Blog Topic: Government

In the Loop: Discrepancies in Voter Info Will Be Corrected, Election Supervisor Says

By Blake Aued | August 17, 2018 1:33pm

An astute reader noted the other day that her voting location listed on the secretary of state's website did not match up with the one listed on the Athens-Clarke County Board of Election's interactive precinct map.

Given Secretary of State Brian Kemp's well-documented voter suppression efforts and lack of security in the system, this was cause for concern.

Further investigation found at least two other discrepancies between the Board of Election's map and its list of polling places.

Charlotte Sosebee, director of the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections, told Flagpole that the map has taken a long time to update, and those discrepancies will be resolved by the middle of next week. In the meantime, here is the correct information:

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In the Loop: Work Starts on Retirement Homes as Oconee County Waits on Documents

By Lee Becker | August 16, 2018 9:55am

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Oconee County officials are still waiting on Presbyterian Homes to indicate how much money it wants the county to borrow through bond sales to help finance construction of its Presbyterian Village Athens on U.S. 441 at Hog Mountain Road.

In the last two weeks the company began land clearance and construction of a chain-link fence along U.S. Highway 441 for its complex. The county issued a land disturbance permit for the 79-acre property nearly a year ago.

The fence is covered with signage promoting the continuing care retirement community, but county code enforcement officials say those signs will have to be removed because they are in violation of county code.

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In the Loop: Bishop Mayor Opposes 441 Bypass Plan

By Lee Becker | August 10, 2018 11:31am

GDOT used this roundabout in Colquitt County as an example of what a roundabout on 441 near Bishop could look like.

Bishop Mayor Johnny Pritchett has written to the Georgia Transportation Board criticizing the proposed close-in U.S. Highway 441 truck bypass of Bishop and saying the state should resurrect the 2007 plan that called for a bypass further east of the city.

Pritchett told state Transportation Board Chairman Jamie Boswell that the current plan, which the state revealed in March, does not address his concerns about traffic inside Bishop reaching the bypass, the use of roundabouts on each side of the city and the safety of the road south of Bishop.

In the letter, Pritchett also said he is concerned that the proposed route might lead the University of Georgia to move its equestrian facility from its current location near the proposed highway, and that such a loss would adversely affect the economy and reputation of Bishop.

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In the Loop: Athens Economic Development Director Leaves

By Blake Aued | August 9, 2018 1:34pm

Ryan Moore.

Athens-Clarke County's first and only director of economic development is leaving for a job in Brunswick effective Sept. 1.

Ryan Moore was hired to helm the newly created department in 2013, when it replaced the independent Economic Development Foundation.

The Savannah native was named sole finalist for president of the Glynn County Development Authority in June, according to The Brunswick News.

Michelle Nguyen will be the department's interim director while a national search is conducted, according to ACC Manager Blaine Williams.

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In the Loop: Secretary of State's Office Doesn't Know How Many People Voted in the Primaries

By Lee Becker | August 6, 2018 4:29pm

Secretary of State Brian Kemp's office told a reporter it would cost over $1,000 and take 30 days to say how many people voted in the May 22 and July 24 elections.

The Georgia Secretary of State's office, which is responsible for elections in the state, does not know how many people voted in either the May 22 primary elections or the July 24 runoffs.

The 159 counties in the state filed that information with the Secretary of State's office shortly after each of the two elections as part of the certification process for elections.

Fran Davis, director of the Oconee County Office of Elections and Registration, for example, told the Secretary of State’s Elections Division that 7,815 ballots were cast in the county in the May primary and 5,973 were cast in the July runoff.

Robin Herron, an executive assistant in the Secretary of State's office, said it would take about 38 hours for staff to gather and review those records for the 159 counties and that the work would have to be spread across 30 business days.

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In the Loop: Cowsert on Short List for Georgia Supreme Court Vacancy

By Blake Aued | August 6, 2018 11:21am

State Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) is one of eight contenders for two open seats on the state Supreme Court, according to the AJC.

The Judicial Nominating Committee—made up of six trial lawyers, two state legislators and a representative from the state attorney general's office—recommended nine names to Gov. Nathan Deal to fill vacancies left when Britt Grant was named a federal appeals court judge and Harris Hines retired.

Among them were Cowsert and Jason Deal, Nathan Deal's son, who is a superior court judge in Hall and Dawson counties. But Jason Deal took his name out of the running so his father wouldn't have to decide whether to appoint him.

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In the Loop: Georgia Lawmaker Makes an Ass Out of Himself—Literally

By Dan Jackson | July 24, 2018 1:28pm

Photo Credit: Screencap via Showtime.

In the middle of a summer chock-full of political hilarity, with Georgia taking center stage nationally with its candidates and their guns and pickup trucks, another Georgian sets a new low for the state.

On Sunday’s episode of Sacha Baron Cohen’s new project “Who Is America?” the intrepid host—who says he is “in Mossad, not in Moussad”—persuades naïve Georgia Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine) to appear on the show ostensibly to learn how to identify and intimidate terrorists. Spencer failed to catch Cohen’s clues that he is not what he says and proceeded to follow the most ridiculous instructions.

Cohen probably zeroed in on the controversial Spencer thanks to his public threat against a black former state representative who was calling for the removal of Confederate statues and his proposed 2016 bill banning burkas.

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In the Loop: ACC Police Restrain 'Distraught' Boy After Dad Arrested

By Blake Aued | July 23, 2018 8:38pm

Photo Credit: screenshot via Ariel Collins/Facebook

Two Athens-Clarke County police officers are under investigation after they restrained a young boy on the ground who was upset that his father had been arrested on domestic violence charges.

Police went to a Sartain Drive home at about 6:30 p.m. Friday to arrest a man after his ex-girlfriend complained that he had choked her when she tried to leave his house earlier that day.

While the father was being arrested, a boy police identified as his son became what ACCPD spokesman Epifanio Rodriguez described as "extremely emotionally distraught."

On Sunday, a woman who said she is the boy's cousin posted a video on Facebook of two officers holding the boy—described as 10 by police and 7 or 9 by relatives—on the ground with his hands behind his back. The video quickly went viral, with 32,000 shares and nearly 1 million views as of tonight.

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In the Loop: Rep. Jonathan Wallace Announces Office Hours

By Blake Aued | July 12, 2018 3:41pm

Photo Credit: House Photo Office

State Rep. Jonathan Wallace (D-Watkinsville).

Have a concern or question about state politics? Rep. Jonathan Wallace (D-Watkinsville) is ready to talk to you about it. And the best part is, you can have a beer while you meet with him, or alternatively, you don't even have to put pants on.

Wallace—who represents parts of Clarke and Oconee counties—recently announced a schedule of summer "office hours" that don't take place in an office.

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In the Loop: Nine Athens Transit Bus Routes Have Changed

By Blake Aued | July 3, 2018 12:54pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

Changes to nine Athens Transit routes—5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 22, 25, 26 and 27—took effect on Sunday.

The changes mainly affect service to the Eastside, the Westside and the University of Georgia campus. Buses that run along Sanford Drive have been rerouted during construction, service has been added to Whitehead Road, and several Eastside bus routes have been revamped to create a circulator between Walmart and campus:

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