Oconee County Commissioners Vote To Settle Sewage Capacity Suits, Allowing Large Residential Master Planned Developments

***Concessions Made***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners tonight (Tuesday) approved a settlement agreement with the owners of Parkside and Westland subdivisions that will allow the massive residential master plan developments in the center and west of the county to move forward.

The developers did agree to concessions, including the reduction of the number of lots in both developments, elimination of proposed attached homes from Westland, inclusion of lots reserved for persons 55 years old and older in Parkside, and that no more than 75 building permits would be issued per year.

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Kemp Makes Pitch For Two Oconee County State House Candidates During Bus Tour Stop

***Says Turnout Key***

Republican Brian Kemp brought his bus tour to Oconee County today (Monday morning) to raise money for and stir up interest in his campaign.

He made it clear, however, that he also wanted to help Houston Gaines and Marcus Wiedower, who are trying to unseat Democrats Deborah Gonzalez and Jonathan Wallace, holders of the House District 117 and House District 119 seats respectively.

Letter To Parents of Oconee County Elementary School Addresses Concerns About Mold And Mildew In Classroom

***Issue Raised At Board Meeting***

Oconee County Elementary School Principal Ashley Templeton sent a letter to parents and staff last week to reassure them that the school has not had a problem with mold.

Templeton took the action following a statement by Brandi Herndon, a moderator of the Facebook group, Parents Improving Oconee Schools, to the Board of Education earlier this month that she had been told of a “mold or mildew problem” at the school.

Congressman Hice Bragged About The Economy In Meeting With Regional Government Leaders

***Meeting In Athens***

Congressman Jody Hice’s presentation to the Council of the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission last month was not billed as a campaign event, but it would have been hard to have missed the political implications of the message.

In just “two quick years,” Hice told the government and civic leaders from the region, the country has gone from having a “stagnant” economy to one in which there is “great economic news.”

All Watkinsville Council Candidates Say They Like Sidewalks and Bike Paths

***At Forum***

The seven persons seeking the three seats on the Watkinsville City Council agreed at the candidate forum earlier this month that the city needs more sidewalks, more bikeways, and more interconnectivity of those pathways.

All agreed that the big challenge is how to pay for these improvements to the city’s infrastructure.

Healthcare Issues Dominate Forum For Oconee County Senate And House Candidates Held At Baptist Church In Athens

***Medicaid Expansion Plays Role***

Healthcare generally and Medicaid expansion specifically dominated the forum last week for candidates for Georgia Senate District 46 and House District 117 and House District 119 organized by the Athens Community Agenda.

Democrats Deborah Gonzalez and Jonathan Wallace, incumbents representing the 117th and 119th Georgia House districts respectively, said they support Medicaid expansion, as did Marisue Hilliard, the Democratic candidate for Georgia Senate District 46.

Oconee County Early Voting Continuing At Strong Pace

***Nearly 1 In 5 Voters Participating***

An average of more than 700 Oconee County voters has cast a ballot in the first seven days of early voting for the Nov. 6 elections.

The 4,996 votes cast as of the end of the day today (Tuesday) represents 18.1 percent of the county’s 27,530 active registered voters.