Oconee County Commissioners Agree To Tax Refund For Caterpillar After Confirming Error In Tax Filings

***Comment Period Opened For Cole Springs Road Closing***

Oconee County commissioners gave tentative agreement on Tuesday night to a settlement that will result in a nearly $1.1 million refund to Caterpillar for taxes it mistakenly paid on personal property at its plant in Bogart.

Consistent with an agreement between Oconee and Clarke counties signed in 2012 when Caterpillar decided to move to the site, all tax revenue from the firm is split evenly between the two counties.

As a result, Oconee County and Clarke County each will refund $538,405 to Caterpillar.

Candidate For Lieutenant Governor Told Oconee County Democrats His Top Priority Is Medicaid Expansion

***Criticized Proposed Restrictions On Teaching Of History***

Charlie Bailey told a virtual gathering of Oconee County Democrats earlier this month that he is focusing his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor on healthcare, education, and public safety.

His top priority, he said, is expansion of Medicaid, which he said would not only address problems of healthcare in rural Georgia but also be a boost to the economy of the whole state.

Deaths From COVID-19, Reports Of New Cases, Hospital Cases All Down In Northeast Health District

***Oconee County Schools Again Reports No New Cases***

The 10-county Northeast Health District added only 25 new cases of COVID-19 in the last seven days ending on Friday, down from 47 added cases last Friday and considerably fewer than the 63 cases added in the bottom of the last wave in July of last year.

The District added 11 confirmed deaths from the disease, down from the 17 added in the week ending last Friday.

One of the confirmed deaths was in Oconee County, and another was in Clarke County.

Oconee County’s Two State Representatives Split Their Votes On Constitutional Amendment To Increase Legislative Salaries, Pensions

***Senate Votes To Increase Teams To Four Years***

Oconee County’s two representatives to the State House split their votes last week on a resolution that asks voters to decide on a state Constitutional amendment that would significantly increase the salaries for members of the General Assembly.

Houston Gaines, who currently represents Bogart Precinct, Marswood Hall Precinct, and the part of the Civic Center Precinct that was the East Oconee Precinct, voted against the resolution.

Marcus Wiedower, who represents the remainder of the county, voted in favor.

Voter History Files For Candidates For Oconee County School Board Reveal Range of Partisan Voting And Commitment

***Republican Voted Democratic; Independent Voted Republican***

Amy Parrish, the sole qualified Republican for Post 2 on the Oconee County Board of Education, has voted Democratic in one primary, voted Republican in eight, and skipped five primaries since she moved to Oconee County in 2008.

Prior to that, voting in Clarke County, Parrish voted using the Democratic ballot in four of the five primaries in which she participated.

Ryan Repetske, who is seeking to challenge Parrish in November as an Independent, has voted Democratic in two primaries and not voted in five primaries since he began voting in Oconee County in November of 2012.

COVID-19 Case Numbers In Oconee, Clarke Dip Below July 2021 Level; Local Hospital Cases Also Drop To Last Year Lows

***Confirmed Death Count From Disease Remains High***

The 10-county Northeast Health District added only 42 new cases of COVID-19 in the last seven days ending on Friday, down from 134 cases added last week.

The number of cases added is fewer than the 63 added at the bottom of the last wave of cases in July of last year.

The District added 17 confirmed deaths from the disease, the same as the week before. Deaths have remained high even as the number of cases has fallen dramatically.

Oconee County School Board Awards Bid For Construction At Oconee County Primary School And Oconee County Elementary School

***Internet Filter To Address YouTube Problems***

The Oconee County Board of Education on Monday voted to accept a bid from Kevin Price Construction for $2.4 million for renovation of Oconee County Primary School and Oconee County Elementary School.

Total costs for the work at the two neighboring and linked schools is estimated to be $2.8 million, and funding will come from the Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST) and state Capital Outlay Project allocations.