Blog posts by Blake Aued, Editor
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Gov. Deal Says He'll Veto 'Religious Liberty' Bill
Blog: In the Loop
Gov. Nathan Deal announced today that he will veto a controversial “religious liberty” bill that supporters say would protect gay-marriage opponents from government reprisal but critics say would legalize discrimination against the LGBT community.
In addition to opposition from civil rights groups, many corporations had threatened to pull their business out of Georgia. Hollywood studios have said they’d stop filming movies and TV shows like Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and “The Walking Dead” here, and the bill put Atlanta’s bid for a Super Bowl at risk.
Deal said the bill goes too far. Here’s a statement from his office:
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ACC Won't Prosecute Creature Comforts
Blog: Grub Notes
Photo Credit: Creature Comforts
Athens-Clarke County won’t prosecute local brewery Creature Comforts for allegedly violating the state law regulating brewery tours, the county attorney’s office announced earlier this week.
In February, an undercover officer acting on a tip and posing as a service industry employee on “industry night,” a monthly event where service industry workers receive free tours (and beers), reported that she was given free beers and never offered a tour, nor did she see a tour being conducted.
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Cedar Shoals Principal Tony Price Denies Mishandling Sexual Assault
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file
Tony Price—the Cedar Shoals High School principal who was suspended and faces firing after an alleged sexual assault at the school in January—is speaking out about the incident and says central office administrators and Clarke County School District police, not Price, are responsible for mishandling it.
Since the alleged sexual assault was made public in February, CCSD administrators have said that Price did not follow the district’s code of conduct by failing to suspend the three students who are accused of raping a classmate in a stairwell at the school.
Now, Price has told his side of the story, and it differs on several key points from the district's—including who was ultimately responsible for students' safety and whether Price could have disciplined the accused students before the police investigation took its course.
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UGA Law Professor: The 'Campus Carry' Bill Will Chill Academic Freedom
Blog: In the Loop
Sonja West.
The “campus carry” bill allowing guns on most parts of the University of Georgia campus—including classrooms and professors’ offices—will have a chilling effect on academic freedom and debate, UGA law professor Sonja West argues in an article for the website Slate posted today.
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CCSD Sets Forum on School Discipline
Blog: In the Loop
The Clarke County Board of Education will host a public forum at 6 p.m. Thursday, Apr. 7 in the H.T. Edwards building on discipline and attendance issues raised by teachers and parents in the wake of the district’s mishandling of an alleged sexual assault at Cedar Shoals High School.
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Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Mar. 21
Blog: In the Loop
Welcome to Athens Power Rankings. In the spirit of sports rating systems, through painstaking analysis, we rank the top movers and shakers in the Classic City each week. Who's hot? Who's not? Find out below.
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Atlanta's Bike Czar Is Coming to Athens
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Atlanta Bike Coalition
Local transportation group Complete Streets Athens is bringing Atlanta’s chief bicycle officer, Becky Katz, to town today to show us how it’s done.
Katz, formerly a project manager at greenspace advocacy group Park Pride, was appointed by Mayor Kasim Reed in October to fill the newly created position. Her job is to plan bike projects, gather public input, write grant applications, get a bike-share program up and running and coordinate with other organizations, according to Creative Loafing. There is no equivalent position in the Athens-Clarke County government.
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Cosmik Debris Is Back and More Beer News
Blog: Grub Notes
![CCBC_CosmikDebris_0023[4].jpg](/uploads/2016/03/23/cosmik-debris-is-back-terrapin-teams-up-with-5-10-and-more-beer-news/CCBC_CosmikDebris_0023%5B4%5D.jpg)
For the first time, Creature Comforts' double IPA, Cosmik Debris, will be for sale in stores and at bars in cans as well as on draft later this month.
Cosmic Debris clocks in at 8% ABV and features Simcoe, Idaho 7, Mosaic, Cascade and Eureka hops, but it doesn’t come close to the tongue-numbing bitterness of a lot of double IPAs; instead, it’s citrus-y with toned-down pine and a solid malt backbone. It's a seasonal release, so pick some up as soon as you can—and make sure it's fresh.
Artist James Barsness will be signing the cans he designed at a launch party Wednesday from 5–7 p.m. at the brewery.
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Mayor Denson Names Nominee for ACC Manager
Blog: In the Loop
Blaine Williams, who’s served as Athens-Clarke County interim manager since Alan Reddish retired in February, is Mayor Nancy Denson’s pick to fill the position permanently.
Denson announced today that she’s named Williams the sole finalist, subject to approval by the ACC Commission at its Apr. 5 meeting. If his appointment is ratified as expected, his contract will run through June 2017.
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Deal Tells Lawmakers to Fix the 'Campus Carry' Bill
Blog: In the Loop
Gov. Nathan Deal signs a sweeping gun law June 25, 2014.
A proposed "campus carry" law that would allow permit holders to carry concealed weapons on public college and university campuses has drawn widespread opposition not only from administrators, but UGA faculty and staff as well.
But there is now hope that the law may at least be watered down. Gov. Nathan Deal, who had previously indicated that he would sign House Bill 859—which passed the Senate on Friday, landing on his desk—is now backing away. He called on legislators this afternoon to address concerns about the bill and hinted he could veto it otherwise.
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Athens Sen. Bill Cowsert Killed the 'Brunch Bill'
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Evan Swigart/Wikimedia Commons
As I write this, you’re probably finishing off your first Bloody Mary of the day on this glorious Sunday afternoon. You probably wish it was your third. But don’t expect to be able to get an earlier start anytime soon
House Bill 535, the “Brunch Bill,” has stalled out, killed by our very own Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), the AJC reports.
The bill would give local communities the option to allow restaurants to start serving alcohol at 10:30 a.m., rather than 12:30 p.m., on Sundays.
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The Senate Passed the 'Campus Carry' Bill
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Dede Giddens/file
House Bill 859, which would allow concealed-carry license holders to bring guns onto the UGA campus, is scheduled for a vote in the state Senate tomorrow.
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Qualifying Ends With Most Local Candidates Unopposed
Blog: In the Loop
Dave Hudgins.
Deputy Tax Commissioner Toni Meadow has drawn a familiar challenger in the open Clarke County tax commissioner's race.
Dave Hudgins, a lawyer and Athens-Clarke County planning commissioner who has run for ACC Commission twice, qualified to run for the office late Thursday. It's a position that traditionally has been handed down—the current tax commissioner, Mitch Schrader, who's not running for re-election for health reasons, was Nancy Denson's top deputy when she stepped down to run for mayor in 2010, and he ran unopposed that year and in 2012.
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Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Mar. 7
Blog: In the Loop
Delene Porter.
Welcome to Athens Power Rankings. In the spirit of sports rating systems, through painstaking analysis, we rank the top movers and shakers in the Classic City each week. Who's hot? Who's not? Find out below.
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Athens Sen. Bill Cowsert Had $18,000 in Unpaid Taxes
Blog: In the Loop
State Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) has been late paying taxes on lakefront property he owns in Elbert County five times since 2008, according to Atlanta Unfiltered, a website run by former AJC investigative journalist Jim Walls.
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Creature Comforts Accused of Violating Tour Rules
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Creature Comforts
Athens brewery Creature Comforts may have run afoul of a law regulating brewery tours, 11 Alive reported Friday.
In a police report, Sgt. Laura Lusk, who is in charge of enforcing alcohol laws for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, said she went to “industry night” at the brewery last month and was given free beer but never offered a tour. (Nice work, if you can get it.) She cited two potential violations: giving away free alcohol and the lack of a tour.
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Paul Broun Is Back!
Blog: In the Loop
Pop the popcorn. After two years’ absence, Dr. Broun may be going back to Washington.
Paul Broun, Athens’ controversial former congressman, is considering running for Congress once again—but this time in a different district.
Broun told the Athens Banner-Herald that he plans to make an announcement on Wednesday. “Stay tuned,” he said when asked what the announcement would be.
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Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio Won in Athens
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: ABC News
"We'll settle this in Athens, Georgia, Madame Secretary!" Bernie Sanders debates Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire last December.
Bernie Sanders did well in Athens—but not well enough to avoid Hillary Clinton blowout in Georgia on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio won a plurality in Clarke County but finished a distant second statewide to Donald Trump.
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Creature Comforts' Paradiso Is Available Now
Blog: Grub Notes
Photo Credit: courtesy of Creature Comforts
Cans of Creature Comforts' latest limited release, Athena Paradiso, are now in stores in Athens and Atlanta.
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Sen. Tim Scott Stumps for Rubio in Athens
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Blake Aued
Athens might be Bernie Sanders country, but Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio sent a prominent surrogate here today to round up votes for the Florida senator in Tuesday’s primary.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott stumped for Rubio at Cine this afternoon, speaking for 45 minutes to a group of about 30, including prominent local Republicans like Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, state GOP Chairman John Padgett, Athens GOP Chairman Matt Brewster and Watkinsville city councilman Brian Brodrick.
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latest stories
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In the Loop | March 28, 2016 12:05pm
Gov. Deal Says He'll Veto 'Religious Liberty' Bill
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Grub Notes | March 25, 2016 12:44pm
ACC Won't Prosecute Creature Comforts
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In the Loop | March 22, 2016 6:58pm
Cedar Shoals Principal Tony Price Denies Mishandling Sexual Assault
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In the Loop | March 22, 2016 11:54am
UGA Law Professor: The 'Campus Carry' Bill Will Chill Academic Freedom
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In the Loop | March 21, 2016 6:54pm
CCSD Sets Forum on School Discipline
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In the Loop | March 21, 2016 2:53pm
Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Mar. 21
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In the Loop | March 21, 2016 11:03am
Atlanta's Bike Czar Is Coming to Athens
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Grub Notes | March 18, 2016 1:10pm
Cosmik Debris Is Back and More Beer News
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In the Loop | March 16, 2016 2:10pm
Mayor Denson Names Nominee for ACC Manager
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In the Loop | March 14, 2016 5:12pm
Deal Tells Lawmakers to Fix the 'Campus Carry' Bill
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In the Loop | March 13, 2016 1:05pm
Athens Sen. Bill Cowsert Killed the 'Brunch Bill'
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In the Loop | March 11, 2016 2:31pm
The Senate Passed the 'Campus Carry' Bill
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In the Loop | March 11, 2016 12:12pm
Qualifying Ends With Most Local Candidates Unopposed
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In the Loop | March 8, 2016 10:58am
Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Mar. 7
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In the Loop | March 7, 2016 2:08pm
Athens Sen. Bill Cowsert Had $18,000 in Unpaid Taxes
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In the Loop | March 6, 2016 1:16pm
Creature Comforts Accused of Violating Tour Rules
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In the Loop | March 3, 2016 12:14pm
Paul Broun Is Back!
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In the Loop | March 2, 2016 12:11am
Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio Won in Athens
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Grub Notes | February 29, 2016 11:37am
Creature Comforts' Paradiso Is Available Now
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In the Loop | February 28, 2016 4:16pm
Sen. Tim Scott Stumps for Rubio in Athens