Monthly Archives: August 2021
Liberty in line for new mayor in November
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Election filings closed on Monday for Pickens County’s municipal elections, and big changes could be coming to the city of Liberty, in particular.
In the mayoral race, incumbent Brian Peterson did not file, leaving Councilwoman Erica Woods as the only person on the ballot for mayor in November.
Woods will likely not be the only person in a new role in Liberty, as
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Masks optional as kids return to class
COUNTY — After face coverings were mandated for the majority of last year and amid a spike in COVID-19 cases around the county and state thanks to the virus’ delta variant, students in the School District of Pickens County returned to this classroom this week with masks optional on school buses and in school buildings for students and teachers.
A seven-page guidance issued by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) featured nine layered prevention strategies the state agency deemed “essential to safe delivery of in-
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Clemson player faces reckless driving charge
Police: July wreck left mail carrier with ‘severe injuries’
By Riley Morningstar
and Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
news@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON — Clemson football player Fred Davis turned himself in to police Sunday morning after being charged with reckless driving after authorities said 
he was driving 115 mph before hitting a U.S. Postal Service carrier last month.
Davis, 19, was booked in the city jail and released on a $500 personal recognizance bond after an investigation
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Current state law
Campos said current South Carolina law does not have an enhanced penalty for reckless driving that results in serious bodily injury, but the S.C. House of Representatives is looking to add “great bodily injury” as an enhancement.
CThese egregious and aggressive driving acts that result in serious injury to another need to have an appropriate penalty,T Campos said in a statement. In most cases, the injured suffer much pain, multiple medical procedures, lengthy recovery times and whose freedom to live life injury free are taken from them. The offender, especially if they are not hurt, currently only have a few hurdles to navigate and get to live life freely, while the injured do not.”
Campos said with advances in modern medicine, many injuries do not meet the definition of “great bodily injury.” He is advocating for a more inclusive definition for the enhanced penalty.
“The legislature’s current proposed bill is a step in the right direction, but will not account for serious injuries that are not permanent,” Campos said.
Court date scheduled
A Clemson Municipal Court official told The Journal on Monday afternoon Davis is scheduled to appear before a judge on Sept. 1. If he requests a jury trial, the official said it will happen at a “much later date” due to a backlog in cases.
rmorningstar@upstatetoday.com | (864) 973-6685
goliver@upstatetoday.com | (864) 973-6687
Wreck claims Liberty woman
LIBERTY — A 60-year-old Liberty woman died Saturday after a two-vehicle collision.
Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley identified the victim as Cynthia Threatt, 60, of Cecil Road.
The collision occurred at 2 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 178 at Five Forks Road, two miles south of Liberty, according to Master Trooper Brandon Bolt with the
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Easley impact fees set to start next January
EASLEY — Easley City Council members voted recently to charge impact fees on new development, implementing an eventual charge of $3,340 per new house that council members say will help the city deal with growth.
Council passed second reading of the impact fee ordinance during its July 12 meeting, with the fees set to begin with a phased approach next January.
Mayor Butch Womack said city officials and staff “have really worked diligently over the last year and a half” to develop the proposed impact fees, the first of their kind in the Upstate.
Interim city administrator Tommy Holcombe said the impact fees are a one-time payment for growth and
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Crumpton named SC Middle School Coach of the Year
GREENVILLE — Pickens Middle School head volleyball coach Mellie Crumpton was recently named the 2021 Middle School Coach of the Year by the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association.
Crumpton accepted the award on Sunday evening, July 25, during a ceremony at the Greenville Convention Center.
“To be chosen as the recipient of this award is very exciting and thrilling,” Crumpton said. “I was all smiles Sunday evening as I walked across the stage to accept my award. It was amazing to look around the room filled with such dedicated, selflessly devoted, compassionate coaches and to be sitting there with them was a very humbling experience. It was certainly a moment that I will never
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Pickens’ Clarkson named Academic All-American
PICKENS — The AAU Volleyball National Executive Committee has announced the selection of the 2021 AAU Volleyball Academic All-American recipients, 
and a Pickens High School student is among the honorees.
The award recognizes student-athletes for their excellence in academics as well as athletics.
Faith Clarkson, daughter of Zander and Pamela Clarkson, has been named to the prestigious list. Ranked eighth out of 328 in her class and with a GPA of 5.063, Clarkson is a junior at Pickens High. She is a member of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and the National Technical Honor Society, is very active at Holly Springs Baptist
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Health officials change mask guidelines as delta worsens
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COLUMBIA — As the delta variant of COVID-19 is wreaking havoc across the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the 
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) have updated mask guidelines.
In addition, doctors in a Prisma Health update last week warned the delta variant is growing at an alarming rate.
Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and the increasing threat of the delta variant, the CDC announced last week it recommended wearing masks indoors for everyone in schools and in areas with substantial and high transmission, regardless of vaccination status. DHEC
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New Liberty city administrator to start next week
LIBERTY — The city of Liberty will have a new administrator beginning next week.
Liberty City Council voted last month to hire Michael E. Calvert as administrator, and the new hire will officially join the team on Monday, according to a city news release.
Coming from Lexington, according to the release, Calvert is a graduate of Penn State University with a Master of Public Administration degree.
“He has experience in organizational management and administration, budget development, personnel leadership and
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Changes coming for Olympic women
I’ve always been uncomfortable with the extremely skimpy type of leotards required as wear for the American women’s gymnastic team to perform in. Especially since the notorious Olympic team doctor was convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of very young female gymnasts over a period of years. He’s 
now serving a life sentence in prison, and I hope he never gets out.
But this year it seems a change is coming. The women’s Norwegian beach volleyball team refused to wear the revealing bikini bottoms preferred by the Olympic powers that be, who are largely male, and instead competed in thigh-length shorts.
The German women’s gymnastic team also appeared in unitards instead of the high-cut, revealing leotards
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