Area News

The Gray Court Town Council passed its budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year at a special called meeting Monday night at Town Hall. The $1,234,000 budget is a $345,000 increase from the previous fiscal year’s budget of $899,000, but does not include a tax increase due to increased revenues in the town. The 2026-27 budget…

Laurens’ Capitol Theatre celebrated its 100th birthday Friday night with a showing of the first film ever screened there and a look ahead at the future of the city-owned and operated venue. Both “Charley’s Aunt,” the first movie shown at The Capitol, and “The Freshman,” a Harold Lloyd classic were shown to a crowd of…

The Laurens County Coroner’s Office has identified the person killed in a shooting involving a Clinton Police officer Sunday night at Highland Park Apartments on Musgrove Street in Clinton. The deceased was identified as Brodie Reese, 31, of Clinton. Chief Deputy Coroner Ashley Rushton and Deputy Coroner Randy Riddle responded to a call reporting a…

A Simpsonville man killed in a motorcycle crash in Laurens  Friday night. The victim, who was piloting the motorcycle, was identified as Philip Sims, 54, of Simpsonville. The accident occurred at Palmetto Street and South Harper Street in Laurens around 7:44 p.m. The incident is currently under investigation by the Laurens City Police Department and…

A construction worker  who died in an accident at Walmart in Laurens late Wednesday night has been identified by the Laurens County Coroner’s Office. Emergency personnel were called to the scene at Walmart after around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday, and the Laurens County Coroner’s Office was called to PrismaHealth Laurens County Memorial Hospital around 11:20 p.m.…

The Laurens County Council passed third and final reading of the county’s 2026-27 general and fire services budgets Monday night during a special called meeting at the Historic Laurens County Courthouse. Council approved the balanced general budget of $42,463,311 that includes a millage increase by a 4-2 vote. Councilmen Justin Lane and Matthew Brownlee voted…

Jimmy Poole won the Republican nomination for the District 4 seat on Laurens County Council in Tuesday’s primary runoff election. The lifelong Laurens County resident defeated Lonnie Wilson with 53.35% of the vote, 773-676. “I want to say congratulations to my opponent on a great campaign, and I want the folks in Cross Hill and…

Champ, the Laurens County dog neglected and starved in 2018, has died, his adopters announced on the “Justice for Champ” Facebook page. “We are grateful he was himself until his last day and did not suffer,” the post read. “Champ became the greatest blessing of our lives. He was loyal, loving, gentle and so smart.”…