Oconee Commission Chair Takes His Presentation About 10 Items On May 21 Ballot Dealing With Homestead Exemptions To GOP Meeting

***Discusses Benefits For Seniors***

Oconee County Commission Chair John Daniell took his informational campaign on the 10 items on the May 21 ballot designed to increase the homestead tax exemption and freeze assessments for seniors to the Oconee County Republican Party on Monday night.

Daniell has been working to explain the proposed changes to the public for more than a year now at a variety of settings, including at the quarterly Board of Commissioners Town Hall Meetings and at a session with Oconee County Democrats last month.

Books Displayed In Children’s Section Of Oconee Library Might Not Be Put There By Staff, Patron And Librarians Say

***Display Also Has Two Meanings***

When a parent told the Oconee County Library Board of Trustees earlier this month that he didn’t want his child to see the book, A Child’s Introduction to Pride, on display on a shelf at the Oconee County Library, he acknowledged a problem.

He said he didn’t know who opened the book so its cover was on display next to other books with only their spines showing on the library shelf.

Oconee County Democrats Hear From Wide Range Of Candidates, Ending With Incumbent And Independent Challenger In DA Race

***Forum, Not A Debate, Party Leader Advises***

As the Oconee County Democratic Party meeting got underway on Thursday, Party Chair Harold Thompson told those gathered that what was about to take place was a candidate forum, not a debate.

Most of those who came to the front of the room one-by-one are running unopposed in the May 21 Democratic Party Primary, and, in one case, the person they want to debate won’t be decided until the May 21 Republican Primary.

Oconee County Town Hall Meeting Starts With Explanation Of Items On May 21 Ballot But Quickly Turns To Discussion Of Library

***Supporters Of Library Dominate Meeting***

Oconee County Commission Chair John Daniell on Tuesday evening started yet another Town Hall Meeting with a review of the efforts he and fellow commissioners have made to increase the county’s homestead exemptions and expand property tax relief for seniors.

Those efforts will increase the size of the homestead exemption from $2,000 to $5,000 in 2025 and to $10,000 in 2035, add an additional $10,000 exemption for those 75 years old and older, and freeze property tax assessments automatically for those 65 years old and older.

Candidate For Chair Of Oconee County School Board Asks Board To Explain Effort To Take Chair Away From Her If She Is Elected

***Board Gets Review Of FY25 Budget***

Joyce Reifsteck asked the Oconee County Board of Education on Monday night to indicate when and how it made the decision to seek legislation that will strip her of the position of Chair of the Board if she is elected to that position in November.

Reifsteck pointed out that she qualified to run in the Republican Primary for the open Post 1 on the Board of Education–a Post that is labeled as Board Chair–on Friday, March 8.

Oconee County Commissioners To Begin Town Hall Meeting On Tuesday With Review of Ballot Items For Homestead Exemptions

***Same Topic As Town Hall In January***

Oconee County Commissioners are holding their second Town Hall Meeting of the year at 6 p.m. on April 16, with the initial focus once again on the 10 items on the ballot on May 21 that will increase homestead exemptions and automate the freezing of property tax assessments for those 65 and older.

Commission Chair John Daniell has been using Town Hall meetings to explain the initiative going back to March of last year, and he opened the Town Hall Meeting in January with a summary of the changes that will take place if voters approve all 10 items on the ballot.

Oconee County School Board Calls Meeting To Discuss Fiscal Year 2025 Budget

***Also Gets Update On Strategic Plan

The Oconee County Board of Education has scheduled a called special session starting at 4 p.m. on Monday that is being labeled a budget workshop.

Superintendent Jason Branch announced the special session in his report to the Board at its work session on Monday

Candidates At Conservatives Of Northeast Georgia Forum Challenge Republican Incumbents They Will Face On May, November Ballots

***Oconee Library Discussed At Length

The Conservatives of Northeast Georgia didn’t invite the incumbents to participate in their candidate forum last week, and even though none of the incumbents physically was in the room, their presence was much in evidence.

All of the speakers at the forum are challenging incumbents, and the speakers criticized the Board of Commissioners, the Board of Education, the Clerk of Superior Court, and the three incumbent legislators representing the county in the General Assembly in Atlanta.

Library Board Reclassifies Two Books In Oconee County Library Following Citizen Requests For Reconsideration

***Six Citizens Speak Before Board Makes Decisions***

The Oconee County Library Board of Trustees accepted the recommendation of the Athens Regional Library System Reconsideration Review Committee on Monday and voted unanimously to move the book Other Boys by Damien Alexander from the Juvenile to the Young Adult section of the Oconee County Library.

The Board put aside the recommendation of the Review Committee that Nick and Charlie remain in the Young Adult Section and instead moved the book to the Adult Section of the Library.

Oconee County Library Board To Consider Two More Requests To Move Books In Oconee County Library

***Total Requests In Last Year Now Stands At 12***

At its 4:30 p.m. meeting tomorrow (April 8) at the Bogart Library, the Oconee County Library Board of Trustees will take up two new Requests for Reconsideration of books in the Oconee County Library filed by Oconee County citizens.

Rebecca Billings has asked the Board of Trustees to move the book Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman from the Young Adult to the Adult Section.

Citizens At Oconee County Commission Meeting Continue Discussion Of Oconee County Library

***Challenges To Voter Registration Also Raised***

Concerns about the Oconee County Library and about election integrity were prominent again at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday.

Five citizens used the public comment opportunity at the beginning of the regular meeting of the Board, with one focusing on recent legislation designed to make it easier to challenge voter registration, two voicing criticism of the Oconee County Library, and two voicing support for that Library.

Georgia Department Of Public Health Ends Reporting On COVID-19

***Says Disease No Longer An Emergency***

The Georgia Department of Public Health has announced that its COVID-19 Daily Status Report of March 27 is its last.

“According to the CDC and leading public health officials,” the Department of Public Health states, “COVID-19 remains an important public health threat, but it is no longer the emergency that it once was.”

Oconee County Elections Board Adopts Policies For Public Comment, Use Of Executive Sessions

***Citizens Asked For Opportunity To Speak***

The Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration on Tuesday adopted policies for citizen comment at its meetings and for when it goes into executive session.

The Board agreed to set aside 15 minutes at the beginning of its regular monthly meetings for citizens to speak. Citizens will be required to use a sign-up sheet at the meeting and will be called up in order of sign-up.

GDOT Asking Local Planning Organization To Bundle Funding For Jimmy Daniell Road, Virgil Langford Road, And Oconee Connector

***Public Comment Will Be Sought***

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is asking MACORTS, the metropolitan transportation planning organization for Oconee County, to bundle funding in its planning documents for the Jimmy Daniell Road, Virgil Langford Road, and Oconee Connector intersections with SR 316.

The request is to facilitate moving forward with construction of the three projects, Kimberly Grayson from GDOT Planning told members of the Technical Coordinating Committee of MACORTS at its meeting last month.

Oconee County’s Three Incumbent State Legislators Have Large Campaign Accounts As Elections Get Underway

***Among Them, They Report Having $1.2 Million***

Oconee County’s three incumbent Republican state legislators entered the campaign season with huge financial resources, having raised $367,629 in the seven months leading up to the just completed legislative session and reporting a net balance among them at that time of $1.2 million.

House District 120 Rep. Houston Gaines, who represents Bogart and Marswood Hall precincts in Oconee County, led the three legislators with $184,099 received from July 1 of last year to Jan. 31 of this year, and with a net balance on hand of $613,558, according to his report to the Georgia Campaign Finance Commission.

Director Of Regional Library System Briefs Oconee County Commission On Changes Made At Libraries In Response To Parental Requests

***New Category Within Young Adult Created***

The Athens Regional Library System has made two changes in response to community concerns about children’s use of library materials, Valerie Bell, Director of the Library System, said at the agenda-setting meeting of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners last week.

Existing policy is that children 10 and under are not allowed in the library unaccompanied by an adult or older sibling at least 16 years of age, Bell told the commissioners.

COVID Cases Remain At Very Low Level In NE Health District, State Public Health Department Data Show

***Rolling Average Of Added Cases In Oconee Was 0.0***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 108 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on March 27, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 87 cases in the week ending on March 20, 132 cases in the week ending on March 13, and 229 cases in the week ending on March 6.

Oconee County Commission Chair Lists County Accomplishments In State Of County Address, Reviews Library Controversies

***Also Explains May 21 Ballot Items***

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell had a long list of accomplishments and updates he offered to those gathered to hear the 2024 State of the County address earlier this month.

The Board of Commissioners rolled back the property tax millage rate for each of the last three years, he said, and at the same time put five new deputy sheriffs on the payroll this year.

Oconee County Republican Candidates In May Primary Introduce Themselves At Party Forum, Talk About Their Goals If Elected

***Transparency At School Board Discussed***

The Oconee County Republican Party assembled 17 candidates on the stage at The Barn at Hadden Estate on Monday with the assignment that each spend five minutes answering questions from WGAU News Director Tim Bryant.

All of the candidates except incumbent Probate Court Judge Mike Hunsinger are running in the Republic Party Primary on May 21. Hunsinger is running unopposed on the nonpartisan judicial ballot.

Virtual Public Information Open House Uncovers Opposition To Planned SR 316 Interchange At Dials Mill Extension

***Objections To Displacements, Road Closing***

Georgia Department of Transportation experts made clear at their virtual Public Information Open House on Friday that the preferred design for the Dials Mill Road/Dials Mill Extension interchange with SR 316 is a right-angled, multi-grade junction at a reconfigured Dials Mill Extension.

Opposition to that plan has surfaced from two directions, however, and the engineers said in the virtual session on Friday said that the plans are not final.

State Department Of Public Health Reports Continued Decline In COVID-19 Cases In Northeast Health District

***Clarke Again Reports Confirmed Death From Disease***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added only 87 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on March 20, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 132 cases in the week ending on March 13, 229 cases in the week ending on March 6, 311 cases in the week ending on Feb. 28, and 374 cases in the week ending on Feb. 21.

Oconee County Commission Chair Reviews May 21 Ballot Items, County Library Operation, With County Democrats

***Candidates Introduce Self At Meeting***

Oconee County Commission Chair John Daniell, in his meeting with Oconee County Democrats last week, said the 10 items the Commission put on the May 21 ballot will simplify the process of freezing property assessments for home owners 65 years of age and older and make it easier for the Tax Commissioner to make that happen.

Those ballot items also will increase the size of homestead property tax exemptions for every home owner, Daniell said.

COVID-19 Cases In Northeast Health District Continue To Decline, Georgia Department Of Public Health Data Show

***Clarke Has Confirmed Death From Disease***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added only 132 new cases of COVID 19 in the week ending on March 13, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 229 cases in the week ending on March 6, 311 cases in the week ending on Feb. 28, and 374 cases in the week ending on Feb. 21.

Legislation Proposed By Oconee County School Board Would Produce Two Changes But Allow Only One Yes Or No Vote On December Ballot

***Would Overturn Election Of Board Chair***

The Oconee County Board of Education on Monday night released on its web site and via social media the full text of the law it wants passed to change how the chair of the Board of Education is selected.

If the bill passes and becomes law, the ballot item for the November election would ask voters if they want the Board to appoint its own chair, rather than have voters do that, as is the case at present.

Vast Majority Of Votes Cast In Oconee County Were In Republican Presidential Primary; Trump Received 77.4 Percent Of Vote

***Biden Received 94.2 Percent Of Democratic Vote***

Former President Donald Trump received 77.4 percent of the vote in the Republican Presidential Preference Primary in Oconee County on Tuesday, and President Joseph Biden received 94.2 percent of the vote in the Democratic Presidential Preference Primary.

Only 5,243 (17.2 percent) of the 30,488 active voters cast a ballot in the two primaries, with 4,471 (85.3 percent) voting in the Republican Primary and 772 (14.7 percent) voting in the Democratic Primary.

Oconee County School Board Seeking Legislation To Change How It Fills Vacancies And How Chair Is Elected

***No Formal Vote Taken***

Oconee County of Board of Education Member Tim Burgess informed the other members of the Board at their meeting on Monday that he is expecting the county’s state legislators to introduce bills shortly to change the ways the Board operates.

The legislation would require vacancies on the Board to be filled by voters under most circumstances rather than by the Board itself and would allow the Board, rather than voters, to select the Board Chair.

Oconee County School Board, State Legislators, Have Plans To File Legislation, But What That Legislation Will Do Is A Secret

***Legal Advertisement The Only Hint***

The Oconee County Board of Education and the county’s two House members in the Georgia General Assembly have a secret they have worked hard to keep.

The Board met with the legislators in an unpublicized meeting last fall before the current legislative session began, using a legal loophole in the state’s Open Meetings Act allowing them to do that.

Oconee School Board Looking For New Oconee County High School Principal When Yancey Moves To Central Administration In June

***Board Approves Revised Pay Schedule For Cafeteria Workers***

Kevin Yancey, Principal at Oconee County High School, will become Director of Student Services for Oconee County Schools on June 3, reporting to Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Suzanne Korngold.

The Oconee County Board of Education approved the move of Yancey along with other personnel recommendations from Superintendent Jason Branch after meeting in executive session at the end of its work session on Monday.

Official Count Of COVID-19 Cases In Department of Public Health Northeast Health District Continues Sharp Decline

***Four Confirmed Deaths From Disease Reported***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added only 229 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on March 6, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 311 cases in the week ending on Feb. 28, 374 cases in the week ending on Feb. 21, 509 cases in the week ending on Feb. 14, and 485 cases in the week ending on Feb. 7.

Six Candidates File In Oconee County In Final Day Of Qualifying For May 21 Primary

***Candidates Blur Party Lines***

Qualifying for the May 21 General Primary and Nonpartisan election took an unusual turn in Oconee County on the last day of qualifying on Friday when six candidates completed the required paperwork, one as a Democrat and five as Republicans.

Democratic Party Chair Harold Thompson said after qualifying ended at noon that one of the candidates who qualified as a Democrat on Friday as well as two who qualified as Democrats on Thursday were not recruited by the Democratic Party.

Three Oconee County Democrats Qualify On Thursday For May 21 General Primary and Nonpartisan Election Ballot

***Incumbent State Representative, Senator, Get Challengers***

Three more Democrats qualified on Thursday at the Oconee County Office of Elections and Registration to run for county offices in the May 21 General Primary and Nonpartisan Election.

Reginald Wade qualified to run for Sheriff, and Laura King qualified to run for Clerk of Superior Court.

Democrat Qualifies To Run In Oconee County School Board Race; Third Watkinsville Council Incumbent Qualifies

***Turnout In Presidential Primary Dropped***

Kathryn Green qualified to run as a Democrat for Post 5 on the Oconee County Board of Education on Wednesday, and incumbent Watkinsville Post 5 Council Member Jeff Campbell qualified to run for re-election in the nonpartisan Watkinsville race.

Green’s name will appear on the Democratic ballot on May 21 in the General Primary and Nonpartisan Election, while Campbell’s name will appear on the ballot on Nov. 5 in the Watkinsville races.

Only One Additional Candidate Qualified To Run For Office On Tuesday at Oconee County Election Office

***Rep. Houston Gaines Qualified In Atlanta***

Watkinsville Post 3 Council Member Brett Thomas was the only candidate to qualify at the Oconee County Office of Elections and Registration on Tuesday, the second day of qualifying.

Thomas joined Watkinsville Post 4 Council Member Christine Tucker, who qualified on Monday. Qualifying also is underway for Post 5, currently held by Jeff Campbell, but no one has qualified so far.

GDOT To Hold Virtual Public Information Open House On Dials Mill Extension Interchange With SR 316 On March 22

***No Intersection For Dials Mill Road Planned***

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will hold a virtual Public Information Open House on March 22 to get reaction to its plan for a multi-grade intersection of Dials Mill Extension at SR 316.

According to the GDOT Project manager, the concept layout for an interchange at Dials Mill Extension is the only one that will be presented to the public at the Public Information Open House.

Thirteen Oconee County Candidates Qualify For Election In First Day Of Qualifying

***Three Qualify For State Races***

Oconee County’s four incumbent Constitutional Officers, the current Coroner, and the three sitting members of the Board of Commissioners up for re-election all qualified on Monday for the May 21 Primary and Nonpartisan election–so far without opposition.

In addition, incumbent Post 5 Board of Education Member Michael Ransom qualified for the Post 1 (Chair) position on the Board, Brock Toole qualified for Post 5 on the Board, and both Andrew Pippin and Russell Toms qualified for Post 4. All are running as Republicans.

Oconee County Early In-Person Voting In Presidential Primary Continues At Slow Pace

***Small Number of Mailed Ballots Received***

Turnout picked up just slightly in the second week of in-person voting for the March 12 Presidential Primary.

A total of 711 voters cast their ballots in person last week, up from 606 the week before.

To date, the Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration also has received and accepted 95 absentee ballots, up only by 33 from the 62 returned and accepted at the end of last week.

Large Crowd Turns Out For Grand Opening Of New Oconee County Library At Wire Park

***State Librarian Praises Location Of Library***

More than 125 people put aside the cold and overcast weather on Saturday to turn out for the official opening of the new Oconee County Library at Wire Park in Watkinsville.

That official opening lasted only about 15 minutes–culminating in a ribbon cutting--and was followed by informal tours of the new facility and a full day of programming, with an uncounted number of participants.

COVID Cases In Northeast Health District Continue To Decline, Department Of Public Health Reports

***No Confirmed Deaths From Disease Reported***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 311 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Feb. 28, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 374 cases in the week ending on Feb. 21, 509 cases in the week ending on Feb. 14, and 485 cases in the week ending on Feb. 7.

Oconee County Commissioners To Amend Agreement With Charter For Expansion Of Broadband Service In County

***Commissioners Receive Update On Program***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners is set to approve an amendment to its 2021 agreement with Charter Communications that will extend Charter’s broadband service in the county to an additional 211 currently unserved addresses.

The agreement will increase the number of served addresses subsidized by the county to 1,927 and increase the amount of subsidy the county has agreed to provide Charter for expansion of broadband from $1.7 million to $2.2 million.

Oconee County GOP Meeting Includes Tributes To Slain Nursing Student And Plea For Election Of Yalamanchili As District Attorney

***Epps Featured Speaker

The murder of nursing student Laken Hope Riley, whose body was found in a wooded area on the University of Georgia campus last Thursday, dominated the Monday meeting of the Oconee County Republican Party.

At the very beginning of the meeting, Greg Ziesenhene, field representative for Rep. Mike Collins, offered condolences for the family of Riley.

Turnout In Presidential Primary In Oconee County Light After First Week Of Early Voting

***Few Mail Ballots Returned So Far***

Fewer than 2 percent of Oconee County’s 32,969 registered voters cast a ballot in the first six days of early in-person voting for the March 12 Presidential Primary by the end of the day on Saturday.

Another 62 voters had returned a valid mail ballot, for a total vote of 668 votes cast to date, or 2.0 percent of the eligible voters.

Georgia Department Of Public Health Reports Sharp Drop In COVID Cases In Northeast Health District

***Confirmed Death From Disease In Clarke***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 374 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Feb. 21, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 509 cases in the week ending on Feb. 14, 485 cases in the week ending on Feb. 7, and 544 cases in the week ending Jan. 31.

Oconee County Planning Commission Quickly Approves Request For Downzone For Five-Lot Subdivision

***216 Acres Remain Zoned For Smaller Lots***

The Oconee County Planning Commission devoted a little more than three minutes on Monday night to the request by Rancho Tesoros LLC to downzone and subdivide 68 acres into five single family residential lots.

The 68 acres are in the small triangle of Oconee County bordered by Clarke and Oglethorpe counties on the eastern side of the Oconee River. 

North High Shoals Town Council Tables Again Decision On Deannexation Petition

***Item Now On March 18 Agenda***

On the recommendation of Mayor Stephen Goad, the North High Shoals Council voted on Monday night to table for a second time the request by Townley Family Partnership LLLP to deannex 175.8 acres from the city.

Council Members Eric Carlson, Hilda Kurtz, Eric Wright, and Meagan Cundiff voted in favor of the motion to table the request, and Council Member Fred Johnson abstained.

North High Shoals Mayor And Town Council Scheduled To Consider Deannexation Request At Monday’s Meeting

***Voted To Table Request After January Hearing***

The North High Shoals Mayor and Council is scheduled to take up at its regular meeting on Monday the request by Townley Family Partnership LLLP to deannex 175.8 acres between Jefferson Road and the Apalachee River from the Town.

Action on the deannexation petition is on the agenda for the Feb. 19 meeting following the unanimous vote of the Council at a meeting on Jan. 22 to table action on the Townley request.

Request To Downzone Acreage From 197-Lot Subdivision Before Oconee County Planning Commission

***Five-Lot Subdivision Proposed***

An Athens limited liability company is asking Oconee County to downzone 68 acres from a dormant 284-acre subdivision in the small triangle of Oconee County on the eastern side of the Oconee River.

The applicant, Rancho Tesoros LLC, plans to subdivide the 68 acres into five single family residential lots.

The 2007 rezone of the larger 284 acres authorized creation of 197 single-family lots, each served by county water.

COVID Case Count In Northeast Health District Increases Slightly, Georgia Department Of Public Health Reports

***One Of Two Confirmed Deaths In Clarke***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 509 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Feb. 14, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 485 cases in the week ending on Feb. 7, 544 cases in the week ending Jan. 31, 406 cases in the week ending Jan. 24, 481 cases in the week ending on Jan. 17, 403 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 10, and 278 cases in the week ending on Jan. 3.

Independent Candidate For Oconee, Clarke District Attorney Has Active Drive Underway To Get Signatures To Put His Name On Ballot

***Western Judicial Circuit Race Is Targeted***

Kalki Yalamanchili on Thursday launched a new phase of his petition drive to get on the ballot in November as an Independent candidate for Western Judicial Circuit District Attorney.

Yalamanchili selected seven locations, four in Oconee County and three in Clarke County, where registered voters in either of the two counties could sign a petition asking that his name appear on the November ballot.

Oconee School Board Hears Financial Reports From Staff Followed By Criticism From Citizens Of Its Management Of School System Finances

***Sales Tax Revenues Decline***

Oconee County Schools took in a little more than $1.2 million in Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST) revenue in January, but the amount was nearly a percentage point lower than the system took in from the sales tax in January of 2023.

The decline, which actually was for taxes collected in December of 2023, compared with a 5.1 percent increase in December of 2023 over December of 2022 and was the first decline in ELOST collections going back to April of 2022.

Oconee County Commissioners Approve Rezone For Retail Building, Hear Citizen Requests For Stronger Role In Library Decisions

***Approve Contract For Heritage Park Design Work***

When he stood before the Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 6, Engineer Jeff Carter didn’t present an attractive picture of what’s on the property at the eastern intersection of Ruth Jackson Road and U.S. 78.

Carter, representing Rick Bradshaw’s Mulberry Property Investments LLC, told the Board the property owned by Mulberry Property Investments is “in bad shape,” and “the owner wants to revitalize that corner” by putting in a “general retail facility.”

Oconee School Board Asked To Approve $2.6 Million Bid For Construction At Rocky Branch Elementary School

***Last Of Planned ELOST Construction Projects***

Oconee County Schools Superintendent Jason Branch on Monday will ask the Oconee County Board of Education to award a $2.6 million contract to Amacher Bros. Construction Company of Atlanta for modifications and renovations to Rocky Branch Elementary School.

Branch also will ask the Board to spend $732,954 for purchase of five 48-passenger buses and one 72-passenger bus from Thomas Peach State Freightliner, based in Norcross.

Georgia Department Of Public Health Reports Five Confirmed Deaths From COVID IN NE Health District As Cases Decline

***One Of Deaths In Oconee***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 485 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Feb. 7, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 544 cases in the week ending Jan. 31, 406 cases in the week ending Jan. 24, 481 cases in the week ending on Jan. 17, 403 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 10, and 278 cases in the week ending on Jan. 3.

Oconee County Elections Board Gets Report On Upcoming Presidential Primary, Hears Request From Citizens For Public Comment Opportunity

***Only 12 New Voters Added To Roll In Last Month***

Oconee County picked up only 12 new registered voters in the last month, with Monday (Feb. 12) being the final day of voter registration before the March 12 Presidential Primary.

As of Tuesday, when the Oconee County Board of Elections and Voter Registration met, the county had received only 77 absentee ballot applications for the Presidential Primary.

Watkinsville Attorney Organizing A Slate Of Candidates To Challenge Republican Incumbents In Oconee County Party Primary

***School Board Particular Target***

Watkinsville Attorney Pamela Lohr Hendrix is working with a group to organize a slate of candidates to run against all of the Oconee County Republican incumbents in the Republican Primary on May 21.

Hendrix said she has decided to run for the Board of Education, but she hasn’t decided which of the three Posts up for election in November she will seek.

Speakers At Oconee County Democratic Party Meeting Differ In Their Concerns About AI Chatbots

***Partisanship Also Discussed***

Politicians have had many ways to mislead the public in the past, but the advent of AI chatbots is making political deception even more effective, communication researcher David Clementson said at a meeting with Oconee County Democrats last month.

Clementson said AI can be used to improve campaign solicitations, create better tailored campaign messages, tell implausible lies, and manipulate visuals.

COVID Cases In Northeast Health District Increase To Highest Level Reported In Month

***Cases Increase In Oconee And Clarke***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 544 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 31, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 406 cases in the week ending Jan. 24, 481 cases in the week ending on Jan. 17, 403 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 10, and 278 cases in the week ending on Jan. 3.

Enrollment In Oconee County Schools Increased In October Of 2023 From 2022 Because of Nonresident Enrollees

***Enrollment In County’s Four Private Schools Also Down***

Oconee County Schools enrolled 8,535 students in October of 2023, an increase of four students from October of 2022, according to data the system reported to the Georgia Department of Education.

Only 8,459 of those enrolled students were residents of Oconee County, however, and the enrollment of Oconee County students fell by 16 from October of last year.

Upswing In COVID Cases In Northeast Health District Halted

***Cases Down In Oconee And Clarke***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 406 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 24, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 481cases in the week ending on Jan. 17, 403 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 10 and 278 cases in the week ending on Jan. 3.

Record Shows How Oconee School Board Closed Part Of Its Retreat So Board Members And School Staff Could Eat Lunch And Talk In Private

***Remainder Of Meeting Open But Access Difficult***

Oconee County Schools Superintendent Jason Branch emphasized at the Jan. 8 meeting of the Oconee County Board of Education that the Board’s Jan. 16 retreat would be open to the public.

The Board and Branch’s staff took a number of steps before and after that announcement, however, that made it difficult--and in one case impossible–for the public to access that meeting.

Northeast Health District Continues To Experience Upswing In COVID Cases

***Cases Down In Oconee, Up In Clarke***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 481 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 17, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 403 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 10 and 278 cases in the week ending on Jan. 3.

Oconee County School Board Increases Salaries For Bus Drivers To Address Problems Of Recruitment And Retention

***Board Told Current Salaries Not Competitive***

The Oconee County Board of Education on Monday agreed to spend approximately $350,000 for the remainder of the school year to increase the pay schedule for bus drivers in an effort to recruit and retain needed drivers.

The Board took this action after hearing a report from Chief Human Resources Officer Justin Cofer, who told the Board that despite a string of initiatives, the vacancy rate for bus drivers increased from 22 percent in May of last year to 31 percent as of January of 2024.

Georgia Public Health Department Reports Upswing In COVID Cases In Counties Of Northeast Health District

***Cases Increase Sharply In Oconee, Clarke***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 403 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 10, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 278 cases in the week ending on Jan. 3.

Oconee County Election Board Approves Call For Special Election In May For Vote On County Homestead Exemption Increases

***Daniell, Saxon, Thompson Announce Candidacy***

The Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration voted on Tuesday to call a special election in conjunction with the May 21 General Primary/Nonpartisan Election to allow voters to decide if they want to increase homestead exemptions in the county.

The Board voted to put 10 items on the ballot, four of which remove the current laws and six of which put new laws in place. All 10 must pass for the changes in the exemptions to take effect.

Oconee County Library Board Votes To Retain Four Books As Shelved After Consideration of Reclassification Requests

***Speakers Favor, Oppose Board Decision***

The Oconee County Library Board of Trustees on Monday voted to reject the request of four county residents that four books in the Oconee County Library be reclassified because of their content.

At the meeting, Board Chair Mark Campbell also announced that the Library, closed since Thanksgiving, will reopen at the new Wire Park location on Feb. 3.

State Rep. Frye Told Oconee County Democrats To Expect Another Attempt To Pass A School Voucher Bill When Legislature Meets

***Oconee School Board Has Opposed Bill***

Georgia Democratic State Rep. Spencer Frye told Oconee County Democrats last year that he expects the legislative session that starts in Atlanta on Monday will include renewed discussion of school vouchers, which he opposes.

Republicans were unable to get enough votes to pass a voucher program in the last session, Frye noted.

Oconee County Library Board To Vote On Four New Requests To Reclassify Books

***Meeting At New Wire Park Facility***

The Oconee County Library Board of Trustees, meeting for the first time on Monday in the as-yet-not-completed Oconee Library in Wire Park in Watkinsville, will consider four requests for reconsideration of the classification of books.

Stephen Aleshire is asking the Board to move the book Different Kind Of Fruit from the Juvenile to the Adult Section of the Library.

COVID Cases In Northeast Health District, After Last Week’s Decline, Return To Levels Of The Last Month

***Oconee, Clarke Report Small Drops In Cases***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 278 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 3, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported the Northeast Health District had added 184 cases in the week ending on Dec. 27, down from 268 cases in the week ending on Dec. 20, and 274 cases in the week ending on Dec. 13.

Oconee County School Board Asked State To Grant Extension On Updating Local Facilities Plan

***Board Retreat Set For Jan. 16***

The Oconee County Board of Education, at its meeting in December, decided to ask the Georgia Department of Education to allow a one-year extension of its five-year local facilities plan that is set to expire on June 30 of this year.

The Board told the Department of Education in the resolution it approved at that Dec. 4 meeting that it will continue to update the current facilities plan.

Oconee County Commission Accepts Deannexation Of Property In North High Shoals, Despite Pleas From Citizens

***Commissioners Complain About New Law***

Oconee County commissioners on Tuesday night consented to the deannexation of 175.8 acres between Jefferson Road and the Apalachee River from the Town of North High Shoals.

The Board took the action in response to a petition to the Mayor and Council of the Town of North High Shoals from Tony Townley, General Partner of Townley Family Partnership LLLP, who owns the 175.8 acres and an adjoining 407.3 acres outside the Town limits.