Monthly Archives: January 2023
Man charged with exploiting minors
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A Pickens man was arrested last month on charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors, according to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Lewis Matthew Hardenbrook, 34, was arrested on Dec. 21, Wilson said in a release last week.
Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that led them to Hardenbrook, Wilson said.
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest, he said.
The crimes were allegedly occurring at a home in Pickens, according to a Pickens County Sheriff’s Office release.
Investigators allege Hardenbrook engaged in criminal sexual conduct with a minor and produced multiple files of child
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
COVID-19 case numbers on rise in county
COUNTY — COVID-19 levels are on the rise again, in both South Carolina and across the country.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported in a Monday news release that numbers have risen steadily since the week ending Oct. 
29, when the agency recorded 3,459 cases. DHEC recorded 10,481 cases for the week ending on Dec. 31.
“Fortunately, we have not seen a significant uptick in severe cases, meaning those that end in hospitalizations and deaths,” DHEC public health director Dr. Brannon Traxler said. “We want that trend to continue, and masking when recommended is
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Red Devils taken down by seventh-ranked Landrum
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — After picking up their first win of the season two days earlier against Crescent, the Liberty High School boys’ basketball team knew they would have their 
work cut out for them against the seventh-ranked Landrum Cardinals on Thursday night.
The Red Devils (1-13, 0-1 Region I-2A) seemed ready for the challenge early on, but the lengthy, athletic Cardinals (14-3, 1-0) outmatched them on the boards and wore them down in the second half as Liberty dropped its region opener, 75-50.
All told, the Cardinals outrebounded Liberty 43-18 on the night, with 13 offensive rebounds alone, leading to second and third chance opportunities that the Red Devils were unable to keep up with.
“We knew coming into it that rebounding was going to have to be a point of emphasis,” Liberty head
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Liberty girls fall to Cardinals
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — Opening up region play against arguably the toughest team in their conference, the Liberty Red Devil girls’ basketball team didn’t seem fazed early on as 
they trailed just 13-8 after one quarter against the Landrum Cardinals on Thursday night.
However, missed opportunities at the charity stripe and an overall lack of offensive production were too much for Liberty to overcome despite a solid effort in a 35-19 loss.
“We had a few lapses, but I thought our girls played really well,” Liberty head coach Gregg Thomas said.
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Green Wave drop close game to Wildcats
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Battling back from an eight-point deficit, the Easley Green Wave entered the fourth quarter with all the momentum on their side tied at 49-49 against the Woodmont Wildcats last Tuesday before letting the lead slip back to eight with less than two minutes to go.
Having done it once before, Easley went to work on the comeback, getting two baskets from senior forward Jayvion Leavell, including a huge putback with 17 seconds left to keep the Green Wave alive. Easley quickly fouled Woodmont’s Dre Huff, and despite making almost every basket to that point in a 30-point effort, Huff missed the front end of the one-and-one to give Easley a chance, but a crucial Leavell turnover on the ensuing possession ended Easley’s chances in a 62-58 loss.
“I told the guys we’re not good enough to overcome a lot of errors,” Easley coach Michael Jones said. “We did some things that obviously hurt ourselves. We had a stretch where we had four straight pretty bad turnovers in the first half, and we gave up too many offensive rebounds.”
After an opening basket from Carson Freeze, the Green Wave quickly fell behind as they struggled to contain Huff. Huff scored 10 points in the opening quarter to start his electric night, but Easley kept things close enough behind baskets from Leavell and senior guard Todd Williams.
Trailing 16-10, Easley used the sharpshooting skills of Ethan Crews and Kaleb Owens to tie the game at 18-18. A technical foul on leading scorer Kristian Chapman threatened Easley’s momentum, but Williams hit an and-one layup on the ensuing possession to give Easley its first lead of the night, 21-19. The Green Wave were unable to lead for long, though, with Huff scoring seven more points down the stretch in the quarter as Easley struggled with possession and rebounding, allowing the Wildcats to retake control with a 37-31 lead at the half.
Coming out of the break, the Green Wave cut into the deficit with ease as an 8-0 run bolstered by three-pointers from Owens and Chapman tied the game before Huff went on another scoring tear. This time, though, the Green Wave matched him, with Chapman hitting two huge shots and Crews nailing a couple of free throws to tie things at 49-49 heading to
the fourth.
Woodmont refused to go down easy as they opened the fourth on a 10-3 run, but Easley was as resilient as ever. Leavell carried the Easley offense down the stretch scoring seven of his team-high 17 points in the final quarter cutting the lead to four, but five missed free throws and the final, crucial turnover clouded his impact on the game as Easley fell 62-58.
“He’ll be fine,” Jones said of Leavell. “He is a competitor and he really wants to win. I know he is frustrated right now, but he is going to come back to work tomorrow.”
Despite the loss and disappointing start to the season, Jones was happy with the effort for his team in the loss especially after their prior play against the Wildcats and he feels good about his team as they head into region play.
“I’m really very proud of the guys,” Jones said. “We’re talking going to the wire with a team that beat us in the J.L. Mann Christmas tournament by 30. It’d be nice to have some of the games we lost this year back, but we our main focus is region play and we think we can be competitive.”
Woodmont 62, Easley 58
WHS 16 21 12 13 — 62
EHS 10 21 18 9 — 58
Easley (58) — Leavell 17, Owens 11, Williams 10, Chapman 8, Crews 8, Freeze 3.
Woodmont (62) — Huff 30, Kellett 9, Stewart 9, Ainslie 4, Bentley 4, Parry 4, Streetman 2.
Easley girls can’t keep up against second-ranked Woodmont
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Falling behind 9-0 at the start of a matchup with Class 5A’s second-ranked Woodmont Wildcats last week, the Easley Green Wave girls’ basketball team needed to defend at its highest level and stop turning the ball over.
The Green Wave were able to do that for the rest of the first half, cutting the Wildcat lead to 20-19 at the break, but just couldn’t keep up for the full 32 minutes in a 50-35 loss on Jan. 3.
“My concern was they started the game on a 9-0 run because of turnovers,” Easley head coach Ivan Raymond said. “We were able to get back in the game because we
cleaned it up, but we got much worse with it in the second half, and it caught up with us.”
On the night, the Green Wave committed 26 turnovers, with the lion’s share coming in the second half, leaving Raymond pleading with his team to take care of the basketball.
“The kids just have to understand that they have to be comfortable with the ball,” Raymond said. “Too many times turnovers get the best of us, and until we put the time in to get better with it, it will continue to be an issue.”
Turnovers were a major factor in Easley falling behind 9-0 at the start, but the Green Wave showed a lot of fight, battling back with a 13-4 run over the final five minutes of the quarter aided by baskets from forwards Olivia Gramblin and Reagan Horn to head to the second quarter tied at 13-13.
The game slowed in the second quarter, with neither side gaining much traction offensively. Easley led for much of the quarter, with baskets by Horn, Anaya Sligh and Mattison Hayes keeping the Wave ahead until Woodmont’s Anaya Muhammad hit a three-pointer just before the break to give the Wildcats a 20-19 halftime lead.
Early baskets from Hayes and Gramblin gave Easley life to start the second half, but the turnovers and a lack of offensive cohesion allowed the Wildcats to regain control and take a 36-29 lead into the fourth. Things didn’t improve for Easley in the final frame, as the Green Wave managed just six points in the quarter, while the Wildcats continued to roll on the way to the win.
While disappointed with the loss, Raymond still believes his team has the potential for a memorable season as it prepares for region play.
“Right now I think we’re at a crossroads where the girls have to think about what they actually want,” Raymond said. “I’ve said before that they have a chance to do something special this year, but you have to be willing to do the work. My challenge to them all year has been, ‘Are you going to put the time in so that you don’t get uncomfortable when someone gets in your face?’”
The 8-5 Green Wave opened region play on Tuesday against Greenwood, with results unavailable at press time.
Woodmont 50, Easley 35
WHS 13 7 16 14 — 50
EHS 13 6 10 6 — 35
Easley (35) — Horn 12, Gramblin 7, Hayes 4, Leach 4, McKinney 4, Eron 2, Sligh 2.
Woodmont (50) — Muhammad 18, Nesbitt 12, Stewart 9, Chambers 4, Earle 4, Pullman 2, Thurman 1.
Bowers reelected council chairman
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Chris Bowers was reelected as chairman of Pickens County Council last week.
At the start of the Jan. 3 meeting, Pickens County Probate Judge David Allison administered the oath of office to the two members of county council.
“Congratulations to Claiborne Linvill of District 1 and Chris Lollis of District 2,” Allison said. “We all appreciate your efforts in joining the leadership of this county.”
The state Constitution of 1895 requires the oath of office, he said.
“Every officer of this state, since then — the last 127 years — from the governor on down has taken this same oath,” Allison
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
The spiritual serenity of simplicity and stillness
I was peeling a turnip the other day — it was New Year’s Day, actually — when thoughts began to occur to me.
Not that this is a rare occurrence, me having thoughts. Peeling turnips is a rarity, though.
But as I contemplated the purplish, globe-shaped vegetable in my hand, here at the beginning of a new year, it seemed as though I began to be enveloped by a serene, golden glow.
There I was, standing over the kitchen sink in front of a window that looked out upon a wintry scene of bare trees. Gray on gray.
And in the tactile sensation of slicing away with rapid but cautious strokes at the chilled root’s northern hemisphere, I thought of my grandma.
I’m not sure if I actually have a memory of her peeling turnips. But I thought of her — Grandma Porter, my mother’s mama, born in 1889. And I felt somehow connected to a time when the world was less technologically busy.
Electricity hadn’t even come to the Ozarks yet when my mom was growing up. They cooked on a wood stove and got their water from a bucket in a well, like pioneers.
Grandma was a hard worker, but kind and gentle — and never in a hurry. I don’t think she ever got mad, or stressed. She lived well into her 80s.
My mom is much like her. Except for using a walker to get around, she is exactly the same as she’s always been,
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
Accomplishing His will is our purpose
It’s disappointing to God that most people are usually more concerned about what they want in life than asking Him what He requires of them. Since our eyes were 
opened in the garden, our fleshly nature specializes in the skills of compromising and justifying. Self-deception is common.
Only a few will take the responsibility to obey Him and get serious about dedicating their lives to being a living sacrifice for Him. Yes, included with the blessings of this life is being accountable.
You might have heard the unpopular verse found in Revelation 3:16 where John relays what Jesus thinks about the
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
VA looking to hire more employees for PACT Act
PACT is officially up and running as of the first of the year. PACT, aka Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, extends health care and benefits to veterans 
who were exposed to toxins around the globe and who subsequently became ill with an expanded number of presumptives. The key feature of PACT is that veterans no longer have to fight to prove where their illness came from. It’s “presumed” the illness was the result of the toxins in the environment where they served.
Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been on a massive hiring blitz to fill positions in support of the
You must be logged in to view this content.
Subscribe Today or Login
