The 2014 double murder conviction of a Cross Hill man was upheld in court, according to an opinion filed by the court on Aug. 12. Deshanndon Markelle Franks, 33, filed the appeal in October of last year, asking that a superior court overturn his conviction in the shooting deaths of Sammie Leake and Nikesha James…
From Staff Reports For the second year in a row, The Laurens County Advertiser captured first place for General Excellence among weekly newspapers in its division in the South Carolina Press Association annual awards contest. The awards were originally to be announced in April at the annual SCPA meeting, but the event was canceled due…
Clinton Police are investigating a shooting death that happened Tuesday night on or near Academy Street. Kevern Dimone Simmons, 29, of Fountain Inn has been identified by the Laurens County Coroner’s Office as the victim in the shooting. He was found dead at in a grassy field inside his car near First Pentecostal Church on…
One of the many events that the COVID-19 pandemic has thwarted is the county-wide annual school supply drive, which provided hundreds of school supply items donated in August for students in District 55 and District 56. “Usually we would collect supplies and fill up buses at Walmart with volunteers from both school districts, and then…
On Tuesday morning, Sept. 1, law officers from several agencies were involved in a pursuit and/or apprehension of three suspects after the car they were traveling in wrecked at the Family Dollar, located at the intersection of Farley Avenue and South Harper St. The Laurens County Sheriff Office was assisted by the South Carolina Highway Patrol…
If a majority of voters vote yes in November to the penny sales tax, referred to as the Capital Project Sales Tax, Clinton residents will begin to see the transformation of the empty Martha Dendy School into a long-awaited Martha Dendy Community Center. The Martha Dendy Community Center’s development committee requested $756,000 for its proposal,…
During last week’s regular August meeting of Laurens City Council, council members were challenged by Carolyn Calwise, a regional Census 2020 official, to treat the census as if they were campaigning for their seats on council. “Do what you did when you wanted to get elected,” Calwise said during her telephone call presentation to council.…
Laurens County School District 55 will begin the school year on a hybrid schedule, meaning students attending in-class instruction will do so two days per week. On the other days, students will receive virtual instruction. District 55 Superintendent Ameca Thomas made the announcement Tuesday. The academic year is still slated to begin on Tuesday, Sept.…
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control updated statistics Tuesday that shows communities with mask requirements in place see a significantly slower rate of COVID-19 infection compared to those without such requirements. According to DHEC, places with mask requirements have shown a 44.2% greater decrease in the total number of COVID-19 cases during…
A lot of familiar faces have returned to the practice field for the Laurens Academy varsity football team, but there is also something starkly unfamiliar there. Depth. The Crusaders are suiting up 17 players this season for its trek through the South Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Class A 8-man football schedule. The deeper 2020…