| PAGE LABEL EVEN | PAYING T Vol. 117HE No. 18 JOURNALTuesday, January 26, 2021 $100 TRIBUTE T J Central to honor ‘IT’S MY MISSION’: American Legion Honor Guard reaches 25-year milestone. B1 state champion ‘TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE’: Bullish Biden open to 1.5M daily vaccine goal. D1 Lions. C1 WALHALLA Leaders, community work together on downtown plans Members of the Main BY NORM CANNADA all very positive,” Imbody Street Walhalla steering THE JOURNAL said.” WANT TO GO? committee discuss possi- Main Street South Leaders from Main Street Walhal- ble ways to improve the WALHALLA — At the la are scheduled to present their Carolina manager Jenny downtown area for future end of a day that included recommendations for Walhalla’s Boulware and Randy Wil- development with repre- several sessions with local downtown revitalization efforts at son, president of Commu- sentatives of Main Street residents about Walhalla’s a meeting at 6 p.m. tonight at the nity Design Solutions in South Carolina at an initial future downtown growth Walhalla Performing Arts Center. Columbia, who works with session Monday morning with a state organization The public is invited. the state Main Street pro- at the Walhalla Depot. The providing guidance, Main gram, are in town talking local and state groups also Street Walhalla director to the community as part heard from residents at a Libby Imbody called the about what we need to do of its partnership with the town hall Monday night. discussions “fascinating.” and what we have to work NORM CANNADA | THE JOURNAL “You hear so much on, but the meetings were SEE DOWNTOWN, PAGE A5 SENECA OCONEE COUNTY Rosa Clark joins COVID vaccine Spraying for safety rollout efforts BY LAUREN PIERCE days beginning Feb. 3. THE JOURNAL Rosa Clark CEO Vicki Thompson said the SENECA — Rosa clinic has a “limited Clark Medical Clinic supply” of the Moderna will begin distribution vaccine. of the COVID-19 vaccine “We will continue starting next week for to do that as long as eligible Oconee County supplies last and as residents. long as we can get the Located at 301 Memo- vaccine,” Thompson rial Drive in Seneca, the said. “I don’t know how clinic will be giving out the demand will be. We doses by appointment and only on Wednes- SEE VACCINE, PAGE A5 SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL Rosa Clark Medical Clinic in Seneca will begin ad- ministering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment and only on Wednesdays beginning Feb. 3. PHOTOS BY BRIAN GRAVES | THE JOURNAL Firefighter Trace Merritts sprays the inside of a South Union Fire Department vehicle with a non-toxic disinfectant used to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. WESTMINSTER County using new method to protect against COVID-19 BY BRIAN GRAVES Westminster city THE JOURNAL WALHALLA — Oconee County Emergency Services is officials to set using a new fogging mist spray to decontaminate facilities and equipment to help protect the public from COVID-19. budget priorities OCES Deputy Chief Scott Long said a schedule has been developed to treat the county BY BRIAN GRAVES earnest Feb. 16, when administration building on Pine THE JOURNAL city staff will begin to Street in Walhalla every night present a review of the after employees have left the WESTMINSTER — city’s expenditures. building. Westminster City Coun- A scheduled three- The aerosol devices and spray cil will be led through hour workshop, sched- are also used twice a week on a process today that is uled to begin at 1 p.m. each volunteer fire station. designed to assist in today at the Westmin- “It is a one-step germicidal setting priorities for the ster Depot, will be facil- disinfectant applied with an in- fiscal year 2022 budget. itated by Jeff Shacker, dustrial electrostatic apparatus, Putting the numbers Firefighter Ben Watson watches as Trace Merritts sprays disinfectant around the together will begin in SEE BUDGET, PAGE A5 SEE SPRAYING, PAGE A5 South Union Fire Department as a COVID-19 preventive measure. | INSIDE | | INFO | WILLIE SAYS: ARRESTS A6 COMICS B3 OPINION A4 DELIVERY (864) 882-2375 Nobody CALENDAR A2 ENTERTAINMENT B4 SPORTS C1 CLASSIFIEDS (864) 882-2375 CLASSIFIEDS D2 LIFESTYLE B1 STOCK REPORTS D4 ADVERTISING (864) 973-6305 should be rewarded for COLUMNISTS B3 OBITUARIES B2 WORLD | NATION D1 bad behavior. B5 IF IT’S ON THE WATER, IT’S HERE. JAN. 28 – 31 COVID safety protocols will be in effect during the event. UPSTATESCBOATSHOW.COM | PAGE LABEL EVEN | A2 THE JOURNAL TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021 Small size hinders park stage project BY BRIAN GRAVES He added there was $50,000 depending on building codes.” THE JOURNAL originally budgeted, but after site “I just wanted the council to give cleanup costs, there is approximate- me the option (to try to) find four or WESTMINSTER — Westminster ly $35,000 remaining. five members to do it and pay them still has funding to build a proposed He noted the boom in construc- overtime,” Bronson said, adding Monday’s COVID-19 stage at Retreat Street Park, but the tion has been somewhat of a road- there may be volunteers who would intimate size that makes the idea block in finding a contractor to be willing to help. numbers at a glance appealing is also making it more build the stage. “When you think about the stage, Confirmed Confirmed Percent difficult to start construction on the “Finding someone to come in and it would be like constructing a cases deaths positive project. do a really small project has been a deck, and that doesn’t worry me as City council voted last week to al- little bit challenging,” Bronson said. much,” he said. “But putting the South Carolina 2,736 5 25.3% low interim city administrator Kevin “They’ll do it, but either it’s a big roof on it … I don’t want the roof to Oconee County 72 0 35.8%* Bronson the option of paying city company with mobilization costs fall down. We may need a licensed Pickens County 58 0 29.3%* staff overtime to build the structure. that exceed our budget, or it’s low contractor to come in and manage “They put money in the budget at on their priority and it has a higher that part of the project.” * Seven-day moving average least a year ago to build this stage, price tag.” Bronson said it’s his hope the Cumulative cases and there is a little alcove there He said there are some small- stage might still be completed by where a stage would look perfect,” er-level contractors yet to be ap- early spring. South Carolina: 379,775 cases, 5,920 deaths Bronson said. “But it’s a small con- proached about the project, but “we Oconee County: 13,496 cases, 178 deaths struction project.” could self-perform with the staff [email protected] | (864) 973-6686 Pickens County: 6,957 cases, 81 deaths SOURCE: SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL Fire destroys outbuilding in | CALENDAR | TODAY SENECA LIONS Club will meet at Ye Olde Sandwich Shoppe for Utica area dinner at 6 p.m. and business meeting at 6:30 p.m. Masks required. Learn how Lions serve their community. No one was injured in a fire that destroyed a large outbuilding in WEDNESDAY the Utica mill community early OCONEE BOARD of Disabilities and Special Needs will meet at 9:30 Monday morning. Seneca Fire a.m. in the administration building at the Tribble Center. Open to the Chief Richie Caudill said the fire general public. was reported shortly before 6 a.m. at 204 Goddard Ave. and was NEWCOMER CLUB of the Foothills will not meet until further notice. started by a wood stove. Some- Newcomerclub.com one was in the building at the time of the fire but got out safely. THURSDAY SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL THE MEETING of the Westminster American Legion Post 107 has been cancelled due to the increase of COVID-19 cases. We will keep you posted on the February meeting. One bed open in tion can be found online at Elementary and a first- one staffer quarantined MONDAY Oconee Memorial ICU scdhec.gov/covid19/hospi- grade class from Fair-Oak and two positive, along BETHEL LEARNING Center in Oakway will begin accepting regis- tal-bed-capacity-covid-19. Elementary became the with 29 students quaran- tration for the 2021-2022 school year. A discount will be given for SENECA — There was latest to move to distance tined and four positive students who register by April 1. Call (864) 972-2473 or (864) 972- just one intensive care School districts update learning following a posi- cases. Daniel High report- 0908 during the morning hours or visit lovingbethel.com. unit bed open at Prisma COVID-19 numbers tive test. ed three staff quarantined Health Oconee Memori- In the School District of with one positive, and 30 FEB. 27 al Hospital late Sunday WALHALLA — The Pickens County, mean- students quarantined, OCONEE BOARD of Disabilities and Special Needs will meet at 9:30 night, according to num- School District of Oconee while, officials said 76 with seven positive cases. a.m. in the administration building of the Tribble Center. Meetings bers updated by the S.C. County said Monday that students and 29 staff — The Journal staff are open to the general public. Department of Health and 17 more COVID-19 cases members tested positive Environmental Control had been reported across for the virus last week, (DHEC). the district. while 551 students were DHEC reported 11 of the On Friday, two students quarantined, along with hospital’s 12 listed ICU each at Northside Elemen- 50 staffers.