Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Oconee County’s Members Of General Assembly Sitting On Large Campaign Reserves Half Way Through Off Year In Election Cycle

***Watkinsville Will Have Two Contested November Races***

State Rep. Houston Gaines, half way through the 2023 non-election year, has $456,586 net balance on hand in his campaign account.

Half way through the 2022 election year, Gaines, who represents part of Oconee County in the General Assembly, had $251,041 net balance on hand.

On June 30 of 2021, which was not an election year, Gaines had $108,514 net cash balance on hand, or less than a quarter of what he has on hand at this time.

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Oconee County Industrial Development Authority Agrees To Sell Last Usable Parcel In Gateway Technology And Business Park

***IMI To Leave Watkinsville Industrial Park***

The Oconee County Industrial Development Authority on Wednesday agreed to sell the 52.8 acre western most parcel in Gateway Technology and Business Park to IMI Industrial Services Group, which plans to relocate to the new site from the Watkinsville Industrial Park.

The contract sets the sale price at $37,500 per acre, which, based on the existing survey, would total to $1,981,012.

The large, currently empty parcel, is the last accessible acreage in the Gateway Technology Business Park, which runs west, mostly north of SR 316, from McNutt Creek Road on the southwest side of Bogart.

Friday, August 25, 2023

COVID-19 Case Count In Northeast Health District Nearly Doubles In Last Week According To Department Of Public Health Status Report

***Oconee Cases Drop Slightly, While Clarke Cases Increase Sharply***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 519 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Aug. 23, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported 266 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 16 and 230 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 9.

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Line Item Budget For Oconee County Schools Details $15.8 Million Increase In Spending For Fiscal Year 2024

***Spending For Superintendent: $284,810***

Oconee County Schools last week released a detailed budget for Fiscal Year 2024 documenting a $3.9 million increase in teacher salaries and a $4.9 million increase in healthcare costs for certified employees.

Those increases and the others spelled out in the July 2023 Budget Report explain in detail the $15.8 million increase in spending in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget adopted by the Board in June.

Saturday, August 19, 2023

COVID-19 Case Count In Northeast Health District Increases For Two Weeks Running

***Both Oconee And Clarke Report Jumps In Cases***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 266 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Aug. 16, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Health reported 230 new cases in the week ending on Aug. 9 and 224 in the two weeks ending on Aug. 2.

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Oconee County Library Board To Consider Five Requests For Reshelving Of Books At Library In Watkinsville

***Decision Expected In October***

The Oconee County Library Board of Trustees, at its meeting in October, is expected to consider the requests of five citizens who have asked that the Oconee County Library in Watkinsville change the shelving of five different books the citizens say are inappropriate for children.

The five Requests for Reconsideration of Material currently are being reviewed by a committee of professional librarians of the Athens Regional Library System, of which the Oconee County and Bogart libraries are a part.

Sunday, August 13, 2023

COVID-19 Case Count In Northeast Health District Continues To Increase

***Oconee Cases Stable; Cases In Clarke Increase***

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the Northeast Health District added 230 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Aug. 9, based on the Department’s electronic tracking system.

The Department of Public Heath did not issue a report two weeks ago, and the number of cases added last week after a two-week gap in reporting had been 224.