Sunday, July 13, 2025

Amended Oconee County Board Of Education Budget Shows It Took In $3.6 Million More Than Anticipated, Spent $0.5 Million More

***Federal Funds Decreased By $0.3 Million***

Oconee County Schools took in $3.6 million more in revenue than anticipated in the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, which ended on June 30, and spent $0.5 million more than expected when the Board of Education approved the budget in June of last year.

Oconee County Schools received $0.3 million less in federal funding in Fiscal Year 2025 than budgeted, and reduced the amount of spending by that same amount.

Friday, July 11, 2025

Early Voting Turnout For Democratic Party Primary Runoff For Public Service Commission In Oconee County Down From June Early Voting

***Race Is To Decide District 3 Commission Race***

Only 192 Oconee County voters cast a ballot in the five days of early voting in the Democratic Primary Runoff for District 3 on the state Public Service Commission.

As a result, Democrats are going into election day on Tuesday 50 votes down from the number they had cast in the 16 days of early voting leading up to June 17 Special Election Primary.

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

Oconee County Commissioners Turn Down Rezone Request For Commercial Subdivision On Mars Hill Road At Bell Road

***Approve Two Other Commercial Development Requests***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners, in a 3 to 1 vote on Tuesday, turned down a request for a commercial development on Mars Hill Road at Bell Road that would have included offices and warehouses.

The Board denied the request by Chad Keller’s CK Capital after more than 60 people filled the Commission Chamber at the Oconee County Administrative Building for three rezone hearings.

Monday, July 07, 2025

Oconee School Superintendent Harden Announces Plans For Third-Party Testing For Mold At Oconee County Elementary School

***Board Begins Review Of 19 Superintendent Applications***

Oconee County School Superintendent Debra Harden has asked school Chief Operations Officer Ryan White to have a third party conduct testing for mold at Oconee County Elementary School.

Harden made that announcement to the Oconee County Board of Education on Monday in her first report as Interim Superintendent.

Sunday, July 06, 2025

Early Voting In Special Democratic Primary Runoff For Public Service Commission Starts Monday, Runs Through Friday

***Two Names On Ballot For District 3 Party Nominee***

The first of five days of early voting in the Special Democratic Primary Runoff to select the party’s nominee for District 3 Public Service Commissioner gets underway at 8 a.m. on Monday (July 7) at the Oconee County Administrative Building, 7635 Macon Highway, north of Watkinsville

The only names on the ballot are Peter Hubbard and Keisha Sean Waites.

Developer Asking Oconee County Commission To Abandon Roads Inside Subdivision On Price Mill Road Near County Line

***Developer Says Change Necessary To Provide Water***

The owner of the now dormant 150-acre Pointe Preserve subdivision on Price Mill Road south of Gober Road near the Morgan County line is asking the county to declare the two roadways inside the subdivision abandoned.

Ned Butler of Walton County, vice president of TMFT Lot Investments LLC, has told the county that TMFT wants to reverse a decision it made on June 6, 2020, when it gave the county easements for Preserve Landing and Pointe Court, roadways within the subdivision.

Friday, July 04, 2025

Rally At U.S. District 10 Office Of Rep. Collins Designed To Influence Vote On Tax And Policy Bill Before Congress

***Oconee County Speaker, Citizens Involved***

Indivisible GA 10 and Indivisible Boldly Blue, in collaboration with Oconee County Democrats, assembled 12 speakers at the Historic Walton County Courthouse in Monroe on July 1 to explain how the tax and policy bill before Congress at that time would impact them negatively.

The speakers made their comments before a crowd of about 50 and then delivered those statements to the Office of U.S. District 10 Congressman Mike Collins, located across the street from the Courthouse.