Special Election Set For Dec. 9 For House District 121 To Replace Wiedower, Who Stepped Down As Oconee House Representative

***Republican Party Meeting Focused On District 120***

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday issued an executive order setting Dec. 9 as the date for a special election to fill the vacancy for House District 121, which includes three of Oconee County’s four precincts and parts of Clarke County.

Republican Marcus Wiedower announced on Tuesday morning that he was stepping down as House District 121 Representative to devote more time to his job as vice president of external affairs for Hillpointe, a real estate development and investment management firm.

Oconee County Commissioners Put Forward A Rezone For Shopping Center At Oconee Connector And Mars Hill Road

***Response To Law Suit***

Oconee County Commissioners are initiating a rezone of 33 acres at the corner of the Oconee Connector and Mars Hill Road that had been proposed for a shopping center to include a Publix as an anchor.

The Board turned down the requested rezone for that property in 2022, in part because of traffic concerns, and subsequently was sued by the property owner, Deferred Tax LLC.

Russ Page, Whose Contributions To Oconee County Were Numerous, Passes

***He Was A Farmer–And Much More***

Russ Page, business entrepreneur, farmer, and dedicated civic activist in Oconee County, died peacefully at his home in Wilmington, N.C., on Saturday (Oct. 25) after a long battle with cancer. He was 80.

Page was instrumental in creating Oconee County’s farmland protection program, was one of the founders of the county’s farmers market, and was the key advocate for including designated funding for historic preservation in the county’s budget.

Turnout In Early Voting Very Low In Oconee County, Somewhat Higher For Races In Bishop And Watkinsville

***ESPLOST Renewal Only County-Wide Ballot Item***

With only five days of early voting remaining before the Nov. 4 election, only 4.7 percent of the eligible voters in Oconee County have turned out to cast a ballot that features a county referendum on continuation of the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST).

In Bishop, 43 of the 267 eligible voters, or 16.1 percent, have cast a ballot in city races that include the mayor and all four council races.

Oconee County Library Board Decides To Leave Challenged Book In Original Place In Library In Watkinsville

***Board Also Reopens Request For Art At Library***

The Oconee County Library Board on Tuesday, in split votes, decided to leave a challenged book, My Rainbow, by Trinity and DeShanna Neal, in the children’s picture book section of the Oconee County Library in Wire Park.

The Board first voted down, 3 to 5, a motion to accept the recommendation of its own Book Action Committee to move the book, which tells the story of a mother and her transgender daughter, to the young adult nonfiction section of the library.

Nov. 4 Ballot Referendum Will Fund Improvements To Existing Infrastructure And Facilities At Oconee County Schools, Leaders Say

***Technology And Buses Also On Funding List***

The Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) voters are being asked to approve on the Nov. 4 ballot is largely about renovation and upgrades to existing infrastructure, Oconee County Schools Interim Associate Superintendent Debra Harden explained on Thursday evening.

Money from renewal of the 1 percent sales tax also will be used for purchase of replacement buses and other vehicles in the school system fleet, she said.

Bishop Approves Rezone For St. Aelred Catholic Church But Turns Down Request For Church Access To Cemetery Road

***Follows Advice Of County Planners***

The Bishop Mayor and Town Council on Tuesday night voted 3 to 0 to approve a request by St. Aelred Catholic Church for a Conditional Use for its planned new church but voted 2 to 1 to deny a request for a variance to allow access from the church to Cemetery Road.

Only the three Council members voted on the zoning requests, as Council Member Hudson Holder did not attend, though his name plate was on the table at the front of the room during the meeting and his chair was empty.