This WEEK in FOOTBALL FRENZY
Green Wave lose homecoming heartbreaker to Mauldin; Daniel shuts out Travelers Rest; Devils to open region play; Pickens to return More »
Soup kitchen celebrates two decades of service
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com EASLEY — For more than two decades, an organization in Easley has provided hot More »
Lions win county golf tournament
By Bru Nimmons Sports Editor bnimmons@thepccourier.com PICKENS — For the first time in more than 10 years, The Rock Golf More »
FAVOR Upstate opens center in Easley
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — An area nonprofit now has a center in Pickens County to assist More »
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 »
Local Humane Society receiving donations in honor of Betty White
COUNTY — Betty White, America’s Golden Girl, was mostly known for being an actress and comedian.
But White was also a pet enthusiast and animal welfare advocate who worked with organizations including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, the Morris Animal Foundation, African Wildlife Foundation, and Actors and Others for Animals. Her interest in animal welfare began in the early 1970s.
“For nearly a century, Betty White has been a tireless and devoted animal welfare advocate, and we
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New Central mayor, councilman take oath
By Greg Oliver
Courtesy The Journal
goliver@upstatetoday.com
CENTRAL — Longtime Central Mayor Mac Martin’s 16-year tenure officially came to an end Monday night as he ceded the seat to Andrew Beckner less than five minutes into the regularly scheduled town council meeting and departed council chambers amid handshakes and other well wishes.
Beckner defeated Martin and Rosa Grayden in a three-way election in November and officially took to the podium after being sworn in by town clerk Susan Brewer. Newly elected Councilman L.C. Hayes
also took his council seat following the swearing-in ceremony, which also included incumbents Paige Bowers and Ken Dill, both elected to their fourth term on council in November.
“I’m glad the first meeting is out of the way, for sure,” Beckner said after the meeting. “It’s a big learning curve, but I’ve had a lot of wonderful people help out. I’m just excited to work with them.”
Becker said before taking office that one of his campaign goals was to give Central residents a voice and ensuring they are engaged in what is taking place in the town. Beckner, who works in communication and organizational leadership at Anderson University, wants to improve those areas in Central.
Hayes, a local businessman, said he is excited about getting started with his service on council.
“I’m ready to get to work for the town of Central and the people of Central,” Hayes said. “That’s why I’m here.”
Serving as the council representative on the tourism and economic development committee, Hayes said Central “is on the cusp of massive growth.”
“I want to make sure we’re prepared with our infrastructure and also that we foster small business growth and opportunities that are centrally and economically diverse,” Hayes said. “That’s what’s unique about Central — that we’re very socioeconomically diverse — so we want to retain that as we grow.”
Councilwoman Lynne O’Dell Chapman nominated Councilman Joe Moss as mayor pro tem, and council unanimously approved her nomination.
Keeping it clean
A group of local volunteers wanted the roads in the community to be a little cleaner entering the new year. The group picked up 18 large bags of trash on various roads throughout the city of Pickens on a very chilly Saturday morning Jan. 8. It was 28 degrees when they started. The project was organized by the Active Pickens Partnership, a group made up of various local organizations for the improvement of the community. Participating in the project from the partnership were members from Boy Scout Troop 51, Cub Scout Pack 51, Smith Chapel, Pickens Presbyterian Church and Grace United Methodist Church. The partnership will be hosting other community projects throughout the year.
COVID-19 numbers skyrocket
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COLUMBIA — With COVID-19’s omicron variant hitting Pickens County hard, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has reported monumental case numbers over the past week.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county rose by 4,425 last week, when the county’s number of confirmed cases reached 30,566 as of Monday. That rise represents an increase of more than 1,800 percent over the number of cases confirmed in the county in a one-week period leading up to Christmas last month, when there were 232 cases reported in the seven
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Prisma stops ER visitors
UPSTATE — Prisma Health, which operates Baptist Easley Hospital, stopped allowing visitors to its emergency departments on Saturday.
“Because of the steep rise in COVID-19 throughout the state and the high infection rates, patients coming to Prisma Health emergency departments will no longer be allowed to have visitors except
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Virus test sites swamped across South Carolina
STATE — Between the omicron variant, a holiday surge and updated isolation and quarantine guidance, waiting lines at COVID-19 testing sites are looking 
more like a line for an amusement park ride.
The Nettles Park testing site in Clemson collected 1,324 tests on Jan. 3, more than double the number of tests from previous record highs, Clemson physician Dr. Ted Swann said last week, and if traffic jams are any indication, the numbers are only increasing.
The drive-thru testing site offers free saliva PCR tests with 48-hour results, and over the past two weeks has had
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Administrator provides clarity on county’s use of road funds
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — The difference between the county’s road maintenance fund and its road reserve fund is similar to the differences between a person’s checkbook 
and their savings account.
County administrator Ken Roper used that analogy during a discussion of those funds that took place during county council’s Jan. 3 meeting.
County council approved amending the county budget to create those two funds last year as a replacement for the
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Easley working on grass clippings fix
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Easley officials are working on a fix that will allow the city to begin picking up grass clippings once again.
Citing expensive damage to the city’s vacuum trucks caused by grass clippings, Easley City Council passed a resolution announcing the city would stop picking up the clippings beginning Aug. 1 of last year.
Council members said the city would continue to work on a solution following the service’s discontinuance.
Councilman Kent Dykes discussed the issue during council’s December
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Presidential power and the purple robe
I got a call from the president last week!
No, not Joe Biden. Not Trump.
It was the newly elected president of the South Carolina Senate, Thomas Alexander, whose district includes part of Pickens County.
He assumed his duties at the helm of the upper chamber at the start of this year’s legislative session this week.
I’ve been covering him ever since he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1987, and I think it’s a
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Things I heard that may be true
Many times in life, somebody tells me a story they heard from someone who heard it from someone else. On a few of these occasions, the whole story has been true.
Sometimes a part of the story is sprouted from a kernel of truth that has grown into something else. And sometimes the story is made up completely.
I’ve covered news stories over the years that were unbelievably bizarre, but nevertheless true.
And after many years of covering meetings of various boards throughout the county and a 10-year stint in the
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