Hiott announces retirement, endorses Counts for ‘26 election
PICKENS — South Carolina House of Representatives Majority Leader and District 4 Representative Davey Hiott announced his decision to retire More »
Green Wave comeback comes up short against Greenwood
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com EASLEY — Jumping out to an early 17-7 lead, the Easley High School boys’ More »
Freedom to Read event sees large turnout
CENTRAL — Efforts to limit books that schools and libraries may include took center stage on Saturday, Jan. 25 at More »
Why is physical activity important?
Regular physical activity is important for good health, and it’s especially important if you’re trying to lose weight or to More »
PCSO: Man arrested after foot chase
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office says a man faces multiple charges, including escape, after a brief foot chase last week.
According to a news release, deputies with the sheriff’s office’s Community Action Team responded to a home in Central on Thursday in search of William Grover Bearden, wanted for outstanding arrest warrants.
Deputies found Bearden in a building on an adjacent property,
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Easley man faces charges after fight with deputies
EASLEY — An Easley man faces multiple charges, including resisting arrest, after an altercation with deputies earlier this month.
According to a Pickens County Sheriff’s Office release, deputies with the agency’s Community Action Team responded to an Easley home on Jan. 18 in search of Jeremy Charles Moore, who was wanted for outstanding arrest warrants.
Upon arrival, deputies saw Moore standing in the doorway of an outbuilding on the property, the release said.
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Future growth brings worry about trash
EASLEY — While Pickens County has made progress with issues around the landfill and the county’s litter problem, some are concerned about the impact growth will have on trash.
At a recent Community Alliance for Sustainable Development meeting, speakers and attendees discussed concerns about the impact of large developments such as a proposed 1,268-home development at Lenhardt Road and Jim Hunt Road.
Resident Bill McKinney asked if any studies had been done on developments’ impact on trash and the county’s recycling centers.
“Has a study been done on the impact that it would have, a development like this? The answer to that is no,” Pickens
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Tax season now underway in SC
COLUMBIA — Income tax season is officially open after the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) started accepting 2022 individual returns on Monday.
Income tax season is officially open after the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) started accepting 2022 individual returns on Monday.
SCDOR will begin processing returns on Feb. 6 to allow employers time to meet the Jan. 31 W-2 submission deadline, a news release from the agency said. The filing date for both state and federal returns
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School district announces 3 new leadership position hires
COUNTY — Pickens County School Board trustees approved three hires for school district leadership positions for the 2023-24 school year at their meeting on Monday night.
Dr. Paula Alexander was named executive director of elementary education, Michelle Craddock was tabbed as executive director of human resources and Wanda
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CU expands dementia prevention research
CLEMSON — Clemson University and healthy older adult volunteers from Upstate South Carolina will play an increasingly crucial role in the landmark Preventing Alzheimer’s with Cognitive Training (PACT) study.
The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, examines whether computerized brain training exercises can reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. Additional funding awarded earlier this
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Signups open for 2023 SC New and Beginner Farmer Program
CLEMSON — South Carolinians looking to launch or grow a farm business have access to comprehensive entrepreneurial education and business training, thanks in part to a $600,000 federal grant.
The grant was awarded in 2022 from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) and supports Clemson University’s South Carolina New and Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP) through 2024.
SCNBFP is a Clemson Extension Agribusiness public education program focused on enabling new and beginning farmers to be
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Blue Flame girls take region lead with first win over Easley since ‘19
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Trailing 26-22 at the half, the fifth-ranked Pickens Blue Flame girls’ basketball team was in dire need of a spark with first place in the region at stake on Friday against rival Easley.
“We knew we were down and we had to find a way to fight,” Pickens guard Ava Owens said.
And in the second half, nobody fought harder than Owens, as the freshman scored 16 points over the final two quarters to will the Blue Flame ahead and help them pull out their first win over Easley since 2019 by a 54-47 final score.
On the night, Owens finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three assists as she steadied the Blue Flame offense from
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Liberty survives Chesnee
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — After leading for almost 18 minutes of game time, the Liberty High School girls’ basketball team was on the verge of collapse in the fourth quarter of last 
week’s game against the Chesnee Eagles.
The Red Devils led by as many as six points early in the quarter before the Eagles stormed back, and after trading baskets, Chesnee led 27-26 with just less than four minutes left.
With a crucial region win in the balance, the Red Devils went down the court passing the ball around
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Green Wave top Pickens for first region win
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — For struggling boys’ basketball county rivals Easley and Pickens, Friday night’s contest was an opportunity for both sides to pick up a first region win and 
get back into the playoff hunt.
With such crucial stakes, both teams struggled on the offensive end, but some sharpshooting on the Easley side made the difference in a 40-30 Green Wave win.
“It’s therapeutic,” interim Easley head coach Brian Smith said of the win. Smith, who has served as an assistant under Easley coach Michael Jones, led the team while Jones was out for undisclosed reasons. “We’ve had a lot of noise around us and we lost some focus in our first couple of games, but we got it back in this one. We grew up tonight.”
The Green Wave were forced to grow up quick as Pickens started strong, with Coley Gillian, C.J. Martin
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