| PAGE LABEL EVEN | STILL ALIVE T Vol. 117HE No. 37 JOURNALTuesday, February 23, 2021 $100 Bobcats advance T J in 3A playoffs ‘CREATING THE DREAM’: Elegant and Distinctive offers custom designs. B1 with win over COUNTRY’S STAGGERING TOLL: US tops 500,000 COVID-19 deaths. D1 Mid-Carolina. C1 OCONEE COUNTY OCONEE COUNTY School district announces virtual 1 2 3 4 5 Elliott Durham Cain Davis Hart options for all students next year BY GREG OLIVER 2021-22 school year. are intended to sup- Dodd added the THE JOURNAL District spokeswom- port families that have requirements to partici- Planning their an Jennifer Dodd said determined virtual pate in virtual learning CouncilWALHALLA District — The the 1 decision was made instruction is the best will be released in the priorities School District of after officials reviewed academic option for their coming weeks, and fam- 1 Oconee County has student data and com- students, not as a means ilies will be required to Editor’s note: This is the first install- announced it will offer munity needs. to avoid exposure to the submit an application for ment of a five-part series that will 2 virtual learning options “It is important to COVID-19 virus,” Dodd run this week, reviewing the listed at all grade levels for the note that these options said. SEE OPTIONS, PAGE A3 goals from all five representatives d R d n on Oconee County Council that u o r g 4 3 r were brought up during a strate- e t s u gic planning retreat on Friday. Today’s M Oconee County d R un d ro story focuses on District 1 Councilman rg SOUTHWESTMINSTER CAROLINA ste u John Elliott. Officials will begin meeting this M 5 B ad spring to craft the upcoming budget that kicks in Cr e e k this summer, which could very well include recently R discussed goals from council officials. d d d) R se d lo d un (C R o 1 r n g 0 to er 7 g t in us d ig M a W o Elliott talks goals UnanticipatedR break Cx Fi sh er K n o Ci b for District 1 Rd B ee C o v e BY RILEY MORNINGSTAR 11 near the town of Salem R d E THE JOURNAL a in a meeting on Friday. s t ( C “The town of Salem des- l o s e d WALHALLA — In look- perately needs revitaliza- ) ing to mirror the success tion,” Elliott said during Bu rrells F Lake Jocassee of the Swamp Rabbit Trail a strategic planning o T rd at er d in Greenville County, one retreat meeting. “You Rd Hill R (Closed) elected official in Oconee look at what happened at ) d D County is aiming to revi- Travelers Rest (which is se lo e (C v i l talize his community with at one end of the Swamp Rd s k c F o o R rk a similar plan. Rabbit Trail) — that’s te hi R W d County Councilman just a prime example of ig B d B e R n ke d a W Jocassee L John Elliott, who rep- adding something great Rd d h R i te w y JocasseeP a resents the areas of to citizens and providing a o t w i e n o r l t l F a R Salem and Keowee Key revitalization to an area al d ls G R in District 1, spoke about that needs it desperately.” d wanting to fund a green- In October 2019, a com- e k C a Salem way feasibility study for a he L o R he non Brid e Can d n ge Rd R a m trail along S.C. Highway SEE ELLIOTT, PAGE A3 d p ha C d ld R O r w D lo C l o a h Easy St Sthy 107 d m e H d r R L o k k c Rd e e a e e y h h w o S L e k e a r d k g e R P Ch d d D R i s C t l SENECA t l R r o a a d s F r d s y o R F C H y re ffs le e li n k l R C o a d s V l N o d W R e l D L e at h Oshea it u er Trl e r t c le i Bl h h River ck R N o Ma c eid Rd e n ?Ñ h a r R C LAUREN PIERCE | THE JOURNAL B d A water main breakg in the city of Westminster forced utility crews to work diligently to restore service on Mon- Duke official in d p Wh tn R um itmi a M J re ch Rd di day. The break led to two local schools canceling the instructionalChur day. Ly Mountain Rest Shallow Ford Rd r M D o e u se n i d d n R i ta e r R v i n d P n W l Alexander A k R u R d d e e i M d S e F a k R responds tor social d in r C Watern main issue cancels day for twoR WestminsterS a schools to Rd P s ge r l t i la No il w il e e V r M i L Tamassee t m Fl n t a B i t S ra Cre st a R h hoa wo G od D M o r c k BY GREG OLIVER AND LAUREN PIERCE said a waterW main breakls left West- r already at school coulde be pickedk R d a y d a d R C r o l i d l e i C D w g f f THE JOURNAL e s minster Elementary Schoola and up, and West-Oak Middle School D R R r id m w g r e d Dr S o media flag flap e l D l r o i West-Oak Middle Schooll without buses were scheduled to leave at 10 d l r u r t T R W e R h ve M n a i o ry T W n d P y i WESTMINSTER — A water water and forcedd students to be a.m. to take bus riders back home. C r k att g d w Dr ta a e R y n d g R ong u L m BY RILEY MORNINGSTAR o main break Monday morning sent back home. At the time, Dodd “We do anticipater being back Stat u de M n io B a THE JOURNAL n W d gave two Westminster-areaTam assee Ln said the break could not be re- to normal (today),” RDodd said Ln ly C er ne schools an unexpectedHill ov day off. paired until lunchiv at the earliest. whenin View Raskedd when both schools e R a Lo R d t d e n R l u T t o a n t SENECA — A Duke School District of Oconeem Coun- Parents were informedi that any M as a L se w L e K o oe n SEE BREAK, PAGE A5 Energy spokeswoman ty spokeswoman Jennifer Doddn WestminsterC sh Elementary students ob se R or k Rd Lisa Ln d H Cree addressed a social media mp Qu ta G d a S n R il e als E L ho post with The Journal o at S D S d r Fl g r ta R e y m l S e r p g on Monday, hours after T e t h C d o b ri y r d e B B N ?Ü d im e o s K k someone online called the R n 1 R n n 1 d o e d L r O m a d c company out for “DE- ke m R WESTMINSTERo i n B e N ec d e T ky R o STROYING THE AMERI- d S d ta ti B d o R CAN FLAG.” r Rd n i dg Cx t k u R L d e a e C y e Dr R r p Shane Mullen post- M i e d il d C h t l R i s s Rd l h g y a d e a ed Monday morning l o w W e R h F n R H S o iv t e s h N c r c a in a “Friends on Lake d s Man headed to prisonl for deadly wreck r O t n o F n a hu l e C h d Keowee” social media l D g d r i l R e O H n h i t group, saying he replaced a e nearly two years ago. Court Judge Cordell t B n u o il Dr a “tattered” American Robert Maddox. He was also sen- sa M Lecroy R Pelfrey gets 15 years in crashd ain Stamp Creek s M os flag erected at a “poorly R Alan Pelfrey, tenced to five years pro- d C d S R h R a marked mid-channel rock lme 31, of Eades bation on a grand larceny F n d la w e d g r i R s l s o l r R h T pile” last month with a e Drive,e was charge that will include ip M d g D that killed 76-year-old N woman n d n t a r el n R i d s x n g le d R n n newer flag and solar lights un R ri orderedA to five years of probation, d a T d p S L Dr R k d k s n R o i to illuminate the area “for s serve 15 years along with court-orderede e o a r t e r r o b d n os r g u C h M a O n o s BY RILEY MORNINGSTAR prison on Monday afteri ld increased safety.” y in prison for restitution and drug and p r S h M ta t n t p io m r d n a R o S y a B T d t SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL THE JOURNAL o N The man said there is Walhalla 1 d re he pleaded guilty to felo- felony driv- alcohol counseling.S Tenth w B R e t t r n s r o R P u now “nothing left except This American flag was t nyd DUI in the death of a Pelfrey ing under Judicial Circuit assis- et B ick a poorly marked and held up by a flagpole in WALHALLA —P A 76-year-old woman killedCº thePickens influence Hwy tant solicitor Bethany F d a d i R r R the waters of Lake Keowee Westminster manfi was in a two-car wreck near after he pleaded guilty to e d ld S n R o h n n i R e t c r L a SEE FLAG, PAGE A5 d d c r SEE PRISON, PAGE A6 as recently as last week.