Access To Oconee Connector A Central Issue In Rezone Request For Proposed Mars Hill Road Shopping Center

***Planning Staff Recommends Changes In Concept Plan***

A shopping center needs entrances, and Sembler Corporation, a shopping center developer out of St. Petersburg, Fla., has proposed that its planned $50 million commercial center at the corner of Mars Hill Road and the Oconee Connector have six.

The main entrance that is proposed is off the Oconee Connector, about half way between SR 316 and the Connector’s intersection with Mars Hill Road and Daniells Bridge Road.

Property owner Deferred Tax LLC, which is seeking approval from the county for its plans, has said it will seek permission from the state to install a traffic light that will allow traffic from all directions to enter and leave the shopping center.

The Northeast Health District Added 272 New COVID-19 Cases; Number Of COVID-19 Patients In Area Hospitals Continues To Climb

***Clarke County Nursing Home Reports Three Deaths***

The Department of Public Health reported 155 confirmed COVID-19 cases based on molecular tests in the Northeast Health District on Tuesday and 177 cases based on antigen tests.

The Department of Public Health did not report any new COVID-19 deaths in the 10-county Northeast Health District, but the Department of Community Health reported four new deaths, three of them at a Clarke County nursing home and the fourth at a personal care home in Walton County.

Northeast Health District Reaches Record High Of COVID-19 Cases; Quarter Of Area Hospital Patients Have Disease

***Two Deaths From Disease Recorded***

The Northeast Health District on Monday added 255 COVID-19 cases based on molecular tests and 22 cases based on antigen tests. The District also added two deaths attributed to the disease, and area hospitals reported that a quarter of their patients have COVID-19.

With the addition of the 255 confirmed COVID-19 cases based on molecular tests, the seven-day rolling average of added cases increased to 227.9 on Monday from 208.6 on Sunday.

That rolling average–227.9–is the highest ever in the 10-county Northeast Health District. The previous high had been 227.3 on Sept. 6.

Oconee County Sales Tax Collections Show Large Increase In October After State Reconciled Sales And Tax Discrepancies

***Department of Revenue “Flagged” Filings For “About 12" Companies***

For the second time in three months, Oconee County government and Oconee County schools got a pleasant surprise with the release last week of monthly sale tax distributions by the Georgia Department of Revenue.

Revenue was up 41 percent in October over the same month a year ago for the county’s Local Option Sales Tax, Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, and Education Local Option Sales Tax.

Northeast Health District Adds 96 COVID-19 Cases And One Death; COVID-19 Hospital Patient Numbers Increase

***Second “Probable Death” From Disease Reported In Oconee***

The Northeast Health District added 91 confirmed COVID-19 cases based on molecular testing, five cases based on antigen testing, and a death from the disease with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Sunday.

The death was of an 83-year-old male in Elbert County with a chronic condition. Elbert County now has 21 confirmed deaths listed in the Daily Status Report, and the District has 359.

The seven-day rolling average of added deaths increased to 1.1 from 1.0 on Saturday.

Northeast Health District Adds 363 New COVID-19 Cases; More Than 20 Percent Of Area Hospital Patients Have COVID-19

***No Confirmed Death From Disease Reported On Saturday***

The Northeast Health District added 286 confirmed COVID-19 cases based on molecular tests and another 77 cases based on rapid antigen testing with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Saturday.

The seven-day rolling average of added molecular cases increased to 210.9 from 190.7 on Friday, and the seven-day rolling average of added antigen cases increased to 56.4 on Saturday from 47.9 on Friday.

Area Hospitals Report 133 COVID-19 Patients; State Reports 356 New COVID-19 Cases In Northeast District And Two Deaths From Disease

***Oconee County Schools Reports Increase In Active Cases***

The Northeast Health District added 303 confirmed COVID-19 cases based on molecular tests with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Friday, the most cases added in a single day since Sept. 5.

The District also added 53 cases identified by antigen tests, which the Department of Public Health has been reporting only since Nov. 3.

The District also added two deaths from the disease and one death that the Department of Public Health listed as “probable,” meaning it is likely to have been caused by the disease.