GOVERNMENT

An unexpected passing among the members of the media in North Georgia on Tuesday. Word of Matthew Osborne's passing from this past Tuesday is leaving members of Habersham County and the area in shock, as the Northeast Georgian newspaper's editor was just 47 years of age. Social media posts from...

SUBSCRIBE FOR ACCESS TO BLITZ EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ($5.99/month) Our Week One Game of the Week takes us to Cleveland to catch the high-flying offense and star-studded defense of the Warriors of White County. They’re countered by powerhouse and #4-ranked Rabun County, who looks to prove a lot of teams wrong this season. The QB battle is between SR Tripp Nix and JR Ty Truelove, great dual threats.

To mark the start of the 2024 School Year, and in celebration of Toccoa’s 150th anniversary, the City of Toccoa will be hosting a carnival today with games, rides, and other family-friendly fun for students and parents. The carnival will run for three days through Saturday. The location was...

The Westminster City Council annexed 12 properties during its Tuesday meeting, including sites on Dunlop Drive and Nina Circle, following a policy that requires new utility customers to agree to annexation when properties become contiguous. These properties will initially be zoned R-25 and later reviewed for rezoning by the Planning Commission. The council also approved mutual aid agreements with four local law enforcement agencies, a new policy for council members’ insurance access, and a preliminary ordinance for collaboration with Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative for operational support, while continuing its electricity arrangement with PMPA.

Westminster City Council gave preliminary approval last night to an ordinance to welcome Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in an operation and management arrangement. The city is a retail electric power customer of “PMPA” — a municipal electric wholesale consortium based in Greer. As explained by city administrator Kevin Bronson, the deal with Blue Ridge is a year-to-year arrangement in which Westminster can count on Blue Ridge help in emergencies and other situations. The city is retaining two valuable linemen and seeks to hire two more. According to Bronson, Blue Ridge is to be compensated for at cost-services. If the assistance requires a Blue Ridge subcontractor, the remuneration shall be at cost plus 5%.

Cobb County businesses are often well-represented among the winners when the Georgia Department of Transportation releases its periodic list of contracts. Several large Cobb-based firms are involved in road construction, paving, bridge maintenance, and other related fields. Cobb also has a large number of subcontractors and specialty contractors. In the...

On Tuesday, the Westminster City Council agreed to reinstate Chatuga Ridge Coffeehouse’s business license, contingent upon payment of $600 in penalties and hospitality taxes for January and February. The license had been suspended earlier this year after the business failed to pay hospitality taxes owed to the city. Despite previous warnings and communication, including a series of notices and legal reminders, the dues were only settled in June. The council’s decision followed a special hearing where both sides presented their case, and it was noted that the business must also provide proof of occupancy within city limits to complete the reinstatement process.

The Rabun County Water and Sewer Authority (RCWSA) is required by federal law to complete an inventory of the RCWSA’s water service lines. This week a contract was awarded to conduct the project, tells RCWSA General Manager Brendan Thompson. “I presented resolution 2024-07, which was to undertake a requirement through the Federal Government of doing inventory on our water system lines. It’s called a Lead-Copper Rules Revision Requirement. We received a 100% Principal Forgiveness Loan from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority to go out and do this inventory. We put that out to bid back in July and we received bids and awarded that bid to Shamgar, Inc. from Bloomingdale, Ga, which is just north of Savannah. They are going to be up here doing that inventory for us, so we find out exactly what’s in the ground and make sure that we have no lead or copper out there. So, it’s a good project. Looking forward to getting that one done probably by the end of the year. The Board approved it and we are moving forward with awarding the contract to Shamgar to do that.” The contract is for $206,000, with the 100% Principal Forgiveness Loan paying for the project.

This week, the Rabun County Water and Sewer Authority (RCWSA) heard the July 2024 report from General Manager Brendan Thompson. “The July 2024 ending balance on the RCWSA Operating Bank Account was $215,938.16. The July 2024 Water System Total Billings was $276,074.92. The July 2024 Wastewater System Total Billings was $166,620.13. The July 2024 Water and Wastewater Total Billings was $442,695.05. The July 2024 Accounts/Receivable was $139,458.48 as of July 31, 2024. For the South Water System, the Lake Rabun WTP pumped to distribution system volume for June 2024 was 26,877,000 gallons. Pumped to distribution system volume for July 2024 was 25,699,000 gallons; a decrease of 1,178,000 gallons or -4.4% from June 2024 to July 2024. Customers’ July 2024 meter readings were done July 22, 2024. Bills were sent out July 31, 2024. There were seven new connections for the month of July 2024. Unaccounted for water volume for the month of July 2024 was 42.9%. For the North Water System, Little Tennessee WTP pumped to the distribution system for June 2024 was 20,415,000 gallons. Pumped to distribution system volume for July 2024 was 25,596,000 gallons; an increase of 5,181,000 gallons or 25.4% from June 2024 to July 2024. Please note that the RCWSA’s Standard Operating Procedures has water from the LTWTP being brought to the Mountain City’s Distribution System and to the City of Clayton Distribution System through the Control Valve. Meter Reading and Bills sent at the same time as the South Water System. There was one new connection for the month of July 2024. Unaccounted for water volume for the month of July 2024 was 77.9%. The Total Water System Unaccounted-For Volume Percentage for the month of July 2024 was 57.3%. At the Rabun County Water Reclamation Facilities and Collection Systems, regular preventive maintenance on motors and machinery continues and grass mowing and weed eating are ongoing. There were no new connections for the month of July 2024.” In addition, fire hydrant maintenance and valve exercising is ongoing system-wide.

As reported earlier by WNEG News, the City of Toccoa is hosting a Carnival in honor of, and to celebrate the city’s 150th Anniversary. The event will take place at the Rose Lane Recreation Complex off Rose Lane, adjacent to the Stephens County Middle School. The three-day event will...

Westminster re-instated the business license for a Retreat Street coffee shop, an act of compassion for a young couple who violated business license provisions. The city council acted unanimously after a contentious one-hour-plus hearing. Council members, however, conceded although there were communication difficulties with the operators of Chatuga Ridge Coffee, city staff carried out their role in trying to ensure the business license fee and hospitality taxes were paid. There are conditions attached to re-instating the license. Afterward, Zack Covington said, “We are going to try to re-open.” City administrator Bronson led staff’s account of who said what to whom. In the end, Bronson, conceded it’s city council’s call, although he cautioned the mayor and council that, by re-instating the license, a bad precedent could be set if others in the business community appeal for similar or identical exceptions. Zack and Erica Covington’s plight received support from sympathizers in last night’s hearing audience. In fact, several coffee drinkers on city council had frequented the coffee shop and regretted the circumstances that led to its closing.

At a Toccoa City Commission work session held Monday, City Commissioners met with Dillon Long, a local business owner and longtime active supporter of the Tugaloo Street Greenspace project. Long and commissioners spoke at length about funding issues in connection with the project, as well as more general discussion about...

(Cleveland)- The White County officials were forced to shut down the county’s waste Transfer Station located in the Industrial Park, south of Cleveland Tuesday. The closure was the result of the scales used to weigh material at the transfer station not operating. Bryce Barrett, Public Information Officer for White...