Area Breaking News
4th arrest made in connection with Jan. 22 murder
A fourth arrest was made Wednesday by Laurens Police in connection with the Jan. 22 shooting of a Laurens man on Spring Street. Aquavius Raqwan Parks, 23, of Laurens was charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in the shooting death of Jarius Byrd on the…
Read MoreSCHSL meeting to decide fall sports options
The South Carolina High School League’s Executive Committee was to meet today (Wednesday) to consider plans for the fall sports season. According to a story in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal written by Jed Blackwell, COVID-19 related precautions continue this spring and into the fall. Those precautions could include the cancellation of “open season” period for fall…
Read MoreZF announces $200 million Gray Court expansion
ZF Transmissions announced this past week plans for a $200 million investment in its Gray Court facility. The investment is expected to bring 500 new jobs to the manufacturing facility as it ramps up for production of its ZF Powerline 8-speed automatic transmission, which his set to begin in 2023. “We started production in 2012…
Read MoreClinton City Manager Bill Cannon retires “effective immediately,” Higgs named as Interim
Monday, Feb. 8 Clinton, South Carolina – With the news that Clinton City Manager Bill Ed Cannon “has retired effective immediately,” Clinton City Council on Monday night voted to name Assistant City Manager as Interim City Manager. The announcement came tonight Monday, Feb. 8, after council returned to open session after a short executive session,…
Read MoreWhile supplies last: Vaccines available at Ridge for those 65 and older
Updated story from the Feb. 3 issue of The Advertiser. Feb. 8, 2021 Laurens, S.C. – Before the pandemic, The Ridge at Laurens was typically filled with children in basketball and volleyball tournaments or adults in meetings in the conference room. Last Monday, however, it was filled instead with health professionals and many people 70…
Read MoreAnother meeting tonight: Clinton council takes no action after last week’s four-hour executive session
Clinton, South Carolina – After a four-hour executive session which ended a few minutes before 11 p.m. Monday night, Feb. 1, Clinton City Council reopened in open session and took no action, had no comments and adjourned in two minutes. Among the many items listed for executive session was a personnel matter in the Office of…
Read MoreDistrict 55’s Spires Named 2021 SCASL Librarian of the Year
Laurens, S.C. – On Tuesday, Feb. 2, Michelle Spires, Media Specialist at Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle School (GCO), was named the 2021 Librarian of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL). In a ceremony held at GCO, Spires was astonished when Tamara Cox, the Awards Chair for SCASL, arrived on campus with…
Read MoreCross Hill woman dies in single-car accident
A single-vehicle crash on Highway 39 in southern Laurens County left a Cross Hill woman dead Wednesday night. The Laurens County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Julienne Marie Burgeson-Butkus, 55, of Cross Hill. According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Burgeson-Butkus was alone in the car and was traveling on Highway 39 near Watts Bridge…
Read More2 more arrested in connection to Laurens murder
Hours after a murder suspect was denied bond for the Sept. 22 shooting death of a Laurens man Wednesday, two other suspects were arrested by Laurens Police for their alleged roles in the killing. Mikel Kishon Burnside, 20, and Shykorie Nacarya Grant, 20, both of Fountain Inn, were arrested and charged with assault by mob,…
Read More‘Holly Grove’ development gets approval for Laurens area
A 175-acre housing development near Walmart just outside of the Laurens city limits is the latest of several residential developments to receive approval from the Laurens County Planning Commission. The development will include 419 lots on 174.96 acres with 88.2 acres of “open space.” Laurens County Administrator Jon Caime said the planned development, which will…
Read More