Students establish Library in Tanzania

02/03/2012

Through the generosity and hard work of Walhalla Middle School students, a library has been established in Tanzania, Africa. Mrs. Broome, Mrs. Rochester, and Mrs. Borgen’s classes collected books and sent them to Endagaw’s Secondary School in Tanzania. These Walhalla Middle students established the library and are ready to send another shipment as part of their global service-learning project. Students are already collecting books and supplies for another shipment that will be sent at the end of the school year. 

Black History Event at Seneca Library

02/03/2012

The community is invited to the Seneca Library on February 23rd at 6:30pm for an interview and discussion with the first African-American from Oconee County to graduate from Clemson University, Phillip Martin. He will discuss his experiences at Clemson in the late 1960s and early 1970s, only a few years after the integration of South Carolina’s colleges. Phillip Martin is a native of Oconee County, born in Seneca, South Carolina to the late J. P. and Cornelia Martin. He graduated from Blue Ridge High School in 1968 as class salutatorian and a graduation speaker. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Clemson in 1972, and while at Clemson he was a member of Tiger Band, serving as a band officer in his senior year. Able to use his degree in Mathematics to open doors in computer science, Martin is currently the Director of Information Systems Security for the Greenville Hospital System in Greenville. The interview and question and answer session will be followed by light refreshments. For more information, visit www.oconee.lib.sc.us.

Facebook Study

02/03/2012

A new Pew study suggests that Facebook users don't necessarily believe it is more blessed to give than to receive. By monitoring 269 users of the social network, researchers found the average Facebook user receives more from their friends than they give, in terms of friend requests, sending messages, and tagging photos. Pew Internet Project Director Lee Rainie says about 20% of people on Facebook are so-called "power users". “It is not there is a single cohort of power users, who are tagging and liking and commenting and messaging all at the same time. There is a different group who are power users in each of those separate activities.” Facebook power users are fewer than you might think, adds Rainie. “Only the most, most popular people with the biggest, biggest lists are the ones who have friends with fewer friends than they do, for the vast majority of people their friends have more friends than they do.” The Pew Research Group conducted the randomized study.

Wear Red Day

02/03/2012

This is National Wear Red Day in support of women's heart health. Dr. Malissa Wood of the American Heart Association reminds us that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. “Ten years ago only 1 in 3 recognized that cardiovascular disease was their number health threat and now that number has improved but still the majority of women do not recognize that heart disease is their major health threat.” Dr. Wood adds that women need to be aware of the symptoms of heart disease and know the warning signs of strokes. “Often times women live with heart disease and they may not have the usual symptoms that a man would experience or women that have bad high blood pressure may have no symptoms at all until they have a stroke, so it so important to be aware of your risk and to know your own personal numbers.” Ask your physician about heart disease and learn your numbers, so you can plan meals and exercise accordingly.

Liberty Girl dies after being hit by Car

02/03/2012

A 7-year old girl died Thursday after an SUV struck her, while she was riding her scooter across Odell Street. Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley announced that Emma Elizabeth Boughman died at 5:48pm at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Trooper Bill Elder of the South Carolina Highway Patrol stated that at 4:26pm, a 2005 Honda SUV hit her. 42-year old Amanda Thomas of Liberty was driving the Honda. No charges have been filed, however, the highway patrol is investigating the accident. An autopsy for Emma is planned for today.

Lila Doyle reports Stomach Bug

02/03/2012

The norovirus bug, a highly-contagious stomach condition is affecting 11 patients of the Lila Doyle nursing care and rehabilitation center in Seneca. A spokeswoman for Oconee Medical Center says tests are being run by DHEC. Meantime, no new patients are being admitted to Lila Doyle and, according to spokeswoman Heather Goss, for the time being, Lila Doyle public areas are closed to prevent cross-contamination among patients. For now, no one from the public experiencing symptoms of illness, such as the flu bug, should visit Lila Doyle and that includes children.

OMC Foundation distributes Golf Tourney Proceeds

02/03/2012

At its January meeting, the Board of Directors of the Oconee Medical Center Foundation distributed the proceeds from its annual golf tournament which was held in October 2011. The event raised more than $50,000 that was split between three hospital and hospital-affiliated groups. Oconee Medical Center Foundation board chairman Kyle Thomas and Oconee Medical Center president and CEO Jeanne Ward presented checks to representatives from the Oconee Medical Center EMS, the hospital’s Volunteer Auxiliary and Safe Kids OconeeCounty. The Volunteer Auxiliary received a check for $25,000 to help pay for LifeLine units for the elderly and disabled who need, but cannot afford to purchase one. The Oconee Medical Center EMS received a check for $14,000 to help pay for a new first responder vehicle. Safe Kids Oconee County received a check for $14,000 to be used to provide safety education and devices for the children of Oconee County.

US Unemployment down again

02/03/2012

Employers went on a hiring spree in January and drove down the unemployment rate for a fifth straight month to 8.3%, its lowest point in nearly three years. The result pointed to a resurgent job market. The economy created 243,000 net jobs in January, the most in nine months, and the unemployment rate fell two ticks. Employers have added an average of 201,000 jobs a month in the past three months. That's 50,000 more jobs per month than the economy averaged in each month last year. The Labor Department's January jobs report was filled with other encouraging data and revisions. Hiring was widespread across many high-paying industries. The unemployment is nearly a percentage point lower than over the summer, when feared a recession was imminent. The last time the unemployment rate has dropped for five straight months was in late 1994.

Cruise In on Main coming to Seneca

02/02/2012

This spring, Seneca hosts a new attraction sure to bring visitors to the city, Cruise In on Main. This monthly event will feature classic cars and live beach music, explains Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander. “This is new, on the first Saturday of every month starting in April through October, there is going to be a great event called Cruise In on Main. We want everybody to come out, enjoy some good beach music, and look at some old cars. I think this is going to be huge. I really think we are going to have lots of cars and lots of people coming. People will be coming down enjoying our restaurants and enjoying a little bit of entertainment, so we are looking forward to this.” Cruise In on Main starts in April. The monthly event is free to attend. To enter a car to be shown call Seneca City Hall at (864) 885-2700.

4th Annual State of Oconee Luncheon

02/02/2012

Residents are encouraged to purchase tickets soon for this year’s State of Oconee luncheon on March 16 at Northside Elementary School in Seneca. The 4th Annual State of Oconee will feature the representatives from all the communities in the county as well as Oconee County Administrator Scott Moulder. This event is open to the public and presented by the Chambers of Commerce of Oconee, Walhalla and Westminster. Oconee County Chamber of Commerce executive director Sandra Jones gives details. “This is one of our collaborative efforts with the other two chambers, the Walhalla and Westminster Chambers. This is the 4th Annual State of Oconee luncheon and this is where we bring in speakers to talk to the attendees about things that are of importance to them and things that might be going on or affecting the county. This year we are calling the luncheon ‘Oconee Visions’. We are giving representatives from the different communities an opportunity to talk about what they see their vision and the future to be for those communities and those cities.” This year’s keynote speaker is Hal Donlap, who has 18 years experience as a presenter to audiences and corporations throughout the US. He is currently the athletic director and basketball coach for Walhalla High School. Jones says there is a cost to attend. “There is a cost, its $20 for chamber members and $25 for non-members. Tickets are on sale at all three of the chamber offices.” To reserve your ticket, contact the Oconee County Chamber office at (864) 882-2097.

New Stained Glass added to Seneca City Hall

02/02/2012

A long awaited history project is now proudly on display at Seneca City Hall. To coincide with historical landmarks chronicled in stained glass on the back windows of the municipal building, eight new designs have been installed at the front. Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander gives details on the stained glass window project. “There is about eight different pieces of stained glass that tells about the history of Seneca, so if you haven’t had the chance you need to come. When you come in you are going to see that at the very beginning and at the back, it still tells the history of Seneca and some different historical landmarks here. They are gorgeous. Bob Crenshaw did an excellent job in getting that project done. Mrs. Louise Bell, it is part of her dream too to bring the arts to city hall. It is a beautiful place to come and be able to see some wonderful pictures in stained glass.” Seneca Historian Louise Bell and stained glass artist and creator Bob Crenshaw spent the last six months working on the project, selecting historic structures to encapsulate and then cutting the glass for the designs. The new stained glass windows at Seneca City Hall include pictures of the old Seneca High School, a log cabin used by the junior black college, the Ballenger House, the Lunney House Museum, Blue Ridge Arts Center, the American Legion Hut, and the old Blue Ridge High School.

Clemson Trustees approve New Plans

02/02/2012

Concept plans for several student life, academic and athletic facilities on campus were approved by Clemson University trustees this week at their winter quarterly meeting in Columbia. The trustees approved a plan to build a $123.5 million student housing, retail and activity hub at the east entrance to campus. Pending state approvals, construction on the project will begin in 2013 with a fall 2015 opening date. The project will be funded through auxiliary revenues. The project will provide high-quality housing for Clemson upper class and graduate students and an on-campus community for students enrolled in the Bridge to Clemson transfer collaboration with Tri-County Technical College. Trustees also approved the concept for The Watt Family Innovation Center, a three-story, 40,000-square-foot facility to be built in the middle of campus near the library. In January, university officials announced a $5.3 million gift from three generations of the family of alumnus Charles Watt to help fund the building that is intended to be an intellectual center to prepare innovative students to take ideas from concept to the marketplace. The total project cost is projected to be $16.2 million, financed through state institution bonds and private gifts. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013. The trustees also approved the athletic facility plan for an addition to the Memorial Stadium WestZone complex. The addition of a One Clemson Museum and entrance, known as the “Oculus,” will highlight the university’s athletic, academic and military heritage. The total project cost is projected to be $15 million, financed through private sources. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013.

WHS Student hit by Car

02/02/2012

A Walhalla High School student was struck by a car while walking to school this morning. Oconee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Lucas said a tenth grade student was hit by a car near a crosswalk along Pickens Highway around 7:10am this morning. The driver of the vehicle stopped after the accident. Dr. Lucas said the student was transported to Oconee Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. The student’s parents were contacted and were in route to the hospital this mornig.

Groundhog Day Forecast

02/02/2012

The calendar says February 2, Groundhog Day, and in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Phil didn't, didn't disappoint. The country's most famous groundhog spoke this morning. Groundhog Club Vice President Mike Johnston made the announcement. “Phil proclaimed, as I look at the crowd on Gobler’s Nob many shadows do I see, six more weeks of winter it must be.” The furry rodent emerged from his stump and saw his shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter, perhaps aided by unseasonably warm temperatures.

OHC schedules Grand Reopening

02/02/2012

Oconee County’s history is on display this weekend in downtown Walhalla as the Oconee Heritage Center hosts a grand reopening for the year on Saturday. The museum has been closed for the month of January, during which time staff and volunteers have been updating museum’s permanent exhibit space. The highlight of the re-opening will be the unveiling of the “Chattooga Canoe”, a 32-1/2 foot dugout canoe carbon dated from the late 1700s. The canoe has been undergoing preservation at the museum since 2004 and is now out of the tank and in a newly built display case inside the exhibit area. The Oconee Heritage Center will open at 10am and the afternoon will feature live music by Conservation Theory at 12pm, a bluegrass jam session from 1-3pm, as well as a rummage sale. Tours of the exhibit will be conducted throughout the day and hot dogs and cupcakes will be available for $1. Following the grand re-opening the Oconee Heritage Center will resume normal operating hours Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 12-6pm and Saturdays 10am-3pm. For more information, visit, www.oconeeheritagecenter.org.

9th Annual Project Sentry Logo Contest

02/02/2012

The United States Attorney's Office is sponsoring its 9th Annual Project Sentry Logo Contest. The statewide contest allows students an opportunity to illustrate how they prevent gun violence in their schools by designing a logo for use on upcoming Project Sentry publications. The contest is open to any student enrolled in elementary, middle, or high school in South Carolina. Entries will be divided into four grade categories. A winner will be selected from each of the four grade categories and will receive a $100 savings bond. The overall winning logo, which will be chosen from among the four grade category winners, will receive an additional $100 savings bond, and will be featured in Project Sentry publications. Entries should be consistent with the theme "Preventing Gun Violence At Your School." The deadline for submissions is April 6, 2012. Contest information has been sent to schools throughout South Carolina encouraging them to participate.

OCPL to host Author Emily Cooper

02/01/2012

Author and former newspaper editor Emily Cooper will read and discuss her novel, Queen of the Lost and discuss other Civil War topics at 7pm on February 28 at the Walhalla Library. Admission is free. A historical saga spanning 150 years, Queen of the Lost is the story of the legendary “queen of the Confederacy,” Lucy Holcombe Pickens, her zigzag path to coronation, and stories of Edgefield, S.C., the unusual little S. C. village where she was to reign. Ms. Cooper’s new book of historical fiction traces Pickens’ life of from Tennessee and Texas to the tsar’s palace in St. Petersburg; from South Carolina’s secession convention to the tragedies surrounding Reconstruction in 1876. She became the wife of Governor Francis Pickens and was the only woman whose face appears on Confederate currency. This program is sponsored by The Humanities Council, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities; inspiring, engaging and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture and heritage. For more information, visit www.oconee.lib.sc.us.

World of Energy hosts Free Orchid Show

02/01/2012

The World of Energy at Oconee Nuclear Station will host a free orchid show and sale February 24-26. The three-day event is a partnership with the Blue Ridge Orchid Society of South Carolina. This year’s show will feature dozens of orchids of all shapes, sizes, colors and varieties. Society members will be available to answer questions about growing and caring for orchids. Marble Branch Farms will be selling orchids, with a portion of the proceeds going to the orchid society. “This show provides our society with a great opportunity to share our love and knowledge of orchids with the public,” said Maggie Landry, orchid society event coordinator. “From experienced growers to those who are new to orchids, this show has something for everyone.” The show is open from 10am to 4pm on February 23-24. Show hours are from noon to 4pm on February 25. The World of Energy is located at 7812 Rochester Highway in Seneca. For more information, go to www.duke-energy.com/worldofenergy and click on “Upcoming Events.”

TCTC offering QuickBooks Class

02/01/2012

Tri-County Technical College’s Corporate and Community Education Division will offer a Get Going with QuickBooks class February 9-16 on Thursdays from 1-5 pm at the Pendleton Campus. “Students will learn how easy it is for QuickBooks to help them manage their small business more efficiently,” says Tracy Carr, instructor. Students will learn how to set up a company, work with lists, set up inventory, sell your product, invoice for services, process payments, work with bank accounts, enter and pay bills, memorize transactions, use the EasyStep Interview, use online banking and share files with an accountant. The cost of the class is $199 and includes the course manual. Additional classes are offered throughout the year. For more information or other class dates and times, call (864) 646-1700, or visit www.tctc.edu/learn.
 

Clemson to participate in RecycleMania

01/31/2012

Clemson University joins over 600 universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico next month in the recycling competition "RecycleMania." In 2011, Clemson students, faculty, staff, and community members worked together to place first among S.C. colleges and universities, by recycling 255,687 pounds of material. This year Clemson anticipates increasing its recycling rate by 35%. A kickoff event takes place from 3:30 to 5:30pm on Thursday in the Hendrix Student Center featuring giveaways, games and Clemson's new recycling mascots. The "RecycleMania" competition is to last through the end of March and focuses on recycling paper, plastic, cardboard, food waste and electronic waste. Everyone is encouraged to join by recycling these materials in the blue bins around campus.