Two Candidates At Democratic Party Meeting Offer Different Assessments Of Their Likelihood Of Winning in November

***Few Using Democratic Ballot In Early Primary Voting***

Jeff Auerbach told Oconee County Democrats last month that, as the Democratic Party nominee in the new House District 121, he does not expect to be able to defeat Republican incumbent Marcus Wiedower in his first match-up on Nov. 8.

Auerbach said he had been recruited by the Georgia House Democratic Caucus to run against Wiedower, and he thinks, in the future, he will represent the 121 House District in the Georgia General Assembly. The 121st is made up of  most of Oconee and parts of Clarke counties.

Citizen Tells Oconee County School Board She Is Concerned About Accreditation And Content Of Curriculum

***Board Members Profess Ignorance About Decision***

Suzannah Heimel told the Oconee County School Board during the public comment section of its meeting last month that originally she had planned to come before the Board with prepared comments about accrediting standards and critical race theory.

She said she decided to put aside her initial comments, however, because “the governor has passed a law stating that we cannot teach CRT in our school system.”

Area Hospitals Report Slight Decrease In COVID-19 Cases; Department Of Public Health Reports No Deaths From Disease In NE District

***Oconee And Clarke Have “Probable” COVID Death***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had three COVID-19 patients, down from six on Friday of last week.

The number of ICU beds in use was 57, the same as a week earlier, and the number of adult ventilators in use was 31, down from 32 a week earlier.

Oconee County Voters Who Request Republican Ballot Will Decide Only Local Race With Competition; Early Voting Starts Monday

***Post 3 For School Board Has Three Contenders***

Oconee County voters who ask for the Republican ballot when early voting for the May 24 primary starts on Monday–or at the voting both on May 24–will get a chance to vote on the only local contest in the election.

Ryan Hammock, Julie Mauck, and Elliott Rogers are seeking the Republican Party nomination for Post 3 on the Oconee County Board of Education.

Those voters selecting the Democratic ballot will be deciding only state and federal contests. State and federal contests will be on the Republican ballot as well.

Oconee County Republican Party Includes Questions Written By County Democrats On Republican Primary Ballot

***GOP Party Leaders Campaign Against Questions They Asked***

Oconee County voters who choose the Democratic ballot in the May 24 primary will get a chance to express their opinions on nonpartisan elections for the county Board of Commissioners and for the county Board of Education.

They also will be asked if they would prefer to have districts for the Board of Commissioners posts, rather than the at-large districts used at present.

Voters who opt for the Republican ballot in the May 24 primary will be asked these same questions, but with a caveat.

Area Hospitals Report Slight Increase In COVID-19 Cases; Clarke County Reports Two New Confirmed Deaths From Disease

***Oconee County Schools Lists New Active Case***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had six COVID-19 patients, up from four on Friday of last week.

The number of ICU beds in use was 57, compared with 56 a week earlier, and the number of adult ventilators in use was 32, up from 25 a week earlier.

COVID Cases Increase Slightly In NE Health District, Oconee, Clarke Counties

***Hospital Cases Fall***

The 10-county Northeast Health District added 75 new cases of COVID-19 in the last seven days ending on Friday, up slightly from the 62 cases added last week, based on the Friday Daily Status Report of the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The Northeast Health District added seven confirmed deaths from the disease, down from the eight added in the week ending last Friday.

One of the confirmed deaths was in Clarke County.