Category Archives: Local News
Deep Winter Blues Fest returns
PICKENS — Local residents will have a chance to warm up their winter with the soulful sounds of the Piedmont Blues at Hagood Mill Historic Site’s annual Deep Winter Blues Festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 
Saturday, Feb. 15.
The beloved event celebrates the rich blues history of Upstate South Carolina, bringing together exceptional performers and timeless traditions for a day of music, culture and fun.
This year’s headliners include Chuck Beattie, a Chicago-style blues legend known as “Dr. Blues,” and Veronika Jackson, whose acoustic folk style blends African-American culture and authentic storytelling.
Joining them are celebrated performers Freddie Vanderford, Steve McGaha and David Donar, showcasing the Piedmont blues’ vibrant legacy.
Beyond the music, the festival will feature:
- Folklife and traditional arts demonstrations: Watch artisans and living history demonstrators in action and shop for unique, handcrafted treasures.
- Kids’ activities: Fun for the whole family.
- 1845 water-powered gristmill in operation: Witness a piece of history grinding fresh stone-ground cornmeal, grits and flours, available for purchase alongside Hagood Mill cookbooks and other items.
The event will take place at the enclosed Heritage Pavilion, heated for visitors’ comfort. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs and dress warmly to enjoy the festival atmosphere.
Admission is $8 per person or $10 at the gate, and children 12 and under are free. Admission includes access to the Hagood Mill Historic Site, the Heritage Pavilion and the South Carolina Petroglyph Site. Proceeds support the site’s operations.
Located at 138 Hagood Mill Road, just off U.S. Highway 178 near Pickens, Hagood Mill Historic Site operates Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., year-round.
For more details, call (864) 898-2936, visit visithagoodmill.com or follow the site on Facebook @visithagoodmill.
Located in the heart of Pickens, Hagood Mill Historic Site proclaims itself “a treasured destination dedicated to preserving and celebrating the region’s rich cultural heritage.”
Established in 1845, the site features a historic gristmill, cultural exhibits and a vibrant calendar of events showcasing traditional arts, music and history.
Home to the South Carolina Rock Art Center, Hagood Mill serves as a hub for education, discovery and preservation of Native American rock art and other significant cultural artifacts.
Through its programs and initiatives, the site “fosters a deep connection to the past while inspiring future generations to appreciate and protect South Carolina’s unique history,” according to a news release.
Community Calendar 1-29-25
• Dacusville Lions to host monthly bingo
The Dacusville Lions Club will be hosting Bingo night on the second Thursday of each month at the Lions Building in Dacusville, located at 1384 Thomas Mill Road.
The next Bingo session will be Thursday, Feb. 13. 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
Legislators urged to pass hate crime bill
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — South Carolina is one of only two states without a hate crimes law, something that some residents hope the Pickens County Legislative Delegation will help change this session.
Central resident Rosa Grayden is a lifetime member of the Pickens County chapter of the NAACP.
Speaking at the delegation’s annual meeting on Jan. 13 in Pickens, she said she was representing Shelia Crawford, the
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Florida man hit, killed in Dacusville
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
DACUSVILLE — A Florida man died last week after being hit by a vehicle in Dacusville.
Pickens County Coroner Andrew Wilson identified the victim as Erik Jon Falle, 46, of Ormond Beach, Fla.
The collision occurred at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, on Cherokee Trail near Thomas Mill Road, according to South
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Cooper speaks on PC airport’s impact, needs
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Members of the Pickens County Legislative Delegation received an update last week on the economic impact the state’s airports deliver.
Former Pickens County Airport director Skeets Cooper represents District 3 on the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission and spoke at the delegation’s annual meeting on Jan. 13 in Pickens.
“I like to keep you informed on what’s going on with our airports,” he said.
In 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration did a study on the economic impact of aviation in South Carolina.
“A lot of people do not understand the economic impact that a general airport has in the
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Clemson Region SBDC suports small businesses when they need it most
CLEMSON — For small businesses across the Upstate, the Clemson Region SBDC has played an instrumental role in their business journey. Housed within the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, the Clemson Region SBDC provides 
free consulting, training programs and access to resources to hundreds of South Carolina small businesses each year.
In the past five years, more than 8,000 small businesses and entrepreneurs have been served by the Clemson Region SBDC, an equivalent of 19,341 consulting
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Hagood Mill launches rock art preservation project
PICKENS — The Hagood Mill Historic Site has announced the launch of the Hagood Mill Foundation Rock Art Project, a new initiative dedicated to the recording, protection and preservation of culturally significant rock art in South Carolina 
and the surrounding regions.
The project builds on the legacy of the South Carolina Rock Art Survey and addresses the growing loss of rock art due to development, environmental factors,
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Courier Community Calendar 1-22-25
• Dacusville Lions to host monthly bingo
The Dacusville Lions Club will be hosting Bingo night on the second Thursday of each month at the Lions Building in Dacusville, located at 1384 Thomas Mill Road.
The next Bingo session will be Thursday, Feb. 13. 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
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Winter Wonderland
Pickens County saw its first major winter storm in nearly three years last week giving residents a chance to have some fun in the elements before it began to melt away. Pictured above is Opie Gilstrap enjoying a sled ride during the winter weather event.
Blankenship talks about goals as sheriff
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — At the Dec. 30 meeting of Pickens United, Tommy Blankenship was still sheriff-elect.
He has now begun his term as sheriff.
Beginning his portion of the meeting, Blankenship thanked outgoing Sheriff Rick Clark “first and foremost for his service to the citizens of Pickens County, to his leadership we’ve had at the agency.”
“But most of all, after attending sheriff’s school in Columbia the week before Thanksgiving, I got a little insight to what it’s like to come into a hostile environment,” he said. “There are other new sheriffs that are nowhere near as welcomed at their agency as I am, nor have they been afforded the things that Sheriff Clark has given me, with the latitude to start taking over, to start working on the budget requests, the capitol
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