Blog Topic: Government

In the Loop: There Is Hope for the Health Sciences Bus

By Blake Aued | April 22, 2014 12:42pm

Last week, I told you that a new contract between Athens Transit and Campus Transit would prohibit UGA buses from stopping between the main campus and Health Sciences Campus in Normaltown. Well, maybe not.

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In the Loop: Oconee Overhauls Farmland Protection Program in Secret

By Lee Becker | April 21, 2014 6:21pm

Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis. [credit: Lee Becker]

When the Oconee County Board of Commissioners began its overhaul of its farmland protection program 15 months ago, it did so, County Attorney Daniel Haygood said at the time, to make the process more transparent and to make sure the county was following state open records and open meetings laws.

Since that time, the board assembled two different committees, one of which replaced a citizen committee that had been screening farms for the county’s program.

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In the Loop: Watkinsville: Keep Oconee Offices Downtown

By Lee Becker | April 16, 2014 3:44pm

The Watkinsville City Council last week interjected itself into the ongoing discussion about what to do with the existing Oconee County Courthouse by unanimously passing a resolution, authored by Brian Brodrick, stating that it believes county offices should remain in downtown Watkinsville.

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In the Loop: NSA Chief Uses UGA Speech to Recruit Students

By Chris Dowd | April 15, 2014 11:08am

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper expressed discontent that many college applicants are starting to mention Edward Snowden as their personal hero, describing his leaks as "the most massive and damaging theft in our country's history." Clapper defended the right of whistleblowing but contended that Snowden does not deserve the label because he did not report his concerns up the chain of command, to Congress or to the Justice Department.

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In the Loop: After Lawsuit, Deal Proposes Ethics Reforms

By Blake Aued | April 7, 2014 4:56pm

Gov. Nathan Deal announced plans to reform the board that regulates campaign finance in the wake of a whistleblower lawsuit involving a top investigator who a jury ruled was fired for looking at his finances too closely.

Deal—speaking to reporters at the University of Georgia today after giving a speech on economic development—criticized the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission for focusing on his 2010 campaign to the exclusion of other cases, calling himself the most-investigated governor in state history.

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In the Loop: Gov. Deal Is Planning Medical Marijuana Trials

By Blake Aued | March 29, 2014 2:54pm

Gov. Nathan Deal speaks to Athens Republicans at The Melting Point. Photo credit: Blake Aued.

Even though state legislators failed to pass a bill legalizing a form of medical marijuana that, alas, won't get you high, Gov. Nathan Deal is considering moving forward with clinical trials.

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In the Loop: ACC Will Close Whitehall Road in 2015

By Lee Becker | March 24, 2014 10:33am

Athens-Clarke County plans to close Whitehall Road between the Middle Oconee River and Milledge Avenue for three–four months in the summer of 2015, altering the flow of traffic into and out of Oconee County via Simonton Bridge Road.

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In the Loop: RoboTrucks Might Soon Be Picking Up Your Trash

By Blake Aued | March 19, 2014 11:33am

Meet your new garbageman.

Within the next year, Athens-Clarke County officials plan to replace human trash collectors with automated garbage trucks.

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In the Loop: You Can Drive Faster on the Loop Now

By Blake Aued | March 17, 2014 10:48am

But not this fast.

Good news for drivers with heavy feet: The state Department of Transportation has raised the speed limit on the Loop from 55 to 65 miles per hour.

The change took effect today on a seven-mile stretch of the bypass between North Avenue and the Clarke/Oconee county line. The speed limit on the rest of the freeway was already 65 mph. However, a lower speed limit in the work zone around the Peter Street/Olympic Boulevard interchange is still in effect until the project is done.

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In the Loop: Georgia Republicans Don't Want You to Know How to Get Health Insurance

By Blake Aued | March 4, 2014 3:29pm

The state House of Representatives moved Monday night to outlaw University of Georgia and other state employees from implementing or even talking about the Affordable Care Act.

"This bill would prevent state agencies, local governments or even their employees from advocating on behalf of Medicaid expansion," said Tim Sweeney, director of health care policy at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

"Among other consequences, it would effectively shut down the University of Georgia’s federally-funded Health Care Marketplace navigator program that helps insurance shoppers understand complex plan options," Sweeney said. "This amounts to cutting off our nose to spite our face."

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