The Laurens County Coroner’s Office has identified three county residents killed this past week as Hurricane Helene roared through the Upstate of South Carolina. In Clinton, two men were killed when a tree fell on the vehicle they were traveling in Thursday night. Chief Deputy Coroner Patti Canupp identified the victims as Richard Dylan Rathbone,…

The Laurens County Council doled out $85,000 in funding for local nonprofit agencies at a called meeting Monday night at the county’s Voter Registration and Veterans Affairs offices. In a separate action, council voted to give $250,000 to the City of Clinton’s Economic Development Corporation to help fund recovery efforts from a fire that swept…

Heavy rains from Helene, which has been upgraded from a Tropical Storm to a Category 3 Hurricane, are expected to impact the Upstate beginning Thursday. A tropical storm watch and flood watch have been issued for the Upstate, including Laurens County. The storm is expected to dump 4-6 inches of rain on Laurens County and…

A Laurens man was killed Tuesday after an accident on a work site in Spartanburg County. Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger identified the victim as Kevin Neil Flynn, 57, of Laurens. According to official reports, Flynn was killed between 8:45 a.m. and 9:37 a.m. while operating an excavator near a retaining wall. The machine fell…

UPDATE: Kamarius Lee Cunningham is in custody, the LCSO said Sunday afternoon. The victim of a fatal shooting in Gray Court was identified Saturday by the Laurens County Coroner’s Office as law enforcement continues to look for the alleged shooter. Laurens County Deputy Coroner Bill Williams identified the victim as Nigel Malik Smith, 23. Smith…

A State Department of Education employee on campus at Laurens District High School for a training session last week has been arrested by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office due to an incident involving a firearm during a simulation training. Desmond Nathaniel Williams of Hampton, a training coordinator with the Department of Education, was tasked with…

Local Americana roots musician Hunter Holmes has found a broader audience for his music thanks to a collaboration with the Malloy Brothers and Leatherman. Holmes supplied the music for a 30-second promotional spot that has been released online. The video touts a new fixed-blade knife released by Leatherman, the Oregon-based multi-tool and knife manufacturer. The…

By Jack O’Toole Statehousereport.com After a 13-year hiatus, the state of South Carolina is planning to resume executions this week amid an ongoing debate about the fairness, expense and effectiveness of capital punishment. According to an Aug. 30 S.C. Supreme Court order, six death row inmates, four of whom are black, have exhausted their appeals and can…

Two arrests were made this past week by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office following a rash of automotive break-ins and larceny in Clinton. Jaron Aristide of Greenwood was taken into custody on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and Brandon Zy’Keviz Robinson of Woodruff was arrested Thursday (Sept. 12). Both face 40 charges each, including multiple counts of…