High-speed chase attorney in Pickens, SC

Saitta gives update on road paving

Dear Editor,

Last month, I wrote the SCDOT had added repaving S.C. 183 from Pickens to S.C. 135 (by BJ’s and Fairlane Flats) to their list, in 2027 or early 2028. With the help of Sen. Rex Rice, the SCDOT is now fast-tracking that. The repaving project will go out for bid next month. The hope is to have that section repaved by the end of the summer or by year-end. Three cheers for Rex Rice on speeding that up.

The SCDOT is also putting in a traffic light at the intersection at Jameson Road (going out for bid in August). Jameson Road intersects S.C. 183 in two places; this is the intersection that is furthest east. Not the one by BJ’s.

As you can see, the SCDOT is starting to repave U.S. 178 (Main Street Pickens down to Mauldin Lake Road); S.C. 8 from Ross Avenue (four-way stop by U.S. 123) north past the Woodside Mill and to the top of the hill at Mulberry Road; and S.C. 93 in Easley from U.S. 123 through town to S.C. 8.

Repaving those three highways is a two-step process. Now they are patching the worst areas by digging down six inches, packing down a new base and patching it with asphalt. You see those patches and the SCDOT trucks out there now. After the patching is finished and the weather heats up, those highways will be milled down two inches, get a fresh layer of asphalt and new lines painted. Finished by late summer.

Country Creek Road is a county road, and we have replaced two culverts on that road, which is behind Aunt Sue’s (by the Table Rock recycle center). That second culvert went in last week, and the road will be reopened later this week (loose gravel for awhile). The road should be repaved by early March. Thank you for being patient on that one. That road was closed too long. On the bright side, those 10-foot-by-4-foot concrete culverts will out last our children.

Alex Saitta

Pickens

In utter disgust

Dear Editor,

I’m outraged at the corruption and hypocrisy being unraveled in D.C. For decades the American people have been played. Incomprehensible evil will devour our children and theirs with taxes that will rob them of any decent lifestyle. Taxation necessary to avoid

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Two days after a Jan. 25 snowstorm hit the Upstate, warming temperatures and active line crews have helped reduce the number of power outages in North Greenville and Pickens Counties, which were hit hardest.

Nearly 48 hours after icy, frigid, and slippery road conditions, the Upstate is still experiencing around 10,000 power outages, mainly in the mountainous areas of the tri-county region.

Upstate suppliers Duke Energy and Blue Ridge Electric have both significantly reduced the number of outages between northern Greenville and Pickens Counties, and Greer Commission of Public Works, Laurens Electric Co-Op, and Gaffney Board of Public Works have entirely restored or never lost power due to snow-related conditions.

For the latest updates from each energy provider within the Upstate, here are the details on outage maps and when power is expected to be restored:

Duke Energy

According to a Jan. 26 update, Duke Energy had around 37,000 active outages in South Carolina since the initial winter snowfall.

Their efforts over the past 24 hours have reduced outages in the Upstate from 11,000 to nearly 2,000 customers in their service area, mainly in Pickens and North Greenville counties, as of 11 a.m.

According to Ryan Mosier, communications strategist at Duke Energy, the energy supplier has dispatched around 18,000 utility workers from in and outside the region to help these areas quickly restore energy.

"The conditions are still dangerous around many of these work areas as both road conditions and rural terrain are hard to navigate," said Mosier, in a statement on Jan. 26, where he also predicted to make significant progress by Jan. 27.

"We’ve been working closely with city, county, and state resources to clear roads and gain access to some of the hardest to reach areas," Mosier added. "We will issue estimated restoration times as our team completes damage assessments."

Duke Energy advises drivers and individuals to avoid approaching utility workers in the field or entering their work zones as they clear debris and restore power.

For the latest Duke Energy service outage information, visit their online outage map.

Blue Ridge Electric Co-Op

On Jan. 26, according to a Blue Ridge Electric Co-Op outage map, nearly 19,500 customers were without power in its service area, which includes Greenville, Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens Counties.

As of Jan. 27 at 11 a.m., their outage count hovers around 8,400, as the electric co-op has sent more than 600 linemen into mountainous areas: through portions of Pickens County, areas north of Highway 11, and Oconee County, according to Riley Morningstar, communications manager at Blue Ridge Electric Co-Op.

"In those mountainous areas is where the freezing ice has been problematic," said Morningstar. "We've been able to mobilize faster than what happened during (Tropical Storm) Helene because of a mutual aid agreement we rely on through our cooperative.

According to Morningstar, the help of Berkeley, Horry (Myrtle Beach), Edisto, Coastal, Broad River, Tri-County, Little River Electric Cooperatives has provided them with the manpower to move quickly in restoring power; in addition to assistance from third-party crews from Georgia and Indiana.

While there is no exact timeframe for when all Blue Ridge Electric customers can expect full power restoration, Morningstar said its workers are motivated to help the service area quickly, as most of its linemen live on the grid they service.

Blue Ridge Electric Co-Op's outages page can be found here.

Three Upstate area energy providers are void of outages from winter snowstorm

As of 3 p.m. on Jan. 26, the Laurens Electric Cooperative outage map showed the grid fully restored, according to Laurie Riser, communications specialist at Laurens Electric.

As of Jan. 27, the Upstate energy provider outage map shows no affected customers from the winter snowstorm.

"Extra planning, supplies on hand, and additional crews really helped speed restoration of the outages," Riser said.

Laurens Electric Cooperative's service outage page can be found here.

The Greer Commission of Public Works (Greer CPW) outage map did not report any outages within its service area on Jan. 25 to 26.

Alison Rauch, public information officer at Greer CPW, confirmed that customers who receive power from the public works department experienced no electric outages and very few issues across all utilities during the storm. She credited their stabilized grid to year-round preventive maintenance, including tree trimming, vegetation management, and customers staying off the roads to avoid hitting critical equipment.

"We experienced very few issues during (the winter storm) across all our utilities... we had zero electric outages, and the handful of service calls we received were on the customer’s side," said Rauch.

Greer CPW provides electric, natural gas, water, and wastewater services to Greer and the surrounding areas. Their outage page can be found here.

According to the Gaffney Board of Public Works outages summary, there is only one customer near Old Shelby Road who is without power in their service area, which provides energy to more than 7,600 customers, as of 11 a.m. on Jan. 27.

For the latest updates on Gaffney Board of Public Works outages, visit their website.

According to the Little River Electric Cooperative's outage map, all members of their 15,000-plus coverage area have been restored to full power, as of 11 a.m. on Jan. 27.

Their customer base spans across Anderson, Greenwood, and Edgefield. For a full update on Little River Electric Cooperative, visit their map here.

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Pickens County, South Carolina – Deputies are asking the public for help locating a 15-year-old girl reported missing from the Central area late last week.

According to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Alissa Johnson was last seen at her home near Eighteen Mile Road in Central around midnight on Friday. Authorities said she left the residence, and her current whereabouts remain unknown.

The sheriff’s office described Johnson as 5 feet 2 inches tall and approximately 120 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Deputies said it is unclear what she was wearing at the time she left her home.

The case has been classified as a runaway juvenile, and investigators are continuing efforts to determine where Johnson may have gone and who she may be with. Officials said there is no information at this time indicating foul play, but they are seeking assistance from anyone who may have seen her or has information that could help locate her.

Law enforcement officials emphasized that even small details could be important, particularly sightings in the Central area or along nearby roadways late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Residents are also encouraged to review any security or doorbell camera footage from the area that may show someone matching Johnson’s description.

Anyone with information about Alissa Johnson’s location is asked to contact Sgt. Keith Wald with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office at 864-898-5523. Tips can be provided directly to deputies, and callers do not need to know Johnson personally to report information.

Cases involving missing juveniles often rely heavily on community awareness, especially in areas frequented by students, young workers, and local commuters who may have been traveling through the area overnight.

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A major winter storm has significantly impacted the Upstate from Friday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 1.

The storm brought heavy snowfall and record-breaking cold temperatures to the region.

According to the National Weather Service, the Winter Storm Warning expired at 7 a.m., but the Extreme Cold Warning remained in effect until 10 a.m. EST today, Feb. 1.

Officials are urging residents to stay off the roads because snow and frigid temperatures have made many routes impassable.

Those who must travel are advised to exercise caution and be prepared for hazardous conditions.

Conditions are expected to improve slightly this afternoon with sunny skies and a high near 31–34 degrees.

Another freeze is expected tonight with temperatures dropping back into the low teens.

Residents are advised to remain cautious and stay updated on weather conditions.

Here is how much snow parts of the Upstate received through the afternoon on Jan. 31, according to the.

How much snow did the Upstate get?

The National Weather Service collects and maps data over 24 hours, mapping snowfall across the country.

Some areas in the Upstate saw totals higher than initially expected due to efficient accumulation ratios, with several locations reporting over 5 inches of snow.

Greenville County: Reported Snowfall Totals

Pickens County: Reported Snowfall Totals

Reported Snow Totals Near Spartanburg:

Reported snow totals near Anderson:

According to the National Weather Service, observations are collected from a variety of sources using different equipment and under varying conditions.

Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him attrose@gannett.com

PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A FOX Carolina camera crew was on scene where law enforcement was responding.

Our crews observed Pickens County deputies and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division on Hollingsworth Drive around 9:10 p.m. on Saturday.

Sheriff Tommy Blankenship released a statement about the incident on Sunday, urging caution about unverified information spreading on social media.

“Citizens sharing those unvetted narratives does not help law enforcement,” Sheriff Blankenship said. “Last night, it actively endangered everyone involved. Our objective is always a peaceful resolution, and misinformation works directly against that goal.”

The sheriff explained the individual involved in the scene on Saturday is known to the sheriff’s office due to an incident at East Pickens Baptist Church, where the individual tried to access a secure area where children were present.

“He had to be physically restrained by church security,” the sheriff said on Facebook. “A judge signed an order of detention commanding law enforcement officers to take the individual into custody for a medical evaluation.”

The sheriff said when deputies arrived to serve that order, the subject as well as a female ran inside the home and locked the door. Officials said deputies then attempted to call the subject out.

Sheriff Blankenship said at that time, information received led deputies to believe the female may have being held against her will, raising the possibility of a hostage situation.

This determination justified the significant law enforcement presence and the request for the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division tactical resources and negotiators, according to the sheriff.

The sheriff explained that once commanding units reassessed and verified additional information through investigations and interviews, it was determined there was no hostage since the female had left the home.

Sheriff Blankenship said he made the executive decision to de-escalate the scene overnight given the volatility of the situation, which was driven by mental health concerns. The sheriff said a law enforcement presence was kept in the area to protect the community.

During this time, the sheriff said he consulted with mental health professionals and other trusted community members experienced in crisis intervention.

The sheriff said deputies took the subject into custody on Sunday morning following a brief physical encounter outside the home.

“No weapons, lethal or non-lethal, were used,” Sheriff Blankenship said. “Deputies relied on their training and safely secured the individual with parties receiving only minor scrapes and scratches.”

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