Area News
Main Street Laurens selected for a $5,000 community vibrancy grant
Laurens, SC – For the second time in just two years, Main Street Laurens has been selected for a $5,000 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Grants, community vibrancy grant funds which will go toward the city’s brand new Food Truck Plaza, behind Verdin’s Too at the corner of N. Harper and Laurens Streets in hopes that it will…
Read MoreMcRaney death ruled ‘justifiable homicide’
No charges will be filed in the shooting death of Michael Eric McRaney after local law enforcement ruled the Sunday, Nov. 5 incident a justifiable homicide. McRaney, 35, was shot and killed just after midnight on Nov. 5. Deputies from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident at 12:45 a.m. McRaney was pronounced…
Read MoreCounty telcom audit nets $62k in savings
A much-ballyhooed communications audit contracted by the Laurens County Council identified more than $60,000 in savings for the county, according to a report given to council at its regular meeting Tuesday night. Billy Wilson, purchasing director for the county, reported to council members that the Spyglass Audit discovered $62,423.16 in potential savings. That amount has…
Read MoreFour-way stop opens on U.S. 76 near LDHS
State Department of Transportation officials are hoping a four-way stop near Laurens District High School on U.S. Highway 76 at Dial Place Road and Trinity Church Road will be at least a temporary solution to an ongoing problem. The SCDOT installed a four-way stop at the intersection that went into use Monday morning. “We’ve tried…
Read More3 deaths on county roadways over past 5 days
A deadly week on Laurens County roads claimed three lives over the past five days, including that of a 24-year-old woman from Laurens. Somila McDowell, 24, died early Saturday morning following a single-car wreck on Old Milton Road in Clinton. According to the S.C. Highway Patrol, McDowell, of Spring Street in Laurens, was traveling north…
Read MoreCharges yet to be filed in McRaney homicide
Deputies from Laurens County Sheriff’s Office are still investigating a shooting that occurred just after midnight Sunday morning. Michael Eric McRaney, 35, was shot and killed, and the incident was ruled a homicide after an autopsy was performed. As of Tuesday morning, the LCSO had not named a suspect or person of interest in the…
Read MoreDistrict 55 schools to host Veterans Day events
Schools in Laurens County School District 55 will be observing Veterans Day throughout the coming week. Following is a list of the dates, times, schools, and some activities E.B. Morse Elementary will host a reception for veterans at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, November 8, 2017. Following the reception, the school will have an indoor parade…
Read MoreLDHS locked down after report of pellet gun
Laurens District High School was placed under lockdown just before dismissal Thursday afternoon after reports of a gun on campus. Administrators and deputies from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office responded and found a student in possession. The student was removed from class and admitted to having a pellet gun in his book bag. The pellet…
Read MoreAnimal Control expansion under way
Laurens County Animal Control recently broke ground on a long-awaited expansion for the facility, which will include a new building with 16 new kennels. The expansion is funded by an agreement among Laurens County and the cities of Laurens and Clinton. Laurens and Clinton are funding half of the $104,000 project. “This week, we hoping…
Read MoreInvestigation leads to contraband arrests
A drug investigation in Waterloo led to the arrests of two men who are alleged to be part of an illegal operation that sent large amounts of contraband to South Carolina prisons. Joshua George John, of Greenwood, and Travis Kemp, of Waterloo, were arrested Friday on multiple drug and weapons charges after a traffic stop…
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