Here are pictures and videos of the Withlacoochee River at GA 122
on
18 February 2013
(on the left when the river was rising)
and
27 February 2013 (on the right,
when it was clearly in flood stage).
Pictures and videos of the Withlacoochee River at GA 122 by John S. Quarterman and Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coailition.
Brandon Powers for the VDT |
-jsq
AP picked up the story about flooding at Valdosta's Withlacoochee wasterwater treatment plant, citing the VDT and the City as sources. The City of Valdosta thinks the County should contribute to replacing the plant, or maybe the legislature will authorize a municipal option sales tax (MOST).
AP in GPBNews 1 March 2013, Valdosta Treatment Plant Floods,
Authorities shut down a Valdosta wastewater treatment plant as a river flooded critical buildings and structures. The city estimates an average of 5 million to 6 million gallons of untreated sewage will discharge daily into the Withlacoochee River until the flood waters recede and the plant can resume operation. (Photo Courtesy of John S. Quarterman via Flickr.) |
VALDOSTA, Ga. —Authorities shut down a south Georgia wastewater treatment plant as a river flooded critical buildings and structures.
Valdosta city officials said power at the plant was shut down Thursday to prevent further damage to equipment and control systems.
The city estimates an average of 5 million to 6 million gallons of untreated sewage will discharge daily into the Withlacoochee River until the flood waters recede and the plant can resume operation.
The AP story continues, but let's cut to the sources.
Continue reading
The Lowndes County Ham and Eggs show is
the only one in Georgia and
one of only two in the country. Now, you might wonder why? Many
folks are interested in good, local foods and the craft of curing
meats. Well, it has to do with regulations and having the hogs
slaughtered and cured in USDA certified facilities.
Years ago, men, women and children would cure the meats at home and bring the hams on the appointed day to the contest (and auction). But, now no meat can be sold Continue reading
Surprise! The already-billing but not-built new nukes at Plant Vogtle are going to be even later and cost even more. In December they were to be 15 months late; now it’s 19 months late, and the cost overrun expected is $740 million. History is repeating itself from the last time Southern Company and Georgia Power built nukes on the Savannah River. How about we pass HB 267 to stop Georgia Power from charging that cost overrun to customers?
Kristi Swartz wrote for the AJC yesterday, Vogtle nuclear project to take longer, cost more,
Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project will take about 19 months longer to complete than originally expected and cost about $740 million more than originally thought, the company said Thursday.
Georgia Power said its share of the estimated $14 billion project will rise to $6.85 billion, up from $6.11 billion, because of increased capital costs and additional financing costs. Customers, who have been paying the financing costs since 2011, now will pay them for a longer period of time.
And the amount Georgia Power customers have to pay for Construction Work in Progress (CWIP) keeps ratchetting up:
Continue readingDear Bird Supper attendees,
Two things could greatly help south Georgia: better Internet access and solar power. You could help stop two telecommunications bills and help pass two energy bills for jobs and education in south Georgia.
The local Industrial Authority, Chamber of Commerce, Valdosta City Council, and Lowndes County Commission have recently realized that fast Internet access is essential to attract businesses, for their employees to work at home, for applicants to apply for jobs, for students to submit assignments, and for general quality of life.
-jsq
Brett Huntley responded
to the Commission's mysterious ruling against the public
at the
26 Febuary 2013 Lowndes County Commission meeting,
to close the only public access to the Alapaha River in Lowndes County.
Neither County Manager Joe Pritchard nor County Engineer Mike Fletcher
were paying any attention.
Continue readingI would like to publicly say that I am shocked with the decision. I feel the decision was in favor of a sole person, and not in the interests of the community and the citizens. We tried to speak and explain our side of the story. And the county road has not ceased to be used. It's been being used in our county for over 100 years. I feel your guys just made a decision that will have an impact on our culture and heritage in the community that is not good. It's a bad decision, I feel.
I kind of feel hurt. I feel it's a personal thing for our community. That whole road abandonment idea stems from one sole person
April Huntley
responded in shock to the Commission’s mysterious ruling against the public
at the
26 Febuary 2013 Lowndes County Commission meeting,
to close the only public access to the Alapaha River in Lowndes County.
The County Attorney and the County Manager appeared to be busy working
on something else and paying no attention.
I don’t know there’s a whole lot more to say. Really, really, shocking and surprising that this road would be closed as much public purpose that it serves.
[long pause]
I’ve done so much research on it and it’s in the best interests of the public to have this access that’s been there for over 100 years.
The 2030 plan that the county has, this would cause less destruction
to that area; less change. There’s already a road there. It only needs parking, and signs, and rules and regulations that people can abide by. And the county, after the last time when it was denied, should have worked with the landowner to mediate things, to get a decent set in place where this could kept for hundreds more years for our county.And I hope there will be a way to open it back up.
Here’s the video:
Really, really, shocking and surprising that this road would be closed as much public purpose that it serves —April Huntley
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 February 2013.
-jsq
Apparently one person with a lawyer can persuade the Lowndes County Commission
that hundreds of people are just
an unruly mass, not the public it’s supposed to represent.
For whatever reason, not clear to the public, the Commission voted
3 to 1 with 1 absent to close the end of Old State Road to Hotchkiss Crossing,
thus barring the only public access to the Alapaha River in Lowndes County.
We shall see whether they will follow through with their
hint that they might make a park on the Alapaha River at another location.
Congratulations to
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall for
speaking up for due process and for voting for the public!
Public Works Director Robin English spoke about road conditions and Emergency Services Director Ashley Tye spoke about Local weather conditions,
Update noon 27 Feb 2013: Link to weather conditions, and to Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.
The Commission reappointed J. Glenn Gregory to the South Regional Joint Development Authority and appointed Commissioner Joyce Evans to the Southern Georgia Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. They are applying for a grant for the county’s MIDS bus system and reapplying for a CDBG grant for Second Harvest.
Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and some notes, followed by a video playlist. See also the videos of Monday morning’s Work Session.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSContinue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Newsflash! “no new information” and “questions were resolved” about
the proposed abandonment of Old State Road at Hotchkiss Landing
on the Alapaha River, according to the Commission.
They vote tonight at 5:30 PM.
Dr. Bill Grow talked for fifteen minutes about South Health District, and managed not to ask the county for money, although the Health Dept. clearly could use some. Ashley Tye reported on local weather conditions and the county’s Code Red emergency warning system, in which lack of Internet access by some county residents came up.
It’s J. Glenn Gregory again for the South Regional Joint Development Authority and Commissioner Joyce Evans for the Southern Georgia Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. They are applying for a grant for the county’s MIDS bus system and reapplying for a CDBG grant for Second Harvest.
Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and some notes, followed by a video playlist.
Continue readingLOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
The county’s website,
down earlier today,
is back up, so we can see there is a Work Session this morning, with voting
at the Regular Session tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.
The proposed abandonment of Old State Road at Hotchkiss Landing
on the Alapaha River,
tabled two weeks ago,
is on the agenda, although
the Georgia Supreme Court makes me wonder why.
One of the two appointments is to the
South Regional Joint Development Authority
which Andrea Schruijer mentioned at the most recent VLCIA board meeting.
Another is to the
Southern Georgia Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council.
I’m guessing one person to each agency; the agenda doesn’t say
how many nor who the candidates are.
Here’s
the agenda. -jsq
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSContinue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor