Sunday, May 10, 2026

Oconee County School Board Told Proposed Route For SR 15 Truck Bypass Will Not Adversely Affect Colham Ferry Elementary School

***Route Could Impact School In Future***

One of the three alternate routes the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has proposed for a truck bypass linking SR 15 with U.S. 441 south of Watkinsville would pass near the property line for Colham Ferry Elementary School, but it would not require any changes at the school.

If the Board of Education decides to expand the school or do updates or repairs, it will have to get state approval, and the state Department of Education could require construction of a berm and modifications of such things as windows to accommodate the dangers of truck traffic.

Early Voting For May 19 Primary Increased In Week Two, With Democratic Ballots Making Up Larger Share Than Four Years Ago

***Friday Was Heaviest Voting So Far***

Early voting for the May 19 Party Primary and Nonpartisan elections is running just ahead of early voting in the those elections in 2022, with 9.8 percent of the county’s 34,014 voters having cast a ballot by the end of the second week of early voting on Saturday.

Of that total, 3,214 votes were cast Advance In Person, up from 2,516 at that same point two years ago, when the county had 32,034 registered voters. The 3,214 is 9.4 percent of registered voters this year versus 7.9 percent four years ago.