Blog posts by Lee Becker
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Liquor and SPLOST Will Be on the Oconee County Ballot in November
Blog: In the Loop
The Oconee County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to put both a 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum and a referendum on liquor by the drink in restaurants on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Commissioners also denied a request for a cell tower on McRees Mill Road in the rural area of the county south of Barnett Shoals Road and postponed action on three agreements with the Georgia Department of Transportation on road projects on Daniells Bridge Road and Jimmy Daniell Road.
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Assisted Living Center Prematurely Announces Groundbreaking
Blog: In the Loop
Anyone who went to the future location of Thrive Senior Living off Virgil Langford Road over the weekend in response to a news release issued last week by the company would have been surprised by what they didn’t find.
“Atlanta-based Thrive Senior Living has broken ground this week at The Village at Athens, an innovate new Assisted Living and Memory Care community in Athens, GA,” the news release on PRWeb stated, complete with the typing error for “innovative.”
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In Oconee, Few Speak Out on Liquor by the Drink
Blog: In the Loop
The Oconee County Board of Commissioners, anticipating a large turnout tonight for its discussion of a liquor-by-the-drink referendum, moved its meeting from the relatively small Commission Chamber to the much larger Courtroom 1, but the change of venue proved to be unnecessary.
Only nine people spoke, with three of them expressing opposition to the proposal to put the issue before voters in November.
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Liquor By the Drink on Oconee Agenda
Blog: In the Loop
Discussion of a liquor-by-the-drink referendum tops a busy agenda of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners Tuesday night that also includes consideration of contracts for three roadway projects, at least one of which has been controversial in the past.
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Fro-Yo, Fro-Cust and More Coming to Oconee County
Blog: Grub Notes
The Oconee County Planning Department has approved the final construction planning documents for the proposed Cheddar’s Casual Cafe on Epps Bridge Parkway at the front of Epps Bridge Centre, signaling that the project is moving forward even without the certainty of liquor sales.
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Oconee GOP Restricts Recording at Candidate Forum Tuesday
Blog: In the Loop
The Oconee County Republican Party on Tuesday night will host the second of three scheduled debates between Mike Collins and Jody Hice, candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination for Congress from the 10th District.
The debate is scheduled to take place from 6–7:30 p.m. in the library on Experiment Station Road in Watkinsville.
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Oconee County Sometimes Enforces the Law
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Lee Becker
The Oconee County Code Enforcement Office issued a sign permit on Friday for two temporary signs on the property being listed for sale at the southeast corner of Highway 316 and the Oconee Connector.
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Oconee Candidates Differ on Role of Chairman
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Lee Becker
Oconee County Post 3 Board of Commissioners candidates Margaret Hale and W. E. "Bubber” Wilkes take similar stands on some of the issues facing the county, but they differ markedly on one important one.
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Oconee County's Bridge to Nowhere
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Lee Becker
In March of 2009, voters in Oconee County overwhelmingly approved a 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum setting aside $1.1 million for spending on “recreational, historic and scenic facilities” in the county.
More than three years later, in May of 2012, the Oconee County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to spend $90,000 from that “recreational, historic and scenic facilities” category of SPLOST 2009, with most of that money going to replacement of a damaged “bridge” in Northwest Woods.
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Bakery, Cell Tower on Oconee Agenda
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Lee Becker
The Oconee County Planning Commission is set to take up tonight a request for an industrial rezone in the urban north of the county and a request for a new cell tower in the county’s rural south.
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Developer Gets Free Pipeline in Oconee County
Blog: In the Loop
The Georgia Public Service Commission will spend more than half a million dollars to run a gas pipeline under Highway 316 to Resurgence Park, the commercial subdivision being created by Nichols Land and Development Company on Virgil Langford Road.
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Majority Favor Referendum on Liquor by the Drink in Oconee County
Blog: In the Loop
The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce released a report last week showing that 79 percent of its members responding to a Chamber survey said they would like to see a referendum on liquor by the drink on the November ballot.
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Oconee Officials Propose Fee Hike
Blog: In the Loop
Oconee County citizens will get their second and final chance to comment on the Fiscal Year 2015 budget on Tuesday night just before the Board of Commissioners takes final action on the $36.6 million spending plan.
The budget was outlined to the public for the first time in a 26-minute PowerPoint presentation by county Finance Director Wes Geddings last Tuesday night.
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Oconee Voters Oppose Redistricting
Blog: In the Loop
The Oconee County Republican Party Executive Committee’s attempt to assist in reuniting Oconee County in a single district in the Georgia House of Representatives is likely to have the reverse effect.
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Freddy's Fast Food Coming to Oconee
Blog: Grub Notes
Epps Bridge Centre will get its first fast food restaurant if preliminary site plans filed with the Oconee County Planning Department on Apr. 25 are realized.
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Daniell Keeps Oconee Seat; Hale Forced into Runoff
Blog: In the Loop
Oconee County Board of Commissioners incumbents Margaret Hale and John Daniell bested their challengers in the Oconee County Republican primary today, though Hale did not get a majority of votes in the three-way race and will meet challenger Bubber Wilkes in the runoff election on July 22.
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Land Trust Wants to Protect Oconee Farm
Blog: In the Loop
The Athens Land Trust is processing paperwork to submit the Oconee County farm of Carole Ludwig for protection following an announcement earlier this month that the federal government is accepting applications under the new Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.
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Liquor by the Drink? In Oconee? It's Complicated
Blog: In the Loop
At a time when Oconee County officials are considering a referendum to allow the sale of liquor by the drink to entice restaurants to the area, the city of Bishop is going in the opposite direction by considering a rezone request to convert a historic home into a restaurant that will not be allowed to sell even beer and wine.
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More Money Needed for Courthouse Security
Blog: In the Loop
T.J. BeMent, court administrator for the 10th Judicial Administrative District of Georgia, told the Board of Commissioners that the $2.7 million it is considering for courthouse security improvements from the 2004 SPLOST may not be enough, and additional money may need to be taken from the 2015 SPLOST.
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Voice Your Opinion About Oconee SPLOST
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Lee Becker
Bubber Wilkes, who's running against Commissioner Margaret Hale, says a vote for Bubber is a vote for tennis courts.
Oconee County citizens get another chance tomorrow night to tell members of the Board of Commissioners what projects they want on the referendum for the 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
Page 9 of 11, showing 20 records out of 210 total, starting on record 161, ending on 180
latest stories
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In the Loop | August 6, 2014 12:29pm
Liquor and SPLOST Will Be on the Oconee County Ballot in November
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In the Loop | August 5, 2014 4:05pm
Assisted Living Center Prematurely Announces Groundbreaking
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In the Loop | July 30, 2014 10:54am
In Oconee, Few Speak Out on Liquor by the Drink
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In the Loop | July 28, 2014 3:51pm
Liquor By the Drink on Oconee Agenda
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Grub Notes | July 10, 2014 10:21am
Fro-Yo, Fro-Cust and More Coming to Oconee County
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In the Loop | July 7, 2014 11:06am
Oconee GOP Restricts Recording at Candidate Forum Tuesday
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In the Loop | July 2, 2014 11:56am
Oconee County Sometimes Enforces the Law
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In the Loop | June 30, 2014 3:45pm
Oconee Candidates Differ on Role of Chairman
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In the Loop | June 23, 2014 10:31am
Oconee County's Bridge to Nowhere
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In the Loop | June 16, 2014 3:11pm
Bakery, Cell Tower on Oconee Agenda
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In the Loop | June 9, 2014 2:57pm
Developer Gets Free Pipeline in Oconee County
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In the Loop | June 8, 2014 12:41pm
Majority Favor Referendum on Liquor by the Drink in Oconee County
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In the Loop | June 2, 2014 11:42am
Oconee Officials Propose Fee Hike
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In the Loop | May 30, 2014 12:09pm
Oconee Voters Oppose Redistricting
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Grub Notes | May 22, 2014 1:15pm
Freddy's Fast Food Coming to Oconee
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In the Loop | May 21, 2014 12:11am
Daniell Keeps Oconee Seat; Hale Forced into Runoff
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In the Loop | May 16, 2014 12:05pm
Land Trust Wants to Protect Oconee Farm
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In the Loop | May 14, 2014 2:39pm
Liquor by the Drink? In Oconee? It's Complicated
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In the Loop | April 29, 2014 4:44pm
More Money Needed for Courthouse Security
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In the Loop | April 28, 2014 10:57am
Voice Your Opinion About Oconee SPLOST