Blog Topic: Breaking News

In the Loop: ACC Manager Alan Reddish Is Retiring

By Blake Aued | November 13, 2015 12:05pm

Forget the mayor. Forget the commission. The guy who really runs Athens is Manager Alan Reddish—and he’s retiring.

Reddish’s last day will be Feb. 6, Athens-Clarke County announced today.

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Grub Notes: Jason Zygmont to Leave Five & Ten

By Hillary Brown | November 11, 2015 2:28pm

Photo Credit: Five & Ten/Facebook

Jason Zygmont, who has been the chef at Five & Ten, Hugh Acheson's flagship restaurant, for almost two years, will have his last day there Dec. 31. Zygmont is moving on to The Treehouse, in Nashville.

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In the Loop: Ort Doesn't Have to Report to Jail

By Blake Aued | November 10, 2015 4:28pm

Photo Credit: Blake Aued/file

Popular local writer, DJ and town character William Orten “Ort” Carlton won’t have to report to jail today as he awaits the result of an appeal his attorney intends to file in a 17-month battle with Athens-Clarke County over his messy yard.

In a move that took both the defense and prosecutors by surprise, on Monday Municipal Court Judge Leslie Spornberger Jones sentenced Ort to spend the rest of his six-month probationary period—five days—in jail, the Athens Banner-Herald reported.

But Ort’s attorney, Bill Overend, told Flagpole that he has filed an intent-to-appeal notice with the Clarke County Superior Court, which will keep Ort out of jail until the appeal is resolved. Overend said he doesn’t know how long that will take.

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In the Loop: Protesters Disrupt Board of Regents Meeting

By Blake Aued | November 10, 2015 2:43pm

Photo Credit: Freedom University via Facebook

About 40 protestors disrupted a University System of Georgia Board of Regents meeting in Atlanta today demanding an end to the system’s policy barring undocumented students from attending UGA and other public universities.

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In the Loop: Clarke County Graduation Rates Are Way Up

By Blake Aued | November 10, 2015 11:03am

The graduation rate at Clarke Central rose by 15 points last year.

More than 80 percent of Clarke County School District students graduated within four years in 2015, the district announced Monday—by far the highest mark since the current measurement standard was implemented.

The statewide graduation rate rose from 72.5 percent to 78.8 percent.

The overall graduation rate for the district rose from 63.2 percent last year to 80.3 percent. (That’s an increase of 17 percentage points or 27 percent, not 17 percent as the district stated in its news release.)

At Clarke Central High School, it rose from 68.2 percent last year to 83.3 percent. At Cedar Shoals, it rose from 71.3 percent to 84.2 percent. At Classic City, the alternative school, it rose from 20.7 percent to 50.7 percent.

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Culture Briefs: Jerry Seinfeld Is Coming to Athens

By Blake Aued | November 6, 2015 11:36am

Jerry Seinfeld is coming to the Classic Center. (Best Seinfeld voice) What’s up with that?

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Culture Briefs: Updated With Statement: Bombs Away Books Has Closed

By Gabe Vodicka | November 9, 2015 10:01am

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones

As quickly as it arrived, it has gone away: Bombs Away Books, the local anarchist book store, DIY music venue and community space has closed, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

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In the Loop: Dodd Ferrelle Is the Next Mayor of Winterville

By Blake Aued | November 3, 2015 10:12pm

Photo Credit: Justin Evans

Ferrelle (right) with bandmate Tim Adams.

Singer-songwriter Dodd Ferrelle was elected mayor of Winterville on Tuesday with 53 percent of the vote.

Running on a platform of citizen involvement, revitalizing downtown, improving WInterville Elementary School and keeping Winterville’s small-town charm while preparing for growth, Ferrelle beat engineer George Chandler (who received 27 percent of the vote) and city councilman Kenneth Hodges (20 percent).

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In the Loop: General Beauregard's Is Closed

By Blake Aued | October 29, 2015 11:01am

We don’t know whether it’s permanent or just until the PR crisis blows over, but the Old South-themed downtown Athens bar General Beauregard’s is closed.

An anonymous tipster told the website Death and Taxes that the bar—which came under fireafter an image purported to be a recipe card circulated online showing a shot called a “N*****ita”—was closed on Tuesday night.

Flagpole reporter and photographer Joshua L. Jones went by late Wednesday night and confirmed that it is indeed closed.

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In the Loop: Offensive Drink Name Sparks Anger at General Beauregard's

By Blake Aued | October 27, 2015 11:48am

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

It appears that the Confederate-themed downtown Athens bar General Beauregard’s offers a drink with a name that includes a censored racial slur, outraging local social-media users after an image of a recipe sheet was posted to Facebook on Monday.

The sheet includes a shot called a “N*****ita” (the asterisks are part of the name), which includes two parts tequila, one part watermelon liqueur and a splash of sour mix.

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