Weekend work: Blue Hose finish off sweep of Spartans
In baseball, it would be called a two-game weekend set. In basketball for Presbyterian College and the rest of the Big South Conference, it’s a new normal. PC completed a two-game sweep of USC Upstate Sunday with a 66-53 victory in Spartanburg. That win followed up a 60-50 win on Saturday. The Big South announced…
Read MoreRaiders standout England commits to Citadel
Decorated Laurens District High offensive lineman Cole England became the first Raider to announce his college commitment this past week, choosing The Citadel over several suitors. “They were really the first to reach out to me, and they showed me that I’m a guy they really want,” England said. “I think I can fit in…
Read MoreOlder Joanna, Cross Hill fire trucks headed to Belize
The words, “Long live the brotherhood,” are written in script on one of the Joanna Volunteer Fire Department’s trucks, and it’s something Chief Robert Plaxico takes to heart. “I truly believe that,” Plaxico said, pointing to the words on the truck. “That’s what it’s about – just trying to help people.” So, it may be…
Read MorePatterson, Carroll tapped to lead county council
A newly constituted Laurens County Council met for the first time in 2021 Tuesday night and chose new leadership as the first order of business. Brown Patterson, who won a special election to replace Stewart Jones as councilman in District 4 in 2019, was elected as chairman. Patterson replaces former council chair David Pitts. Pitts…
Read MoreCounty schools go virtual again, court closes due to COVID spike
Leaders from both Laurens County School Districts 55 and 56 have chosen to return to remote learning following the Christmas holidays due to a continuing surge locally in cases of COVID-19. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported Tuesday that Laurens County has recorded 671 positive cases over the past two…
Read MoreSeparate wrecks shut down highways
A Greenwood man was involved in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 221 south of Laurens near Cold Point Monday afternoon that caused the closure of the main highway between Laurens and Greenwood for several hours. Another incident on I-26 at Highway 49 (Exit 44), caused I-26 to be shut down in both directions. In that…
Read MorePatterson, Senn join Ten at the Top Board
A pair of Laurens County leaders are set to join the Board of Directors of Ten at the Top. Laurens County Councilman Brown Patterson and City of Laurens Mayor Nathan Senn have been elected to the organization’s board, joining other locals including Amanda Munyan of the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Field of Laurens…
Read MoreCounty leaders sworn into offices
After each election cycle, Laurens County Attorney Sandy Cruickshanks is tasked with the swearing in of newly elected and re-elected county officials. But Tuesday morning’s swearing-in ceremony, which featured four members of county council and Laurens County Coroner Vickie Cheek taking or re-taking their oaths of office, veered sharply from the norm. “This is the…
Read MoreCOVID vaccines arrive; record numbers over Christmas
• Recovering COVID-19 patients headed to Laurens County Hospital COVID-19 vaccines began to arrive and be administered across South Carolina this past week. Frontline medical personnel and first responders were among the first to be given the vaccines. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 112,125 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine…
Read MoreSimmons retiring after 43 years at Clinton YMCA
The New Year will bring a new title to Clinton YMCA CEO Gene Simmons: Retiree. Simmons announced his pending retirement in August, and is to make it effective on Friday, Jan. 1. He has worked with the Clinton YMCA since June of 1977 and has served as CEO for the past 40 years. “I’m going…
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