Electrician Contractor in Easley, SC

EASLEY, S.C. —

Hester General Store, a once-vacant general store that has been renovated and restored, will reopen on Dec. 16 as a bakery and mercantile. Owner and proprietor Katie Chaney will be serving up her famous pies, inspired by her grandmother’s recipes, and much more.

“Community is at the core of who we are and what we stand for,” Chaney said. “We are here to create magic moments and give people a place to gather together.”

The original Hester Store was built in 1893 and was owned by the Hester family until 1983. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, and Katie and her partner purchased it in 2021.

“I've always dreamed of starting a general store, and being able to use my passion for cooking and baking to nurture the people I love,” Chaney said, “but I never really had the confidence to believe I could do something like that.”

Born and raised in Anderson, Chaney moved away to pursue a career in HR. She was traveling the world for work when the pandemic hit and felt compelled to move back home to the Upstate with her family. She held down a consulting job during the day and spent her nights experimenting in the kitchen, fueling a passion that had been burning inside for quite some time. She studied cookbooks, watched YouTube videos, and practiced until she got it right.

“I started really thinking about what this general store could be, and what kind of specialty products we could offer,” she said. “The store was in need of some serious TLC, and I knew that was something I could provide and put my own mark on while bringing back a much-needed gathering place for the community.”

Chaney utilizes regional fruit and produce whenever possible, and aims to create meaningful connections to local food and goods, which is a key principle of the general store concept.

Recommended

Fight between 2 employees at a Sumter, South Carolina McDonald's leaves 14-year-old dead, police say

Hester General Store’s offerings include cakes, pies, bread, pastries, cookies, vegan soft-serve ice cream, and a variety of grab-and-go items with plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. The store will also sell eggs, produce, and other goods from local farmers and artisans. Guests can order drinks from the coffee counter, or take home some of Hester’s signature Abuela’s Blend, roasted in partnership with Methodical Coffee. Baking classes will start in January, for groups of 8-15 people, followed by a community dining experience at the end.

Hester General Store is committed to featuring local, female, LGBT+, and BIPOC-owned businesses in food, and using their platform to uplift others. A proud member of the Upstate SC LGBT+ Chamber, Hester General Store is a place of inclusion and acceptance for all.

Hester General Store is located at 1735 Hester Store Road, Easley, SC 29640. Store hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Sunday (open 7 days a week).

The following paid content is produced by Ingles Markets

I’m Chris Bainbridge… inviting you to take a ride with me. This is an amazing place to find adventure in all shapes and sizes. Ingles has sent me on a mission to bring you the very best of what our beautiful home has to offer – food, fun, nature music, and more… all affordable, and all out of the ordinary. This is The Ingles Open Road.

Today, we’re at a cool spot in the Summer heat of the Upstate, exploring an awesome example of upcycling an amazing old structure. We’re in Easley, South Carolina. Welcome to The Silos.

You’ll never guess where the name comes from. OK, well maybe you will. The Silos was originally built back in 1951, and today, this hot spot is experiencing new life as a fun destination for food and drink. We’re starting things off by getting properly caffeinated at Ninja Warrior Coffee House, and then we’re loading up on amazing donuts at “You Drive me Glazy.” These are great spots to support local.

And supporting local is what Ingles is all about. Literally hundreds of farms and local businesses work with Ingles every day to bring their wares to you and your family. And speaking of family. Time for our next stop.

Inky’s Authentic Philadelphia Cheesesteaks and Hoagies, owned by husband and wife duo David and Stacey Desrosiers, offers up authentic fare from Philly right here in the Upstate. It’s a great stop for amazing food.

One really cool thing about The Silos is these awesome train cars that house some of the businesses, like Belladinas with Detroit Style pizza and other delicious dishes waiting for you.

So far, we’ve sampled Philadelphia and Detroit. Next our Easley adventure takes us to India – with Indigo Kitchen, a world-class experience to connect you to India’s diverse cuisine and warm culture.

When you’re ready to polish off your meal with a craft brew, it’s time to head to Silos Brewing Company. It is a great place to come and relax with friends and family and sample some unique flavors.

Finish things off with an awesome ice cream from Pink Mama’s, and you’ve got yourself a comprehensive Silos experience. With so much to choose from, you can pick your favorites and meet up for a yummy get together right here.

Get your start at EasleySilos.com. Your weekend is waiting… on the Ingles Open Road.

The Book Warehouse Outlet in Easley, SC is enormous and has all kinds of books, puzzles, games, magnets, cards that are all brand new and all 70% off. We have all the details on how to take advantage of their public sales.

I stumbled upon the first Book Warehouse Outlet sale completely by accident as I was in the area one Saturday in December and saw a sign for a book sale. Being an avid book lover, I took my chances, followed the signs, and arrived in heaven.

There were cookbooks, fiction books, nonfiction books, books about math, books about space, journals, puzzles, games, crayons, notebooks with colored pencils, board books, and awesome gifts. All of them were brand new and all of them were 70% off. What had I stumbled into?

About the Book Warehouse Outlet

The world of book publishing is very complicated. I have some experience in part of the process and I feel like I still don’t know much. From what I gathered speaking with the wonderful people who run the Book Warehouse Outlet, the pallets and pallets of books and other goodies are essentially extras or overprinted items. They are all in perfect condition.

The warehouse is about 300,000 square feet total, although the public doesn’t get to roam around all of it. What they do get to see and walk through is plenty. I’ve been a few times and still have not gone through all the stuff they have.

The warehouse isn’t open to the public daily, only during their public sales, which are not on a regular schedule yet. Your best bet is to follow The Book Warehouse on Facebook or stay tuned to our calendar since we’ll have the sales posted.

Navigating the Warehouse

If you love books, games, puzzles, etc., then you probably won’t want to leave this place. The hours pass by quickly as you roam around the boxes and aisles seeing what they’ve got. Every sale is different since the warehouse is constantly getting in new products so you never know what you’ll find.

They have:

The goodies are not labeled like you’d find in a regular bookstore so you are going to have to search around for things. The pallets are all pretty much either the same book or game or puzzles or at least similar items. At the last sale I went to in February, a lot of the puzzles were in one area but in general, don’t expect an organized fiction or cookbook section.

Things are not thrown all over the place – everything is neat and organized and I found it a lot of fun to just browse through everything to see what I could find.

Also, the prices on the books, games, puzzles, etc. aren’t marked up and then 70% off is taken. They are the prices you’d find in any bookstore – except way cheaper!

Tips on Shopping the Book Warehouse Sale

I cannot overstate how huge this place is and how much stuff they have for sale. It’s maybe just a tad smaller than Costco and can be overwhelming. After I went the first time, I told my kids we are taking lunch the next time and spending a lot of time there. It’s that big. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your time:

Bring a foldable wagon or cart: They don’t have shopping carts there (it would really clog the aisles) so you can bring your own shopping bag or cart. I saw people with those foldable beach wagons and thought it was brilliant. They also had boxes that you could label with your name and leave on the side of an aisle so you could just drop stuff in there and go back to shopping.

If you can’t find the price, ask: The staff here are awesome and incredibly helpful. If you can’t find the listed price, just ask.

Bathrooms are limited: There are only a couple bathrooms so make a bathroom run beforehand if you need to. There are some gas stations nearby.

Bring cash for faster checkout: The lines for cash are a lot faster than the line for credit cards.

Be patient: The warehouse isn’t open daily so they don’t run like clockwork – just be patient when it comes time for checkout, parking, and rummaging through the books.

New stuff is added: The warehouse gets new shipments in daily so what you saw at the last sale may not be available at the next one. And they will put out new stuff for the upcoming sales – it’s like finding treasure!

The Next Book Warehouse Sale

The next Book Warehouse Outlet public sale is Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26, 2023 from 8 am – 8 pm. They’ve added several extra hours so you can be sure to get in all your shopping.

Book Warehouse Outlet1859 Dacusville Highway, EasleyThe Book Warehouse Outlet Facebook page

The following paid content is produced by Ingles Markets

I’m Chris Bainbridge… inviting you to take a ride with me. This is an amazing place to find adventure in all shapes and sizes. Ingles has sent me on a mission to bring you the very best of what our beautiful home has to offer – food, fun, nature music, and more… all affordable, and all out of the ordinary. This is The Ingles Open Road.

Today we’re taking you on a quick tour of one of South Carolina’s many charming small towns with big fun for your weekend. We’re in Easley, enjoying some of the best of what this Upstate town has to offer.

Located West of the city of Greenville, Easley boasts a charming downtown that boomed in the textile days… and has now settled into a pleasant place to call home, and a fun destination for exploration. Ingles is sponsoring their 4th of July festival this year, and that’s just one of the many community events on offer here throughout the year.

We’re kicking off our day with an Easley institution right here at Joe’s. This place is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Time to see what decades of success taste like.

This is quintessential diner fare at its best. Burgers, dogs, shakes, and ice cream. And what they’re most famous for – their banana split.

Next up we’re trading one cultural institution for another one that has audiences cheering for more than the food. It’s the Foothills Playhouse – a community theatre that makes a great stop for a matinee or an evening performance during your day out.

This place is in its 4th decade of live theatre – with plays, musicals, comedians, recitals, and more. It’s where local talent pour their passion into amazing entertainment. And it’s ready and waiting for you.

To finish off our day in Easley we’re off to find some Good Karma. To be more specific, we’re checking out Good Karma Consignment and Ice Cream. If you’re looking for some cool threads, unique gift ideas, and just a fun shopping experience, this is a great place to stop. And when we’ve finished, it was time for just a little more ice cream. Because, well… ice cream.

Ingles is all about supporting small towns and the communities we call home, and Easley is a fantastic example of that wonderful relationship. Make sure and head to their 4th of July festival, and then plan a return trip to check out some of these great spots. Your weekend is waiting… on the Ingles Open Road.

Election Day comes Nov. 8 as local, state and federal offices are up for grabs when voters take to the polls, but voters in South Carolina don't have to wait until November to cast their ballots.

Because of a new law passed earlier this year, voters in South Carolina can vote in person any time from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays between Oct. 24 and Nov. 8. They need only show up with a photo ID or voter-registration card at an early voting center in their county of residence.

In Pickens County, those early voting centers are:

Of course, early voters, like others, must be registered to vote. It requires state-issued identification. Voters must be registered at least 30 days prior to an election in order to vote in that election.

You can register to vote online at scvotes.gov, in person at the Pickens County voter registration and elections office on McDaniel Avenue or by mail at 222 McDaniel Avenue, Suite B-2, Pickens SC, 29671. You can also call 864-898-5844 for more information.

Here's more you should know about this year's general election:

Voter guide:A guide to voter rights in South Carolina. What you need to know before you cast a ballot

Related:Early voting is biggest expansion of voting rights in recent South Carolina history

Absentee voting in SC

Voters who want to cast absentee ballots must request an application from their local election office by phone, mail or in person. Applicants must provide their name, date of birth and last four digits of their Social Security number.

Voters will be mailed their ballots, and the ballots must be returned to their local election office between Oct. 24 and Nov. 5 before 5 p.m. prior to Election Day. Voters must present a photo ID when returning the ballots to the office.

When to vote on Election Day

Voting on Nov. 8 runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., though anyone in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote no matter how long it takes them to cast their ballot.

Where to vote in Pickens County

Pickens County will have 62 precincts open for voting that Tuesday. Visit scvotes.sc.gov for a full list of polling places, or call the election office at 864-898-5844.

To find your individual polling place using your name and birthday, visit scvotes.sc.gov.

Who's on the ballot in SC

Every registered voter in the nation can vote in races like presidential elections. Anyone in South Carolina can vote in races like for governor and the state's U.S. Senate election. For local races, however, where elected officials represent residents of distinct areas within the bounds of the state, voting eligibility is determined by location of residence.

Some races cross county and city lines.

To know the races and candidates on your specific ballot ahead of time, visit scvotes.gov, where you can type in your name, birthday and county to see a sample ballot.

Races on the ballot in Pickens County for 2022 election

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina

Secretary of State

State Treasurer

Attorney General of South Carolina

Comptroller General

State Superintendent of Education

Commissioner of Agriculture

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives, District 3

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 1

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 2

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 3

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 5

South Carolina House of Representatives, District 10

Solicitor, Circuit 13

Probate Judge

Pickens County Council, District 1

Pickens County Council, District 2

Soil and Water District Commission

Pickens County School Board of Trustees, District 2

Pickens County School Board of Trustees, District 4

Pickens County School Board of Trustees, District 6

Pickens County School Board of Trustees, District 7

Watershed Conservation District, Brushy Creek

Watershed Conservation District, Georges Creek

Watershed Conservation District, Oolenoy River

Tamia Boyd is a Michigan native who covers breaking news in Greenville. Email her at tboyd@gannett.com, and follow her on Twitter @tamiamb.