Blog Topic: Government

In the Loop: Commission Approves Free Parking, Student Housing Easement

By Blake Aued | September 4, 2014 12:58pm

The West Washington Street parking deck, via the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission.

Nothing major happened at the Athens-Clarke County Commission meeting Tuesday, Sept. 2, but here are a few newsworthy tidbits.

The commission approved free parking for citizens attending agenda-setting and voting meetings at City Hall; you'll be able to get a voucher good at either the College Avenue or West Washington Street decks. Commissioners also expressed an interest in extending the policy to committee meetings and work sessions. Athens for Everyone's Tim Denson challenged the mayor and commissioners to ride Athens Transit to their Oct. 7 meeting and urged them to offer free bus rides to meeting attendees as well.

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In the Loop: Controversial Loop Flyover Up for Discussion

By Lee Becker | September 3, 2014 3:29pm

This is one option for the Daniells Bridge Road flyover.

Oconee County residents with opinions on the proposed Jimmy Daniell Road and Daniells Bridge Road projects, as well as on other transportation projects in the county, will have two back-to-back opportunities to express those views in meetings scheduled for Sept. 9 at the Community Center in Veterans Park.

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In the Loop: New Road Will Open Oconee Land for Development

By | August 26, 2014 1:40pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Oconee County will soon begin design work for an extension of Parkway Boulevard, which will open up new land for development behind Lowe’s and Walmart, if the Board of Commissioners approves a design services contract for the project tonight.

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In the Loop: Mars Hill Widening Will Be 'Fun' and 'Painful'

By Lee Becker | August 24, 2014 2:29pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Emil Beshara.

Oconee County Public Works Director Emil Beshara last week described the upcoming reconstruction and widening of Mars Hill road as “fun,” “challenging” and “painful” in his latest update of the project to the Citizen Advisory Committee on Land Use and Transportation Planning.

Beshara said he expects construction crews to be on the site next month or the month after and to continue working on the project for three years.

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In the Loop: Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens Never Meant That Nonsense About Obstructing Obamacare

By Blake Aued | August 22, 2014 4:14pm

State Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said last year that he's doing "everything in our power to be an obstructionist" of "Obamacare."

Now, with the Affordable Care Act nearly fully implemented and benefiting millions of voters, Hudgens is backing off, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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In the Loop: Here Are Three People ACC Police Shot and Killed

By Blake Aued | August 20, 2014 2:06pm

With all the talk about Ferguson, MO, lately, here is everyone whom Athens-Clarke County police shot and killed in the past 20 years (or as far back as the Internet goes). While the cases led to varying degrees of tension in the community, in all three cases, the officer(s) involved were cleared of wrongdoing. Only one of the shooting victims was unarmed.

In 1995, Edward Wright, 20, who was black, was running naked around East Athens early one morning. Two white officers approached him. One, Sean Potter, told him to stop, then pepper-sprayed him when he didn't. Wright tackled and punched Potter. The other officer, Pat Mercardante, hit him with a baton. Wright got up, and Potter told him to get back on the ground. Wright yelled, "Kill me! Kill me!" and lunged at Potter again. Potter shot him once in the stomach, and Wright kept coming. Potter then shot Wright five more times before Wright knocked his gun loose.

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In the Loop: Another Retirement Home Is Coming to Oconee

By Lee Becker | August 19, 2014 1:08pm

The proposed home of The Fairways.

Eco Development Group of Athens is asking the Oconee County Planning Commission to recommend rezoning a mothballed residential subdivision off Virgil Langford Road so it can build what it calls a “seniors continuum of care retirement community.”

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In the Loop: Tim Denson: Police Don't Need Military Vehicles

By Tim Denson | August 19, 2014 10:43am

Photo Credit: Loavesofbread/Wikimedia Commons

Protestors in Ferguson, MO.

The quote that was pulled from an article that was pulled from a conversation that I was having did not, and does not, compare Athens, GA to Ferguson, MO.

The quote and entire conversation was about the increasing militarization of ALL police forces. And as an example of it happening all over the country, including in Athens, we brought up the armored vehicle (which is, according to Merriam-Webster, a synonym for "tank"… and also Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck is hard to fit on a sign).

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In the Loop: Counterpoint: Athens Is Nothing Like Ferguson

By Blake Aued | August 18, 2014 4:16pm

In May 2013, the Athens-Clarke County Commission, based on Police Chief Jack Lumpkin's recommendation, voted unanimously, bleeding hearts and all, to accept a $240,000 Lenco BearCat (Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

The BearCat joins a cache of equipment and vehicles ACCPD has acquired from DHS over the past decade, including a $218,000 mobile command center and an $80,000 bomb-sniffing dog.

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In the Loop: Columbus Competes with Athens for High-Speed Rail

By Blake Aued | August 14, 2014 11:46am

Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and state Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) went to Washington yesterday to pitch a $3.9 billion, high speed rail project that would whittle the trip to Atlanta down to an hour, according to the AJC.

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