Blog posts by Blake Aued, Editor
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Supreme Court Rules Against Immigration Program
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file
"Victoria" told Flagpole last year that her husband, a 22-year Athens resident, was deported, leaving behind her and their grandchildren, who may never see him again.
A Supreme Court ruling has put in jeopardy the Obama Administration’s plan to shield 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.
A 4-4 tie (due to Senate Republicans’ refusal to vote on the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s replacement) announced this morning means that an injunction on expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will remain in place—for now.
DACA allows undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children before 2007 to remain here and work legally. Obama announced in 2014 that he would expand the programto cover newer arrivals, as well as the parents of U.S. citizens and green-card holders. Texas and 26 other states sued to stop the program.
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UGA, Athens Transit Win Grants for Electric Buses
Blog: In the Loop
Athens Transit and UGA Transit will receive funding for 29 new electric buses, replacing one-third of the diesel buses in those fleets, Gov. Nathan Deal announced today.
Deal announced the 11 winners of a combined $75 million in grants under the GO! Transit Capital Program.
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100 Prince Is Back With No Changes
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Smith Planning Group
100 Prince—the mixed use development proposed for the St. Joseph Catholic Church property—will be resubmitted this month with no changes, according to Jim Warnes, the Athens attorney for the Greenville, SC development company Homes Urban.
Plans were withdrawn in early May, just before the Athens-Clarke County Commission was to vote on (and likely approve) them. At the time, Warnes told Flagpole that Homes Urban was facing issues with lining up a main commercial tenant, high construction bids and tax credits for development in low-income areas.
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Creature Comforts Raised $65,000 for Local Nonprofits
Blog: In the Loop
Creature Comforts’ “Get Comfortable” campaign raised more than $65,000 for local nonprofits, the brewery announced last week.
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The Cottage Wants Your Input on Sexual Assault in Athens
Blog: In the Loop
The staff of The Cottage.
The Cottage Sexual Assault Center and Children's Advocacy Center—which recently criticized Athens and UGA officials for not attending a documentary screening on campus rape—has posted an online survey to "assess opinions on local response to sexual assault."
The survey is available in both English and Spanish versions on The Cottage's website through Sunday, June 19.
According to a news release from the nonprofit:
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New Cedar Shoals Principal, ACC Manager Hired
Blog: In the Loop
Jestin Johnson.
The Clarke County School District has hired a new principal for Cedar Shoals High School, and a new assistant manager starts work with Athens-Clarke County next month.
The Clarke County Board of Education approved DeAnne Varitek as CSHS principal Thursday night, effective at the start of the 2016–17 school year.
ACC’s new assistant manager, Jestin Johnson, has managed the city of Bisbee, AZ since 2014.
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Leisure Services Director Pam Reidy Is Leaving
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Photo via Facebook
Athens covets a lot about Greenville, SC, but Greenville apparently has coveted our Leisure Services director—and now they got her.
Pam Reidy has been named director of the Greenville Parks and Recreation Department and is resigning from ACC Leisure Services effective June 24, Athens-Clarke County announced this morning.
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Good Food Good Beer Block Party Returns Saturday
Blog: Grub Notes
Get your buzz on for a good cause Saturday from 1–4 p.m. at the 6th annual Good Food Good Beer Block Party at Creature Comforts.
In addition to the regular $12 tours (which includes six six-ounce samples), attendees can sample food from Heirloom Cafe, Last Resort, Pauley’s Crepe Bar, The National, Five & Ten, The Branded Butcher and Three Porch Farm by buying $1 tickets. Click here for the full menu. All dishes are under $10.
Proceeds will benefit Wholesome Wave Georgia, which doubles SNAP benefits on purchases at the Athens Farmers Market.
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Survey: Athens Is Pretty OK, We Guess
Blog: In the Loop
Survey says!
To channel my inner Richard Dawson, “Things you say to the local government when they ask you what you think about Athens.”
Athens-Clarke County recently contracted with National Citizen Survey for $15,000 to send surveys to 1,800 randomly selected Athens households. The results were a resounding “meh.”
Out of 364 respondents, 28 percent said Athens is an “excellent place” to live, and 59 percent rated it as “good.” Which is good! But almost all of the results were pretty much on par with what NCS has seen in other communities.
And if you drill down a bit deeper, there are some troubling divisions based on age, race and geography.
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ACC Tax Commissioner Mitch Schrader Has Died
Blog: In the Loop
Clarke County Tax Commissioner Mitch Schrader died Sunday after a long illness, the Athens Banner-Herald reports. He was 54.
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Rejoice, for Athens' Public Pools Are Opening
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Take a dip, cool off, insert summer cliche here.
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Kirby Smart Is Already Sweating His Job
Blog: Culture Briefs
ESPN.com published a profile today of Georgia’s new football coach, Kirby Smart. The takeaway is Smart knows the Dawg Nation is antsy, and he’s gonna get fired if he doesn’t win an SEC championship in the next couple of years.
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Athens Transit Wins National Award
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file
People have lots of complaints about Athens Transit: Buses don’t come often enough; it doesn’t go enough places; it’s too expensive.
While those are legitimate concerns—and a study is underway to examine those issues—let us remember that Athens Transit, whatever its flaws, is really an excellent system, especially for a city this size.
In fact, on Wednesday the Community Transportation Association of America, at its annual conference in Portland, OR, named Athens Transit the Urban Community Transportation System of the Year.
In particular, CTAA cited:
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Doug Collins Can't Stop Throwing Shade at Paul Broun
Blog: In the Loop
U.S. Rep. Doug "Mic Drop" Collins (R-Gainesville).
Incumbent 9th District congressman Doug Collins trounced former Rep. Paul Broun in yesterday's Republican primary—a race in which Collins did not hesitate to throw Broun'stroubled ethical past in his face, while Broun labeled Collins an establishment lackey.
Well, Collins was not exactly magnanimous in defeat. Here's the victory statement issued by his campaign last night (emphasis mine):
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Collins, Knox, Meadow Win Athens Elections
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Joshua Jones
John Knox speaks to supporters at the Morton Theatre, where his former students in the band Dank performed, after winning a Clarke County Board of Education seat.
Paul Broun, the controversial former congressman from Athens, failed in his bid to return to Washington tonight, losing in the Republican primary to incumbent Rep. Doug Collins of Gainesville.
Collins received 61 percent of the vote in the 9th District, which runs from the northern edge of Athens through the Northeast Georgia mountains. Broun won 22 percent in the five-man race.
UGA geography professor John Knox edged out lawyer Kamau Hull in a much-watched nonpartisan Board of Education race. Knox received 431 votes (52 percent) to Hull's 394 in the Eastside district.
Toni Meadow—incumbent Mitch Schrader's hand-picked successor—easily won the tax commissioner's race against Dave Hudgins, 62–38, in the Democratic primary.
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Athens Nonprofit Closes on CCSD Headquarters
Blog: In the Loop
Advantage Behavioral Health Systems has closed on a $2.8 million deal to buy the Clarke County School District’s former headquarters on Mitchell Bridge Road, the nonprofit announced today.
The school board approved the sale earlier this month.
“This property will allow us to consolidate three of our locations in one space, enabling us to reduce our overhead costs while expanding access to those we serve,” CEO O.J. Booker said in a news release.
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The ADDA Just Saved Fourth of July Fireworks
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Eric Kilby/Wikimedia Commons
The Athens Downtown Development Authority has put together a last-minute Independence Day fireworks celebration after Georgia Square Mall, which has hosted the pyrotechnics display for the past two years, canceled the upcoming event last week.
No company was available to shoot off fireworks on July 4, but the ADDA board voted this afternoon to approve a $20,000 contract for a fireworks show on Friday, July 1. ADDA Executive Director Pamela Thompson said she is confident she can raise that amount through corporate sponsorships.
The fireworks will be launched starting at 9:30 p.m. from the top of the Classic Center parking deck, which is the only place downtown that the Athens-Clarke County fire marshal deemed safe, Thompson said.
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Athens for Everyone Is Picketing Wendy's
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Blake Aued
Athens for Everyone will be picketing the Prince Avenue Wendy’s at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 27 to pressure the fast-food chain into improving the treatment of farm workers.
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Cine Is Screening 'Aliens'—With Laser Tag
Blog: Culture Briefs
Ciné is screening James Cameron’s space-Marine classic Aliens this weekend. As if that wasn’t cool enough, there will be Alien-themed laser tag, too. My body is ready.
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The Athens Land Trust Is Raising Money to Keep Paying Student Farmers
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file
The Athens Land Trust is raising funds to keep paying students who participate in the Young Urban Farmers program, which is on the chopping block in the Clarke County School District’s upcoming budget.
The program pays students—many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds—who work in the West Broad Market Garden.
ALT Executive Director Heather Benham said she met with program participants, and students “were not enthused” about receiving class credit rather than money.
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latest stories
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In the Loop | June 23, 2016 1:20pm
Supreme Court Rules Against Immigration Program
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In the Loop | June 22, 2016 1:28pm
UGA, Athens Transit Win Grants for Electric Buses
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In the Loop | June 20, 2016 1:01pm
100 Prince Is Back With No Changes
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In the Loop | June 13, 2016 3:48pm
Creature Comforts Raised $65,000 for Local Nonprofits
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In the Loop | June 12, 2016 2:11pm
The Cottage Wants Your Input on Sexual Assault in Athens
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In the Loop | June 10, 2016 12:02pm
New Cedar Shoals Principal, ACC Manager Hired
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In the Loop | June 7, 2016 12:03pm
Leisure Services Director Pam Reidy Is Leaving
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Grub Notes | June 3, 2016 1:11pm
Good Food Good Beer Block Party Returns Saturday
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In the Loop | June 3, 2016 12:08pm
Survey: Athens Is Pretty OK, We Guess
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In the Loop | May 31, 2016 10:48am
ACC Tax Commissioner Mitch Schrader Has Died
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In the Loop | May 27, 2016 1:33pm
Rejoice, for Athens' Public Pools Are Opening
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Culture Briefs | May 26, 2016 3:52pm
Kirby Smart Is Already Sweating His Job
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In the Loop | May 26, 2016 12:42pm
Athens Transit Wins National Award
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In the Loop | May 25, 2016 11:15am
Doug Collins Can't Stop Throwing Shade at Paul Broun
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In the Loop | May 24, 2016 11:19pm
Collins, Knox, Meadow Win Athens Elections
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In the Loop | May 24, 2016 1:12pm
Athens Nonprofit Closes on CCSD Headquarters
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In the Loop | May 23, 2016 3:55pm
The ADDA Just Saved Fourth of July Fireworks
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In the Loop | May 20, 2016 4:02pm
Athens for Everyone Is Picketing Wendy's
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Culture Briefs | May 20, 2016 12:31pm
Cine Is Screening 'Aliens'—With Laser Tag
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In the Loop | May 19, 2016 3:01pm
The Athens Land Trust Is Raising Money to Keep Paying Student Farmers