Area News
Patriotic music in Clinton, fireworks in Laurens as county prepares for The Fourth
Laurens County, South Carolina – It’s still a couple weeks away, but it’s not too early to pencil in the Independence Day festivities that will be taking place across Laurens County. The City of Clinton will launch Freedom Week at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, with a performance by the South Carolina 208th Army…
Read MoreThousands lose power after quick-hitting Saturday storm
A brief but violent storm Saturday night around 8 o’clock downed electrical lines and caused thousands in and around Laurens County to lose power. Officials from Laurens Electric Cooperative, which wrapped up its annual meeting Saturday in Laurens, said high-velocity, straight-line winds felled trees and limbs into transmission lines and caused most of the outages.…
Read MoreLaurens hit-and-run victim identified by Coroner
The victim of a fatal hit-and-run incident in Laurens late Saturday night has been identified by the Laurens County Coroner’s Office. Coroner Patti Canupp identified the victim as James Brendan O’Shields, 50, of Laurens. He was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, she said. The incident is still under investigation…
Read MoreSaturday hit-and-run fatality under active investigation in Laurens
Laurens, South Carolina – The Laurens Police Department is actively investigating a fatal hit-and-run incident that occurred late Saturday night, June 7, on Fleming Street near the areas of Garlington and Deer streets and Conway Avenue. Police were notified of the incident at approximately 11:13 Saturday night. Officers responded to the scene following reports that…
Read MoreCross Hill teen charged with murder of Newberry man
A Cross Hill teen has been charged with murder in connection with the Wednesday morning shooting death of a Newberry man who was pronounced dead at the scene at West Corporate Drive and Highway 72 East in Clinton. The victim was identified as Brandon Xavier Gadsden in Newberry by the Laurens County Coroner’s Office after…
Read MoreTextile Mills Exhibit Opening June 7 at the Laurens County Museum
Almost 130 years ago, textile mills became the center of community life and livelihood in many South Carolina towns. On Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 10:00 am, the “From Cotton to Craft: The Story of South Carolina Textiles“ exhibit, on loan from the SC State Museum, will open at the Laurens County Museum, 116 South…
Read MoreThe Laurens County Community Theatre presents musical Smoke on the Mountain in June
The Laurens County Community Theatre presents the hilarious and heartwarming story of a Saturday Night Gospel Sing at a country church in NC with the musical Smoke on the Mountain. The time is 1938 and the Sanders Family travel around performing rousing bluegrass songs. The cast consists of Jacob Blakely, Holly Hollingshead, Lesslie Blakely, Ruth…
Read MoreSouth Carolina Connections Academy Celebrates The Class Of 2025
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina Connections Academy, a tuition-free online public school serving students in grades K-12, celebrated more than 680 graduating seniors on Thursday, May 29. The virtual school hosted three in-person ceremonies held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, and the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, providing seniors across…
Read MoreClinton police: Victim hospitalized after grad party shooting
A graduation party in Clinton turned violent Saturday night, and one teen was sent to the hospital after being shot. According to the Clinton Police Department, a 17-year-old male victim was shot in the vicinity of East Carolina Avenue and Owens Street around 11 p.m. Police were already on the scene in response for another…
Read More