Blog Topic: Government

In the Loop: New Georgia Fireworks Law Draws Complaints

By Blake Aued | July 7, 2015 4:07pm

Photo Credit: maf04/Flickr

I was out of town last weekend, but even in Savannah, fireworks were waking up my baby and driving my dog nuts. My social media feeds were full of people complaining about the racket, and it was no different in Atlanta, according to the AJC.

The Georgia legislature legalized fireworks effective July 1. The law allows fireworks to be set off until midnight and until 2 a.m. on and around the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve.

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In the Loop: Sunday Buses Start Next Month; Will Be Free for Four Weeks

By Blake Aued | July 6, 2015 4:26pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

Athens Transit will start running buses on Sundays Aug. 16, and fares will be free for the first four Sundays.

The launch will coincide with Athens Transit’s regular fall service changes the second week of August—when University of Georgia classes traditionally start—in order to recruit and train employees.

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In the Loop: Athens Reacts to the Marriage Equality Ruling

By Blake Aued and Carolyn Crist | June 26, 2015 11:54am

Photo Credit: Calvin Elvert

A pro-marriage rights rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Apr. 28, when justices heard oral arguments in Obergefell v. Hodges.

This morning, the Supreme Court released a ruling legalizing same-sex marriage across the U.S., including in Georgia. Flagpole is gathering reactions from local experts, politicians and the LGBT community. We'll update this post as those reactions come in.

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In the Loop: Terrapin Almost Left Athens for South Carolina

By Blake Aued | June 24, 2015 12:50pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

Terrapin Beer Co. used lucrative offers from other states to move its Athens brewery to extract more than $1 million in taxpayer incentive offers from the Athens-Clarke County government, according to documents obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald.

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In the Loop: Athens Congressman Jody Hice: There's No Such Thing as Separation of Church and State

By Blake Aued | June 18, 2015 2:25pm

Jody Hice, the Walton County tea party Republican who represents Athens in Congress, told a San Diego Christian Conference that the "so-called separation of church and state" is a "false belief," and that Christians staying out of government has made it more corrupt, the website Right Wing Watch reported.

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In the Loop: Taxis, Food Trucks and Aldi: What the Athens Government Is Up to This Week

By Blake Aued | June 16, 2015 11:16am

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

The Athens-Clarke County Commission holds its agenda-setting (non-voting) meeting at 7 p.m. today at City Hall.

Agenda items include a plan to extend the North Oconee River Greenway (see tomorrow’s City Dope for more), reforms to the local taxi ordinance and a change in the sign ordinance allowing businesses to post an additional sign, for a total of two (aimed mainly at restaurants that wish to display menus).

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In the Loop: Oconee Utility Director Resigns Over Sewer Spills

By Lee Becker | June 11, 2015 12:18pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Chris Thomas.

Chris Thomas, head of Oconee County’s beleaguered utility department, has resigned effective June 19.

Thomas, 42, has been with the county for 17 years and has been director of the utility department since 2008.

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In the Loop: Rockdale Chief Deputy Scott Freeman Is Athens' New Police Chief

By Blake Aued | June 9, 2015 12:52pm

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Athens-Clarke County

Athens-Clarke County Manager Alan Reddish has hired Scott Freeman as ACC's new police chief, effective July 6, from among 64 candidates, the local government announced today.

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In the Loop: Aldi Is Coming to the Eastside

By Benjamin Tankersley | June 8, 2015 11:23am

Following a meeting of the Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission on Thursday, Aldi’s proposal to add a second Athens store at the intersection of Barnett Shoals Road and College Station Road is moving forward.

The area in which the discount grocery store—which already has a location on Atlanta Highway—is proposed to be built is a five-acre plot currently inhabited by an old service station. The store and its 84 parking places would only represent about an acre and a half of that whole plot, leaving the rest to act as a buffer around the store. But to the south, near the Green Acres neighborhood, the buffer would be only 44 feet, along with a fence to screen the headlights of cars in the parking lot, leading some neighbors to voice concerns about a grocery store virtually in their backyards.

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In the Loop: PolitiFact on Jody Hice and Paul Broun's Greatest Lies

By Blake Aued | June 1, 2015 3:23pm

What's cooler than cool? Hice cold.

Today, PolitiFact Georgia celebrated its fifth anniversary by looking back at some of its favorite lies. The website, which fact-checks politicians' claims, listed statements by Athens' once and current congressmen, Paul Broun and Jody Hice, among its Top 5 "false" ratings.

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