• Who do you think will win the South Carolina Republican primary on Jan. 21?

  • Newt Gingrich
  • Jon Huntsman
  • Ron Paul
  • Rick Perry
  • Mitt Romney
  • Rick Santorum

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BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
Only one thing would have made Hippie Night in Blacksburg better last year.
Organizer and promoter Darren Janesky decided an additional day of saluting the 1960s was in order, based on popular demand, so for the fifth annual event, he extended the night to a weekend of celebration.
This Friday and Saturday will […]

Young cowboy ‘hungry for more bull’
BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
Why do cowboys ride or rope for the money?
For 19-year-old Andy Blanton of Gaffney, the answer is the adrenaline rush he described as an eccentric feeling.
“It just leaves you hungry for more bull,” he said, adding that he’s scheduled to ride Friday night at Ed Brown’s […]

Owner questions circumstances surrounding deputy’s actions
BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller said an internal investigation into a deputy firing his service weapon and injuring a dog outside a Blacksburg residence on July 14 was continuing this week.
The deputy went to Roberts Road to serve a civil paper, and the dog lunged at […]

Solicitor: Negligence not enough for criminal case in Cleveland Park accident
By Jay King
HOMETOWN NEWS
There will be no criminal charges filed in connection with the March 19 train crash in Cleveland Park that killed one child and injured 28 others, Spartanburg Public Safety Director Tony Fisher announced Tuesday.
The responsibility of determining whether charges would be filed […]

BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
The South Carolina Peach Festival continues, filling this weekend with fun and festivities in the traditional style of the last two decades with some new twists, including Legos construction, and the July 23 return of a mud bog.
Kayla Robbs, executive director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce said, “This year’s […]

BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
Peaches are in season, and the S.C. Festival saluting the summer fruit is just around the corner.
Jacqueline Rodriguez said she’s ready.
She likes peaches but finds working at a produce stand makes them a little too accessible for soothing her palate.
“I love ‘em, but maybe I’m around them too much now,” she […]

BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
A Cherokee County School District employee was charged last week with shoplifting less than $1,000 in merchandise from a Spartanburg department store.
School officials said Shelia Whitley Lemmonds, 61, who was administrative assistant to Superintendent Ed Taylor and the Cherokee County School Board, is expected to take retirement from her position.
Lemmonds was […]

BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
Blacksburg High School Principal Jim Touchberry who has been a working retiree will not return to his position for the new school year, although he interviewed for the job.
Touchberry fell victim of recent haggling by Cherokee County School Board members and the administration on whether to continue employment of retired personnel.
Under […]

Jimmy  Carter, family drop in
BY JANET S. SPENCER
HOMETOWN NEWS
Visitors to the Kings Mountain National Military Park come and go, seeking a history tutorial or brief respite from traveling along nearby I-85 not far from Blacksburg.
Their number may depend on the time of year, the weather if camping at local facilities is a goal or travel […]

Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler last Thursday introduced a bill that will specify standards for permits regarding miniature trains, like the one that derailed in Spartanburg County.
Named Benji’s Law, it’s in honor of Benji Easler, a Cherokee County six-year-old who was killed when the train left the tracks in March. He was at Cleveland […]