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Two Upstate South Carolina deputies have returned to the private sector after a booze-fueled weekend ended in handcuffs.

In a video posted to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Facebook page, Sheriff Tommy Blankenship confirmed the firings, adding both deputies were arrested for public intoxication while “outside of this state.”

“As soon as this information came to my attention,” Blankenship said, “both deputies were placed on unpaid administrative suspension while our Office of Professional Standards conducted their internal investigation.”

That investigation concluded Tuesday (September 22, 2026), according to Blankenship, resulting in the swift termination of both deputies for “violation of agency policy.”

“Let me be clear,” Blankenship continued, “Being a deputy sheriff is more than just wearing a badge, carrying a gun and having the authority that comes with the job.”

While Blankenship was forthcoming about the firings, he did not say whether their policy violations involved misconduct, a determination that would effectively strip them of their law enforcement certifications.

He further withheld their identities in his Wednesday announcement, a standard operating procedure that could make it easier for them to land jobs at other law enforcement agencies, provided their certifications are not revoked.

Sources, however, were more forthcoming...

Internal emails provided to FITSNews indicate the now-ousted deputies are Nikki Holliday and Corey Baker — an engaged couple who remain listed as K-9 handlers on PCSO’s website.

If Holliday’s name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s the same PCSO deputy who made headlines in April 2024 for leaving her Glock 17 handgun in the bathroom of a QuikTrip.

As FITSNews exclusively reported at the time, a child later found her handgun and took it to her mother. The mother’s boyfriend later tossed the firearm off U.S. 123.

Authorities located the gun five days later, according to records obtained by FITSNews.

Holliday was written up for her role in the 2024 incident and later served a three-day suspension at the discretion of her supervisor.

This story may be updated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy Award–winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. He joined FITSNews in 2023 after leaving an NBC affiliate, where he served as on-air talent. His reporting focuses on public corruption in South Carolina, with an emphasis on law enforcement misconduct and abuse of power.

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PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Office of the Governor said Monday that Tyson Steel Building Products is building its first South Carolina operation in the Upstate.

The company has selected Pickens County for its first South Carolina operation. The company’s $15.15 million investment will create around 20 new jobs, according to officials.

“Pickens County is proud to welcome Tyson Steel and its 50 years of family-owned manufacturing experience to Liberty. A $15.15 million investment and approximately 20 new jobs are great news for our community. We appreciate the Tyson family choosing Pickens County and look forward to having them as a part of our community for many years to come,” said Pickens County Council Chairman Alex Saitta.

Officials said the new 96,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will be located at 180 Ann Drive in Liberty. It will produce comprehensive components for its metal buildings.

According to officials, operations are expected to be online by spring 2027.

Anyone interested in applying for a job at the new facility is asked to call the company’s corporate office in Doerun, Georgia, at (229) 776-7588.

“The opening of our Liberty facility represents far more than an expansion of our manufacturing footprint — it reflects Tyson Steel Building Products’ long-term commitment to serving customers with greater speed, capacity and reliability throughout the Southeast. The Palmetto State, and particularly the Upstate, offers an exceptional workforce with close proximity to the Pickens County Career and Technology Center, a strong business climate and strategic access to the markets we serve. We are proud to invest in this community, create new opportunities for skilled employees and strengthen the partnerships that have fueled our growth for decades. This facility positions us for the future while reinforcing our commitment to quality, innovation and delivering outstanding value to every customer we serve,” said Tyson Steel Building Products owners Brad and Jody Tyson.

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Lakefront homeowners say they can’t review the latest version of a proposed ordinance affecting Lakes Keowee and Jocassee before a scheduled public hearing

PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A proposed overlay district that would limit development near Lakes Keowee and Jocassee has left some Pickens County residents questioning what rules are on the table — and why they cannot review the latest version of the ordinance before being asked to comment.

County leaders say the overlay district would apply to properties within about 1,320 feet, or a quarter mile, of the shorelines of Lakes Keowee and Jocassee. Under the proposal, no new industrial or commercial development would be allowed within that zone. The overlay also would prohibit new multifamily housing, duplexes and townhomes while allowing single-family homes.

County Council Chairman Alex Saitta said the rationale for the overlay stems from a lack of existing land-use regulations along the lakes.

“Lake Keowee and Jocassee are unique assets in Pickens County,” Saitta said. “There’s no zoning and little to no land-use regulation on the lake that’s outside of an HOA. If an investor could get the logistics down, they could build a manufacturing plant right on the lake, an amusement park ... a high-rise apartment complex on the lake.”

Saitta said the county also has a water quality interest in the proposal.

“Most of us drink water out of the lake,” he said. “The water authority is going to be building a water plant right on the shores of the lake. So the water quality has to be protected from overdevelopment.”

One of the main points of confusion has centered on the county’s existing 50-foot shoreline setback. The version of the draft ordinance posted online includes language proposing a 100-foot setback — double the current standard. Many residents say they purchased or built their homes based on the existing 50-foot rule.

Saitta told Fox Carolina the expanded setback is no longer part of the plan.

“County council members agree with that 50-foot setback,” he said. “So we don’t plan to change that.”

However, as of the public hearing, the revised draft had not been posted online. County officials said they were waiting until after the meeting, when the previous meeting’s minutes were expected to be approved, before publishing the updated version. Fox Carolina found no county rule or state law requiring officials to withhold updated drafts until meeting minutes are approved.

Resident Dick Bishop, who has lived on Lake Keowee for 17 years, said the lack of a clear, accessible document has made it difficult to evaluate the proposal.

“I haven’t really seen a true document that I can actually review to understand exactly what’s going on,” Bishop said. “They start out talking about water quality, but it really seems like now they’re more worried about development.”

Bishop said he supports protecting the lake but questioned whether the ordinance addresses a documented problem.

“So far we haven’t seen any evidence that the water quality — or any data — is saying that water quality is a problem,” he said. “So then we think it’s more just to restrict development.”

He also questioned what a larger setback could mean for existing homeowners.

“Our house is 50 feet away from the lake,” Bishop said. “If they increase that ordinance to restrict things that are 100 feet away from the lake, our whole house is almost encompassed by this. It’s very unknown as to what that means to me in the future — if I want to make a modification to the house, or even if I were to try to sell the house, would that cause a problem for the new buyer?”

Bishop said he would support the ordinance if the setback remains at 50 feet but added that other questions remain.

“I think the question becomes commercial development,” he said, citing a planned pool renovation in his community as an example of an amenity that could be affected by expanded restrictions.

Bishop also pushed back on the framing of the overlay as a response to potential large-scale commercial development, noting that the area already operates under a community master plan approved by Pickens County about 25 years ago.

“If they come in and put some type of overlay on top of our master plan here, that’s changing the ballgame on a promise that Pickens County made 25 years ago,” he said.

Russ Rhodus, who has lived on the lake for seven years, said he is in the middle of a home renovation and needs to know how the ordinance would affect his property.

“We’re going through a redo of our house,” Rhodus said. “We’ve spent a lot of money on plans and architects. I’d really like to know all the details about what’s allowed.”

Rhodus said the process has raised broader concerns about property rights.

“As a property owner, you’re like, ‘I’ve got property rights. Are they infringing on those?’” he said. “The last thing you want is somebody coming in and telling you what you can do there.”

He said he could not evaluate the proposal without seeing the full document.

“Until we can see everything that they’re doing and everything that they’re talking about and get a full, complete view of everything, I don’t see how we can understand what’s going on,” Rhodus said.

Rhodus also questioned why the revised draft had not been released before the hearing.

“It just feels like it’s not being honest,” he said. “You’d just like to see full transparency.”

Both residents said they support protecting the lakes.

“We want the lake protected. There’s no question about it. We’re on the lake. We want the lake protected,” Bishop said.

Bishop added that he believes smart restrictions on undeveloped portions of the shoreline could be effective, noting that about 85% of the shoreline is already developed.

“It’s not the restriction that’s going to protect the lake,” he said. “It’s really the quality of what’s done — making sure construction complies with environmental rules and making sure it does not impact the lake.”

Saitta said the county has held multiple public meetings on the proposal.

“We’re going to gather some more public input tonight,” he said. “I think this will be the ninth public meeting that we’ve had on the issue.”

County officials said a final decision on the ordinance is not expected until early fall.

Residents said they plan to ask county leaders to release the latest version of the ordinance before it advances further in the approval process.

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