Saturday, September 24, 2022

Oconee County Schools Losing Two Top Central Office Administrators

***Three Of Six Cabinet Posts Turned Over In 16 Months***

Two top leaders at Oconee County Schools, Chief Operations Officer Brock Toole and Director of Communications Anisa Sullivan Jimenez, will be leaving the system at the end of this month.

The Board of Education approved the separations for Toole and Jimenez after its usual executive session at the end of the regular meeting on Monday.

Friday, September 23, 2022

COVID-19 Cases At Area Hospitals Decline For Third Week In Row

***Seven Confirmed Deaths From Disease NE District***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had 23 COVID-19 patients, down from the 29 cases reported last Friday and from 56 reported three weeks earlier.

The number of ICU beds in use on Friday was 76, the same as a week earlier, and the number of adult ventilators in use was 24, down from 30 on last Friday.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Responses To Questions For Board Of Education Voter’s Guide Highlight Similarities, Differences Among Candidates

***Guide Available For Downloading***

Only incumbent Amy Parrish among the four candidates seeking election to the Board of Education in November said that the Board had made the case for the 4.7 percent property tax increase it approved on Aug. 1.

Parrish also disagreed with fellow Republican Ryan Hammock and Independents Melissa Eagling and Ryan Repetske, all of whom said the Board should hold Town Hall meetings, should resume live-streaming its meetings, and should let voters fill unexpected vacancies on the Board.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Two Independent Candidates For Oconee Board Of Education Focus On Transparency Of Board As Key Issue

***Speaking At Democratic Party Meeting***

The two Independent candidates seeking a spot on the Oconee County Board of Education leveled the same criticism at the current Board last week.

The Board of Education “is not doing business out in the open,” Melissa Eagling, a candidate for the open Post 3, said. The Board “is not giving community members the real opportunity to be heard and taking the voices and making decisions based on those things.”

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Hard Labor Creek Reservoir Management Board Votes To Move Forward With Plans For A Water Treatment Plant

***Oconee Sets Limits On Its Contribution***

The Hard Labor Creek Reservoir Management Board took four steps last week to move forward with construction of a water treatment plant and transmission lines on the reservoir in Walton County jointly owned by Oconee and Walton counties.

The Board agreed on a professional services agreement to assess the water in the reservoir, authorized a request for qualifications for water treatment facilities and transmission line designs, and authorized a request for qualifications for construction of the facilities.

Friday, September 16, 2022

COVID-19 Cases At Area Hospitals Drop Sharply; Case Count In NE Health District Continues To Decline

***Two New Confirmed Deaths From Disease In Oconee***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had 29 COVID-19 patients, down from the 47 cases reported last Friday and from 56 reported two weeks earlier.

The number of ICU beds in use on Friday was 76, up from 75 a week earlier, and the number of adult ventilators in use was 30, down from 35 on last Friday.

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Oconee County Schools Releases Site Plans, Renditions For New Instructional Support Center Plus Proposed Redistricting Maps

***New Building To Reflect Design Of 1902 High School***

Oconee County School administrators released to the Board of Education and to the public on Monday site plans and architectural details of the new Instructional Support Center to be built on the 6.7-acre property the Board owns on North Main Street in Watkinsville.

Fred Ricketson, Director of Facilities for Oconee County Schools, told the members of the Board of Education at their work session that he expects Oconee County Schools to issue a request for proposals for the Instructional Support Center in late January or early February.

Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2023, Ricketson said, and be completed in June of 2024.

Monday, September 12, 2022

Oconee Commissioners Being Asked To Postpone Again Decision on Oconee Crossing Rezone

***Applicant And Citizens Ask For Delay***

Oconee County Commissioners probably will have at least another month to sort out promises made more than 30 years in a rezone for a combined commercial and residential development at U.S. 78 and Hog Mountain Road.

Attorneys for the property owner and for residents of Oconee Crossing subdivision submitted a request Monday afternoon to table consideration of the rezone request by Donald Hammett of Kennesaw so they can continue discussions.

Friday, September 09, 2022

COVID-19 Cases At Area Hospitals Drop; Case Counts In NE Health District Continue To Decline

***One Confirmed Death From Disease In Oconee***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had 47 COVID-19 patients, down from the 56 reported last Friday.

The number of ICU beds in use on Friday was 75, up from 72 a week earlier, and the number of adult ventilators in use was 35, up from 31 last Friday.

Tuesday, September 06, 2022

Fund Balance For Oconee County Schools Grew To $48 Million in November Before Settling Back To $39 Million Near Year’s End

***Size Of Balance Seems To Exceed Board's Guidelines***

Oconee County Schools had a Fund Balance of more than $20 million every month from the beginning of the last fiscal year in July of 2021 through May of this year, the last month for which Oconee County Schools has been willing to release data.

In May, the Fund Balance was $39.5 million, $1.8 million lower than in April. April was $1.7 million lower than in March. The peak had been $48.4 million in November.

Friday, September 02, 2022

COVID-19 Hospital Cases Up To Highest Level Since Late February; Case Counts Also Up In NE Health District

***One Confirmed Death From Disease In Oconee, Clarke***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had 56 COVID-19 patients, up sharply from the 44 reported last Friday.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the area hospitals has not been this high on a Friday since February 25, when it stood at 70.