Category Archives: Local News
Ex-Liberty police chief joins PCSO
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — One of the latest hires at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office is a familiar face to Liberty 
residents and the area law enforcement community.
On Feb. 4, the sheriff’s office announced on Facebook that former Liberty Police Chief Adam Gilstrap had joined the agency as a deputy.
“Deputy Gilstrap comes to us with 18 years of prior law enforcement
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Former OCSO deputy charged in Pickens County
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON — A former Oconee County Sheriff’s Office deputy faces charges following an investigation 
requested by the Clemson Police Department.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Justin Alan Pelfrey, 36, of Seneca, with misconduct in office and public official misconduct in office on Feb. 7, SLED spokeswoman Renée Wunderlich said in a release.
SLED’s investigation was requested by the Clemson Police Department, she said.
A warrant claims that Pelfrey, while acting in his official capacity as an Oconee County
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County Council set to receive funding to tackle opioid issues
By Evan Smoak
Courtesy The Journal
evan@upstatetoday.com
PICKENS — Pickens County will soon see a funding boost for opioid use prevention measures.
Pickens County Council voted unanimously last week to accept money from the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund (SCORF), which will be used to fund salaries of two community paramedics
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Giving back
Members of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) participated in the statewide packing event for Greg’s Groceries this past Friday in Columbia. Greg’s Groceries was founded in 2017 in honor of fallen officer Greg Alia. The organization provides food boxes to law enforcement, enabling positive interactions with the community when the opportunity arises to meet basic needs. PCSO was able to bring back 50 boxes to provide to our deputies for distribution. To learn more about this organization and what they are doing in our communities, visit serveandconnect.org
DEW: County unemployment rate sees big fall in December
COLUMBIA — The unemployment rate in Pickens County saw a big decrease during in the latest jobs 
report released in late January.
The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) reported that unemployment went down from 4.8 percent in November to 3.9 percent in December.
The fall in unemployment comes just one month after Pickens County saw its jobless rate fall 0.1 percentage point from 4.9 percent in October.
DEW also reported 2,362 county residents were
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Now open in Pickens
The new Mommy To Bee and Nursery Time Furniture is now open at The Market at the Mill in Pickens. The new Boutique held its formal grand opening on Feb. 1. Owner Lorilee Davis invites the community to come visit Pickens’ newest business. Mommy To Bee and Nursery Time Furniture is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Pictured are Davis and Market at the Mill manager Benji Raines.
Pickens DUI suspect indicted for illegally entering country
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A man arrested in Pickens in December was indicted last month for unlawfully entering the United States after three previous deportations.
A federal grand jury in Greenville returned a single-count indictment against Sergio Ixtepan-Toto, 36, of Mexico, for unlawfully entering the United States, according to a release from
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Robbery suspect arrested earlier by Pickens PD
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — A woman accused of stealing a convenience store employee’s car at gunpoint in Six Mile in 
January had been arrested the previous month after leading Pickens police on a high-speed chase that ended in her being shocked with a taser.
According to a Pickens Police Department incident report, Cpl. Austin Burton saw a blue Mitsubishi traveling at 54 mph in a 35
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Local domestic violence resource seeks support
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — While a local resource for survivors of domestic violence has been providing assistance using private donations, that is getting harder as the need grows and more victims become aware that it is available to them.
Joe Looper discussed Channel Missions and The Hiding Place, one of its programs, with local
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SLED probing shooting of Pickens County suspect
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has confirmed it is investigating the Greenville County officer-involved shooting death of the suspect in a Pickens County armed robbery 
last month.
Sean Michael Scates, 45, of Mauldin was shot and killed by Greenville County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Jan. 23, according to authorities.
On Jan. 23, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brett
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