COVID Case Count In Northeast Health District Drops Slightly For Second Week

***State No Longer Reporting Hospital Data***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported seven new confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District in its report on Wednesday, up from the four reported a week earlier.

The Department of Public Health also reported that the Northeast Health District added 664 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Jan. 11, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

That number of added cases on Jan. 4 was 729, and on it Dec. 28 was 758. The decline is the first going back to Nov. 30.

Boswell Is Seeking Reappointment To The Georgia Transportation Board

***Oconee Legislators Will Join Caucus To Decide***

Jamie Boswell, President and owner of the Boswell Group, which includes insurance, real estate and appraisal companies, has confirmed that he will ask area legislators to appoint him to a new five-year term on the State Transportation Board.

Boswell’s term expires on April 15, and state law requires that members of the Transportation Board be elected by a majority vote of the members of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate “whose respective districts are embraced or partly embraced within” the Congressional District.

Oconee County Commissioners Take First Step Toward Increasing Homestead Property Tax Exemption, Freezing Assessments At Age 65

***Legislature, Local Citizens Will Have To Approve***

Oconee County commissioners are asking the county’s state legislative delegation to help it increase the homestead exemption as a way to decrease homeowner property taxes and freeze property tax assessments for persons once they turn 65 years of age.

The commissioners passed a resolution at their meeting on Tuesday calling on the legislators to introduce bills in the General Assembly this year that would allow for a referendum in 2024 on the homestead exemption and the freezing of assessments.

The changes in the property taxes would reduce county and school revenue, and Board of Education Chair Kim Argo said the School Board does not intend to pass a resolution making the request of the legislators but it supports the changes proposed by the county.

COVID Cases At Area Hospitals Continue To Increase: NE Health District Case Count Falls Slightly

***Oconee, Clarke Report Confirmed Death From Disease***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had 64 COVID-19 patients, up from 52 on Friday of last week and the highest number of cases since February of last year.

The number of ICU beds in use on Friday was 76, down from 80 a week earlier, and the number of adult ventilators in use was 28, down from 32 last Friday.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported four new confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District in its report on Wednesday, including one in Oconee County and one in Clarke County.

Oconee County Had Highest Turnout In State In December Runoff And November General Election

***Also Largest Gap Between Kemp And Walker Vote***

Oconee County ranked number 1 in the state in turnout in the December runoff election, as it has in the last four state-wide elections going back to November of 2020.

Oconee County retained its top ranking in terms of the percentage of active voters who cast a ballot in December despite a drop-off of 8.4 percentage points in turnout from the vote in November.

COVID Cases At Area Hospitals Increase Sharply: North East Health District COVID Case Count Continues To Climb

***Oconee, Clarke, Most Of State Report High Transmission Rates***

The Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday that area hospitals had 52 COVID-19 patients, up from 34 on Friday of last week and the highest number of cases since early September.

The number of ICU beds in use on Friday was 80, up from 67 a week earlier, and the number of adult ventilators in use was 32, up from 28 last Friday.

Proposed Commercial Development Between Entrances To Malcom Bridge Middle School Will Increase Traffic Count At Busy Site

***School Board Blocked Road Improvements***

Parents dropping off their children at Malcom Bridge Middle School will encounter additional traffic congestion in the future if the Board of Commissioners approves a rezone request on Jan. 3 for a new commercial development opposite the middle school.

The Oconee County planning staff has recommended approval of the rezone request for the multi-use commercial development, as has the citizen advisory Planning Commission.