Area News

A Laurens man is facing two counts of Felony DUI following the deaths of two motorcyclists Saturday night on Church Street in Laurens. Jose Reyes-Cruz collided with a motorcycle just before 9 p.m. Saturday while driving a 2009 Honda automobile. He is being held in the Johnson Detention Center without bond. The victims were identified…

Laurens County Administrator Jon Caime and other local leaders are increasingly concerned and frustrated by the county’s litter problem. In an email, Caime included photos of a creek on Wells Road where illegal dumping of solid waste had occurred. The creek was inundated with trash. “This very scenic road is shown in the attached picture…

The Laurens County Democratic Party is hosting the Second Annual Jim Bryan Dinner this Friday night at Springfield Baptist Church in Laurens. Tickets, which are priced at $40 apiece, are still available and will remain on sale through tonight. This year’s theme is “Women in Politics.” The dinner will feature guest speakers Bryanta Booker-Maxwell, a…

The South Carolina Army National Guard is scheduled to present its Patriot Award to Laurens County Sheriff Don Reynolds. The ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. today (Tuesday) at the Historic Laurens County Courthouse on the square in Laurens. The public is invited to the presentation, along with state and local representatives, veterans and law…

According to the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, a burglary Wednesday night at the Youngs Fire Department left the fire station without critical equipment, rendering it inoperable. The LCSO is currently seeking a white male thought to be in his late 40s or early 50s with a tattoo on his right shoulder in connection with the…

The Laurens County Advertiser is partnering with an Asheville-based nonprofit organization to help hurricane victims in the Bahamas. Hearts With Hands will be distributing items to Hurricane Dorian victims in the Bahamas and is seeking donations. Last year, the organization distributed two semi-truck loads of supplies to victims of Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas. The…

The Laurens County Council voted at its Tuesday meeting to hire a consultant to help create plans for a new headquarters for EMS, the emergency operations center and fire services. The $25,000 consulting contract will go to Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects of Gastonia, North Carolina. “We want to engage a consultant to help us find the right…

A local minister was killed Monday afternoon when a Laurens County District 55 school bus struck his vehicle in a head-on collision in the Youngs community near Gray Court. According to South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper David Jones, the school bus was traveling southbound and crossed the center line, colliding head on with a…

Brown Patterson’s long wait to fill the District 4 seat on the Laurens County Council is finally over. Running unopposed, Patterson was officially elected to the seat during a special election Tuesday. “I’ve already been working at it,” Patterson said. “I’ve been attending meetings and sitting in on committee meetings and meeting with the county…

A special election to fill the vacant  District 4 seat on the Laurens County Council is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10. Brown Patterson is running unopposed to fill the seat, which opened up when Stewart Jones was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Patterson handily won the Republican Primary election in July. Barring…