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Monthly Archives: April 2024

Inmate dies at detention center

By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — State officials are investigating the death of a Pickens County Detention Center inmate found hanging from a bedsheet last week.

Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chuck James said in a release issued April 9 that an inmate had been found

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Clemson University forestry building to begin construction

By Lauren Pierce
Courtesy The Journal
lpierce@upstatetoday.com

CLEMSON — Construction crews will be out next week as Clemson University gears up for the start of a $68.3 million home for the school’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation.

A news release Thursday from the university announced construction on the new Forestry and

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Gas costs how much?

Nobody likes inflation, especially if it is your waistline that is inflating from eating too many sugary donuts. Waistline inflation is caused from eating too many donuts. Economic inflation is caused from spending too much money to buy those donuts. When demand is high and the money supply

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An optimist chooses to see life differently

The older we are, the more we can see how the world has changed. The Bible reveals the human race fell from God’s favor when Adam and Eve decided to disobey God in the Garden. Since that separation curse, all humans are now born with a depraved nature. Our spirits and minds can be transformed through God’s power, but this does not

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mean the optimist ignores reality or has blind faith. So how can we regain a positive attitude and discover restored spiritual security with our Creator? For those who are truth seekers, God’s word explains the problem of sin, and also reveals the solution is found in Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Whatever your political and theological views, we can agree there is much concern about what is happening around the world and where we are headed as a civilization. We have the Middle-East conflicts that often include Israel, an upcoming presidential election in the fall, and the Christian community predicting the coming of Christ will be soon, just to name a few. A troubling aspect of many people’s disagreements is how they base their opinions on what someone else has told them instead of researching for themselves. Since God knows everything, the best solutions for every problem is to listen to Him, but rarely is this mentioned or sought after.

Amid our worries about the cultural moral decline, advancing artificial intelligence, and our family’s future, everything is not all gloom and doom. God is moving and miracles are being seen all around us. Like you, I read the editorial sections and watch the news, and mostly what I gather is someone repeating over and over how bad everything is. However, we do not need to be bombarded with negativity about how the world is falling apart at the seams. We need to hear that God created all things, and is in total control of everything! We have the choice to jump on the bandwagon of fear, or we can decide to be an agent of change and make a positive difference.

Isn’t it refreshing to know that all is not lost and we can shine for God as bright as we desire? Perspective is a keyword to consider because it allows us to discern and think carefully about what has been said. When someone relays a story, we should remember they are relaying a view of what they believe. For example, when we hear that no one can be trusted in our government and how society is evolving into a majority of mindless zombies, we should realize this is a “glass half empty” view. In reality, many kindhearted and loving individuals are demonstrating what Christ died for them to be. This is not the hour to give up and hang our harps on the willow trees. It’s a day to examine our hearts and choose to obey and fulfill our calling because we love God.

Each day we maneuver our way through the daily grind while trying to maintain our sanity at the same time. Nonetheless, let us be reminded that if we are going to be an information sponge, we should be careful how we interpret what we absorb. Yes, the masses have serious problems, but we should not burn down the forest just to get rid of poison ivy. Everyone is not evil or a dangerous liberal, and neither is every member of the modern generation brainwashed with humanism. No matter what the majority deems politically correct, as Christians we are to be helping build God’s Kingdom with love. This includes praying for those who have yet to meet God. There is a huge difference between spectators who do a lot of complaining and participators who spend their time and energy trying to accomplish God’s will.

May we examine our convictions carefully and be willing to accept and follow God’s truth that sets us free from sin and gives us peace and joy. Be encouraged, the darkness of discouragement will never overcome the eternal light of God’s compassion and mercy. Instead of pointing out all the people who do not care, we could start identifying and appreciating those who do. What will you decide? May we scrutinize our convictions and intentions and be willing to listen and embrace the Alpha and Omega who is, who was, and who is to come.

 

Dr. Holland lives in Central Kentucky with his wife Cheryl, where he is a Christian author, ordained minister, worship leader, and community chaplain. To read more visit: billyhollandministries.com

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Courier Letters to the Editor

Update on Upcountry Fiber

To the Editor,

Most of you the Pickens Courier story entitled, “Upcountry Fiber receives federal grant”. Blue Ridge Electric/ UpCountry Fiber received a $12 million federal grant to push-out its internet service in Pickens County. In total, Blue Ridge will invest $40 to $50 million in Pickens County

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building out its high speed internet service and lay over 2,000 miles of fiber in our county.

First, I want to thank the Blue Ridge Co-op’s board, its managers and all its employees for all the work they’ve done in the Pickens area. A very large majority of the area now has this lightening fast internet service. Pickens was the most under-served area of the county and turned out to be one of the first on the list. Thank you.

Reading the article, most of the focus with this next phase will be in Six Mile in 2024, then Liberty in 2025 and the rest of Dacusville.

Representing the Pickens area, the questions I get pertain to the un-served areas that remain in my district. One area is Walhalla Highway, both above and below the highway. As I wrote before the substations in the Pickens area are at AR Lewis and Holly Springs schools, Tally Bridge Rd and Highway 11, Griffin Church on Highway 8 and at the School District Administration building.

Blue Ridge will focus on getting the substation at Ponderosa Park in Six Mile up and running and then build another at Gap Hill Road (just west of SC 133). Those substations and their fiber lines are scheduled to be installed by the end of 2024. This will primarily light up Six Mile, greater Six Mile, and the Mountain View area with high speed internet. However, these stations will also reach the western part of my district along Walhalla Highway – areas like Mile Creek Rd, Brandy Lane, Stephens Road and others.

On the other side of my district, out Glassy Mountain way, soon they will start work to light up Chinquapin Road. Other spots in that area will depend on the demand and whether or not Blue Ridge Electric serves that area. (Don’t shoot the messenger on this, as I am just relaying what I’m learning.)

Also keep in mind, if your area is not served by Blue Ridge Electric and it doesn’t have Blue Ridge infra-structure in place, it is unlikely the service will make it out your way in this phase of the project. If you want the service and are on the Blue Ridge grid, go to UpCountryFiber.com and put in your address to let them know you want the service. Demand also plays a role as well.

 

Alex Saitta

Pickens, SC

 

 

 

 

Safety amidst Spring cleaning

It’s time to begin my annual spring cleaning, and this year it’s going to be a bit different. Instead of just sticking with the window cleaning, closet organizing and dryer vent vacuuming type of activities, I’m going to concentrate on safety.

Grab bar in the shower: I’m going to bite the

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No ‘one-size fits all’

Service-connected injuries and conditions for which you can receive compensation can be either physical or mental. But there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to how much compensation you can receive. Whether it’s hearing loss or depression, or cancer or PTSD, each one has a

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Courier Obituaries 4-17-24

BONNIE LUCILLE PORTER BARNETT

ATLANTA, Ga. — Bonnie Lucille Porter Barnett, a tender-hearted mother, loving wife, grandmother and great-grandmother who was best known for her guitar playing and her cheerful personality, slipped the surly bonds of earth on Monday, April 8, 2024.

She was barely two months shy of her 99 birthday.

The solar eclipse’s path of totality passed over the land of her nativity on the day she departed, a fitting tribute to a life lived in spreading sunshine to those around her.

She spent her final years at the Park Springs retirement community adjacent to Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. At Park Springs, she led an old-time musical group called the Stone Mountaineers, which brought much joy to her and to her family and the community.

She wrote and recorded many songs of faith, family and friends over the years. She was honored recently at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University for her pioneering role as a guitar teacher in the Clemson community.

She was the wife of the late Dr. Bobby D. Barnett, in a marriage of nearly 72 years.

Lions’ McCrary shuts down Crescent

By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com

CENTRAL — With control of the Western 3A on the line, the Daniel High School baseball team turned to ace Ian McCrary against the third-ranked Crescent Tigers on Wednesday night.

McCrary more than lived up to his title as the junior pitcher struck out nine Crescent batters

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Green Wave shutout Pickens for fourth straight region win

By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com

EASLEY — After some early season struggles to put goals on the board, the Easley High School girls’ soccer team had seemingly found some momentum heading into their rivalry region matchup with Pickens on Friday night.

The Green Wave continued to roll against their rivals getting payback for their region opening loss to the Flame with a 4-0 win for their fourth consecutive region victory.

“Today’s performance was spectacular,” Easley head coach Paul Horn said. “Our passing from our first matchup to now has improved 100 percent. One of our struggles from the beginning of the year was finding the back of the net, but we’re finding it a lot easier now.”

The Green Wave, who scored just one goal in their first five games of the season, have been on a tear since their March 18 battle with Westside, outscoring opponents 19-6 and battling their way back into the thick of the Region 1-4A race.

Easley looked like a team on a mission from the start of the action as they controlled possession for much of the first 15 minutes including close calls on shots by Macie Elrod and Olivia Hazel before Maddy Caples finally snuck a shot by Pickens goalkeeper Kyleigh Sarayusa in the 17th minute to give the Wave 1-0 lead.

Pickens put together its best play down the stretch in the first half with Sarayusa doing all she could to keep the Wave from adding another goal, while Lilly Kutilek and Emerson McCall gave them their best shots to tie the game before halftime.

In the second half it was all Easley, as the Wave continued to maintain possession and get chances on the net before Anna Huntyr Hemphill finally broke through on a goal in the 55th minute to boost the lead to 2-0.

Caples and Elrod kept giving the Green Wave chances in the following minutes before Caples picked up her brace with a rocket of a shot near the edge of the box that went screaming into the upper right corner of the net to put Easley ahead 3-0 with 13 minutes left in the game.

The bleeding continued for Pickens as Hazel took a pass from Kinsley Altop and scored once again just two minutes later to put the Wave ahead 4-0 and Easley rode the win out from there leaving Pickens head coach Kimberly Bright disappointed in the Flame’s effort.

“We didn’t step onto the field with our best effort,” Pickens head coach Kimberly Bright said. “We’re definitely a much better team than we showed out there. A lot of it was we weren’t connecting very well to feet.”

While the Green Wave have started to peak over the past few weeks, Pickens has struggled to maintain its early season form. The Blue Flame have dropped three of four in region and been outscored 19-2 in that stretch, but Bright is still hopeful that the team can bounce back with two weeks left in the regular season.

“It’s tough when you have a team with such high potential and they don’t always see the potential in themselves,” Bright said. “They can start to tear each other down, so we’ve been focusing on the family atmosphere within our team and building an uplifting environment for each other.”

Meanwhile, the Wave are looking to continue their strong play in the final weeks and secure a top two seed in their region.

“I just have to motivate the girls to keep doing what they’re doing,” Horn said.

 

Easley 4, Pickens 0

 

PHS 0 0 — 0

EHS 1 3 — 4

 

Scoring

 

First Half

EHS — Caples, 17’

 

Second Half

EHS — Hemphill, 55’

EHS — Caples, 67’

EHS — Hazel (Altop), 69’