Authors | Flagpole Magazine | Athens, GA News, Music, Arts, Restaurants

Blog posts by Blake Aued, Editor

College Avenue Parking Deck Expected to Reopen Wednesday After Fire

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: ACC Fire Department

A car caught fire at the College Avenue parking deck this morning, but damage was minor and the deck is expected to reopen on Wednesday.

Athens-Clarke County firefighters responded to reports of smoke billowing from the deck at about 10 a.m. The smoke came from a car accident—a driver hit a wall on the fourth level, according to Battalion Chief Jeff Reno.

"It's still under investigation, but we think that's what happened," he said.

By Blake Aued | February 5, 2019
UGA Names Four Finalists for Provost

Blog: In the Loop

Rahul Shrivastav.

A University of Georgia search committee has announced four finalists for the position of senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, the No. 2 position at UGA.

The finalists are Jack Hu, vice president for research at the University of Michigan; Beate Schmittmann, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University; Rahul Shrivastav, vice president for instruction at UGA; and Elizabeth Spiller, dean of the College of Letters and Science at the University of California, Davis.

Shrivastav will give a public presentation Tuesday, Schmittman on Thursday, Hu on Monday, Feb. 11 and Spiller on Wednesday, Feb. 13. All four are from 9:30–10:30 a.m. at the Chapel.

By Blake Aued | February 4, 2019
UGA Union Defends TA Against Racism Charges

Blog: In the Loop

Irami Osei-Frimpong

The UGA chapter of the United Campus Workers of Georgia is gathering signatures online and in person in defense of Irami Osei-Frimpong, a PhD student and teaching assistant in philosophy who was targeted by a right-wing publication for online comments he made about race.

Last fall, Osei-Frimpong wrote on Facebook that "some White people may have to die for Black communities to be made whole in this struggle to advance freedom."

A recent graduate confronted Osei-Frimpong at a Young Democrats meeting and wrote about the TA's social media musings for the conservative organization Campus Reform, sparking widespread accusations of racism and advocating violence, although Osei-Frimpong has clarified multiple times that he was referring to the historical fact that white people have died in the past fighting for and against white supremacy.

By Blake Aued | January 31, 2019
Piedmont Athens Regional CEO Charles Peck Is Resigning

Blog: In the Loop

Charles Peck.

Piedmont Athens Regional CEO Charles Peck is stepping down this spring, Piedmont Healthcare announced last week.

Peck will return Mar. 1 to Navigant Consulting, where he previously served as managing director. But he will stay on as Piedmont Athens Regional’s interim CEO until May 31.

By Blake Aued | January 29, 2019
Kemp Settles Lawsuit, and Athens Legislators Receive Committee Assignments

Blog: In the Loop

Gov. Brian Kemp.

Just before taking office, Gov. Brian Kemp quietly settled a lawsuit filed against him by a Kentucky company he’d invested in, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last week.

A consent order signed by a Gwinnett County judge Jan. 8 doesn’t disclose terms of the settlement.

The lawsuit was an issue in last year’s gubernatorial race. Businessman Rick Phillips claimed in the lawsuit that Kemp never repaid a $500,000 loan Phillips gave Kemp to invest in Hart AgStrong, a Georgia-based seed company that ran into financial trouble after expanding into Kentucky. At one point, the company owed farmers there $2 million. AJC reports indicate that Kemp invested a total of $750,000 and guaranteed another $10 million in loans. He resigned from the company’s board in 2017 and began to sell off his stake, and now owns about 8 percent of AgStrong.

By Blake Aued | January 28, 2019
That 'UGA TA Hates White People' Story Is Way Overblown

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: The University of Georgia

Irami Osei-Frimpong.

Here’s some breaking news.

Wait for it.

It’s crazy.

You won’t believe this.

An Athens PhD student has some controversial political views. And he posts them on social media.

Irami Osei-Frimpong, a University of Georgia teaching assistant in philosophy, is well-known in Athens political circles. He hosts a YouTube show and posts his thoughts on race and class on Facebook multiple times a day.

Some months ago, Osei-Frimpong said that “some white people may have to die for black communities to be whole in this struggle to advance freedom.”

By Blake Aued | January 23, 2019
Former Athens Immigrants Rights Activist May Be Deported

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

Eduardo Samaniego (center) at a 2014 protest outside UGA President Jere Morehead's office.

An immigrants' rights activist who was denied entry to UGA based on his immigration status is in danger of being deported after spending nearly three weeks in solitary confinement at a South Georgia detention center.

Eduardo Samaniego, originally from Mexico, was the student body president at North Cobb High School and graduated with honors in 2013. UGA recruited him, but late in the process, he learned he couldn't enroll because he didn't have the documentation required by University System Board of Regents policy.

Instead, Samaniego studied at Freedom University, where professors teach classes to undocumented students who are barred from attending Georgia's competitive public universities. He also worked to reverse the policy that kept him out of UGA.

By Blake Aued | January 16, 2019
Vernon Payne Resigns from Clarke County BOE

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: Clarke County School District

Payne.

Vernon Payne has stepped down from the Clarke County school board for health reasons after 40 years of service.

Payne submitted his resignation to Superintendent Demond Means and Gov. Nathan Deal in a letter dated Dec. 28, but it was not made public until last Friday.

Payne has not attended a meeting since March, according to meeting minutes. The school district had no procedure to replace him unless he resigned, causing some concern among his District 2 constituents that they would go unrepresented until his term expires at the end of 2020.

By Blake Aued | January 15, 2019
Athens-Clarke County Names New Police Chief

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Athens-Clarke County

Cleveland Spruill.

Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams has appointed a North Carolina police chief to take over the ACC police department effective Feb. 4.

Cleveland Lee Spruill Sr. has been the police chief in Huntersville, NC, since May 2014. The Huntersville police department has 102 sworn officers, 111 total employees and a $12.8 million annual budget.

Although Huntersville, population 60,000, is half the size of Athens, Spruill has experience running a larger department. Prior to becoming the police chief in Huntersville, Spruill was the executive chief deputy in Alexandria, VA, which had 320 sworn officers, 105 civilian employees, a $57 million budget and served a population of 150,000.

Williams said in a news release that Spruill stood out among many qualified applicants as the best person to uphold ACC's philosophy of community-oriented policing and serve as an ambassador to the community.

By Blake Aued | January 11, 2019
Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz's Favorite Local Shows

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Todd Kulesza/Wikimedia Commons

Vic Chesnutt.

When he’s not commissioning, you can often catch newly inaugurated Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz at a concert. As part of a recent Q&A, we asked hizzoner to talk about a few of his favorite local bands and shows.

By Blake Aued | January 9, 2019
Mayor Kelly Girtz, New Commissioners Will Be Sworn in Today

Blog: In the Loop

Girtz.

Athens-Clarke County's new Politburo Mayor and Commission will be sworn during a 5:30 p.m. ceremony today at City Hall.

After winning a three-way race in May, Commissioner Kelly Girtz will officially take over for Mayor Nancy Denson, who was limited to two terms. Look for a Q&A with Girtz in Wednesday's edition of Flagpole.

Taking Girtz's District 9 seat will be longtime school board member and community organizer Ovita Thornton. Other new commissioners include:

By Blake Aued | January 8, 2019
PETA Wants Georgia to Get Rid of Uga

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: John Kelley/UGA Athletics

Uga X.

This is about as likely to happen as Kirby Smart leaving to coach Georgia Tech, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is asking the University of Georgia to stop using a real-life English bulldog as its mascot.

After Uga X's encounter with Bevo, the Texas longhorn, at Tuesday's Sugar Bowl, PETA sent letters to both schools asking them to stop using live animals as mascots.

"It's indefensible to subject animals to the stress of being packed up, carted from state to state, and paraded in front of a stadium full of screaming fans," PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said in a statement. "It's no surprise that a skittish steer would react to a perceived threat by charging, and PETA is calling on the University of Texas and the University of Georgia to learn from this dangerous incident, retire their live-animal mascots, and stick to the talented costumed mascots who can lead cheers, react to the crowd, and pump up the team."

By Blake Aued | January 3, 2019
What Do You Want to See in Athens' Police Chief?

Blog: In the Loop

Athens-Clarke County is accepting public input on what residents want to see from a new ACCPD chief.

"As we consider Police Chief candidates throughout our search process," Williams said in a news release, "it is important to me that any member of the community has an opportunity to express their thoughts as to what are important characteristics, qualities, and priorities of the next Police Chief that we should consider during our reviews."

Residents can fill out an online form, pick up a print form at the manager's office in Room 301 of City Hall or at the police station on Lexington Road, or leave a verbal comment by calling 706-224-3202.

By Blake Aued | December 20, 2018
9d's Bar Will Be Closed This Weekend After Reaching Agreement on Discrimination Complaint

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: Blake Aued/file

Kendrick Bullock (left) and his brother, Broderick Flanigan, discuss a discrimination complaint they filed against 9d's Bar at a May 2017 news conference,

The East Clayton Street bar 9d's will be closed today and Saturday while its alcohol license is suspended after agreeing to a consent order with the Athens-Clarke County attorney's office on an April 2017 discrimination complaint.

Kendrick Bullock alleged that 9d's denied him entry for a dress-code violation in April 2017 in spite of the bar not having a dress code publicly posted as required by a local anti-discrimination ordinance passed in 2016 in response to numerous complaints that student bars downtown were unfairly using dress codes to keep out black customers.

In addition to closing for two days, 9d's agreed to go on probation for 12 months, pay a $350 fine and:

By Blake Aued | December 14, 2018
Creature Comforts Releases New Beers, and Terrapin Breaks Ground on Warehouse

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: courtesy of Creature Comforts

Koki Buni's label was designed by Athens artist David Hale.

Koko Buni is back, and new version of Creature Comforts' Tritonia gose will hit the streets next week.

Koko Buni, Creature Comforts' winter seasonal, is a milk porter brewed with Ethiopean coffee beans from 1000 Faces, coconut and cocoa nibs from Athens' Condor Chocolates and Illinois-based Ethereal Confections. The coffee beans themselves are also available as 1000 Faces' Koko Buni Blend. It's available on draft and in cans in Athens and Atlanta.

Creature Comforts will also release a version of Tritonia—based on the Berliner weisse Athena—with lemon and pineapple on Friday, Dec. 21. A previous version featured cucumber and lime.

By Blake Aued | December 14, 2018
UGA Shuts Down Dorm Room Grilled Cheese Mogul After Red & Black Article

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: Mack Male/Wikimedia Commons

When student newspaper The Red & Black published "Is the grill hot? Inside a UGA freshman's grilled cheese empire" on Dec. 6, my first thought, like many people, was, "How long will it take the university to shut this down?"

The answer was five hours.

After all, 18-year-old Charlie Williams—who delivered $3 grilled cheese sandwiches and other tasty snacks to fellow residents of Oglethorpe House, aka O-House—was clearly operating an illegal business. I didn't go to UGA, but I'm pretty sure we weren't allowed to have hot plates at Ole Miss, and I'm very sure the health department would say that running what basically amounts to a Papa John's (minus the tomato sauce, garlic butter and racism) out of your home is not kosher.

Sure enough, the follow-up came Saturday: "Too hot to handle: UGA housing shuts down grilled cheese business."

By Blake Aued | December 11, 2018
UGA, Clarke County Schools Will Open Late Tuesday

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures

Clarke County public schools will open two hours late due to the threat of icy roads early Tuesday morning.

Elementary school classes will start at 9:40 a.m., middle schools at 10:25 a.m. and high schools at 10:45 a.m., the Clarke County School District announced. School doors will open a half-hour before classes start. Buses will run on a two-hour delay, and breakfast will not be served.

Earlier today, Gov. Nathan Deal announced that state government offices will not open until 10 a.m. Tuesday. His office listed Clarke as one of the counties that could be affected by black ice on roads.

The National Weather service says black ice and icy spots can be expected in parts of North Georgia tonight and Tuesday morning as temperatures could drop below freezing.

By Blake Aued | December 10, 2018
Barrow Urges Athens Democrats to Get Out the Vote in Runoff for Secretary of State

Blog: In the Loop

Photo Credit: Blake Aued

"Whoever wants it more wins," Athens Democrat John Barrow told a small group of supporters during a last-minute campaign stop on Monday night, just hours before polls opened for a runoff election for secretary of state. "We need all the hay in the barn we can get."

Barrow is running to be Georgia's top election official, and Stacey Abrams supporters need no reminder of how important that position can be after her narrow loss to Republican Brian Kemp last month amidst widespread accusations of voter suppression and irregularities at the polls.

"Y'all know the stakes," Barrow said. "I'm running for an office nobody knew anything about. Now the whole country has gotten a crash course."

By Blake Aued | December 3, 2018
Watkinsville Hires ACC Commissioner Sharyn Dickerson as City Administrator

Blog: In the Loop

The Watkinsville City Council has hired Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Sharyn Dickerson as its first-ever city administrator, according to the Oconee Enterprise.

“I’m super, super excited about the vision this mayor and council have,” Dickerson told the Enterprise. “I’m so grateful for the meaningful, thoughtful, deliberative process that the mayor and council have gone through to bring someone in. It’s a dream job; it’s my dream job, and I look forward to serving the community.”

By Blake Aued | November 29, 2018
Watch Secretary of State Candidate John Barrow Debate an Empty Podium

Blog: In the Loop

Republican Brad Raffensperger was a no-show for an Atlanta Press Club debate with Democrat John Barrow for the runoff for secretary of state.

The debate aired Tuesday on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Raffensperger claimed he had a scheduling conflict, but the press club said it had been trying to negotiate a date and time for almost three weeks.

His absence allowed Barrow—a former congressman and Harvard Law graduate—to run roughshod over an empty podium as he contrasted himself with both Raffensperger and Gov.-elect Brian Kemp, who was widely criticized for voter suppression as secretary of state while overseeing his own election.

By Blake Aued | November 28, 2018