| PAGE LABEL EVEN | BACK ON THE FIELD T Vol. 116HE No. 336 JOURNALTuesday, December 1, 2020 $100 Health, depth help Tigers in ‘TIS THE SEASON: This holiday season, everyone is shopping from home. B1 big win over BRACING FOR DISASTER: Americans face new COVID-19 restrictions. D1 Pittsburgh. C1 WALHALLA Virus forces Walhalla Middle School sixth-graders online School district spokes- Environmental Control, gle Meets, teachers will tinue to use Google Class- woman Jennifer Dodd the district’s leadership communicate daily tasks, room for assignments and Students moving to distance said sixth-grade students and nursing supervisor assessments, live meet- communication. will not be able to return and Walhalla Middle ings, student performance In order to support the learning for 14-day period to the school building administration. and other instructional needs of all students, 50 during that time. The Dodd said students materials with families percent of instructional earliest students will be will receive instruction on a weekly basis through tasks will be down- BY GREG OLIVER of COVID-19 cases has able to return is Dec. 15 through Google Meets one of the school-approved loadable for offline use. THE JOURNAL led to a decision to move unless under quarantine following their normal methods. Attendance will be taken Walhalla Middle School for another reason. daily schedule starting Teachers will also be for all remote classes in WALHALLA — The sixth-graders from face-to- Dodd said the decision today, with Google Meets available via email and PowerSchool and partici- School District of Oconee face instruction to dis- was made in consultation recorded for those stu- should respond within 24 pation is mandatory, with County announced tance learning for a period with the South Carolina dents without internet hours during the normal Monday that a cluster of 14 days, starting today. Department of Health and access. Outside of Goo- work week. They will con- SEE ONLINE, PAGE A5 SENECA SENECA Bringing Santa ‘back to life’ Chr stmas kickoff City restores St. Nick to window at former Harper’s BY NORM CANNADA kids and looking at the THE JOURNAL displays and the win- dows as they dreamed SENECA — Santa about Christmas and Claus is back at Harp- remember seeing er’s Five and Dime for that very same Santa Christmas. Claus waving at them Seneca public works through the glass,” he director Ernie Beck said. “I’m assuming and city administrator that meant Christmas Scott Moulder placed was here. When the St. Nick in the window Harper store Santa of the former store showed up, Christmas Monday, just a few was here.” hours before the Sene- Seneca Mayor Dan undled up on a cold, windy fall ca Christmas Parade. Alexander said he night, local residents officially The city took owner- approached Harper kicked off the Christmas season ship of the building family member Mi- on Monday night with the annual last year as part of its chael Harper last year B downtown redevelop- seeking to find the old Seneca Christmas parade. Mayor Dan ment effort. Santa. Harper had it Alexander and city council began the fes- Moulder hopes the in his garage and gave tivities with the lighting of the city Christ- display takes people it to the city. He said mas tree. The 40-minute parade brought back to their youth. Harper’s opened at the thousands of onlookers to downtown “Maybe they will Main Street location in Seneca on a frigid night. The parade was remember a simpler time when they were SEE SANTA, PAGE A3 the first of six in Oconee County this Christmas season. Walhalla and Salem have events scheduled this weekend, followed by parades in Westminster, Fair Play and West Union the following week. Clemson, Central and Six Mile in Pick- ens County canceled parades this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. PHOTOS BY BRAD MOORE | FOR THE JOURNAL SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL Seneca city administrator Scott Moulder, left, and public works director Ernie Beck work on the re- stored Santa Claus before putting him back into the window of the former Harper’s Five and Dime. The Santa was in the Harper’s window at Christmas for more than a quarter of century. | INSIDE | | INFO | WILLIE SAYS: ARRESTS A6 COMICS B3 OPINION A4 DELIVERY (864) 882-2375 CALENDAR A2 ENTERTAINMENT B4 SPORTS C1 CLASSIFIEDS (864) 882-2375 CLASSIFIEDS D2 LIFESTYLE B1 STOCK REPORTS D4 ADVERTISING (864) 973-6305 We all read what COLUMNISTS B3 OBITUARIES B2 WORLD | NATION D1 we want to read. B6 Get yourself a gift you can open up all year! The 2021 E 350 Sedan CARLTON MOTORCARS www.CarltonMB.com 2446 Laurens Road (864) 213-8000 Greenville, SC 29607 | PAGE LABEL EVEN | A2 THE JOURNAL TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 SDOC reports 27 new virus cases THE JOURNAL STAFF at West-Oak High, one student at ster Elementary and an employee at West-Oak Middle, six employees and Tamassee-Salem Elementary. WALHALLA — After several days three students at Walhalla Middle, The new cases brought the dis- Monday’s COVID-19 off last week due to Thanksgiving one student and two employees at trict’s overall total to 209 since the numbers at a glance break, the School District of Oconee Ravenel Elementary, a Clemson Uni- school year began Aug. 24. County updated its COVID-19 report versity student teacher at Fair-Oak The South Carolina Department Confirmed Confirmed Percent Monday with 27 new positive cases Elementary, an employee at Orchard of Health and Environmental cases deaths positive confirmed since last Tuesday. Park Elementary, four employees at Control (DHEC) publishes lists of South Carolina 1,174 27 18% The latest cases included three stu- James M. Brown Elementary, a stu- school cases at scdhec.gov/COVID- dents at Walhalla High, two students dent and an employee at Westmin- 19schools. Oconee County 35 1 22.4%* Pickens County 51 4 21.6%* * Seven-day moving average Cumulative cases Merck updates parents on COVID-19 South Carolina: 203,659 cases, 4,077 deaths Oconee County: 3,310 cases, 38 deaths BY GREG OLIVER schools as safe environ- students in the household our students and staff.” Pickens County: 6,290 cases, 80 deaths THE JOURNAL ments for learning and of a person who has tested The superintendent working, it is positive for COVID-19 must concluded his letter by EASLEY — School extremely im- stay home until cleared by pointing out there are SOURCE: SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL District of Pickens County portant that the school nurse. only three weeks of school superintendent Danny Mer- you help us in Merck said that during remaining in 2020. ck said a rising number of the weeks to the week of Thanksgiving, “Let’s work together to COVID-19 cases in the coun- come.” school nurses reported a make these days safe and | CALENDAR | ty and schools is making it Merck said marked increase in the full of learning,” he said. imperative that parents do parents can do number of students attend- According to guidelines WEDNESDAY their part to help stop the Merck their part by ing school who had been laid out in its 30-page NOT MEETING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE – DAV veterans advocates spread of the virus. keeping stu- exposed to family mem- reopening plan submit- Terry Neale (864) 647-4227 or (303) 501-4273, Michael Brown (678) “In Pickens County, the dents who have COVID-19 bers carrying COVID-19. ted to and approved by 858-6052 or Mike O’Shields (864) 247-1577 will be at the Knights of incidence rate and posi- symptoms at home, that “Please remember that the state in July, Pickens Columbus meeting hall, 112 E. North 2nd St., Seneca, from 1-5 p.m. tivity rate of COVID-19 is students who have been we can only continue to County is operating on to assist veterans with VA benefits. Please bring your DD214 and any higher than ever and the tested for COVID-19 due to offer in-person school for six-week school schedules other correspondence already received from the VA. highest of any county in symptoms must stay home as long as we have enough containing both face-to- South Carolina,” Merck until they receive a nega- healthy staff members face and online instruc- DEC. 19 wrote in a letter sent to tive test result or have been to operate,” Merck said. tion throughout the year COMMUNITY TREE Group toy giveaway 9 a.m.-noon at 220 E. Main parents Sunday. “As we cleared by the school nurse “Please also be considerate rather than a year-long St., Westminster. For more information, call (203) 998-8609 or email work to preserve our to return to school and that of the health and safety of schedule. [email protected]. Duke Energy Festival West Union of Trees now online DHEC offering free HIV testing in SENECA — Duke Energy’s eighth annual Festival of Trees is officially live — preps for annual online. observance of World AIDS Day The World of Energy’s education center announced BY RILEY MORNINGSTAR unaware of their HIV panel that will be held Christmas parade last month it would host THE JOURNAL status because they have over Facebook Live on the the event virtually because not received an HIV test,” Ending the Epidemics SC of COVID-19 and “to allow ANDERSON — The S.C. DHEC STD, HIV and page. BY BRIAN GRAVES ner and those colors the spotlight to shine on Department of Health and Viral Hepatitis Division Between 2017 and 2018, THE JOURNAL have had as unique a local nonprofits through the Environmental Control is director Ali Mansaray 1,546 people in the state history as the country COVID-19 pandemic,” a news set to offer free HIV, STD said in a release.