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Director of UGA Transportation and Parking Services Don Walter is eager to talk about the plan to have more electric buses at UGA than any other university in the country. “This is really cutting-edge technology,” Walter said. “We have people from all over the country calling us and visiting us.” As reported in The Red & Black, UGA currently has eight Proterra buses at its transportation facility and 12 charging stations. Federal and state grants have made it possible for UGA to soon have 33 zero-emission electric buses, which will account for a third of the total fleet, and start phasing out diesel predecessors, on campus by 2021, Walter said. “We don’t ever plan on buying another diesel bus,” Walter said. The campus transit facility has 12 charging stations which are able to handle 48 buses. Recently, Walter said they had electric buses on the Orbit route and campus tours. The electric buses have worked well and much more quietly than the diesel fleet. UGA is the first system to test the Proterra Catalyst E2 buses, and Walter said UGA maintenance has helped recommend modifications on the new model. The bus funding is made up of $10 million Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority grant, a $7.56 million U.S. Transit Administration grant. UGA also matched 30% of this grant funding. The electric buses offer large cost savings for the university as well as environmental benefits. Diesel buses cost $100 per day to run because of gas, while the electric buses will be about $5-10 per day to run, Walter said. The electric grid will power the buses at the Riverbend Road Campus Transit facility. Walter said UGA receives lower electricity rates from Georgia Power because they charge the buses at night when electricity is in less demand. Because the electricity comes from the grid, the zero-emission buses does not mean they’re powered by renewable energy. In Georgia, natural gas generates about 40% of electricity and coal generates about 25%. Renewable energy generates about 8%, according to Georgia’s 2018 profile in the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “While there is still that connection to the grid, it is a lot more efficient compared to standard diesel coming directly from the buses,” said Blake Ginn, a senior environmental engineering major working on his engineering capstone with transit. “There is still significant greenhouse gas and overall pollutant emissions that are being reduced by the buses.” As it stands, maintenance costs from diesel to electric are expected to decrease from $22,500 per bus to $7,500 because there are no transmission repairs, exhaust problems, oil changes or brake strain, Walter said. Walter said almost half the drivers are trained and once they train all 150 of them, they’ll be able to start regularly running all the electric buses they have. “We want every driver to be completely comfortable when they get on that bus,” Walter said. UGA students should be seeing more electric buses in the next few months. The outside is made of a strong composite fiberglass and carbon fiber material and has two motors behind the back wheels. Its 500 horsepower engine is twice that of a diesel bus, and it’s five times more efficient, according to a UGA press release. “This is the best bus ever built,” Walter said. The electric fleet will contribute toward meeting UGA’s Campus Sustainability Plan, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in 2020. According to the plan, 14% of emissions come from campus transportation. Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262
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Late last week it was announced that North Oconee High School senior David Han is the Oconee County School System’s STAR Student who will represent the county at the Region 4 STAR competition next month at the University of Georgia. As reported in the Athens Banner-Herald, the selection was presented during the annual breakfast for the STAR students held at High Shoals Health & Rehabilitation in North High Shoals. STAR students from the two public schools and three private schools and their parents were gathered with education professionals and elected officials at the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce sponsored breakfast. Marion Butler, a banker from Synovus Bank, presented each of the STAR students with a check from the bank. David, the son of Stanley and Sarah Han, is planning to attend the University of Georgia as an economics major. Other STAR students included Elliot Williamson and Logan Williamson, twins who tied for the honor at Athens Academy; David Burke of Oconee County High School; Jared Deatrick of Prince Avenue Christian School; and Lexi Farr of Westminster Christian School. Students honored with the STAR award are chosen based on their SAT scores, scholastic achievements and extracurricular activities. “I know I’m going to leave here today encouraged and inspired to go back and do my work with more dedication and commitment because of what I have seen and heard today in these young people,” said Jennifer Whitaker, the principal at High Shoals Elementary School. “One of the most important things that I think this world needs a little more of is kindness. We have heard that over and over that not only are you brilliant, but you are kind to others,” Chamber President Courtney Bernardi told the students. Students also chose STAR teachers who positively influenced them during their school years. Elliot Williamson chose Spanish teacher Marielle Newland; Logan Williamson chose English teacher Gabriel Lovatt; Han chose history teacher Richard Rosch; Burke chose calculus teacher Jacob Forrester; Deatrick chose science teacher Dale Autry; and Farr, not in attendance, chose science teacher Carrie Herring. Elliot Williamson, son of Keys and Melissa Williamson, is undecided on a college, but wants to major in international business or non-profit business. His brother, Logan Williamson, is also undecided on a college, but plans to major in political science and economics. Burke, son of John and Mindy Burke, plans to attend UGA and double major in biology and Spanish. Deatrick, son of John and Grace Deatrick, hasn’t chosen a school yet, but likes Wake Forest University, and plans to major in finance, business and marketing. Farr, the daughter of Frank and Angela Farr, plans to major in special education at UGA. Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 On the morning of Feb. 3, Christopher Bartus came into work not expecting the news that he, as well as the dozens of other employees at Athens’s Earth Fare, would be out of jobs soon.
As recently reported in The Red & Black, Earth Fare, a “natural and organic” grocery store chain which opened its first store in 1975 out of Asheville, NC and has several locations in the southeast and midwest, officially announced it would be closing its corporate office and all of its stores in a Feb. 3 press release. With 80 people working at the store, Bartus is concerned about the job prospects in Athens, which he thinks is “a difficult place to find a job.” “We’ll have to fight each other for whatever jobs are out there,” Bartus said. In the press release, Earth Fare cited the struggles for the company to refinance its debt and “continued challenges in the retail industry” as the reason for its decision. Earth Fare also explained that all of its stores were beginning to liquidate their inventories, which will cause “very significant price reductions.” Bartus said he has “no idea” how the company will begin lowering the store’s prices of its products. In another letter sent to employees on Feb. 3, employees were told all Earth Fare stores were set to close within two weeks, but the process could take up to four weeks, Bartus said. Despite the store’s future closure, Bartus said he doesn’t know when employees will be laid off. “Our meat department [is] probably going to run out of meat in the next day or two. So does that mean they let go of the employees because they don’t need them anymore?” Bartus said. “Could be, I don’t know.” Bartus also mentioned that some employees left their jobs to find new jobs right after receiving the news. Ellie Apostol, a retired Montessori teacher from Ohio who recently moved to Athens, was “shocked” and saddened over the news of the store closing. As a frequent shopper, Apostol liked the store’s customer service. “The clientele here is just so much fun to run into. It's a wonderful meeting place with other Athenians, and the quality is excellent. It's sort of like a hub here where people can find things that they can't find elsewhere,” Apostol said. Despite visiting the store several times a week, Tracy Bartlett came looking for products at discounted rates the day she heard the news. “I’m really sad about it, very disappointed,” Bartlett said. “It’s a great [place]. I live [within] walking distance, it’s just great to be able to have an organic, natural grocer right around the corner.” Opened in the late 1990s as one of Earth Fare’s earliest locations, Athens’s Earth Fare is now one of the company's 50 stores soon to close shop. Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 Ranking 14th on a list of 2020 Best Big Colleges in the U.S. is none other than the University of Georgia, according to a ranking by the website Niche. In fact, UGA was the only school from Georgia to appear within the top 100. Georgia State and Kennesaw State Universities made the list, landing at 104th and 119th respectively. As reported in The Red & Black, Niche’s Best Big Colleges ranking compares private and public universities with at least 15,000 undergraduate students. To get these rankings, Niche analyzed factors like student life, academics and student reviews using U.S. Department of Education data. The categories carrying the largest weight are academics, value and professors. Per the analysis, UGA received A’s in all categories but two — dorms and safety, earning a B and B- respectively. As for UGA’s online degree programs, those rose fairly high in the U.S. News & World Report rankings this year, ranking among one of the best in business and education according to U.S. News, a media company that publishes rankings, analysis and consumer advice on colleges and graduate schools. Terry’s online program of business and technology actually jumped from 17th to 4th, and the College of Education’s online bachelor’s program in special education went from 25th to 11th, tying with four other schools, according to UGA. Furthermore, the College of Education’s Masters program was named the #1 program for veterans in U.S. News’ ranking. According to Niche’s rankings, UGA placed 3rd out of all public and private universities in Georgia behind Emory University and Georgia Tech. Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 A substantial crowd gathered in front of the Morton Theatre on Washington Street yesterday to honor the late Martin Luther King, Jr. While some people held signs, others were setting up stands in preparation for the fourth annual MLK Day Parade and Music Festival organized by the United Group of Artists, an event production company co-founded by Knowa and Mokah Jasmine Johnson. Mykeisha Ross, vice president of Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, believes the parade exemplifies what King aimed to achieve in communities around the globe. “I think it’s important for people to come together, show love and meet people you never would otherwise,” Ross said to The Red & Black. “We’re breaking racial barriers.” During the parade, spectators watched people walk through the streets holding signs with famous quotes from Dr. King. Vendors selling products including traditional African clothing set up around the sidelines. Kishina Longino, a vendor for Alicia’s Little Bling Boutique, came from Atlanta to participate in the parade for the first time. After attending the MLK Day parades in Atlanta, she said she wanted to see people show out in Athens. “To have parades like this goes back to honoring what Dr. King stood for and the fact that he didn’t die in vain,” Longino said. “He stood for millions of people and this day shows we haven’t forgotten.” Other vendors like Precious Jones with MEplusTEA, a homegrown hand-blended loose leaf tea company, have participated in the parade since it began in 2017. Jones said she feels Athens is a close knit community and the parade is a reminder of that. “I think Athens is a good example of what Martin Luther King Jr. stood for,” Jones said. Attending the parade were people from all walks of life such as families and students. Ross said her favorite part of the parade was its ability to demonstrate that everyone has a story and also explained that events like this help people find their voice. “You can be black, white, Hispanic, it doesn’t matter, everybody has a story and your voice is your power,” said Ross. “No one else can write your story, so tell it.” Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 Drew Dekle, who built up the Quality Building on 265 W. Washington St. with tenants including Flicker Theatre and Bar, Clocked! and Iron Factory, has a long history with the building. When he was a child, he would visit his grandfather, who owned the same building during his childhood and he would go to a pool hall between the Morton Theatre and the Quality Building. “It was kind of a rough place for a 12-year-old, middle-class kid to hang out, but I learned a lot there,” Dekle said. “It was a culture shock — I grew up in suburban Atlanta, and here I am shooting pool with blue-collar, working-class guys.” As reported in The Red & Black, since his visits to Athens during the 1970s and 1980s, Dekle has seen the change the west side of downtown has gone through while keeping a few of its well-known historic sites, such as the Morton Theatre, the Hot Corner intersection and 40 Watt Club. To preserve the western side of downtown’s character, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission has discussed a proposal to designate the area as a local historic district. Since November, the proposal has received vocal supporters and outspoken detractors to commission meetings. The proposed district designation would mean that property owners would need to complete a multi-step approval process to alter the facades of their buildings, including a Planning Staff review and a Historic Preservation Commission meeting. If implemented, Athens First United Methodist Church could be restricted from demolishing a building it owns — the Saye Building — at 110 W. Hancock Ave. Built in 1920, the historic building has fallen into disrepair, Jill Bateman, the Athens First UMC Building Committee Chair said. She said the church wants to expand its mission and feels the building’s demolition would help the church grow. “It would be a significant financial burden for us to renovate the current structure,” Bateman said. “The financial implication is where we have seen the greatest need for concern.” However, advocates for the district say these regulations are necessary to protect the character of the area. “We want to make sure that we are honoring and preserving the western part of downtown the same way that we have honored and preserved the eastern portion of downtown,” said Tommy Valentine, the executive director of Historic Athens, a non-profit working to preserve local history. The current local historic district, which only covers parts of east downtown, was adopted in 2006, ACC Assistant Planning Director Bruce Lonnee said in an email. In the email, Lonnee said if the commission approves the newly proposed district, the unprotected area of downtown will be protected by the same guidelines as the current district. The district would mainly affect property owners’ ability to change the outside of their building. Projects such as demolishing the building, constructing new parking lots and adding additional sections to the building would be more tedious from the local government. Valentine also would like to preserve the history of Athens minority and working-class communities. “We’re not just having a discussion about history. We are also having a discussion about race and class and making sure we are telling the entire story of Athens,” Valentine said. However, attorney David Montgomery, believes the district will negatively impact these businesses. Montgomery said he represents three business owners who run businesses in the proposed historic district, and he spoke on their behalf at a Dec. 3 Mayor and Commission meeting. Montgomery said he represents Theodore Brown of Brown’s Barber Shop, Homer Wilson of Wilson’s Styling Shop and John Wade, the property owner of the Manhattan Cafe. Montgomery believes preserving these buildings according to the proposed historic guidelines will be expensive and disproportionately burden these men. “I don’t see the legitimacy of requiring one landowner to keep his building like it is because folks have a cultural interest in [the building] staying like it is,” Montgomery said. The commission will vote on the proposal before June 2020. The moratorium over western downtown was extended to the end of June 2020 to give the commissioners time to deliberate the proposal without fear of losing historic sites. In the next few weeks, the Athens-Clarke County Planning Department will schedule community information sessions about the proposal to educate tenants and property owners and answer their questions. Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 As reported in the Athens Banner-Herald, the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has plans for a multi-million dollar studio renovation for its new Master of Fine Arts in Film, Television and Digital Media program. Donated funds will be paying for the $3.75 million project, including nearly $2 million in construction, according to information UGA officials submitted to the state Board of Regents in advance of the board’s monthly meeting. UGA will not sign a construction contract until the full $3.75 million is in hand, according to the paperwork. Regents will also review recommendations for hiring one of three Atlanta design firms for a 525-bed dorm for first-year students that is planned for Baxter Street. Last month, University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley approved a staff ranking of the top three firms out of 20 who applied for the residence hall commission -- Beck Architecture Georgia at the top; Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates; and, Collins Cooper Carusi Architects. The new residence hall has a $49.9 million budget, including construction costs of up to $40.3 million. The new building will allow UGA to expand the size of its first-year class “and provide ‘swing space’ as UGA continues to renovate or replace other residence halls on campus,” according to the university’s request. The building’s facilities will be a public-private partnership. The new MFA program, which the regents approved last year, will be operated by UGA in conjunction with the Georgia Film Academy and Pinewood Forest, a residential development under construction in Fayetteville next to Pinewood Atlanta Studios and its 18 sound stages. If the regents’ approve of the studio project, the plan would be to renovate almost 6,000 square feet in UGA’s Journalism Building. Once equipped, first-year students in the new MFA program will use the space to learn about technical aspects of video and film production including cinematography, editing, lighting, audio production, and writing, directing and producing movies. In the first part of the two-year program, set to start this fall, students will study at UGA. In their second year, they’ll move into Pinewood Forest and work with the Georgia Film Academy and industry professionals. Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 The headlines of 2019 were consumed by the saga of Clarke County schools Superintendent Demond Means, police shootings and a new Athens-Clarke government working toward change. Here’s a look back and those and other top stories from this year, as reported in the Athens Banner-Herald: NEW LEADERS In January, Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Cleveland Spruill took over the Athens-Clarke Police Department after former chief Scott Freeman was asked to resign in 2018 for losing the support of many officers. On May 1, Michael Burnett became the new CEO of Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center after leaving Piedmont Fayette Hospital. In July, the University of Georgia welcomed Jack Hu, who left a job as vice president for research at the University of Michigan to become senior vice president of academic affairs and provost at UGA, the university’s second-ranking administrator after UGA President Jere Morehead. SHERIFF’S AUDIT An operational audit of the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office revealed low morale, questionable policies, safety and security issues, and overworked deputies. Many of the department’s issues stemmed from its high turnover rate, Athens-Clarke County’s Office of Operational Analysis concluded after a lengthy examination. The sheriff’s office made some changes in hopes of reducing the department’s turnover rate. NOTRE DAME The University of Georgia set a new attendance record for a football game when Notre Dame played in Sanford Stadium for the first time. The Bulldogs won 23-17 and had 93,246 attendees. SPLOST In a Nov. 5 special election, voters gave approval to keeping the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for 11 more years. Almost 80 percent of voters said yes to extending the tax, which will fund about $314 million in construction and other infrastructure projects. The three dozen projects include more sidewalks, a new Eastside library, and renovations at the Bear Hollow Zoo and the Athens-Clarke Animal Shelter. Big-ticket items included a $77.9 million “facilities space modernization project,” mostly for a new courthouse, a $44.5 million affordable housing fund, and $32 million for an indoor arena at The Classic Center. BETHEL HOMES There was a lot of gunfire in the low-income apartment complex in 2019, but the year ended with hope for better living conditions for the people in the dilapidated downtown complex’s 190 subsidized apartments. In September, Athens-Clarke Mayor Kelly Girtz implemented a plan to redevelop Bethel and nearby government-owned acreage. With the Athens Housing Authority and a private development company, Bethel would be part of a larger mixed-income housing development with the Athens-Clarke government contributing $39 million. SCHOOL DISTRICT Under Superintendent Demond Means, ethics issues, accreditation questions and tension plagued the year for the Clarke County Board of Education. An anonymous complaint was filed against Means with the state agency that oversees the ethical conduct of licensed educators in the state. Means plagiarized in an official email and did not disclose his financial ties to a company he asked the board to hire to train Clarke teachers and administrators. Not long before putting Means on leave Dec. 9, the board had approved a letter to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, saying that the things for which Means was accused did not rise to the level of an ethics violation and the state board did not need to investigate. Then the board faced its own investigation. Means also filed a complaint, his with Cognia, the accrediting agency for the school district. The board and some of its members were interfering in personnel decisions and undermining the administration, stated the complaint. In December, Cognia announced it was sending a team to Athens for a “special review.” Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 Like that scene from "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation" when the Griswold family discover a squirrel inside their Christmas tree, quite recently a Georgia family found a wild animal nestled among their Christmas tree’s branches. As reported in the Athens Banner-Herald, over a week after they bought their tree, they discovered a live owl living inside. Katie McBride Newman said that she and her 10-year-old daughter saw the bird on Dec. 12. They had bought the 10-foot tall tree from a nearby Home Depot, brought it back to their Atlanta area home and decorated it with lights and even owl ornaments. “It was surreal, but we weren’t really freaked out about it,” McBride Newman said. “We’re really outdoorsy people. We love the wilderness.” The family opened their windows and doors near the tree in hopes the owl would fly away, but it didn’t. “The owl seemed to be pretty comfortable, and I thought, ‘Hey buddy, it’s not going to go well if you just stay here. There’s no food, I’m sorry,’” said McBride Newman’s husband, Billy Newman. So the family called The Chattahoochee Nature Center, a nonprofit nature center, for help. They caught the bird and helped the family release it. McBride Newman said she believed the bird had been in the tree since they bought it, but was hidden. “We think he was just in there hugging the trunk,” she said. “It’s a very dense tree and it was very fresh. That’s why we picked it.” Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 Recently a homeless couple needed help paying to reside at an extended stay hotel in Athens, as reported in The Athens Banner-Herald. After the Athens Community Council on Aging sent a request to the Athens Banner-Herald for assistance, the Empty Stocking Fund responded with an $515 endowment for the couple in need. An annual holiday fundraising campaign, the Empty Stocking Fund’s mission is rooted in helping poverty-stricken Athens residents who have either been turned down or have been unable to secure enough financial aid through other organizations. Proceeds are not used to buy toys or other holiday gifts unlike some other holiday fundraisers. Funds raised through the Empty Stocking campaign are used solely to help families at risk of eviction pay their rent and take care of several other necessary expenses, including medical, power and water bills. All recipients helped through the Empty Stocking Fund are referred to the charity by an area nonprofit agency. To donate, make checks payable to Athens Area Community Foundation and send to P.O. Box 1543, Athens, GA 30603. Write Empty Stocking Fund in the memo line of the check. Online donations can be made by visiting athensareacf.org/giving/donate/. Write “Empty Stocking Fund” in the designation section. For more information, call (706) 357-7148. All referrals for assistance must be submitted by a local agency to emptystocking@onlineathens.com. Call Pachuta Insurance Today @ 706-769-2262 |
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1031 Village Drive, Suite A
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(706) 769-2262 (Office)
(888) 769-2262 (Toll Free)
(706) 769-2282 (Fax)
(706) 201-1901 (Mobile)