Northeast Health District Adds 14 COVID-19 Deaths In Wednesday State Health Reports, 422 New Cases

***Four Of The Deaths Are In Oconee County***

State health reports on Friday listed 14 previously unreported deaths from COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District as well as 422 new cases of the disease.

Four of those deaths–one in the Department of Public Health Report and three in the Department of Community Health Report–were in Oconee County.

The Oconee County death listed in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report was of a 78-year-old male with a chronic condition. Department of Public Health listings are of confirmed COVID-19 deaths, and Oconee County now has 43 such deaths.

Oconee County Planning Commission Recommends Against Approval Of Proposed Shopping Center At Mars Hill Road And Oconee Connector

***Publix Has Contract As Center Anchor***

The Oconee County Planning Commission voted 8 to 0 on Tuesday night to recommend to the Board of Commission that it deny the rezone request for a major shopping center at the intersection of Mars Hill Road and the Oconee Connector.

The Commission took its vote after a relatively short discussion following a public hearing in which citizens voiced strong opposition to the project, raising concerns about the environmental impact of the project and about traffic created by it.