will elect a mayor and three seats on Central Town Council this year. Filing fees are $75 to run for mayor and $50 to run for town council.
In Easley, three seats on city council — Wards 2, 4 and 6 — are up for election, as well as a seat on the Easley Combined Utilities Commission. The filing fee for all four of the offices is $360.
Liberty voters will elect a mayor and three city council members — Ward 1, Ward 2 and the at-large seat. The filing fee is $50 for mayoral candidates and $25 for city council candidates.
Norris will elect two town council members. The filing fee is $10.
Pickens will elect three city council members. The filing fee is $50.
Six Mile will elect two town council members. The filing fee is $15.
Candidates are also required to file an electronic statement of economic interest form and campaign disclosure form with the S.C. State Ethics Commission at ethics.sc.gov.
For more information on candidacy, call the elections office at (864) 898-5948 or email vote.pickens@elections.sc.gov.
DHEC: 94% of new COVID-19 cases affect unvaccinated
COLUMBIA — After months of encouraging residents to get vaccinated, the S.C. Department of Health and 
Environmental Control (DHEC) has announced provisional data shows COVID-19 now largely affects the unvaccinated.
Data showed nearly all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths over a two-week period came from people who were not fully vaccinated against the virus.
“The overwhelming majority of people who are continuing to get COVID-19
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SC governor pushes back on White House vaccination effort
By Riley Morningstar
Courtesy The Journal
rmorningstar@upstatetoday.com
COLUMBIA — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is calling on the state’s health agency to ban a federal push to reach 
Americans in a door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination effort.
On July 6, President Joe Biden announced his administration would send workers out into communities in a push to contact unvaccinated people. The administration’s plan would also set up clinics at workplaces and encourage employers to offer paid time off to get vaccinated, The New York Times
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Coroner names woman killed in Six Mile fire
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
SIX MILE — Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley has released the name of the Six Mile woman whose body was found 
in her burning home July 1.
Beverly Harmon, 57, was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire at 191 Duncan Road, Kelley said.
The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina
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Fire volleyball team excels at AAU National Championship
ORLANDO, Fla. — Carolina One Volleyball 16U Elite Pickens (Fire) had a fantastic run at the 48th annual AAU National Championship from June 26-29.
Playing at the Orlando County Convention Center, Fire finished 10-1 in the four-day event and ninth overall out of 183 teams in the 16U Club Division, ending the club season with a 58-10 record.
The first three days, Fire ousted strong squads from
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Pickens Rec team finishes second at state tournament
PICKENS — The Pickens Recreation 8-and-under softball team had a successful day at the state tournament last week, advancing all the way to the finals.
“I can’t even begin to say how proud I am of these girls,” coach Travis Mitchell said. “They played as hard as I’ve ever seen 
a team play. They played with their hearts. The girls practiced hard for three weeks, and they came ready to play.
“We went into this tournament knowing that we were
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Registration open for fall volleyball, soccer in Pickens
PICKENS — Registration for fall volleyball and soccer has opened at the Pickens Recreation Center on Sangamo Road in 
Pickens.
For volleyball, available age divisions are 7-9, 10-12, 13-14 and 15-17. The soccer age divisions are 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-15. Birthday cut-off for both sports is Sept. 1.
Following registration, a skills/evaluation day will be held for each age division. The registration fee provides a jersey to be kept. The fee is $45 for in-city residents and $55 for out-of-city residents. Birth certificates are required at registration.
Anyone interested in coaching or who needs additional information is asked to call the recreation department at (864) 878-2296.
The pursuit of happiness
The Fourth of July is over for another year. The hot dogs are all eaten, watermelon rinds litter the park, the fireworks have all exploded and my dog is still hiding under the bed. I was feeling a little melancholy, so I sat down on the back porch with a glass of iced tea to read the Declaration of Independence. It always makes me happy.
I came across the sentence in the Declaration of Independence that guarantees the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I understand the life and liberty part, but what does the pursuit of happiness really mean?
Since what makes one person happy, may not make another person happy, I
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Letters to the Editor 7-14-21
A defense of fireworks
Dear Editor,
July 3, 1776 — John Adams wrote home to his wife Abigail: “July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and
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