In the Loop
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Creature Comforts Is Building a Second Brewery in Boulevard
Photo Credit: courtesy of Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts will renovate part of an old mill off Chase Street just north of Boulevard into an $8 million new brewery slated to open this fall, the Athens company announced today.
The Athens-Clarke County Commission unanimously approved a $475,000 taxpayer contribution to the project at a specially called meeting tonight. The county Industrial Development Authority will use the money to buy brewing equipment that it will lease to Creature Comforts for a nominal fee for five years, after which Creature Comforts will own the equipment.
"This is an Athens company, and we want to keep those expansions here," ACC Manager Blaine Williams said.
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A Bible College Wants to Build Its Campus on an Old Oconee County Golf Course
The location of the proposed campus in northwestern Oconee County near the Clarke County line.
The Oconee County Planning Commission tonight will consider a request to convert a portion of the former Green Hills Golf Course and Country Club in the far east of the county to a ministry college.
Green Hills Farms LLC, the current land owner, is seeking a special use to allow the Athens College of Ministry to develop a campus on just more than 100.2 acres on the agriculturally zoned land.
Green Hills Farms LLC currently owns 189.2 acres in the small triangle of Oconee County on the east side of the Oconee River tucked between Athens-Clarke County and Oglethorpe County. The property has been vacant since 2009.
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Photo Gallery: Athens' First MLK Day Parade
Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones
Former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe speaks with parade organizer Mokah Jasmine Johnson after the Athens in Harmony concert at the 40 Watt Club Monday night.
Athens' first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade drew several thousand people downtown on Monday to enjoy not only marching bands and classic cars, but food trucks, kids' activities, live music and more. Flagpole photographer Joshua L. Jones was there to capture the event. [Blake Aued]
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MLK Day Volunteers Restore Historic Black Cemetery
Photo Credit: Austin Steele
Local artist Harold Rittenberry speaks at the dedication for a gate he designed at Brooklyn Cemetery.
After spending hours Monday morning morning working to restore Brooklyn Cemetery—a historic African American cemetery located behind Clarke Middle School and Holy Cross Lutheran Church—volunteers dedicated a new cemetery gate designed by noted local artist Harold Rittenberry.
To honor the over 660 volunteers who have worked to restore the cemetery since the restoration project began in 2006, the Friends of Brooklyn Cemetery—along with volunteers, county commissioners, representatives from the University of Georgia and the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation—gathered to receive an official proclamation from UGA President Jere Morehead. The proclamation recognizes the efforts of volunteers and stated a “deep and abiding appreciation” for those who have worked to preserve rich cultural significance of the cemetery.
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New Chairman John Daniell Is Changing the Oconee Commission's Secretive Culture
Photo Credit: Lee Becker
Melvin Davis wasn’t at the work session of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Friday, but he had impact on the discussion nonetheless.
The meeting began with a review of the ethics ordinance for commissioners, which has been used only once—in a complaint filed against Davis.
The next topic was an ordinance passed by the commissioners in 2009 to reassert the power of the commission as a whole versus the power of the chairman. Davis opposed the ordinance when it was passed and fought it until he retired on Dec. 31.
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Get Ready for Snowpocalypse 2017
Good thing they finally built the Brain Train, amirite?
The latest forecast from the National Weather Service predicts a mix of rain and sleet tonight and 1–3 inches of snow Saturday morning in Athens.
The UGA campus will close at 3:30 p.m., meaning all classes and other activities are canceled, and faculty and staff can go home early. Campus Transit shuts down at 4:30 p.m. The men's basketball game Saturday and the women's basketball game Sunday are still going on as planned, for the moment. Check here for updates.
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UPDATE: The Chess and Community Conference Has Been Postponed
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chess and Community
Local nonprofit Chess and Community will hold its annual conference Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at UGA's Tate Student Center featuring a keynote speech from the mayor of Tallahassee, FL, and chess matches between Athens youth and police, UGA football players and county commissioners.
The conference will kick off with a welcome from Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams, followed by a speech by Andrew Gillum, who was elected to the Tallahassee City Commission at age 23 while a student at Florida A&M University and elected mayor in 2014. Attendees will also hear from Beau Shell, a young entrepreneur known as the Lil' Ice Cream Dude.
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The Georgia Square Mall Macy's Is Closing
The Georgia Square Mall Macy’s is one of 68 that will close this year as the company—like most brick-and-mortar department stores—continues to face declining revenue.
The Athens location, one of 880 nationwide, will close Mar. 1, potentially putting 69 employees out of work. Overall, the department-store chain is shedding more than 6,000 jobs.
According to a press release:
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