Georgia House panel sets up broad election oversight for approval this year

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March 11, 2022

Habersham recount — A Georiga voting law bill Republican lawmakers claim will improve election security by expanding the scope of election fraud investigations, and opening up the ballot review process could get a House floor vote early next week. In this file photo, Habersham County election workers conduct a state-ordered risk-limiting audit/manual recount of the county's presidential race on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

(GA Recorder) — Republican state lawmakers are poised to move forward with an election overhaul that gives the GBI more power to investigate elections and increases the public’s ability to review paper ballots.

Waycross GOP Rep. James Burchett’s House Bill 1464 passed the House Special Committee on Election Integrity on a party-line vote Thursday, just days before the Tuesday deadline for bills to clear at least one chamber.

The bill builds on Georgia’s Republicans’ so-called Election Integrity Act passed in 2021 as the state became the ground zero for controversial GOP election changes following the 2020 election.

Critics charge the House bill is another attempt to play to unfounded accusations of rampant voting fraud conspiracy theorists say cost former President Donald Trump a second term.

Opponents say the 40-page legislation will burden election administrators, staff, and poll workers and cost millions of dollars in private donations that could lead to longer lines at the voting booths.

Like last year’s SB 202, Hartwell Republican Rep. Alan Powell said this year’s omnibus seeks to improve the security of elections, streamline the law, and restore confidence in the election process.

This bill would authorize the GBI to lead investigations into election cases. It would also make original paper ballots available for public inspection, and require chain-of-custody paperwork for ballots.

“Because of the election issues, what we’re trying to do is get to the point that everything is uniform, no matter what county it is, so that we can dispel the anxiety and the concern that there’s been something been done wrong,” he said.

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican, has expressed support for giving the nonpartisan GBI more power to investigate election law violations.

Burchett said the state’s top law enforcement agency is best equipped to handle election investigations that involve bank and wire fraud.

Advocates for voter ballot access argue that granting a crime-fighting agency more authority over elections could lead to more intimidation of poll workers, activists, and voters.

“We understand that this State Election Board had a terrible backlog of cases but we think that the current board and the current Secretary of State has done a tremendous job in trying to catch that up,” said Cindy Battles, director of policy engagement at the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda. “I think that making every single investigation a criminal investigation is going to deter not only voters but also poll workers.”

The bill also would revamp the open records law to allow inspection of the original paper ballots instead of digital images as is now the case.

Hart County voter Dana Smith said at Thursday’s hearing that the state’s election system will operate better with stronger measures for tracking ballots and by limiting outside groups from donating to elections offices.

“As a voter, I just always assumed that taxpayer dollars paid to run an election,” Smith said “Most people think that, so I actually appreciate the language in this bill restricting where all this outside money comes from. Because I want it I to be just as squeaky clean as it can possibly be for both sides.”

Voting rights advocacy group Fair Fight Action said that if the law had been in force in 2020, county elections offices would have missed out on at least $43 million from outside agencies to fight COVID-19, improve wages for poll workers, and assist “cash-strapped, overworked elections offices.”

Douglas County Elections Director Milton Kidd said losing out on grants would have repercussions beyond elections cycles when races for president and governor attract the largest numbers of voters and require the most resources.

“We pay attention to these processes in large election years but we don’t think about municipal elections, your special elections,” he said. “For Douglas County, we use that grant funding to purchase trucks, we purchase (places) where we can house equipment and different things.”

Changes under last year’s election law overhaul added a new ID requirement to vote by mail, shortened the window to request absentee ballots, added a required day to early voting, and limited access to absentee drop boxes.

How to vote absentee by mail in Georgia under SB 202

By

Stephen Fowler

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March 11, 2022

Voting absentee by mail in Georgia looks different under Senate Bill 202, passed in 2021. The new application includes a space for voter identification information, such as a driver's license number.

Georgia’s voting laws have changed a lot since the 2020 election cycle when Georgia voted for President Joe Biden and two Democratic U.S. senators.

One of the biggest differences can be found in the way you vote by mail. There’s now a shorter window to request a ballot, new requirements to prove you’re the one requesting and voting that ballot as well as changes to when you can use drop boxes to return it.

It can be a lot, and potentially confusing — but it doesn’t have to be.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A GEORGIA ABSENTEE APPLICATION

No-excuse voting by mail has been an option for Georgia voters since 2005, but its popularity has grown over the past few years — and became a crucial part of the 2020 elections during the coronavirus pandemic.

In the November 2020 presidential election, a record 1.3 million Georgians used absentee-by-mail voting, overwhelming local elections offices and raising Republican skepticism of a voting method they created — and predominantly used — until Biden won the state.

Since then, lawmakers have passed a massive new voting law, SB 202. It changes a lot of things about election rules in Georgia — especially absentee-by-mail voting.

So what do you need to do now?

First, you have to actually request a mail-in ballot from your county elections office by filling out an application. That request form includes personal identification information, like the date of the election, your name, the party ballot you want for a partisan primary, date of birth, address where you are registered and the address to which you want the ballot to be mailed.

New this year, you must put your driver’s license number or free state ID number. If you don’t have one of those forms of ID, you must include a copy or photo of another ID.

That includes a passport, Georgia voter ID card, or other valid government photo ID. If you don’t have or want to use one of those, you can also include official documents that show your name and address, such as a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document.

This is a hugely important change to note!

New this year, you must include voter identification information on your application: either your driver’s license number, state ID number or other identification information.

The application also has a space for your phone number and email address. This will help elections officials contact you if there are any issues with your application or ballot. And don’t forget to sign and date your application!

The window of time to request your absentee ballot using an application has also changed under SB 202. Requests can only be made starting 78 days before an election — that’s 11 weeks. And it won’t come immediately.

For the May 24 primary, that window began Monday, March 7. For the Nov. 8 general election, that window begins Monday, August 22.

The last day you can request an absentee ballot is 11 days before Election Day, or two Fridays before. For the 2022 primary, that’s May 13. For the November election, that’s Oct. 28.

Most voters will have to request an absentee ballot for each election, but there are exceptions. If you are 65 or older, have a physical disability, are an active member of the military or are a spouse or child of an active service member or live overseas, you can check a box to receive an absentee ballot automatically for the rest of the election cycle.

Once you’ve completed the application request, you can return it by mail, fax, attach it to an email or drop it off in person to your local elections office.

Local elections officials will verify your application by comparing the name, date of birth and voter ID on the application with what is in your voter registration file. This is a change from before, when your county office would try to match your signature on the application to a signature on file. Lawmakers said this new way will be a less subjective way to check the legitimacy of your request.

The ballots will be mailed starting 29 days before the 2022 primary (Monday, April 25) and general elections (Monday, October 10). For runoffs, now held four weeks after the regular election, ballots will be sent as soon as possible.

When you get your ballot, make sure you fill in the ovals of your choice as fully and clearly as possible. Don’t use a circle, underline, check mark, “x” or anything other than filling in the oval completely, so the scanner can read your votes without having to send it to a human team to verify your choices.

And the other important deadline to consider — when to return it. Your ballot must be received by your county elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. There are several ways to return your ballots: by mail with the included envelope, hand-delivered to your county elections office or in drop boxes.

Drop boxes were introduced in 2020 by emergency rule during the pandemic, but the new state law makes some changes. Now, all 159 counties must have at least one.

However, there’s a cap on the number of boxes: no more than one per 100,000 active voters or one for every early voting site, whichever is smaller. And drop boxes can only be placed inside early voting sites and accessed during early voting hours instead of 24/7.

Your local elections office can give you information on drop box locations, early voting sites and hours, which differ from county to county.

Don’t forget, if you return your absentee ballot in the mail, leave enough time to ensure the ballot arrives to your county elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

When you return your absentee ballot, remember to sign the envelope, include your date of birth and other voter identification information it asks for, like your driver’s license number or last four digits of your social security number.

And don’t worry: The envelope is designed so your sensitive personal information will be hidden once it is sealed.

Just as in the application process, your local elections officials will verify your ID on the ballot envelope with what is on file. If it matches, your ballot is accepted.

If there is an issue, like a missing or incorrect ID number, your county will contact you and provide a way to fix the problem and make sure your vote is counted.

By the way, you don’t have to just blindly trust that your ballot made it on time and is counted: You can check the status of your ballot, find your polling place and contact info for your county elections office and more on the state’s My Voter Page: That’s at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, there are some other changes worth noting.

State and local governments cannot send out unsolicited absentee applications to voters. Third-party groups can still send you an application — but they’ve gotta put in big letters that it is “NOT an official government publication, that it is “NOT a ballot” and tell voters who is sending the blank request.

It’s also important to note if you think you’ve received multiple ballots in the mail, it’s probably just an application for a ballot — and this rule change should help you spot the difference.

Ballots will now be on special security paper and will include your precinct name along with your precinct ID.

Military and overseas voters will now have an additional set of absentee ballots mailed to them with their regular ballots — ranked choice instant-runoff ballots. On these ballots, voters can rank their choices for certain races in the event they head to a runoff and send them back with their primary or general election ballots.

MORE: Georgia Secretary of State’s guide to absentee voting

Remember, all of this is new to most Georgia voters. So if it has your head spinning, let’s go over the basics.

The key points to remember are:

Request and return your ballots sooner than later;
Make sure to include your voter identification information;
Fully fill in the ovals of your choices so the scanner reads your vote with no issue; and
Track the progress of your ballot and other important voting information online at the state’s My Voter Page — mvp.sos.ga.gov

This article appears on Now Habersham through a partnership with GPB News. If you have any questions about voting, voting by mail, or changes to election law after 2020, feel free to reach out to Stephen Fowler at GPB’s Battleground: Ballot Box on Twitter at @stphnfwlr or by email [email protected].

TFS golf earns split against Loganville Christian

By

TFS Athletics

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March 11, 2022

The TFS varsity golf teams took to the course on Thursday at Bear Creek Golf Club against area foes Loganville Christian. The Lady Indians came away victorious by a long shot, while the boys lost despite Canon Brooks being the low medalist.

The Lady Indians earned a 26-stroke win, 140-166 against Loganville Christian. Hannah Lundy paved the way with a 30 across 6 holes. She was followed closely by Madeline Martin with a 34, Raegan Duncan with 36, and Mallory Higgins with 40.

“We only played 6 holes total and counted 4 scores on both sides,” adds coach Hannah Satterfield, whose girls won their first match of the season. Lundy was the low medalist on the girls side of the match.

The Indians dropped their score of 196-235. Brooks’ 46 was the top score among all boys, while Henry Bowman carded a 57, Jedd Thomas a 64, and Jason Bard a 66 to round out the TFS scoring.

“It was a decent start for our first match of the season for the boys,” says Satterfield. “I feel like we have a lot of work to do in order to compete at our highest potential.”

Cox clinches win for Indians; Lady Indians drop contest at George Walton

By

TFS Athletics

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March 11, 2022

Tallulah Falls tennis earned a Thursday region split on the road at George Walton, as the Indians secured a 3-2 win and the girls dropped a 5-0 decision. For the boys, they lost the #1 and #2 singles lines but took wins in both doubles matches. TJ Cox at #3 singles clinched the win with an 8-2 victory in his match.

The Indians remain unbeaten at 3-0 and are 1-0 within region. The girls, meanwhile, are 2-1 overall and 0-1 in region.

INDIANS

#1 Singles: Josh Jackson (2-1) L 2-8
#2 Singles: Tanner Davis (2-1) L 4-8
#3 Singles: TJ Cox (2-0) W 8-2
#1 Doubles: Zach Carringer & Jake Owensby (3-0) W 8-4
#2 Doubles: Aiden & Everett VanOrman (2-0) W 8-6

LADY INDIANS

#1 Singles: Maggie Peacock (1-2) L 0-8
#2 Singles: Ashli Webb (2-1) L 0-8
#3 Singles: Evette Corwin (1-1) L 0-8
#1 Doubles: Sophie Herrera & Landry Carnes (2-1) L 3-8
#2 Doubles: Christy Hulsey & Cassidy Hayes (1-1) L 6-8
Exhibition: Annabelle Jackson & Ellesen Eubank (2-0) W 8-3

Habersham celebrates reopening of Cornelia Soup Kitchen

By

Hadley Cottingham

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March 10, 2022

Volunteers and members of the Habersham Chamber of Commerce celebrate the Cornelia Soup Kitchen's reopening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 10, 2022. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

After 10 years of service to the Habersham community and two years of not being able to serve meals in person, the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce joined the volunteers of the Cornelia Soup Kitchen to reopen their facility to the community once again.

Volunteers and chamber members came together Thursday morning to discuss the mission of the soup kitchen and cut the chamber’s ribbon to celebrate their doors opening once again.

Volunteers prepare to serve a meal. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

“The mission is twofold,” said Christy Bowen, a volunteer with the Cornelia Soup Kitchen. “We’re meeting a physical need, people are hungry, and being able to serve them a nice warm meal meets one need. And then on the other hand, and this is why it’s been so exciting for us to open again, I feel like that need for connection is super important— being able to invite them [the community] back in, and say ‘I see you,” and ‘you’re important,’ and ‘we want to meet you where you are.'”

In the years the kitchen has been closed, the Cornelia Soup Kitchen, alongside the help of the chamber and Habersham community, has been able to make the upgrades they need to better serve their community.

Through fundraisers with the Habersham Chamber, generous equipment and labor donations and volunteer work, the soup kitchen is in the best shape it’s been in years to give to those in need. Donors helped the organization replace their broken floors, repaint their walls, and upgrade their kitchen. The community raised about $7,000 total for the nonprofit organization.

“That was sort of how the partnership formed,” Habersham Chamber of Commerce Marybeth Horton said. “Just us being able to use our social media and our membership base to help them get the word out about when their fundraising.”

The kitchen is managed by volunteers from five area churches, where they donate their time to make sure members of the community have access to a hot meal and someone to eat with. Shirley Dillard, a long-time volunteer and organizer for the Cornelia Soup Kitchen, says that their goal is to feed the hungry— regardless of who they are or what they’re experiencing.

Dillard helps volunteers with set up for opening the kitchen’s doors. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

“We realize that that’s very expanded,” Dillard says. “We have people there that might not be destitute, but if they come and eat with us, then they can afford to pay their bills. We also have people that come for the socialization, especially the elderly, people that are living by themselves.”

She says the volunteers at the soup kitchen want to provide a place for the community to feel cared for, and that’s why they make sure that everything they make to serve is the same food they’d serve their own families.

“We’re here [for them],” Dillard says. “We’ve said from the beginning that we want our food to be as good as what you serve at home, we want to serve them what we would serve our family.”

Dillard hopes that one day, they can offer to bring meals to people who don’t have the means to get to the soup kitchen. She says that the organization needs volunteers to continue to keep the soup kitchen running, and to offer more programs in the future to help even more community members.

She encourages anyone interested in volunteering to further their mission to contact her at (706) 499-2672, or email the soup kitchen at [email protected]. If you’d like to donate to support the Cornelia Soup Kitchen, you can do so through their website here.

Governor plans to sign bill suspending Georgia’s gas tax until May 31

By

Ross Williams

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March 10, 2022

(GA Recorder) — Gas prices in Georgia could be a little less eye-popping as the state Legislature aims to temporarily suspend Georgia’s state tax on motor fuel sales.

“Gasoline prices are going up,” said House Speaker David Ralston. “I mean, this morning, it looked like another 10 cents overnight. That’s hurting Georgians, and this will be some relief for them.”

Georgia’s gas tax is 29.1 cents per gallon for gasoline and 32.6 cents per gallon for diesel. If the bill passes, that portion of the pump price would stay in motorists’ wallets.

The federal government also imposes an 18-cent tax on gasoline. Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has introduced a bill in the United States Senate that would suspend that tax through the end of the year.

“Ordinary families are feeling the pinch, trying to buy gas and trying to buy groceries,” Warnock said in a statement Tuesday. “We ought to cut their taxes, and we ought to hold the oil and gas companies accountable, who are seeing record profits while people are paying record prices.”

Lines of cars fill the parking lot by the gas pumps at Sam’s Club in Tucker, Georgia as drivers wait to fill up with the discount gas.
(Amanda Andrews / GPB News)

The state bill, grafted onto an earlier bill providing a tax credit for medical manufacturers, passed the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday, and Ralston said it could come to the House floor Tuesday. If it passes there and in the Senate as expected, it will go into effect upon receiving Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature and last until May 31.

“I think the feeling is that will kind of get us through maybe this time that we’re in, and that was the date that the governor selected, and so I’m good with that,” Ralston said.

The primary election in which Kemp and other state officials will compete is scheduled for May 24.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Georgia drivers were paying an average of $4.16 for a gallon of regular gas, a record high for the state. On Monday, the average rate was $3.88, which is still $1.30 more expensive than this time last year. The metro Atlanta area saw the highest rates at $4.21 per gallon on average, while motorists in the Catoosa-Dade-Walker have the lowest price in the state at about $4.05.

If the bill were in effect Wednesday, the average Georgia driver would save about $4 to fill up a 15-gallon tank, about $58 down from $64.

Analysts point to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the prime factor in driving up crude oil prices, which translates to higher prices at the pump.

Russia exports about 5 million barrels of crude oil per day. In an effort to hamstring the European petrostate’s economy, President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports, acknowledging that the action will likely further increase American fuel prices.

“Since Putin began his military buildup on Ukrainian borders, just since then, the price of gas at the pump in America went up 75 cents,” Biden said. “And with this action, it’s going to go up further.”

Kemp placed the blame for the price squeeze squarely on Biden’s shoulders.

“President Biden took office in January of 2021, and to understand why we are in this current state of record-high inflation and costs to the average American family, people can simply track his first year of misguided policy decisions,” he said.

A gallon of gas at this Atlanta RaceTrac sold for $4.49 Wednesday. The state government is hoping to bring high gas prices down by temporarily eliminating the state gas tax. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

Last month, the state brought in about $157 million in revenue through its gas tax. The bill does not specify how the state will compensate for that money, but its sponsor, Columbia Republican Rep. Jodi Lott, said the state could dip into last year’s surplus or its revenue shortfall reserve to deal with a loss in revenue from the tax suspension.

Kemp said the suspension will not impact plans to institute a $1.6 billion tax refund and $1 billion tax cut package.

“Because of our strong, fiscally conservative approach to budgeting, Lt. Governor Duncan, Speaker Ralston, and I can confidently propose a state motor fuel tax suspension to curb sky-high gas prices while also returning money back to hardworking Georgians through a tax refund and an income tax cut,” Kemp said. “With this latest measure, we are making it even more clear that in Georgia we are going to empower families to keep their money in their own pockets.”

Georgia has suspended its motor fuel tax in the past, most recently last May when a cyber attack crippled Colonial Pipeline, the Alpharetta-based company that provides most of the fuel for the east coast.

The violence in Ukraine that sparked the gas crisis the legislature is aiming to ease has invoked widespread, bipartisan condemnation from state lawmakers.

Shortly after the invasion began, Republican officials pledged to divest any taxpayer money benefitting Russia from the state retirement system. On Wednesday, the state Senate unanimously passed legislation prohibiting companies owned by the Russian or Belarusian government from bidding on state contracts, and the House unanimously passed a resolution condemning the invasion after a passionate speech by Ralston.

“I’m not naive, I realize our action today will not alter the course of events before us, it probably won’t even be read in Washington, but there are some occasions presented to us by fate where it is important to say what should be obvious, and that is to stand with good against evil,” he said.

Georgia Recorder Deputy Editor Jill Nolin contributed to this report.

Keo Daravong

By

Now Habersham

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March 10, 2022

Keo Daravong, age 66, of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the Whitfield Funeral Home and Crematory, South Chapel, Baldwin, Georgia.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Friday, March 11, 2022, at the funeral home.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Home and Crematory, South Chapel, 1370 Industrial Blvd., Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Phone 706-778-7123.

Bobbie Pruette Tucker

By

Now Habersham

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March 10, 2022

Bobbie Pruette Tucker, age 80, of Clarkesville, Georgia formerly of Lawrenceville, Georgia went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.

Mrs. Tucker was born on January 17, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia to the late Jimmy and Helen Pruette. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband of 58 years, Richard Tucker; younger sister, Linda Welch; and younger brother, Ronnie Pruette. Bobbie loved her children, adored her grandchildren and gave great care to her pets over the years. She retired from Wal-Mart, having served for twenty years at the original Lawrenceville Store #548.

Survivors include her daughters and sons-in-law, Diane and Scott Knecht, of Clarkesville; Lori and Patrick Taylor, of Clarkesville; grandchildren, Danielle Hagedorn and spouse, Seth; Travis Knecht; Grace Thomas and spouse, Trayton; and Justin Taylor.

Graveside Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, March 13, 2022, at the East Shadowlawn Memorial Gardens in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

The family will receive friends directly following the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Habersham Animal Shelter, 4231 B Toccoa Highway, Clarkesville, Georgia 30523.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.

Roger Harkens Popham

By

Now Habersham

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March 10, 2022

Roger Harkens Popham, age 79, of Cornelia, Georgia formerly of Demorest, Georgia passed away on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

Mr. Popham was born on October 10, 1942, in Demorest, Georgia to the late John Marvin and Helen Shirley Popham. Mr. Popham had retired from Lee Arrendale Prison as a Diagnostic Counselor with 20 years of service. He also was the owner of the Jolly Roger Kennel in Alto, Georgia. Roger was also one of the main founders of Popham Athletics and The Georgia Hapkido Academy. He attended Cornelia United Methodist Church. Roger was a United States Army Veteran serving in Germany during the Vietnam Era. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Roger was a friend to many and never met a stranger.

Survivors include his loving wife of 32 years. Sue Popham, of Cornelia; daughter and son-in-law, Kae and Paul Sontag, of Buford; son and daughter-in-law, Robert Popham and Robin Wood, of Demorest; step-daughter and spouse, Donna and Richard Barnett, of Cornelia; step-daughter, Cindy Franco, of Richmond, VA; grandchildren, Brendan Sanders, Christopher Brack, Maria Franco, Kadin Wood, Connor Sontag, Dawson Barnett, Anderson Popham; brother and sister-in-law, John and Rae Popham, of Demorest; sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Steve Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the Cornelia United Methodist Church with Pastor Ben Wilcox officiating. Interment will follow in the Level Grove Cemetery with military honors by the United States Army and the Grant Reeves Honor Guard.

A livestream of the service will be available at facebook.com/whitfieldfh

The family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Friday, March 11, 2022, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Cornelia United Methodist Church, 275 Wyly Street, Cornelia, Georgia 30531.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535.

A daycare and a liquor store could be coming to Baldwin off 365

By

Hadley Cottingham

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March 10, 2022

The City of Baldwin will consider applications to bring two new businesses to the Highway 365 corridor at their Monday meeting: a daycare and the city’s first liquor store.

The two proposed businesses would sit about a quarter of a mile apart from each other, which meets legal regulations, and would be separated by Hayes Chevrolet.

The proposed daycare, owned by the Cumming-based education group, Aspire Learning, would be a 10,000 square foot facility. The liquor store, referred to in city documents as the “365 Superstore,” would be located off 365 by Charlie Davis Road and BC Grand Road.

The two circled locations show the approximate locations of the proposed daycare and liquor store. The southmost circle is the proposed daycare location, while the northmost is the proposed location of the liquor store. (Source: Google Maps)

Councilwoman Stephanie Almagono voiced her concerns that the liquor store would be in a part of town that could create problems.

“Using that BP station— it gets a little rough there in the evening,” Almagno said. “There are folks that are living behind that BP, [who] shouldn’t be living behind that BP, just hanging out behind that BP . . . now adding the liquor store to it, I’m fine with having them, but I just hope that we have patrols and things. We’re just adding a different element to the area.”

Elam says that the owner’s investment in the business could have a positive effect on the community.

Councilwoman Alice Venter said that she thinks the liquor store is an addition to Baldwin that she’d like to see, which she feels “positive about.”

“It’s very promising, I think,” Venter said. “The location’s brilliant as far as logistics, you’ve got people traveling up to the mountains, whether they’re going to North Carolina or just up to Clayton.”

Both Almagno and Venter said they did have concerns about how traffic might flow with vehicles entering and exiting the highway. Baldwin Police Chief Jeff Branyon advised the council to look into how the store would affect traffic.

The daycare would need the council to approve moving forward with development and to be annexed into the city for sewer and water access. The developer would also have to coordinate with the Georgia Department of Transportation for traffic safety.

“There’s a huge need for daycare services in this county,” Venter said.

The council will discuss both proposals at their Monday meeting. The city estimates they would have a public hearing for the daycare development on March 28.

Kemp officially in against Perdue for chance to face Abrams in governor’s race

By

Jill Nolin

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March 10, 2022

Kemp’s post-qualifying event was also a clear showing of his support from the state Capitol crowd, with at least two dozen Republicans lawmakers from all over the state standing with him to cheer him on. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

Gov. Brian Kemp officially kicked off his bid for a second term Thursday with a large group of lawmakers and supporters backing his campaign.

Within minutes of qualifying, Kemp took aim at likely Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams in remarks at the state Capitol during an event with a rally flair. Supporters chanted “four more years” as he walked up.

Gov. Brian Kemp speaks to supporters after qualifying Thursday. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

But before Kemp meets Abrams in a potential rematch, he will first need to overcome a challenge from his own party. Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, who qualified as a candidate Wednesday, upset the GOP primary when he announced in December he would challenge Kemp. The result is a rare competitive primary contest involving a sitting governor.

Kemp made no mention of Perdue in his comments to supporters Thursday.

“What we’re going to have to overcome to win the nomination we’re not taking for granted, but our sights are focused on who the real opponent is going to be,” Kemp told reporters afterward.

To further complicate the race, Perdue has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who said he would work to defeat Kemp after the governor refused to go along with Trump’s plan to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Both Kemp and Perdue have tried to focus their message on why they believe each is the best suited to beat Abrams in the fall. Abrams, who qualified Tuesday, came up short by about 55,000 votes in 2018.

“Stacey Abrams would bring Georgia’s record economic success to a screeching halt,” Kemp said to the crowd. “And make no mistake, under a Gov. Stacey Abrams, Georgia would be one COVID-19 variant away from total and complete lockdown.”

Stacey Abrams speaks with reporters after qualifying to run for governor. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

Kemp argues he’s already defeated Abrams once and is committed to doing it again, but Perdue claims he’s the only candidate who can rally a divided Republican party to the polls in the general election.

“I’m very, very concerned about our state,” Perdue told reporters this week. “And I want to make sure that we don’t turn our state over to the liberal Democrats. We see what’s happening in Washington right now, and I believe I’m the only one that can pull our party together and beat Stacey Abrams in the fall.”

Perdue said he would agree to debate Kemp so the governor will have to “answer to several things.” For example, he said he wants to press Kemp on his decision not to call a special session in the wake of the 2020 presidential election to “fix whatever was there” before the Jan. 5 runoffs. Perdue lost his Senate seat to now-U.S. Sen Jon Ossoff in that runoff.

Kemp has repeatedly defended his actions as being faithful to the law.

The limited polling available so far suggests Kemp would have the edge over Abrams. Kemp is also leading Perdue in the polls, but one survey indicated Trump’s endorsement of Perdue is not yet widely known among conservative voters in Georgia.

Kemp’s post-qualifying event was also a clear showing of his support from the state Capitol crowd, with at least two dozen Republican lawmakers from all over the state standing with him to cheer him on. West Georgia Congressman Drew Ferguson introduced the governor, making the case for Kemp’s re-election.

Kemp has also easily surpassed Perdue in fundraising, although Perdue did not rule out spending some of his own substantial wealth when asked this week. It also remains to be seen whether pro-Trump groups will help close the gap.

Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue talks to reporters Wednesday after qualifying to run for governor. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

“We’re going to make sure this thing is well funded. We’re going to get our message out,” Perdue said.

Perdue is campaigning on eliminating the state income tax, which funds nearly half of the state budget and addressing the “voter integrity problem” in Georgia.

President Joe Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia was upheld after three recounts, including one done by hand.

Kemp has touted a controversial election measure he signed into law in the wake of the 2020 presidential election. That law included both new restrictions – like limiting the use of absentee ballot drop boxes – and some expansions, such as broader early voting access for most counties.

The governor is also campaigning on the state’s economic strength coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, an anti-abortion bill that has never taken effect, and a permit-less firearm measure he has pledged to sign.

“When it mattered the most, we chose freedom over government,” Kemp said of his handling of the pandemic.

Kemp said he remains committed to bringing an electric vehicle manufacturing plant to rural east Georgia, which he has called the largest economic development project in the state’s history. Perdue has criticized the Rivian project.

“It’s disappointing that David Perdue’s made this a political issue, but it shouldn’t surprise people for a guy that outsourced jobs to China that he’s not supporting bringing jobs to Georgia,” Kemp said of the former Fortune 500 executive.

Republicans are also pushing through a $1 billion tax cut package. The proposal would replace the state’s graduated income tax rate, which tops out at 5.75%, with a lowered 5.25% rate.

Qualifying started Monday with a rush of candidates and will wrap up Friday.

White County Parks and Recreation cancels baseball/softball opening day

By

Dean Dyer, WRWH Radio

-

March 10, 2022

White County Parks and Recreation has announced they have canceled the opening day baseball/softball activities that were planned for this Saturday.

“We were really disappointed on have to cancel the opening day Saturday due to the extremely cold temperatures and wind it was going to be too much to get the kids out in that,” said Kimberly McEntire Director for White County Parks and Recreation.

In an interview on WRWH News, McEntire said they have no plans for rescheduling opening day, but will have an end-of-the-season cookout.

White County Parks and Recreation Director Kim McEntire

During that same interview, McEntire talked about the recreation park facilities. She said the White County manager and board of commissioners have been proactive in making improvements. They’ve approved new bleachers for the gym and will install what she described as a “beautiful automatic gate” at the park entrance to showcase the facility.

The pavilion next to the pickleball courts at the White County rec complex on Asbestos Road was damaged in a recent storm. Depending on the weather, Mcentire said work should begin to rebuild the pavilion which is extensively used by the public.

As for the decision not to open the county’s public pool, McEntire said she knows it’s a “disappointment” but the county is working with Truett McConnel University to offer some aquatic activities.

In February, McEntire and White County’s Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Deena Cowart shared with commissioners that it’s not cost-effective to open the pool this summer, because of so many issues, plus McEntire said, “It’s hard to find lifeguards.” White County is considering possibly installing a Splash Pad at the park so kids can have some outdoor water activities.