Monthly Archives: December 2022
The Reason For The Season
Our Gift to you this Christmas season!
We at the Pickens County Courier thought the Christmas season would be a perfect time to show you the love we feel for all of you and the amazing love we get in return.
Christmas is a time of giving. So this year, we are offering the Pickens County Courier Christmas edition to all exactly how it is printed. This issue, shown below, shows the talent and hard work of our staff, the incredible support of our advertisers and community and most of all “THE REASON FOR SEASON.”
Pickens County is like no other place in the world. All in this the community gladly lend a hand when it is needed with none expecting anything in return.
From our subscribers, to those that rush out each Wednesday to grab an issue, to the thousands that purchase ads, to those that send in stories and take pictures for the paper. The Courier is just as much all of your newspaper as it is ours. We are not a company that owns 100 papers. There are just a handful of us as many of you know. But what gives us strength, is the community around us and all those that give of themselves to make the Courier the area’s only true community newspaper. We are locally owned and always will be. Because The Courier is Pickens County’s Newspaper just as Pickens County is our home.
Enjoys this issue and thank you for making PICKENS COUNTY’S FAVORITE NEWSPAPER possible!! Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty.
–Rocky Nimmons/Publisher
Arrest made after man found shot on roadside
EASLEY — A Greenville woman is charged with attempted murder after a man was found lying along the side of U.S. Highway 123 with a gunshot wound.
Renee Lavonne Simon, 55, is charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to a release from Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chuck James.
James said the sheriff’s office received a call at 8:51 p.m. Friday about a suspicious person lying near the edge of the
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Governor suspends indicted Pickens council member
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has suspended a Pickens City Council member who was arrested earlier this year.
Donnie McKinney, 75, was arrested on Oct. 7 and charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office requested that SLED investigate, SLED spokeswoman Renée Wunderlich said at the time.
A warrant alleges that on or about May 20, 2022, McKinney “did engage in sexual battery” by groping and performing
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Highway 11 regulations approved
Ordinance establishes set of development standards
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Pickens County Council voted last week to approve an ordinance that aims to protect S.C. Highway 11 from unmanaged growth.
Third reading of the ordinance occurred at council’s Dec. 5 meeting, capping off more than a year of discussions and public meetings.
A moratorium on commercial development was placed on Highway 11 while the standards were
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Central narrowly OKs controversial noise ordinance
CENTRAL — As it did on first reading, Central Town Council narrowly approved in a 4-3 vote the final reading of a controversial building operations ordinance that 
allows construction sounds around town seven days a week.
Councilwoman Paige Bowers and Councilmen L.C. Hayes, Joe Moss and Ken Dill voted in favor of the second of three proposed options, while Mayor Andrew Beckner, Councilwoman Lynne O’Dell Chapman and Councilman Harry Holladay voted in
opposition. The new ordinance will go into effect immediately. The ordinance allows construction sounds to happen from 7 a.m.-8 p.m., seven days a week.
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Blue Flame girls blast West-Oak
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Hoping to build on their best start in a decade, the Pickens Blue Flame girls’ basketball team hosted West-Oak last Thursday.
Behind a balanced effort and a big day on the boards, the Flame kept their momentum going in a 59-41 win over the Warriors.
“We wanted them to go all gas, and the girls stepped it up,” Pickens head coach Rikki Owens said. “The effort was there down the bench and on the court.”
That effort was apparent to Owens from the start, as the Blue Flame outscored West-Oak 16-6 in the opening quarter behind eight points from Sadie McKinney.
McKinney didn’t stop there, either, as the sophomore forward had a career night, putting up 21 points and
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Daniel boys hold off Hart County
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — After letting a 10-point fourth-quarter lead turn into a one-point deficit, the Daniel High School boys’ basketball team was in dire need of a basket with under two minutes to go against Hart County on Monday night.
Having been accustomed to All-State guard Bobby Taylor taking over in those situations over the past four years, the Lions needed a new face to step up with Taylor now at Newberry College. That face proved to be junior forward Hayden Anderson, as his tough finish with 1:31 left in the contest
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Lady Lions fall short to Bulldogs
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Despite being down for more than 10 minutes, the Daniel High School girls’ basketball team kept its composure enough to cut the lead to five with just 
under four minutes left in the third quarter against Hart County on Monday.
However, the same mistakes that burned the Lions early on came back to bite them again, with turnovers and defensive lapses allowing the Bulldogs to quickly retake control and pull ahead for a 63-47 win.
With buckets from Ashlyn Land and Colleen Dimaio, the Lions felt good about cutting the deficit to 36-31 after trailing by 10 at the break, and Daniel head coach Cosandar Griffin called a timeout to get her team to settle in on the defensive end.
Instead, the Lions gave up back-to-back three-pointers, and by the end of the third they were still down 11
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Pickens boys fall to Warriors
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Things haven’t come easy for the Pickens Blue Flame boys’ basketball team so far this season, but it seemed they were ready to take a step in the right direction as they led 21-18 over West-Oak at halftime of Thursday’s contest.
Instead, a lack of offensive production held the Blue Flame back in a 49-34 loss to the Warriors.
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