| PAGE LABEL EVEN | STILL STEWING T Vol. 116HE No. 344 JOURNALFriday, December 11, 2020 $100 Crane driven by Bobcats’ A LOOK BACK: Pop culture in (ugh) 2020, from the bizarre to the sublime. B1 lackluster ALMOST HERE: US panel endorses widespread use of COVID-19 vaccine. D1 finish. C1 SENECA Small businesses on display at Seneca Downtown Go Round around the same time as good for business down- shopping and buying the Christmas lights show town. things. The stores are Santa also set to appear at Norton Thompson around Norton Thompson “Those lights are bring- staying open.” Park tonight. The Christ- ing a tremendous amount Murphy said BY NORM CANNADA 5-8 p.m., and he is expect- help people and get that mas lights and music are of people downtown,” he the shopping THE JOURNAL ing a good last push in before the scheduled to run from said. “At Downtown Go season has crowd after Christmas holidays,” he 5:30-10 p.m., and free hot Round, we’ll be open when been good for SENECA — Some Sene- the success of said. “We had a fantastic chocolate will be served it’s dark, and I think we’ll locally owned ca businesses are extend- the event last night last time. I was from 6-9 p.m. Friday and see a lot of those people, small busi- ing hours tonight for the month. very pleased at the last Saturday, along with the too.” nesses this final Downtown Go Round “We’ll have Go Round with how well makings for s’mores near City events coordinator Johnson year. event of 2020. extended all of our restaurants did. the fire pits on East Main Riley Johnson agreed. “It’s a ban- Downtown Seneca Mer- hours for all Every one of them had Street. There is a small “I’ve toured the area ner year for Christmas chants Association pres- Murphy our stores banner nights. We just fee for the s’mores ingre- quite a few times and shopping, I believe,” he ident and local business and, hopeful- hope to do more of the dients. there’s people out,” he said. “We usually see it owner Ray Murphy said ly, everybody will have same (tonight).” Murphy said the lights said. “There’s people the event is scheduled for some extra personnel to The event will be held and other activities are walking, there’s people SEE BUSINESSES, PAGE A6 SENECA WESTMINSTER City Hall to close ‘Bringing history to life’ to public amid COVID concerns BY NORM CANNADA ing on Thursday night. THE JOURNAL Bronson said after the meeting he wasn’t WESTMINSTER — aware of any employees Westminster City Hall who had tested positive is closing to the public for COVID-19, but said beginning Monday, there was one employee and employees there who “had to quarantine will begin working in because of an expo- shifts due to the rise sure.” in COVID-19 cases in “All we’re trying to do recent weeks. is mitigate our risk and City administrator be able to still provide Kevin Bronson talk- city services,” he said. ed about the changes during council’s meet- SEE CITY HALL, PAGE A6 CLEMSON Clemson planning PHOTOS BY LAUREN PIERCE | THE JOURNAL alternatives to A mobile horse sits in a storefront display window in Downtown Seneca. The horse was produced in 1939 as a chil- dren’s rocking toy. Christmas parade Vintage car, toy collection in downtown Christmas display BY GREG OLIVER businesses are partic- THE JOURNAL ipating in a storefront BY LAUREN PIERCE decoration contest, to THE JOURNAL CLEMSON — be voted upon by the COVID-19 has squashed public, and a virtual SENECA — With the the city of Clemson’s parade in which people holidays looking a little annual Christmas can send in their en- different this year, Dee parade, but it hasn’t tries. Barnes was looking for dampened the holiday “Our plans for the a way to spread some spirit or kept the city holidays changed, obvi- Christmas cheer while from planning events ously, with COVID-19,” reminding residents of designed to bring peo- Watley said. “We’re not downtown Seneca’s rich ple downtown to sup- going to be able to have history. port local businesses. a parade, which is one Barnes reached out to Clemson parks and of my big projects that his friend and toy collec- recreation program I do throughout the tor, Mike Cannon, who director Lindsey has an assortment of toys Watley said downtown SEE CLEMSON, PAGE A5 and pedal cars he has collected from as far back as the 1930s. Sitting in front of a lighted “Letters to Santa” mailbox, there is a 1966 Mattel miniature car collection box fea- turing a variety of vintage cars on the cover and an old Roy Rogers “Happy Trails” chocolate box from the 1960s. Some of Cannon’s collec- explaining the history of tion is now on display in those toys,” Barnes said. former store windows on “They’ll hear what it was East Main Street. Barnes like when they were grow- said the display is “bring- ing up in a small town GREG OLIVER | THE JOURNAL ing history to life.” and how family life was in Downtown Clemson business owners are taking “I have people calling the past. “ part in a storefront Christmas decoration contest This pedal car is a 1939 Ford Woody. Mike Cannon, owner me saying they’re bring- Barnes helps with the that, along with a virtual Christmas parade, is taking of the vintage cars and toys, says this pedal car is “one of ing their children and the place of the actual Christmas parade that was a kind.” their grandchildren, and SEE DISPLAY, PAGE A5 canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | INSIDE | | INFO | WILLIE SAYS: ARRESTS A6 COMICS B3 OPINION A4 DELIVERY (864) 882-2375 CALENDAR A2 ENTERTAINMENT B4 SPORTS C1 CLASSIFIEDS (864) 882-2375 I guess he woke CLASSIFIEDS D2 LIFESTYLE B1 STOCK REPORTS D4 ADVERTISING (864) 973-6305 COLUMNISTS B3 OBITUARIES B2 WORLD | NATION D1 up. B5 | PAGE LABEL EVEN | A2 THE JOURNAL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 School district reports 7 more COVID-19 cases WALHALLA — The School District of Oconee County said Thursday that seven more positive COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in the district the previous day. Thursday’s COVID-19 The latest cases includ- ed an employee each at numbers at a glance Walhalla High, Orchard Confirmed Confirmed Percent Park Elementary and Blue cases deaths positive Ridge Elementary and a student each at West-Oak South Carolina 1,883 12 21.3% Middle, Walhalla Elemen- Oconee County 42 0 25.6%* tary, Fair-Oak Elementa- Pickens County 111 1 29.2%* ry and Walhalla Middle. SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL The cases bring the dis- * Seven-day moving average Pictured, from left, are Don Thurlow (Knights of Columbus, district deputy), Rhe- trict’s total to 298 since the Cumulative cases al Desroches (golf committee), Rick Hamilton (golf committee chairman), Dianne school year began Aug. 24. Russom (Special Olympics Area 13 director), Doug Brune (Oconee Federal Charitable The school district has South Carolina: 225,053 cases, 4,291 deaths Foundation Board), Brian Lamb (Knights of Columbus Council 6884 grand knight), also added classroom and Oconee County: 3,819 cases, 42 deaths Brian McGhee (Oconee Federal) and Curt Evatt (president/CEO, Oconee Federal school closures to its daily Financial Corporation). COVID-19 report. The latest Pickens County: 7,325 cases, 92 deaths classroom closures involve special education classes SOURCE: SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL at West-Oak Middle, Blue Ridge Elementary and Knights of Columbus, Oconee Federal Walhalla High, along with a 4-year-old kindergarten | CALENDAR | class at Fair-Oak Elementa- donate to local Special Olympics ry and a 5-year-old kinder- SUNDAY garten class at James M. WESTMINSTER WALK About will begin at 5 p.m. and continue BY RILEY MORNINGSTAR Knights said, and asked that, even during very Brown Elementary. until the tree lighting at dusk. At each location will be refreshments THE JOURNAL if they could continue to difficult times, people The S.C. Department of and information culminating at the Gateway Arts Center. gateway- support the Special Olym- in Oconee and Pickens Health and Environmental artscenter.net SENECA — The Area pics if they felt inclined. counties step up to sup- Control (DHEC) publishes 13 Special Olympics got a The Knights credit- port great causes, and lists of school cases at scd- WEDNESDAY significant donation last ed the Oconee Federal we thank them!” hec.gov/COVID19schools. NOT MEETING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE – DAV veterans advocates week from the Knights of Charitable Foundation Since 1994, the local — The Journal staff Terry Neale, Michael Brown or Mike O’Shields will be at the Knights Columbus Council 6884 for immediately stepping golf tournament has of Columbus meeting hall, 112 E. North 2nd St., Seneca, from 1-5 and the Oconee Federal up with a donation of generated more than p.m. to assist veterans with VA benefits. Charitable Foundation. $5,000. Then, 13 corporate $285,000 in funds Area 13, which serves sponsors, one church and supporting the area | CORRECTION | DEC. 19 Oconee and Pickens coun- 43 people made donations Special Olympics. For FLEET RESERVE Association, Branch 15, breakfast at 8:30 a.m., fol- ties, received a check for totaling $10,000. The mon- more information An article in Thursday’s lowed by a business meeting at 9 a.m. at Chicopee United Methodist $15,000. Money is typi- ey is used to support the on the charity work, issue of The Journal had Church, 403 S.