Local residents, businesses provide aid to neighbors, WNC after Helene
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — Following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, many people in the Pickens More »
This WEEK in FOOTBALL FRENZY
Swinney becomes ACC’s winningest coach in road victory over FSU; Wave announce 2024 Hall of Fame class and Red Devils More »
SCHSL approves changes to prep sports calendar
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com COLUMBIA — With high school sports around the state thrown into disarray over the More »
Courier Letters to the Editor 10-9-24
Hurricane help from local citizens Dear Editor, Since early last Friday morning, I have seen some of the best from More »
This Week In FOOTBALL FRENZY!
Tigers take care of business against Stanford; Daniel still waiting for region opener; Wave looking to turn things around; Liberty More »
Courier Legal Notices 5-10-23
Notice of Application
Notice is hereby given that Paris Banh Mi Global Company Inc. Intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license and/or permit that will allow the sale and ON premises consumption of beer, wine, and/or liquor at 189 OLD GREENVILLE HWY, STE B, CLEMSON SC 29631-1388. To object to the issuance of this license and/or permit, you must submit Form ABL-20, postmarked no later than May 12, 2023.
Mail protests to SCDOR, ABL Section, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0907, or email to ABL@dor.sc.gov.
Courier Classifieds 05-10-23
Announcements
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Courier Trespass Notice 5-10-23
In the state of South Carolina, trespass after notice is a misdemeanor criminal offense prohibited by section 16-11-620 for the South Carolina Code.
Those who enter upon the lands of others without the permission of the owner or manager shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor trespassing. All persons are hereby notified and warned not to hunt, fish, cut timber or trespass in any manner whatsoever upon the lands of
Courier Notice to Creditors
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATES
All persons having claims against the following estates MUST file their claims on Form #371ES with the Probate Court of PICKENS COUNTY, the address of which is 222 MCDANIEL AVE., B-16 PICKENS, SC 29671, within eight (8) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice to Creditors or within one (1) year from date of death, whichever is earlier (SCPC 62-3-801, et seq.), or such persons shall be forever barred as to their claims. All claims are required to be presented in written statements on the prescribed form (FORM #371ES) indicating the name and address of the claimant, the basis of the claim, the amount claimed, the date when the claim will become due, the nature of any uncertainty as to the claim, and a description of any security as to the claim.
Estate: Jerry Milton Gibson
Date of Death: 03/12/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900271
Personal Representative:
Cynthia L. Grubb
Address: 470 Devore Road,
Donalds, SC 29638
Apr. 26, May 3, 10
Estate: Floyd Chester Huff, Jr.
Date of Death: 03/24/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900283
Personal Representative: Doris L. Huff
Address: 123 Hunts Bridge Rd.,
Easley, SC 29640
Apr. 26, May 3, 10
Estate: Teddy Wayne Holcombe
Date of Death: 03/12/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900274
Personal Representative:
Mary Lavern Holcombe
Address: 152 Buck Horn Lane,
Easley, SC 29642
Apr. 26, May 3, 10
Estate: Willie Madgelene Shivers
Date of Death: 02/14/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900155
Personal Representative:
Randolph Eugene Shivers
Address: 200 Robinson Avenue,
Easley, SC 29640
Apr. 26, May 3, 10
Estate: Mary Ann Ard Davis
Date of Death: 02/04/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900344
Personal Representative:
Clifford Edwin Davis
Address: 119 Victor Circle,
Easley, SC 29625
Attorney: J. Baker Cleveland, III
Address: Post Office Box 9,
Pickens, SC 29671
Apr. 26, May 3, 10
Estate: Barbara J. Kolze
Date of Death: 03/05/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900332
Personal Representative:
Karen K. Kleveno
Address: 1085 Old Clemson Hwy., E118,
Seneca, SC 29672
Attorney: Emma W. Morris
Address: Post Office Box 795,
Seneca, SC 29679
Apr. 26, May 3, 10
Estate: Geraldine Barnette Hamby
Date of Death: 02/01/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900324
Personal Representative:
Lawrence Robert Hamby
Address: 3416 Custer Ave.,
Cincinnati, OH 45208
Attorney: John Hamrick
Address: 108 Mills Avenue,
Greenville, SC 29605
Apr. 26, May 3, 10
Estate: Mary Eileen Murphy Love
Date of Death: 12/15/2022
Case Number: 2023ES3900125
Personal Representative: Alice Garrett
Address: 116 Hummingbird Lane,
Easley, SC 29640
May 3, 10, 17
Estate: Robert Thomas Porter
Date of Death: 03/27/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900308
Personal Representative: Joyce W. Porter
Address: 100 Mountain View Court,
Pickens, SC 29671
May 3, 10, 17
Estate: Linda Fay Whitmire Waldrop
AKA Linda Fay Wilson
Date of Death: 03/26/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900294
Personal Representative:
Crystal Renee McCall
Address: 31 Ames Street,
Seneca, SC 29678
May 3, 10, 17
Estate: Sandra Hill Freeman
Date of Death: 03/02/2023
Case Number: 2023ES3900291
Personal Representative:
Susan Gail Greenlee
Address: 117 Beech Tree Lane,
Rutherfordton, NC 28139
Attorney: Steven T. Alexander
Address: Post Office Box 618,
Pickens, SC 29671
May 3, 10, 17
School district sued over book ban
By Riley Morningstar
Courtesy The Journal
rmorningstar@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — The five-year ban of an anti-racism book from a local school district is a violation of the First Amendment, attorneys for the 
Pickens County Branch NAACP said in a federal lawsuit last week.
A 28-page complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against the School District of Pickens County was filed in the United States District Court of South Carolina’s Anderson Division on Wednesday. District spokesman Darian Byrd told The Journal on Friday morning the district couldn’t comment, but hadn’t been served papers yet.
Allegations
The lawsuit filed by the local NAACP branch comes with legal backing from the ACLU of South Carolina and lists three sets of parents with children in the district.
The school board unanimously voted to remove “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You” in September over its use in a 10th-grade English classroom at Daniel High School, saying it violated a state budget proviso restricting districts from using any state money to teach or approve any instructional materials centered around racist concepts. Three parents submitted challenges against the use of the book for promoting “socialism,” “radical Marxism” and “objectible (sic) indoctrination.” Two committees — one of district officials and district parents — each approved the use of the book in classrooms and media centers.
The other book banned for five years was “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” but it was not mentioned in the filing.
The plaintiffs called the move “pure censorship” and alleged the skin color of the board was a factor in the removal.
“The vote was a calculated decision by seven white board members to suppress ideas that they personally and politically oppose, in hopes that fewer students would be exposed to them,” the filing said. “The board may not exercise that authority to silence views based on its political and partisan preferences.”
The filing said the book did not violate state educational curriculum standards and challenged students to develop critical thinking skills. The book by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds “describes and deconstructs the history of racist thought in America and was written specifically for young-adult readers,” according to the plaintiffs’ preliminary statement.
Lawyers also set their sights on the growing South Carolina House Freedom Caucus movement. They took aim at the racial makeup of the group of 20 members — pointing out all 20 were white, and 17 were men.
“The 20 white South Carolinians who act under the banner of the Freedom Caucus believe that their opinions on race are correct and that all other opinions are wrong and dangerous,” the lawsuit said, including screengrabs of praise after the banning from Freedom Caucus House Rep. Thomas Beach and political group Conservatives of the Upstate.
The filing closes by asking for a judge to declare the removal a constitutional violation, reinstate the book in the district and for the defendant to cover attorneys’ fees.
‘Antithetical to the First Amendment’
ACLU of South Carolina legal director Allen Chaney said the removal was “antithetical to the First Amendment and reflects a deep hostility toward America’s promise of a free and pluralistic society.”
“We are hopeful that the courts will vindicate the Constitution and rebuke the cresting wave of censorship we’re experiencing across South Carolina,” he said.
Pickens County Branch NAACP president Shelia Crawford said in a news release, “Black history is American history.”
“We have a responsibility to provide our students with a complete teaching of our nation’s history — both the good and the bad,” she said. “The Pickens County Branch of the NAACP is proud to stand with the national NAACP and ACLU of South Carolina in this lawsuit to protect a curriculum that celebrates diversity, promotes equity, while furthering justice for black America.”
Teacher salaries set to get boost in SDPC budget
By Andrea Kelley
Courtesy The Journal
akelley@upstatetoday.com
EASLEY — The School District of Pickens County’s budget proposal including raises for teachers and other staff members passed another 
hurdle last week when the school board approved second reading.
One person took the podium during the public hearing for the nearly $164 million fiscal year
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Grants awarded for water, sewer improvements
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
STATE — Area municipalities and utilities are among the local governments and public water and sewer utilities slated to receive $1.369 billion in grants from the S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority.
The South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program grants were announced on April 24. The funds are intended to assist with
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improvements for clean drinking water, sanitary sewer and stormwater resilience, according to a release from the authority.
“The vital infrastructure improvements these funds will deliver across South Carolina will be a game changer,” Gov. Henry McMaster said. “The availability of critical services not only improves the immediate quality of life for our citizens, but it also makes our state more attractive for impactful and sustained economic development.”
The S.C. Infrastructure Investment Program (SCIIP) was created by RIA as a major, one-time initiative designed to have a transformative impact on water, wastewater and stormwater systems in small and disadvantaged communities, as well as larger, growing communities, using federal funds allocated by the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the release said.
“Today, we are making a huge difference by investing in our future,” RIA executive director Bonnie Ammons said. “The funds awarded throughout the state will go a long way in addressing the sustainability of water and sewer systems for the long term. In many cases, these funds will transform communities.”
Projects selected by RIA’s board of directors are designed to address a range of needs that will protect public health and the environment and build capacity for the future, the release said.
Priorities for project selection included regional solutions involving multiple utilities, protection of public health and water quality, resilience and storm protection, modernization of aging infrastructure, capacity development and economic opportunities, the release said.
Liberty Mayor Erica Romo Woods announced her city’s award in a special video message to residents.
“We were awarded — drum roll, please — just over $1.6 million to help replace our aging water lines,” Woods said.
Liberty was awarded $1,630,136 for water system improvements, the authority said.
Easley Combined Utilities will receive $10 million for the Georges Creek trunk sewer line, the authority said.
The city of Easley will receive $433,951 for Lakeshore Drive drainage system upgrades, the authority said.
The city of Pickens was awarded $4,947,268 for water system improvements.
The Pickens Regional Joint Water System was awarded $10 million for water transmission and storage.
The Pickens County Public Service Commission was awarded $163,803 to replace the filter at the 18 Mile Creek Middle Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The Six Mile Water District was awarded $3,933,440 for water improvements, the authority said.
Except for those requesting grants for planning, all recipients were required to provide matching funds for the grant request, the authority said.
Applicants that serve fewer than 30,000 people, or are located in a county designated as Tier III or IV by the S.C. Department of Revenue, had a 15 percent match requirement. Large utilities, serving more than 30,000, were required to provide a 25 percent match requirement. In all, the SCIIP awards will leverage an additional $900 million in matching funds — local and other dollars committed to implement the projects, the authority said.
According to the city’s Facebook page, the city of Pickens will use bonds for the grant match, for a project total of $6.2 million. Rosier Engineering assisted the city in receiving the funds.
Recipients of the funds will be able to get started on their projects in the next couple of months, with a deadline to spend all funds by Dec. 31, 2026, the authority said.
At least one project in every county in the state is slated to receive funding, the authority said.
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Gun manufacturer coming to Pickens County
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
LIBERTY — Global firearms manufacturer FN America LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal S.A., which initially opened operations in Richland County more than 40 years ago, formally unveiled plans last week for a new production facility in Pickens County.
The company will invest $33 million for its approximately more than 100,000-square-foot facility, to be constructed over two phases, at the Pickens County Commerce Park in Liberty. The facility will accommodate FN America’s expanding manufacturing operations.
CEO Julien Compere said the creation of a new plant “is always a very special and unique moment,” and that the project “is a strategic investment for our company, and the choice of the
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Marker dedicated at grave of Revolutionary patriot Miller
By Ann Warmuth
For The Courier
news@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON — John Miller was an English printer who believed in a free press, and because he was rather outspoken regarding many political topics in London, he ended up in jail.
Miller was fond of saying “laziness in politics is like laziness in agriculture — it exposes the soil to noxious weeds.”
He immigrated to South Carolina in 1783 and found his American dream — a free press.
Miller’s sixth-great-granddaughter, Sandy Foster, wanted Miller to receive the recognition he
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