Category Archives: Safety

Videos: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Work 2026-04-27

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The Lowndes County Commissioners asked many questions yesterday morning in their Work Session.

Especially about 5.a. Adoption of the Lowndes County Resolution for Emergency Management – LEOP and 5.d. …Procurement Determination Declaring Initial Proposal Non-Responsive….

In the elevator after, I told Commissioner Joyce Evans she needs to stop making those long speeches. (Joke: she famously never has said much during County Commission meetings.)

The meeting lasted more than 32 minutes, which is quite long for them.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein was absent.

They vote today at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in their Regular Session.

You can speak at the end of this evening’s meeting, in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

Below are links to LAKE videos of each agenda item, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-28

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Update 2026-04-28: Videos: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC Work 2026-04-27.

The Lowndes County Commission has no rezonings and no appointments to review Monday morning at its Work Session, nor to vote on at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at its Regular Session.

Most of the agenda items are continuation or updating of things they were already doing, such as 5.c. Renewal of Disaster Related Debris Contracts, since we seem to keep having disasters.

[Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-27-28]
Packet: Emergencies, Disasters, Judges, Drugs, and Wells @ LCC 2026-04-27-28

But two items are cleaning up projects that failed. 5.d. Consideration of Procurement Determination Declaring Initial Proposal Non-Responsive and Award of Contract to Cowart Electric is because Current Edge Solutions failed to meet requirements.

5.g. Potable Well Testing is to try once again to get water wells working correctly at Alapaha Plantation.

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, with images of each page below.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Datacenter, paving, grants, breeding, health, 4 Board Appointments, 1 Alcohol, 1 Easement Exchange, 2 Solid Waste Franchises @ LCC Regular 2026-03-24

There was a somewhat startling citizen report about the possible future datacenter site at the Tuesday evening Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission. See other post for Tetiana Babcock.

The Commissioners breezed through all the voting items with unanimous approval. Except Commissioner Joyce Evans did ask if any applicants for the board appointments were present. Travis Cox was present. He had just been appointed to ZBOA in place of John Hogan. Also, John McCall was reappointed to ZBOA.

[Collage @ LCC 24 March 2026]
Collage @ LCC 24 March 2026

County Manager Paige Dukes asked for Ashley Tye to talk about Water Stewardship in the current drought, and Fire Chief Billy Young to talk about not burning while it is so dry.

Six citizens spoke: Mary Roe about Paving of Green Road, Kelly Saxon about Baldwin Place grants and shelters, Amanda Hall about pet Breeding limits, Kristina Cheek McBride about Maternal Health Issues, Michael Noll about Data Center collaboration and transparency, and Tetiana Babcock about Data Center Encroachment. See other post for Tetiana Babcock.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Data Center Prospects in Lowndes County –Lowndes County, GA 2026-03-09

So people can catch up on what is happening with datacenters, here is Lowndes County’s astonishingly informative post on the process going forward, illustrated and annotated with what has already happened.

This post does not mean that I or LAKE or any organization with which I am associated are in favor of or opposed to everything of anything in the county’s post. There are and will be plenty of other posts for such opinions.

[Data Center Prospects in Lowndes County, by Lowndes County, GA, 2026-03-09]
Data Center Prospects in Lowndes County, by Lowndes County, GA, 2026-03-09

Data Center Prospects in Lowndes County

Lowndes County, Georgia — On July 8, 2025, the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners approved the rezoning of REZ-2025-11, Coleman Road~719 acres from its current C-C (Crossroads Commercial) and CON (Conservation District) zoning classification to M-1 (Light Manufacturing) and CON (Conservation District) zoning classification with the following seven (7) conditions: Continue reading →

Videos: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, Condemnation along Twin Lakes Road, VAWA @ LCC Regular 2026-01-27

Congressman Austin Scott, District 8, congratulated Lowndes County on its 200th anniversary.

His appearance was not on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of January 27, 2026. This was an unusual opportunity to talk directly to the Congress member for Lowndes County and many surrounding counties. Which is a reason you may want to attend Lowndes County Commission meetings: there’s no telling who may show up.

Rep. Scott read what he said was a resolution, but it appears to be a brief speech he made in the U.S. House. CELEBRATING LOWNDES COUNTY’S 200TH BIRTHDAY; Congressional Record Vol. 171, No. 213 (Extensions of Remarks – December 17, 2025),

CELEBRATING LOWNDES COUNTY’S 200TH BIRTHDAY

HON. AUSTIN SCOTT

of georgia

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lowndes County in Georgia’s 8th Congressional District. Lowndes County was established by the Georgia State Assembly on December 23, 1825. Since then, the county has grown to be home to more than 118,000 people and spans 511 square miles. What was once a railroad town dominated by cotton sales has grown to serve as home to Valdosta State University, the Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area, Moody Air Force Base, and many charming Georgia towns. Lowndes County has served our airmen at Moody Air Force Base for many years and sets the example for how we can best support our soldiers and their families. I am honored to represent this community and look forward to seeing Lowndes County continue to grow for years to come.

[Collage @ LCC Regular 27 January 2026]
Collage @ LCC Regular 27 January 2026

The Twin Lakes Road right of way condemnation turned into a purchase agreement, resolution having been reached with the landowners.

The Commissioners unanimously approved everything on the agenda, except the condemnation, which they declared moot.

Three citizens spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard: Mary Roe about paving of Green Road, Michael Noll about Citizens against Data Centers, and Maria Chung Willoughby about a non profit partnership.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, Condemnation along Twin Lakes Road, VAWA, Extension Office, Red Cross @ LCC Work 2026-01-26

Update 2026-02-06: Videos: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, Condemnation along Twin Lakes Road, VAWA @ LCC Regular 2026-01-27 2026-01-27.

The longest items at the Work Session this morning were 11 minutes of 6.a. Extension Office Update By Joshua Dawson and 8 minutes of 6.b. American Red Cross Update By Jacqueline Shoemaker.

If you weren’t there, you can only see them here in these LAKE videos, since the Lowndes County Commission does not publish videos of its Work Sessions.

They vote tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM, on spending $214,412.00 on the Spring Creek plant and $24,400.00 on a sewage pump repair at the Peterson Road Lift Station.

If they don’t make a deal before then, they’ll vote on paying $12,400.00 as a condemnation price to get some road and drainage right of way along Twin Lakes Road.

Plus there’s $26,371.00 cash match for a VAWA grant.

Other items include a resolution to sell surplus water meters and a Special Assessment Rate for 2026.

[Collage @ LCC Work 26 January 2026]
Collage @ LCC Work 26 January 2026

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, Condemnation along Twin Lakes Road, VAWA, Extension Office, Red Cross @ LCC 2026-01-26

Update 2026-01-26: Videos: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, Condemnation along Twin Lakes Road, VAWA, Extension Office, Red Cross @ LCC Work 2026-01-26.

No rezonings this week, but plenty of purchases, resolutions, and a grant, on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission.

Their Work Session is Monday morning, and they vote Tuesday evening in their Regular Session.

The county is under a GA-EPD Consent Order about drinking water. This is revealed by the agenda packet page for 5.a. Spring Creek Water Treatment Plant Design Build Project. Neither the board packet materials nor the ad for bids mentions where this is. However, previous research indicates it’s the well with water tower at 4245 Hattie Pl, Valdosta, GA 31605, near a creek that runs west by Pine Grove Middle School to the Withlacoochee River.

They will vote on spending $214,412.00 on the Spring Creek plant and $24,400.00 on a sewage pump repair at the Peterson Road Lift Station.

The packet materials don’t say where the Peterson Road Lift Station is, either, but it appears to be in the southeast corner of 6201 Peterson Road, east of the I-75 Georgia Visitor Center. The sign on the fence says Roadway Lift Station.

And the county thinks $12,400.00 is a fair condemnation price to get some road and drainage right of way along Twin Lakes Road.

That’s about a quarter million dollars they may approve Tuesday, before even adding in the $26,371.00 cash match for a VAWA grant.

[Packet: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, VAWA, Twin Lakes Road Condemnation @ LCC 2026-01-26]
Packet: Water treatment upgrade because GA-EPD Consent Order, Lift Station Pump Repair, VAWA, Twin Lakes Road Condemnation @ LCC 2026-01-26

Cost What
$214,412.00Spring Creek Water Treatment Plant Design Build Project
$26,371.00 Approval of the Solicitor General's FY26 VAWA Continuation Grant Application
$24,400.00Peterson Road Lift Station Pump Repair
$12,400.00Condemning Right of Way and Drainage Easement for Twin Lakes Road TSPLOST Paving Project; Parcel 3
$277,583.00Total

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

You may wonder, as I do, why doesn’t the county put its board packets on its own website?

Maybe you’d like to ask your County Commissioners that question.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Workshop 2, Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update 2025-11-17

Update 2026-01-17: the next such Workshop is being rescheduled; we don’t yet know until when.

Update 2026-01-16: Power, water, and datacenters –Suwannee Riverkeeper 2025-11-17.

Very interesting discussions at the second Workshop on the five-year Update to the Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan. Datacenters, water, sewer, power, trash, accessibility, affordable housing, guiding development, and more.

The third Workshop will be this Monday Tuesday, January 20, 2026, about 6 PM, after the Work Session of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC), at 325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, GA.

Update 2026-01-17: the next such Workshop is being rescheduled; we don’t yet know until when.

[Workshop 2, Lowndes County, Comprehensive Plan Update, Many interesting discussions, 2025-11-17]
Workshop 2, Lowndes County, Comprehensive Plan Update, Many interesting discussions, 2025-11-17

Suwannee Riverkeeper noted reliable power and water are needed for economic development, and AI datacenters could be a problem for that. Also, don’t assume just because the governor says we’re doing datacenters that they will expand everywhere. Remember the dotcom bust and how cheap PCs took over, then smartphones. Somebody will invent a much less expensive method of doing so-called artificial intelligence, a method that does not require huge datacenters. Meanwhile, there are natural limits on water, witness Barber Pool, fed by a spring that now hardly ever trickles. Continue reading →

Packet: 3 rezonings, dogs and cats ordinance, 7 water items, etc. @ VCC 2025-12-11

Update 2025-12-27: According to a usually reliable witness, facebook live had technical difficulties for the December meeting, and wasn’t noticed until just before the meeting started, so there is no video of that meeting. I’m told the dogs and cats ordinance did not pass, but may come back in a later meeting. Everything else did pass, or so I’m told. It appears the City Council needs to get some help for the City Clerk: “2.a) The Minutes from the September, October, and November City Council Meetings are forthcoming.”

Valdosta Mayor and Council had a very busy meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

First, some questions for Valdosta Mayor, Council, and City Manager:

  1. Why does Valdosta not publish its board packets on its own website? Since anyone can get them through an open records request, they are not secret. The board packets could go on the city’s own Agenda & Minutes web page:

    – https://www.valdostacity.com/city-council/agendas-minutes

  2. Speaking of which, where are the minutes since August? They’re not on that web page.
  3. Why did Valdosta not do publicity about the seven (7) drinking water or wastewater improvement items on this December agenda?
  4. Where is Valdosta’s video of this December meeting? If the facebook live video is the official video of the meeting, why is it not linked into the Agendas & Minutes web page?

Valdosta complains people think they’re doing nothing about fixing their wastewater problems.

Maybe that has something to do with the city actively hiding the details in unpublished board packets, as well as doing publicity about such projects.

[Collage of VCC Packet 2025-12-11]
Collage of VCC Packet 2025-12-11

On this agenda was an ordinance copying Lowndes County in prohibiting sale of dogs and cats by retail establishments, a resolution about Valdosta City School System Refunding Bonds, and another resolution about the Georgia Historic Tax Credit Program. Plus various equipment for Engineering, Public Works, and Police.

The agenda also included the three rezonings or conditional use permits heard last month by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25373

The seven wastewater improvement items are: Continue reading →

Videos: 2 of 4 Presentations, 4 Appointments, 2 Rezonings, 1 Dec. Lighting, 16 For Consideration, 1 Pump Station Upgrade @ LCC Regular 2025-12-09

Could be a record: an hour and 14 minutes for Tuesday’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

After many months, they had Recognition of return of Commissioner Joyce Evans. She is clearly still recovering from her medical issues, but Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wheeled her in. She didn’t say anything then, but, then, she seldom does. She did thank them at the end of the meeting.

[Collage @ LCC 9 December 2025]
Collage @ LCC 9 December 2025

The did not reappoint incumbent Tommy Willis to the Planning Commission. Instead they appointed John “Mac” McCall by a vote of 3-2. As near as I can tell, Commissioners Mark Wisenbaker and Demarcus Marshall were the 2.

By acclamation they reappointed incumbent Felicia Williams to the Lowndes County Board Of Assessors. Nobody even nominated Gretchen Quarterman. Ms. Williams later spoke about the Tax Commissioners in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard (CWTBH).

Mr. Gary Wisenbaker was appointed to the Lowndes County Library Board after he recused himself from the vote.

The seat reserved for Wild Adventures on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center And Tourism Authority had a new WA General Manager appointed: Donald Spiller III.

The meeting length was because of many agenda items, some postponed from last month, some because there’s only one Regular Session in each of November and December, and some year-end items.

The only item that took more than ten minutes was Continue reading →