Library youth programs canceled for book review
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — Users of the Pickens County Library System will experience changes in services More »
County plans new ambulance facility in Pickens
By Mike Pulley Special to the Courier news@thepccourier.com PICKENS — Pickens County is planning to build a new ambulance More »
Daniel girls see season end with third round loss to South Pointe
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com CENTRAL — With a trip to the Upper State championship on the line, the More »
Skardon’s ‘Clemson 8 Challenge’ celebrates legacy of POW heroes
CLEMSON — Long before his death at 104 in 2021, retired U.S. Army Col. Ben Skardon made it his mission More »
IT IS TIME TO VOTE IN THE PICKENS COUNTY COUNTY COURIER’S READERS CHOICE AWARDS
Everyone run out and grab this week’s Pickens County Courier and vote for your favorite businesses in Pickens — and More »
DEW: County unemployment rate falls
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COLUMBIA — The unemployment rate in Pickens County saw a decrease during in the latest jobs report released in late December.
The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) reported that unemployment went down from 4.9 percent in October to 4.8 percent in November.
The fall in unemployment comes just one month after Pickens
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Hillcrest weathervane honors annual tradition in Clemson-Carolina rivalry
PICKENS — When the new Hillcrest office was being built in 1993, Andy Cone convinced the architects to design a weathervane featuring interchangeable Clemson University and University of South Carolina mascots.
Cone was the President of Hillcrest and a lifelong Clemson fan. Hillcrest founder Dwight Holder was at the other end of the spectrum as a Gamecock fan.
Cone remembered growing up in Clemson and watching the six o’clock
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Public safety startup PursuitAlert appoints new CEO
PICKENS — PursuitAlert, a leading innovator in public safety technology founded by former Pickens County Undersheriff Tim Morgan, announced today the appointment of Joe Cameron as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Morgan founded the company to alert citizens of nearby high-speed police pursuits, after having been at the forefront of addressing such challenges as a law enforcement officer until his retirement in 2012. PursuitAlert is part of Upstate Upstarts, a group of technology startups based in Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Seneca, Union, and Cherokee counties.
Under Morgan’s leadership, PursuitAlert has developed innovative solutions to enhance public safety and expanded the service to six states across the nation.
The company’s technology provides real-time alerts, similar to Amber Alerts and weather alerts, about nearby emergency vehicle operations, giving users a 30-45 second notice of potential dangers, such as a police chase, approaching emergency
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Letters to the Editor 1-8-25
A civic resolution for the New Year
Dear Editor,
Would you consider a totally different kind of New Year’s resolution? One that increases your ability to affect your local government?
Would you resolve to attend a single meeting of local elected government body? You have many to choose from — county
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It’s a scary New Year
The New Year is scary because you don’t know what it’s going to bring. It is like Halloween and Christmas mixed together. You have the “monsters” of bad habits you need to fight off while the “ghosts of past mistakes” swirl through your head, 
keeping you awake at night.
As the New Year begins, it is time to reflect on those mistakes and resolve to do better. Making resolutions is a way to commit ourselves to doing better. We
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Making God’s will a priority
Are you confident that God is watching you, listening to your words and searching your heart during times of difficulty or making a request?
It’s not that uncommon to hear people say that sometimes they feel their prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and cannot explain why or how this could be happening. These times of spiritual discouragement are fairly common, but it does not mean that our messages are going to voicemail. He is Omnipresent which means He sees and hears everything instantaneously. Others will testify
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Heavy metals in our dark chocolate
It appears that our beloved dark chocolate candy bars can contain dangerous amounts of lead and cadmium — the dark chocolate we intentionally chose for its health benefits like lower blood pressure and antioxidants that protect cells from 
damage.
Consumer Reports did research to test the levels of lead and cadmium in dark chocolate candy bars. Of the 28 different dark chocolate bars
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New life insurance premium discount
If you have life insurance through the Department of Veterans Affairs, you’ll be pleased about what’s coming in 2025: a discount in your premiums.
Whether you are insured with Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI), your premiums will be
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Courier Obituaries 1-8-25
KENNETH ‘KEN’ RAY RAMEY
MARIETTA — Kenneth “Ken” Ray Ramey, 61, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, at Achieve Rehab and Nursing Center in Anderson.
Born Dec. 15, 1963, in Pickens County, Ken was the son of the late Woodrow James Ramey and Oconna Lycnia Arnold. Ken was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing, and camping.
Survivors include his children, Ashley Thompson of Elko, Nev.; grandchildren, Katherine, Miki, Jesse and Dakotah;
