Friday, September 29, 2023

COVID Case Count In Northeast Health District Continues To Decline

***Oconee, Clarke Again Report Decreases***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 193 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Sept. 27, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported 231 new cases in the week ending on Sept. 20.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Oconee County Plans To More Than Quadruple The Miles Of Roads Resurfaced Next Year

***TSPLOST Providing Bulk Of Funding

Oconee County plans to resurface 30.27 miles of roadway in the county from March to September of next year, more than four times what it has been resurfacing in the typical calendar year.

The road work will be paid for with a $742,287 Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) from the state, $2 million from the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, and $5.7 million from the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax approved by voters last November.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Citizens At Oconee County Town Hall Meeting Talk About Libraries, Swimming Pools, Paper Ballots, School Board, Tax Receipts

***Request For Alcohol Sales Opposite Malcom Bridge School Noted***

Suzannah Heimel asked the Oconee County Board of Commissioners to find a way to provide oversight of the county’s libraries.

Julie Mauck said she wants the county to defund the two libraries until the problems she sees “gets worked out” and then the two libraries should “pull away from the Athens Regional Library System.”

Saturday, September 23, 2023

COVID Case Count In Northeast Health District Drops Sharply, Georgia Department Of Public Health Reports

***Oconee, Clarke Report Decreases***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 231 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Sept. 20, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported 411 new cases in the week ending on Sept.13, 345 new cases in the week ending on Sept. 6, 424 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 30, and 519 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 23.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Cost Of Oconee County Third High School Estimated At Up To $175 Million, Not Including Land Acquisition

***High School Enrollment Now Not Seen As Problem***

The estimated cost of building a third high school for Oconee County Schools is between $150 and $175 million, School Superintendent Jason Branch reported at the Community Engagement Session held at the Civic Center on Tuesday night.

That figure does not include land acquisition, which Branch estimated to be an additional “several million."

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Oconee County Citizen Asked School Board Not To Move Forward On New School Construction

***Cites Evidence Of Slow Growth***

Pam Hendrix used the public comment section of the Oconee County Board of Education meeting on Monday to tell the Board she thinks it should put a “pause” on new school construction and possibly on construction more generally.

Hendrix reminded the Board that it was told last week that enrollment is down slightly–by six students–over the start of the last school year.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Oconee County Commissioners Approve Rezone And Variance Requests In Brief Meeting

***All Recognize Diaper Need Awareness Week***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners last week gave quick approval to two rezones and two zoning variances in a meeting that lasted less than 30 minutes.

The Board approved a request by Anderson-Wells II LLC that the part of a 29.4 acre parcel on Aiken Road within the unincorporated part of the county be rezoned from agricultural use to Office Business Park use.

Sunday, September 17, 2023

COVID Case Count In Northeast Health District Up Slightly, State Department Of Public Health Reports

***Oconee Shows Increase; Clarke Decrease***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 411 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Sept. 13, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported 345 new cases in the week ending on Sept. 6, 424 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 30, and 519 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 23.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Oconee County Schools Began The School Year With Fewer Students Than Last Year

***All 12 Schools Under Capacity***

Oconee County Schools experienced a slight drop in enrollments as the school year began, according to a report given the Board of Education at its work session on Monday.

Enrollment growth has been moderate for the last five years, according to the counts from the fourth Wednesday of the new school year.

Monday, September 11, 2023

State. Rep. Gaines Says Republicans Have To Reach Out–Even To Democrats–To Defeat District Attorney Gonzalez In 2024

***Gaines Identifies Three Ways To Remove Gonzalez***

State Representative Houston Gaines has told Oconee County Republicans that they have to reach out to people they don’t ordinarily talk to if they want to defeat Western Judicial Circuit District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez at the ballot box next year.

That outreach includes to people who never attend Republican party meetings, to Independents, to Democrats, to students at the University of Georgia, Gaines, a Republican, said.

Friday, September 08, 2023

Georgia Department Of Public Health Reports COVID Case Count In Northeast Health District Drops Again

***Both Oconee And Clarke Show Decreases***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 345 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Sept. 6, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported 424 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 30, down from 519 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 23.

Monday, September 04, 2023

Oconee County Being Asked To Decide Whether To Set Up County Misdemeanor Probation System Or Join With Clarke County

***Judge Says He Will Not Renew Current Private Contract***

Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court Chief Judge Eric Norris wants Oconee County to create its own misdemeanor probation system or join with Athens-Clarke County to form a circuit wide misdemeanor probation system.

Norris told the Oconee County Board of Commissioners last week that he does not intend to allow the county to renew the contract it currently has with CSRA Probation Services Inc. for probation services.

Friday, September 01, 2023

COVID Case Count In NE Health District Declines In Department Of Public Health Data Report; Oconee, Clarke Cases Increase

***Clarke Rate Highest This Year***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 424 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Aug. 30, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported 519 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 23, 266 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 16, and 230 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 9.