[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6398926,"mediaKeyId","2087696-18efb162004c49e5d1e731fbc2667ed9","parentId",2087696,"title","Residents raise concerns about Department of Social Services access and allege misconduct by local prosecutor at Oconee County meeting","audioSeconds",831,"startMs",489000,"endMs",1320000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2087696-18efb162004c49e5d1e731fbc2667ed9&start=489&end=1320","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2087696-18efb162004c49e5d1e731fbc2667ed9/thumbnail_489000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6398926/Oconee-County/South-Carolina/Residents-raise-concerns-about-Department-of-Social-Services-access-and-allege-misconduct-by-local-prosecutor-at-Oconee-County-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6398926-b99061be15f945ccca96d2a4e01f7f96/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154676&Signature=flEq6rudidFoDo84watSEVY6L5dxsShEmcMlWObRU~pGYM1BFbRd5QiNA4TesOVI21b0ICm99Xe~A3IzwyAj4Oq5lJqHQrx-qbIACk5wmbPIwZd~DE~qykGEcE0eJN0dH1z3EL~rprn5SlsMuiT9AutWf4SZDQQfIiAsMnXpWLNiENXk8irRRzTep3426z1E-i4xUhbjA8XsgYHz9afVYLAWuOTH8H6PTlS400ZPCzCXKiVliFKlyYXGuGrce5loWa3eibikYi07TybgHp5Bo7QTvQbJ7~tYQ90pa3Oe1sRkKqTYutq736kYHHjvJgBzLZ5YQeXiYwVZwVcVMF1TaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Your Oconee","date","2025-01-07T00:00:00Z","article","During the public comment period at the Jan. 7 Oconee County Council meeting, several residents described personal experiences with Oconee County Department of Social Services, restrictions on family access to a nursing facility, and concerns about accountability for a deputy solicitor’s alleged conduct off-duty.

David Hammond described efforts to see and care for his mother at an Oconee County facility and said the county’s social services office placed his mother on a do-not-resuscitate order and restricted family visitation. \"I'm not allowed to see her at all,\" Hammond said. He told the council he believed the DNR status had been changed after Oconee County DSS intervened and said he had been prevented from visiting on Christmas Eve.

Dathan Chambers urged accountability for a deputy solicitor, identified in the public comments as Jason Alderman, who Chambers said had been taken into custody in a recent incident. Chambers described concerns about prosecutorial discretion, the need for higher ethical standards for officials who exercise prosecutorial authority and complaints filed with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. \"When you're an attorney and you represent the solicitor's office and you prosecute the citizens of this county, there needs to be a higher bar set,\" Chambers said.

Jason Boyle told the council he believes there is corruption within county institutions and described an alleged incident at the Chattooga River Lodge involving Deputy Solicitor Jason Alderman, reporting that Alderman was intoxicated and later arrested for disorderly conduct. Boyle said constituents had to press the Oconee County Sheriff's Department before an arrest was made and urged a more thorough investigation of local courts and law enforcement. \"We need a proper investigation of what's going on in this county, the court systems and the policing system in every single jurisdiction,\" Boyle said.

The comments recorded in the meeting were expressions from private citizens. Council members did not take formal action during the meeting in response to the remarks; the county attorney said he had no county-attorney comments that evening. No county staff presentation or formal agenda item addressing the allegations or DSS procedures occurred during this meeting; the speakers requested accountability and press coverage but the council did not commission a staff report on the record at this session.

Because these were public comments and not council findings, the statements and allegations made by residents in the meeting transcript remain claims rather than final determinations by the council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","County Council Meeting January 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During public comment at the Jan. 7 Oconee County Council meeting, three residents described difficulties with Department of Social Services' handling of a family member’s care and urged accountability for an alleged arrest and conduct by Deputy Solicitor Jason Alderman; council took no formal action.","taxTitle","Oconee County, South Carolina","taxId",50866,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6398932,"Oconee County Council elects leadership, sets committee chairs and fills multiple boards and commissions",274,138000,412000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2087696-18efb162004c49e5d1e731fbc2667ed9&start=138&end=412","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2087696-18efb162004c49e5d1e731fbc2667ed9/thumbnail_138000.jpg","/articles/6398932/Oconee-County/South-Carolina/Oconee-County-Council-elects-leadership-sets-committee-chairs-and-fills-multiple-boards-and-commissions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6398932-06b60c25baedc5512f720edc104a38ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154676&Signature=XG~ZEseGy~5HJ~KMFCB16KzxJVn5Yx64~1ZpL44yJ7u6PbbYXPJAma1TDylKWHikktM2zjRze4kmr17r9pf9U4Np0i0Nj6-dosUCLn2VDVBbp4gUMKHh3tVZ-jow62wHiOluEI9vuX880h2M-poaLqRAr815AxS1yievb9HaENi6YdaFJc3Kl93QJ25pqCKzCtVpe8NgPnK1V~VPzevr9aGZqn-GfENVfKbTTXOMXLwyG4kcarkAlebraHxm7rZ6AFElc0YQCqYovv7EFlw2LvN9EFr9ykIE4XFj~WnegoKZ0gWvaaIY6Tt8natPR56rHZNyap3vsQ535-HMJn4j5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Oconee County Council completed its organizational business Tuesday, electing council leadership, reappointing the clerk to council and approving a slate of committee chairs and board appointments by voice vote.

During the meeting the council received several nominations for internal leadership and then voted to set committee chairs and appoint council representatives to regional bodies. Nominations included Matthew Dyer for council chair; the council ultimately voted to elect Mr. Durham as council chair. Don Miles was nominated and approved as vice chairman, and Glenn Hart was approved as chairman pro tem.

Jennifer Adams was reappointed as Clerk to Council. The council also nominated David Root — who served in the meeting as the county attorney — to serve as the council’s chaplain. The chairman read a slate of committee assignments and nominated himself to chair the Budget, Finance & Administration Committee; other committee chairs named included Don Miles, James (last name not specified in audio) and Elliott. The council moved and approved a motion to accept the full slate of committee chairs and members as presented.

Council representatives to outside bodies were named. For the South Carolina Appalachian Council of Governments board of directors the council named Glenn Hart as council representative, David Underwood as citizen representative and Wayne Rot as minority representative.

The council filled multiple vacancies on county boards and commissions by district and at-large seats. Appointments recorded in the meeting include Manuel Duncan (Agriculture Advisory Board, District 2); Gary Wilson (District 4); Charlie White (District 5); Gwen Fowler (Board of Zoning Appeals, District 2); Jason Cox (Board of Zoning Appeals, District 4); Tim Mays (Board of Zoning Appeals, District 5); Wayne McCall (Board of Zoning Appeals, at-large); and several library board appointments including Paul Hawken, Mandy Ferguson, Kim Jackson, Vicky Smith, Kaye Knapp and Judy Adams. Most nominations were approved by voice vote; one council member stated they would not vote on an appointment because they believe a former county employee or a former county council member should not serve on a committee.

The chairman said further appointments — including seats for the newly established Cornish Shire special tax district and several planning and appeals boards — will be handled at upcoming meetings on Jan. 21 and Feb. 4.

The actions taken were procedural appointments and internal organization; no ordinances were amended in this portion of the meeting.","At its Jan. 7 organizational meeting, Oconee County Council elected leadership, reappointed the clerk, named a council chaplain, established committee chairs and approved multiple board and commission nominees by voice vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6398936,"Oconee County Council adopts ordinance creating Cornish Shire special-purpose tax district for fire protection",142,1479000,1621000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2087696-18efb162004c49e5d1e731fbc2667ed9&start=1479&end=1621","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2087696-18efb162004c49e5d1e731fbc2667ed9/thumbnail_1479000.jpg","/articles/6398936/Oconee-County/South-Carolina/Oconee-County-Council-adopts-ordinance-creating-Cornish-Shire-special-purpose-tax-district-for-fire-protection","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6398936-0fcb97229dd059cf0ae0f865bee7c143/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154676&Signature=Xe72VBlMZHwvyR2Abq3QDZFTRyGohwo0n7pj1tuzR777qOiL~5y19ae6ttDrpRdKKDFQVgn8kCoJv7PRE1Lq-WRAtIOCV7fGL12bvekOgi6OwpsjTV9PU3SYhAmBf1sFNcSlRLqCOq7gwnjoWkSgrq4EjigW6nJERF8FCuWNK0t-jD4J3I8gveZ9Ji1E5qqAx9WFlobpma3Xv7OfbS5dgIw3oiCYayU~9iQ4jGGE4YNOeSA1d0-pUOx0d7yDl3HvRwaMdKGmjqOB4UxdauKVw66ZndwRoW6dbhCGF437gyW6LVw-OVyxXrfOZnGTH9J-D-2fTHj0--krDU5KgAkUvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Oconee County Council approved Ordinance 2024-26 on third and final reading Tuesday, establishing the Cornish Shire special purpose tax district to fund fire protection and creating a related special-purpose tax district commission.

The council held a public hearing on the ordinance; no members of the public signed up to speak. After the hearing the council moved, seconded and conducted a voice vote to adopt the ordinance. Councilor Evans is recorded as seconding the motion; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally.

The ordinance on the screen and in the meeting packet was described by the council as establishing the Cornish Shire special purpose tax district for fire protection and “other related matters.” The council closed the public hearing and proceeded immediately to the third and final reading and vote.

The ordinance creates a jurisdictional mechanism — a special-purpose tax district and commission — intended to fund fire protection for the Cornish Shire area. The text of the ordinance and details about tax rates, boundaries or commission membership were included in the council packet shown to members but not read aloud in full during the meeting.

The council did not receive public comment for the item and did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting audio/transcript; the clerk’s official minutes or the ordinance document should be consulted for full vote tallies, effective dates and any implementation steps.

The council moved from the ordinance vote directly into board and commission appointments and other organizational business.","Oconee County Council approved Ordinance 2024-26 on third and final reading to establish the Cornish Shire special purpose tax district for fire protection and to create a governing commission; no members of the public spoke at the hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents raise concerns about Department of Social Services access and allege misconduct by local prosecutor at Oconee County meeting

Oconee County Council elects leadership, sets committee chairs and fills multiple boards and commissions

Oconee County Council adopts ordinance creating Cornish Shire special-purpose tax district for fire protection