Thorsland: Some Virtual Learning to Continue Next Year Developer Gives
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| PAGE LABEL EVEN | BACK IN T Vol. 117HE No. 29 JOURNALThursday, February 11, 2021 $100 ACTION T J Tigers eager FINDING REFUGE: In an anxious winter, the garden still offers consolation. B1 for start to the IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: In chilling video, police beg help, senators flee. D1 season. C1 OCONEE SCHOOLS Thorsland: Some virtual learning to continue next year As a participant in the BY GREG OLIVER tual learning “with restric- He said he was told by School District of Oconee THE JOURNAL tions.” state Superintendent Molly County’s virtual learning “I’ve been telling princi- Spearman she felt there program, first-grader Ada WALHALLA — Although pals we want to give them would be more of a mandate McCall practices her writ- it doesn’t appear that virtu- veto authority if a student by the state for face-to-face ing under the watchful al learning will be mandat- is signed up for virtual instruction next year over eye of her mom, Lacey ed by the State Department learning, but they can point virtual learning. But he McCall, in August. SDOC of Education for the 2021- to this year, or even the end added the district feels that superintendent Michael 22 academic year, School of last year, as evidence that virtual learning “is not Thorsland said this week District of Oconee County that’s not the best for that going away.” that virtual learning will superintendent Michael student,” Thorsland said. “It needs to continue continue “with restric- Thorsland told school board “We would want principals being an option for most of tions” next school year. trustees this week that the to be able to have those stu- FILE district will continue vir- dents face-to-face.” SEE VIRTUAL, PAGE A5 SENECA SENECA Oconee County, Seneca finalizing ‘Reaching out’ landfill transfer BY NORM CANNADA Council approved THE JOURNAL first reading of an ordinance Tuesday SENECA — Seneca night authorizing City Council is expect- transfer and easement ed to take a final vote agreements that hand on a plan to turn over over ownership of the ownership of county Oconee County con- landfill property to struction and debris Oconee County later this month. SEE LANDFILL, PAGE A6 SALEM Salem officials LAUREN PIERCE | THE JOURNAL ‘ecstatic’ to land Seneca police officers recently made a recruiting video to help find potential candidates who fit the department’s model of community service. $216K state loan Bowling hopes video helps find ‘best officers that fit Seneca’ BY RILEY MORNINGSTAR On Wednesday, Salem THE JOURNAL director of operations BY NORM CANNADA video, which we’ll use for job fairs, by Seneca resident Vicki Barnum, Ryan Hardin told The THE JOURNAL we’ll use for career days,” Bowling is producing the video. Bowling said SALEM — After Journal the town was said. “It’s just another avenue for the advertisement is an investment years of planning and selected to receive SENECA — Seneca police officers us to be able to show what we’re all that will go beyond filling the two disappointing funding $216,000 in funding from spent part of an afternoon last week about and show the new servant open positions in the police depart- denials, Salem has the State Revolving participating in what will eventu- mindset of the police department, ment now. landed a state loan to Fund Program, which ally be a 90-second video that Chief and also being transparent to the “This is something we’re going to begin its long-awaited is under the jurisdiction Casey Bowling hopes will benefit public as well, because a lot of peo- be able to use for years to come,” he water line extension the department for many years. ple don’t see what we do every day.” project. SEE SALEM, PAGE A5 “We’re working on a recruiting Total Video Productions, owned SEE OFFICERS, PAGE A3 CLEMSON Developer gives Dockside update BY GREG OLIVER “This is one of the zoning director Jacob designed and the way THE JOURNAL most exciting projects Peabody’s assertion building departments I’ve dealt with in my 30 that Ware was not and everyone has told CLEMSON — As dirt years in the industry, an aggrieved party. us to meet the zoning continues to be moved and I can’t wait to see it During that meeting, codes and regulations for the Dockside mixed- come to fruition,” Brent Little said every effort that are on that prop- use development at the Little said. is being made to abide erty.” site of the former Holi- Little spoke to the by the city’s rules and During that meeting, day Inn on Tiger Boule- BZA during a hearing regulations. Little said the land on vard, the developer re- for an appeal filed by “We want to build which Dockside will be GREG OLIVER | THE JOURNAL cently told the Clemson local resident Ric Ware it exactly specifically built had been pur- Construction is now underway on the new Dockside mixed-use Board of Zoning Appeals about height concerns to code,” Little said. chased and a $50 million development, located at the site of the former Holiday Inn on Tiger he is “excited” about the with the project. The “We’ve done everything Boulevard in Clemson. project. board ultimately upheld exactly the way the city SEE DOCKSIDE, PAGE A5 | INSIDE | | INFO | WILLIE SAYS: ARRESTS A6 COMICS B4 OPINION A4 DELIVERY (864) 882-2375 CALENDAR A2 ENTERTAINMENT B5 SPORTS C1 CLASSIFIEDS (864) 882-2375 There’s still plenty of CLASSIFIEDS D2 LIFESTYLE B1 STOCK REPORTS D4 ADVERTISING (864) 973-6305 COLUMNISTS B4 OBITUARIES B6 WORLD | NATION D1 tension to go around. A6 For every sense, the C-Class Coupe has a sensation. The 2021 C 300 Coupe CARLTON MOTORCARS www.CarltonMB.com 2446 Laurens Road (864) 213-8000 Greenville, SC 29607 | PAGE LABEL EVEN | A2 THE JOURNAL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 One bed open at Oconee hospital ICU SDPC releases 6-week plan SENECA — There was one bed available BY GREG OLIVER increased the district’s confidence that in the intensive care THE JOURNAL transmission of COVID-19 in schools unit at Prisma Health “is extremely low” when proper safety Oconee Memorial EASLEY — Students in the School protocols are followed. Hospital late Tuesday District of Pickens County will attend Merck said the district has night, according to Wednesday’s COVID-19 school in person for 27 of the 29 days of seen few positive cases result numbers provided by instruction included in the district’s from close contact in a school the S.C. Department of numbers at a glance next six-week schedule, covering Feb. setting, with the largest in- Health and Environ- Confirmed Confirmed Percent 22-April 2. crease in the community tak- mental Control (DHEC). cases deaths positive In a letter sent to parents Monday, ing place following holidays DHEC reported 11 of superintendent Danny Merck said the during which schools were the hospital’s 12 listed South Carolina 1,516 39 12.5% district will have two asynchronous closed. He added that the suc- ICU beds were occu- Oconee County 20 2 3.1%* remote learning days on Feb. 26 and Merck cess of the district’s face-to- pied, with six of those Pickens County 29 3 4.6%* March 19. On those days, students will face instruction depends on beds used by COVID-19 have videos to watch and assignments its teachers and support staff, especially patients, at 11:59 p.m. * Seven-day moving average to complete, but students in all grades nurses, having time to make the appro- Tuesday. Cumulative cases will not be required to log in to classes at priate adjustments needed to operate There were four pa- specific times on those days. schools safely during the pandemic. tients on ventilators at South Carolina: 417,807 cases, 6,923 deaths Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and “The two remote learning days are the time of the report, Oconee County: 7,530 cases, 105 deaths positive cases in schools throughout the to help our schools perform the neces- with two of the patients district, Merck said schools have been able sary work and planning to make the 27 COVID-19 positive. Pickens County: 14,504 cases, 215 deaths to stay open for all students for 76 of the days of face-to-face school most effec- There were 14 venti- first 100 days of school and for 89 days for tive,” Merck said. “In addition, schools lators available at the SOURCE: SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL pre-kindergarten through second grade. will have discretion to offer in-person time. “These numbers place our district support services to specific groups of Of the 95 hospital among the highest in the country for students in need of attention.” beds occupied, 17 were in-person instruction,” Merck said in his The superintendent also told parents filled by patients with | CALENDAR | letter. he anticipates action from the South COVID-19. There were The superintendent feels the chances Carolina General Assembly “to speed 81 beds available at the TODAY for continuing in-person instruction up vaccinations for employees and to time of the update. OCL FRIENDS of the Library book sale in the library basement, 501 have been boosted lately by a decrease in require five-day face-to-face school from Hospital bed informa- W. South Broad St., Walhalla, by appointment only at 12:30, 1:30 or COVID-19 incidence rates and a plum- March 22 to the end of the school year.” tion can be found online 2:30 p.m. by emailing [email protected]. Masks and social meting of percent positive in the commu- “SDPC is well equipped to meet that at scdhec.gov/covid19/ distancing required.