Daily Archives: 10/04/2023
Legendary PHS coach Virgil passes away
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By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — The City of Pickens lost a legend last week when longtime former coach and teacher Andy Virgil passed away at the age of 80.
Virgil, who coached the Pickens JV boys’ basketball, boys’ track and field and tennis teams, is best known for his four-decade tenure as an assistant coach for the Blue Flame football
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Rivalry Romp
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The Easley Green Wave hung stadium record 63 points on county rival Pickens to post a 63-21 region victory. The win was Easley’s first region win of the season. Liberty can’t hang with defending state champion Abbeville falling 40-3 at home and the Daniel Lions gash Walhalla for nearly 600 yards of offense in their 52-10 thrashing of the Razors. Clemson goes on the road to smack around previously unbeaten Syracuse 31-14.
All this and so much is waiting for you to see in this week’s Football Frenzy sponsored by Mountain View Funerals and Cremation and only available each week in the pages of the Pickens County Courier. Don’t miss the very best high school football coverage in the area as Courier Sports Editor Bru Nimmons leads his experience staff of reporter and photographers bring you all the action. Do miss a single issue by subscribing to the Pickens County Courier today. Just go to yourpickenscounty.com or give us a call and get your Courier started. ONLY $36 a YEAR for in county residents.
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Hinkle receives Order of Palmetto
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PICKENS — 50 years to the day he received the Distinguished Dealer Achievement Award for being the first Jeep dealer to ever sell 1,000 new Jeeps in one year, Larry Hinkle received the highest civilian honor a South Carolinian can receive when he was presented with the Order of Palmetto on Saturday.
Hinkle, who owned and operated the World’s Largest Jeep Dealership in Pickens for decades, was awarded the honor by former state senator
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Walk Like MADD held at Clemson
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By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON – One donation at a time, one step at a time, supporters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving South Carolina work to create a
future where there will be no more victims of drunk and drugged driving.
This year’s Walk Like MADD Upstate event was held Sept. 30, for the first time at Clemson University.
WYFF’s Parella Lewis was the event’s emcee.
“A lot of organizations ask us to come and emcee,” she said. “I say no more than I say yes because I have to believe in the organization, that’s
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just me.”
One night driving home after work, Lewis came across an accident scene.
Smelling alcohol on the second driver’s breath, she asked him to exit the car.
“He immediately put his car into reverse and took off,” Lewis said.
She got back in her own and chased him, calling 911.
“He led me right to his house,” Lewis said.
It was not the man’s first drunk driving offense, she said.
“They ended up getting put away for life,” Lewis said.
Lewis received an award from MADD for her actions.
“That was really the first time I knew about MADD,” she said.
Lewis said she’s amazed at MADD’s work “in the here and now” as well as it’s work toward future laws.”
Once again, Hot Spot was one of the sponsors of Walk Like MADD Upstate.
Corporate Manager of Marketing and Merchandising Shawn Holmes presented this year’s donation, a check for $10,000.
“We’ve raised over $117,000 for MADD over the last seven years,” he said.
The Law Offices of Kenneth Berger was another sponsor.
“We handle life-changing injury cases, so we hear a lot of stories from people who’ve been affected by drunk driving, from people who have had catastrophic injuries and deaths in their family,” Director of Marketing & Operations Chelsea Fullerton.
The goal is “to make sure these stories don’t have to happen to more families,” she said.
The family of Charlton Williams was the Honor Family for the 2023 event.
On Thanksgiving night 2020, Charlton’s parents “received a phone call that should only happen in all of our worst nightmares,” Lewis said.
Her “beautiful son” inspired so many people in his life and even in his death, his mother Dawn Williams said.
Before the walk began, Lewis and MADD Victim Services Manager Kimberly Cockrell read a list of names of those killed in crashes caused by drunk or drugged driving. The crowd was asked to repeat the first names of each and a moment of silence was held at the end.
“It’s great that you’re all here, that we’re here together as a family but we all know we shouldn’t be here,” Cockrell said.
MADD Regional Executive Director Steven Burritt recognized contributing sponsors.
Thanks to “a generous friend,” Marjorie Carosiello and the Victor’s Memory team raised more than $61,000. They walk in memory of her son Victor, killed by a drunk driver at 27 years old.
Rhonda Cockrell received the “Heart of MADD” award.
Having checked in on the fundraising tally just before the event began, Burritt said it stood at $98,400.
He believed last year’s event raised around $99,400.
“That close to six figures,” Burritt said. “Maybe we get there this year.”
As of Saturday, fundraising was open for 30 more days, he said.
Visit walklikemadd.org/upstate to donate.
“Maybe this will end up being our first six-figure walk,” Burritt said. “The support is so appreciated because the fight has to go on.”
While over MADD’s history “some incredible changes” have been made in reducing drunk driving crashes, from 2019-2021, drunk driving deaths in South Carolina actually went up 45 percent, he said.
“We can’t accept that kind of backtracking,” Burritt said. “We have to do everything we can. The fight is always going on and we’re glad that you’re here and you’re a part of it.”
After giving MADD SC Hero patches to the first responders at the event, the Williams family then kicked off the walk, leading the group out of the Carillion Gardens on the Clemson campus.
Think pink for breast cancer awareness
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The Courier is going pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of those whose lives have been affected by this devastating disease, we will accent our front page with pink every week of October.
The pink ribbon has been synonymous with breast cancer for years. Nowadays, people rarely think twice when they see pink ribbons, having
Daniel, Easley win Pickens County cross country meet
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PICKENS — Pickens County saw a great showing from all four county high schools at the Pickens County Cross Country championship at Pickens High School on Saturday.
Daniel and Easley reigned supreme in the competition with the Easley boys taking first place, while the Daniel girls tied with the Green Wave
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YAM Alumni performed and competed at International Bluegrass Music Association
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RALEIGH, N.C. — Each year in the early fall our Young Appalachian Musicians/YAM alumni have the ultimate chance to learn, network with other bluegrass enthusiasts, and perhaps perform at a large, international event—IBMA. The International Bluegrass Music Association is held around the first week in October in Raleigh, NC each year.
One of the best opportunities at IBMA is Kids On Bluegrass. Youths under 19 audition from all over the world. The ones who get the coveted
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Cub Scout explore the Upstate
Cub Scouts from Pack 51 rest on a railroad car after touring Stumphouse Tunnel in Oconee County. In addition to the tunnel, the Cub Scouts and their families hiked to the bottom of Issaqueena Falls, explored the rest of the park and finished up with a picnic lunch. Pack 51 meets on Tuesday night, 7pm-8pm at Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens and youth can join the Pack if they are from ages 5 to 10. Please feel free to visit a meeting or if you need more information, please contact pickenstroop51@gmail.com.
Seeing the world with new eyes
Have you ever had a moment — even a few seconds — when you seemed to see the world with “new eyes?”
When something took you out of the “ordinariness” of everyday life, made you aware of the awesome reality of your place in space and time…
I think I’ve come close a few times. You probably have, too.
We spend virtually every moment of our lives doing things, thinking about things or getting ready
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A scam close to home
Ooops. I came very close to falling for a scam just like the ones I always warn against in this column.
The text message on my phone appeared to come from the local pharmacy. The words said that they had questions and would I please call. Included in the text was a link to touch that would dial the number for me …
At the last minute I pulled my hand away and studied the message
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