Republican State House District 121 Candidate Guest Rejects Current Plans For Truck Bypass Of Watkinsville In Town Hall Meeting

***States Position On Abortion, Vaccines, Other Issues***

In response to the first question at his Town Hall meeting last week, Republican House District 121 candidate Mack “Dutch” Guest IV said he is opposed to current plans for the truck bypass connecting SR 15 south of Watkinsville to U.S. 441.

Guest also said he was opposed to the state incentivizing data centers, wants the state to help address homelessness in Clarke County, was in favor of a cap on property taxes, and supported cuts to the state income tax. He also said the 4 percent state sales tax should be reviewed.

Thursday Forum Will Allow Citizens To Pose Questions Directly To Candidates Seeking To Represent Oconee County In Atlanta, D.C.

***Gaines Only Candidate Not Attending***

Citizens will have a chance on Thursday to pose their questions directly to candidates seeking to represent Oconee County in State House District 120, State House District 121, State Senate District 46, and U.S. Congressional District 10.

Moderators at a candidate Forum sponsored by The Oconee Enterprise and Oconee County Observations will ask citizens wishing to ask a question to identify themselves and state a question for the candidates.

Oconee County Election Board Votes To Extend Time In Last Week Of Early Voting

***Hears Report Mandating New List Of Persons Who Vote***

The Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration agreed on Monday (9/14/2026) to add an extra hour at the end of the day in the final week of early voting for the Nov. 3 elections.

The Board took the action on the recommendation of Sharon Gregg, Director of Elections and Registration for the county, who said extending the voting day in the week of Oct. 26 through 30 would accommodate voters who work until 5 p.m.

Construction At SR 316 Will Cut In Half Number Of Lanes Of Traffic In Each Direction On Oconee Connector

***No End Date Given For Disruption***

Traffic on the Oconee Connector will be greatly restricted beginning at 7 p.m. today (9/18/2026) as Archer Western Construction begins work on mid-span vertical supports for the two bridges that will carry SR 316 over the Connector.

The current four lanes of traffic now moving through the intersection in each direction will be cut to two lanes, one for through traffic and one for left-hand turns.

Madison-Morgan Conservancy Accepts Conservation Easement Protecting Historic Hedgerow Farm West From Future Development

***Lisa And Bill Douglas Continue To Own Farm***

Lisa and Bill Douglas have granted a conservation easement deed to Madison-Morgan Conservancy that will prohibit the development of almost all of their 332-acre historic Hedgerow Farm on Price Mill Road west of Bishop.

The easement allows the Douglases to continue to own and farm the property and to sell it, but the easement prevents the Douglases or anyone who purchases the land from dividing it or altering its “relatively natural, pastoral, agricultural, forested, open and relatively undeveloped condition.”

Oconee County Commissioners Say They Are Opposed To Proposed Truck Bypass Route Of Watkinsville That GDOT Consultants Favor

***Large Crowd Turns Out For Called Town Hall Meeting***

All five of Oconee County’s commissioners on Tuesday night said they were opposed to the close-in route for a truck bypass linking SR 15 with U.S. 441 south of Watkinsville that consultants for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) said they are considering as the recommended route.

The commissioners were joined in that opposition by Georgia House District 121 Rep. Eric Gisler and Georgia Senate District 46 candidate Ray Smith, both of whom were in the audience of more than 80 at the called Board of Commissioners Town Hall Meeting.

Forums Scheduled At Two Oconee County Venues For Candidates Seeking To Represent County In Atlanta And Washington

***Farm Bureau, Enterprise, Observations Are Hosts***

Forums scheduled two nights in a row in Oconee County next week will give voters a chance to hear candidates for state House District 120, state House District 121, and state Senate District 46 answer questions on issues in the Nov. 3 election.

On Sept. 23 candidates will be asked to respond to questions from directors of the Oconee County Farm Bureau on issues that impact farmers and rural Oconee County.