Oconee County commissioners took two steps last night toward the possible demolition of the old and unused jail, which is at the rear of the Courthouse in Watkinsville.
At its agenda-setting meeting, the commissioners agreed to take up the future of the jail at its meeting next Tuesday night, with only Commissioner William “Bubber” Wilkes indicating opposition to the demolition plans.
Thomas Lord, 1172 Bridlegate Drive, off Astondale Road in the south of Oconee County, has announced that he plans to run for the 119th House District seat that became vacant on Monday when Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Chuck Williams as director of the state Forestry Commission.
Lord is owner of Lord and Stephens Funeral Homes, with locations in Athens-Clarke County, Madison County and Oconee County.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black had a simple message for the young people gathered at the meeting of the Oconee County Republic Party last week.
Agriculture offers lots of good career opportunities, Black told the Oconee County high school and middle school students.
Gov. Nathan Deal today (Monday) appointed Rep. Chuck Williams director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, creating a second opening in Oconee County’s state legislative delegation.
Williams represents the 119th District in the Georgia House of Representatives, which consists of 10 of Oconee County’s 13 precincts and parts of southeastern Clarke County.
The developers of the expanded Epps Bridge Centre have postponed until some unspecified time in the future construction of the part of the project that was expected to include a Costco membership-only warehouse club.
In revised preliminary site plans submitted to the Oconee County Planning and Code Enforcement Department on July 31, Oconee 316 Associates LLC of Atlanta split development of Epps Bridge Centre II into two parts, labeled Phase 1 and 2.
Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department last week began using Autry Road as a second exit from Oconee Veterans Park on an experimental basis to see if it helps relieve traffic during peak periods at the park.
Traffic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during the 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. period will be allowed to exit the park via the back gate, which feeds onto Autry Road and then Hodges Mill Road.
The Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir Management Board last week agreed to ask the United States Corp of Engineers for a permit extension for construction of an intake facility on the Apalachee River at High Shoals.
The Board had voted at its previous meeting in May to go forward with construction of the intake facility, which could be used to expand at some point in the future the capacity of the reservoir now filling in southeast Walton County.
