Category Archives: Local News
Sassafras Mountain: SC’s majestic peak
By Kimberly Rogers
Special to the Courier
news@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — A gentle breeze rustles through the trees on Sassafras Mountain on a recent midsummer morning, offering a welcome relief from the typical summer heat.
The morning was beautiful and clear with low humidity, conditions perfect for exploring and observing. As we stood on the observation deck, wispy clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky, occasionally casting shadows on the verdant slopes below. It’s against this idyllic backdrop that we delve into the fascinating history of this natural landmark,
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Courier Community Calendar 7-31-24
• Flame Booster Club plans fundraisers
The new Blue Flame Athletic Booster Club is planning a pair of events.
The first will be a Back-to-School Bash on Aug. 2. The event will be a fun-filled evening featuring live music, inflatables, a $10-per-plate barbecue, a raffle and more.
The event will offer an opportunity to connect with the community, meet Pickens High School athletes and learn about the booster club and its mission at the school.
The second will be a House of Raeford fresh bulk chicken sale. The sale is planned for Aug. 10 from 9 a.m.-noon. Those interested can order fresh chicken online until Aug. 8 at noon and pick it up at the designated time.
To order, visit https://houseofraeford.store/collections/pickens-sc-8-10-24.
To learn more about the Blue Flame Athletic Booster Club, visit https://pbfboosters.square.site.
• Hee Haw plans a return to Hagood
The Hagood Community Center is planning an all-new presentation of the community’s favorite comedy/musical show, “Hee Haw.”
The center has a new cast, some new songs and plenty of new jokes that will send visitors home with a smile on their face. There will be two showings on Saturday, Aug. 3, with the first show at 4 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. A full house is expected for both presentations, so showgoers are urged to get their tickets early at the center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and are limited to the auditorium’s capacity. All proceeds will benefit the Hagood Community Center. The center will also have a hamburger dinner available from 5:30-7 p.m. so patrons do not have to rush home to prepare dinner. The meal will include a hamburger with all the trimmings, baked beans, slaw, chips, and tea or water to drink. The hamburger meal will be $8 and tickets can also be purchased in advance at the center during the hours listed above
• Anderson family reunion is August 25
The family of Joseph Rugless Anderson and Nancy “Nealy” Anderson will hold its annual reunion on Sunday, Aug. 25, at Mountain Grove Baptist Church, located at 644 E. Preston McDaniel Road in Pickens. Lunch will be served at 1 p.m.
• Legion Post 67 seeks new members
American Legion Post 67 in Liberty is accepting applications for membership from all U.S. military wartime veterans. For more information, call (864) 787-2322.
• Dacusville Lions to host monthly bingo
The Dacusville Lions Club will be hosting Bingo night on the third Thursday of each month at the Lions Building in Dacusville, located at 1384 Thomas Mill Road.
The next Bingo session will be Thursday, August 21. There are set to be 10 games beginning at 7 p.m., and proceeds will go toward funding community events and other community needs.
The games should conclude around 9 p.m. Bingo night will be a family-friendly event, and monetary prizes will be available. Cards are $1 each, with no limit on the number of cards that can be purchased for each round. For more information, contact Bob Spalding at (864) 430-0119 or bob@bobspalding.net.
• Dillard/Hillcrest to restart H.O.P.E.
Dillard Memorial Funeral Home and Hillcrest Memorial Park have announced the renewal of its H.O.P.E Ministries program.
The program, which helps others through programs and the exchange of ideas and information, will host its next meeting on August 13. “We are pleased to offer this as a support system for families in our community and surrounding areas who have experienced a loss,” said Tanya Gravely, general manager of Dillard Memorial Funeral Home.
Meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 10-11 a.m. at Dillard Memorial Funeral Home with the Rev. Lewis Edwards, community relations and director of H.O.P.E. For more information, call (864) 878-6371.
• Pickens Rotary meets Wednesdays
The Rotary Club of Pickens meets at 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Pickens County Museum. Guests are invited to the meetings to learn the 20 reasons to join Rotary.
• Legion Post 52 to meet on 4th Tuesday
American Legion Post 52 officials invite all military veterans to join them in Easley. Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Post building at 310 Pope Field Road in Easley.
• Sertoma Club invites locals to meet
The Clemson Sertoma Club invites all local residents to attend its meetings.
The club meets at noon the first and third Tuesdays of each month at Occasions at Wedgefield, located at 1551 Eighteen Mile Road in Central.. New visitors are always welcome.
• Fleet Reserve meets on third Saturday
Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 15 meets on the third Saturday of each month at Chicopee United Methodist Church, located at 403 S. Catherine St. in Walhalla. Meeting time is 9 a.m., with breakfast served at 8:30 a.m.
The Fleet Reserve is open to all veterans of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Contact Tom Smith at (864) 868-9397 or fleetrevbrn015@gmail.com for more information.
• Widowed persons group meets in Easley
Moving Forward, a widowed persons group meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Silver Bay Restaurant at 7027 Highway 123 in Easley. For more information, call Marian Huskins at (864) 270-6032
Man charged with Central murder
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — A man has been charged with murder after a shooting in Central on Saturday night.
According to a Sunday morning news release from Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Brett Barwick, authorities received a 911 call at 11:25 p.m. Saturday about a man being injured in a shooting in Central.
Upon arrival, deputies found a man with an apparent gunshot
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Pickens to pull out of joint water system
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Less than five years after forming the Pickens Joint Regional Water System (PJRWS) along with other 
local municipalities and water districts, the city of Pickens has voted to withdraw from the group, citing other needs with the city’s infrastructure that have led to discolored water, water main breaks and other persistent issues, as well as higher costs to the city under the previous plan.
“Our primary goal is to ensure that the residents and businesses of Pickens have access to a reliable and sustainable water supply as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Mayor Isaiah Scipio said in a news release issued by the city. “After extensive study, we have decided withdrawing from the PJRWS is in the best interest of our community.”
The decision came with its dissenters, as Scipio and Councilman Floyd Rogers were drawn into a heated argument over whether the measure should move forward without unanimous support from city council before the vote ultimately passed 5-1 at a special called meeting on Monday afternoon.
TEMPERS FLARE
With five years of work on the planning of the local plant already completed and USDA funding for the plant expected
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One killed in Pickens crash
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A Salem woman died Monday after a two-vehicle collision on S.C. Highway 11 in northern Pickens 
County.
Pickens County chief deputy coroner Andrew Wilson identified the victim as Emily Whitten Hafner, 30, of Cross Creek Road in Salem.
The collision occurred at 9:24 a.m. Monday, on S.C. 11 near Sliding Rock Road, two
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Nimmons, Wright lauded by SC Press Association
COLUMBIA — Two Pickens County Courier staff members were honored by the South Carolina Press Association recently for their work in 2023-24.
In the SCPA’s advertising Palmy Awards and in the annual SCPA News Contest, Courier graphic artist Emily Wright and sports editor/staff reporter Bru Nimmons received awards voted on by their peers in the newspaper industry.
Wright, a longtime ad designer and graphic artist who has been with the paper since its inception, received three first-place awards and two third-place awards in the recently announced Palmy awards. Wright won first place in the under-7,500 circulation category in
Professional Services for Robinson Funeral Home. The judges’ comments were “I loved the simplicity and elegance of the ad. The message was heartfelt, but not over the top.”
Wright also took a first-place win in the open division in the Gifts category for her Christmas ad designed for Pace Jewelers. “I liked the cleverness of the Santa tagline and the cohesiveness of the Christmas graphics. All-around great job,” judges commented.
To add to her first-place wins, Wright took gold for her Shuckin’ Shack ad in the under-7,500 category for Restaurants and Night Life ads. “Simple but effective. Catchy headline that pairs well with excellent art, color and font choice,” judges said.
Wright also took third-place awards in the open division for Public Service and Holiday ads with Pickens County Animal Shelter and Easley Audiology winning, respectively.
The honors pushed Wright’s total for S.C. Press Association Palmy Awards to 146 in her career at the Pickens County Courier.
“We are so thankful to have Emily as part of the Courier family,” Courier publisher Rocky Nimmons said of the talented designer. “She has been here with us since the beginning, and her talent has been one of the main reasons for our success. Emily’s ability to turn any ad into a head-turner is simply amazing. It is a true gift that everyone who advertises with us is given. She is a generational talent at what she does, and we are so thankful for her.”
Earlier in the year, the S.C. Press Association announced the best of the best on the editorial side of things, with Nimmons taking center stage by bringing home two first-place awards.
Nimmons spearheaded the Courier’s annual Football Frenzy preview section alongside talented writers Eugene Jolleyand Ryan Davenport, and photographers Kerry Gilstrap, Tommy McGaha and Van Hope to earn first place for Sports Section or Magazine. Judges said of his work, “Love the overall look and feel of the section. Very clean and easy to read. I want to see some of your other stuff.”
“Bru and the work of the staff he brings together each year for the Courier’s Football Frenzy is second to none. We pride ourselves on the product we produce, and Bru has taken on the incredible amount of work that is required with gusto and pushes to make it better with each issue from week to week. Bru has taken the guidance and foundation that our longtime editor Zack Mauldin has laid down and pushed to become the best,” Courier publisher Rocky Nimmons said. “Our motto has always been that we can’t get any of the hardworking young players a scholarship, but we can get them noticed, and Bru and his staff do that each and every week.”
On the other side of the coin, Bru Nimmons’ work in hard news also garnered him a first-place finish in the all-weekly division for Investigative Reporting for his story “PAC Board appeals to county council for investigation.” The story covered Pickens County Performing Arts Center board members seeking an investigation for mismanagement of the center before their appointment.
“This investigative reporting award proves what we’ve been saying for a while now — he’s still a young man, but Bru is already one of the most well-rounded newspaper professionals in the Upstate,” Mauldin said. “We’re proud of his growth in the business, and his future is very bright. We — and our readers — are fortunate to have him at the Courier.”
“The Courier prides itself on being the favorite newspaper in Pickens County,” Nimmons added. “Our product and circulation bear that out. Without the incredible talent of the people who work here, that statement would not be true. A community newspaper is only as strong as the community that supports it. It is because of you that we are able to bring everyone the best newspaper in Pickens County every single week.”
Pickens County introduces new way to contact 911
PICKENS — Pickens County has announced a new way for residents to contact 911, according to a Pickens County social media post.
Residents can now text 911. This change was implemented in hopes of creating an easier way for residents who are hearing impaired, have a speech disability, are in an unsafe environment, have phone anxiety or can not make
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Woman sentenced to 55 years in Prison Empire case
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A woman was sentenced in a Pickens County court last week to more than 50 years in prison for her role 
in a drug trafficking organization investigators have called “Prison Empire.”
The Prison Empire investigation targeted a drug trafficking
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YAM alumni win scholarship awards to honor Ryan Hood
PICKENS — Last year, the family of Ryan Hood — a young, talented musician who was killed in an accident — 
decided to honor their son by establishing a scholarship fund in his memory.
They had more than $10,000 donated to the fund, and last year were
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DAR holds annual awards program
COUNTY — Fort Prince George Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) gave out 10 awards to Pickens County students at its recent annual Student Awards Day. More than 60 family members and friends of the award
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