Monday, November 02, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds 55 COVID-19 Confirmed Cases, One Death In Public Health Report On Monday

***Rolling Average Of Added Cases Increases***

The Northeast Health District added 55 new COVID-19 cases and one death attributed to the disease in the Monday Daily Status Report of the Department of Public Health.

The additions pushed up the seven-day rolling average of added cases, while the seven-day rolling average of deaths remained unchanged.

The death was of a 75-year-old female in Elbert County without a chronic condition.

Oconee County’s State Legislative Candidates Express Openness To Using Independent Body For Redistricting

***In WUGA Structured Interviews With Candidates***

All four of the candidates seeking to represent Oconee County in the Georgia House of Representatives when redistricting will be considered say they are open to turning the process over to an independent commission.

Marcus Wiedower, the Republican currently representing House District 119, gave the most guarded response, saying “If there is a push and acceptance for a third party, I’m fine with that.” Wiedower said “I want to stay, quite frankly, as far away from that subject as I can.”

Democrats, Republicans Seeking To Expand Base in Oconee County In High Turnout Election

***More Ballots Cast Already Than In 2016***

Former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson told Oconee County Democrats in August of last year that they didn’t have to flip Oconee County for the party to be successful statewide on Tuesday.

Tomlinson, then a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination to face U.S. Sen. David Perdue, said Oconee County Democrats only needed to shave three or four percentage points off the 69.8 percent of the vote Gov. Brian Kemp received in Oconee County in 2016.

Former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond told local Democrats two months later that Oconee County is an excellent opportunity for Democrats because its looks a lot like the Atlanta suburbs turning Democratic because of the influence of college-educated women.

Republicans Bill Cowsert, Houston Gaines, and Marcus Wiedower, representing Oconee County in the Georgia General Assembly, have made it clear at recent gatherings of the Oconee County Republican Party that they, too, are very much focused on how Republican Oconee County votes this election.