The city of Valdosta does have a plan to fix its sewer problems;
it’s funded; and it’s moving along rapidly.
In the Spotlight on Valdosta’s front page says:
Click here for updates to Valdosta’s Sanitary Sewer System improvement projects.
That link leads to Valdosta Sanitary Sewer System Improvements [Since moved by Valdosta to a new URL. 2018-01-28 -jsq], Continue reading
Although the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) didn’t overflow in the rains earlier this week, and apparently not yesterday, either, there were manhole sewage overflows then and according to the Florida Department of Health there were similar overflows yesterday, from Valdosta into the Withlacoochee River.
WCTV posted yesterday a News Release: Florida Department of Health,
TALLAHASSEE- The Florida Department of Health today issued an advisory to residents in counties surrounding the Withlacoochee and the downstream Suwannee River. The City of Valdosta has reported a spill, made up of a combination of storm water and untreated sewage, that has overflowed into the One-Mile Branch, Two-Mile Branch, Sugar Creek and Cherry Creek which flow into the Withlacoochee River. Lab test results received April 18, 2014, indicate higher than normal levels of fecal coliform bacteria in the river waters.
Oddly, there doesn’t seem to be anything about this on the city of Valdosta’s own website yet, but no doubt there will be. More in later posts about what that.
-jsq
A county half the size of Lowndes videos its own Commission meetings and puts them on YouTube. When will mighty Lowndes County do what smaller Effingham County already does? We already knew Effingham County puts its board packets online. When will Lowndes do that?
On the Effingham County website
front page
there’s a link under the picture of the Commissioners to
Effingham County YouTube Channel.
The most recent meeting on there, for 1 April 2014, lasted for three hours and 38 minutes.
Real discussion in a Commission meeting!
-jsq
George Boston Rhynes is reporting the retrial of Lula Smart
of the Quitman 10+2
in Brooks County, Georgia, and its serious issues of voting rights,
justice, and education;
his first three videos are linked in below.
First an amusing observation from yesterday, posted here with permission.
I am lounging outside the Brooks County Courthouse and this is just what I was thinking. We have been here since 8 AM and jury selection is ongoing. To actually eyeball perceived enemies is an humbling experience. How pitiful you have to be to live your life consumed with hatred, venom, bigotry, and a multitude of demonic spirits! Anyway, the greatest take away from day one of the Lula Smart retrial aka the Quitman 10 + 2 is the prosecuting attorney’s question to potential jurors: “have you read or talked to or followed a blog called “On the Lake Front?” Hilarious for those of us who knows what that means!! This kind of evil does kill, but I refuse to allow it to rob me of my joy! Blessed nite. Nite!
-Fannie MJ Gibbs
I’ve always said we had a reader. I just didn’t know it was the Quitman 10+2 prosecution.
Here are George’s first three videos:
Continue reading
Some interesting stuff on there, such as the
South Georgia Golf Classic,
which
appears to actually be 2-4 May 2014
(even though that event’s
facebook about still refers to last year),
and the
South Georgia Fly-in,
which apparently already happened on April 4th.
I wonder what is the
Presentation by Mr. Ben Futch about?
And VLCIA’s May meeting has a time change, to when
this agenda
does not say.
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial AuthorityContinue reading
Thursday, April 15, 2014 5:30 p.m.
Industrial Authority Conference Room
2110 N. Patterson Street
Maybe Lowndes County Commissioners can ask Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08) to do what Dougherty County Commissioners have successfully asked Rep. Bishop (GA-02) to do: those two Congressional districts cover the entire Georgia part of the proposed path of that methane pipeline. And maybe they could help Greenlaw get the FERC scoping period extended and get the GIS data from Sabal Trail.
Carlton Fletcher wrote for the Albany Herald yesterday,
U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop to take part in pipeline listening session:
Metting called to address safety, other concerns surrounding controversial natural gas pipeline,
Two Dougherty County Commissioners and one of their former colleagues who is running to rejoin them have scheduled a listening session at 10 a.m. Thursday with U.S. House District 2 Congressman Sanford Bishop to discuss the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission Gas Pipeline project and a planned accompanying Continue reading
To the VDT the county government always smells like azaleas
and the city of Valdosta government always smells like sewage.
The local newspaper of record doesn’t seem to smell sewage
or landfill problems from Lowndes County.
Today’s VDT editorial complains about
environmental groups paying attention to “theoretical disasters”
(presumably referring to the Sabal Trail pipeline),
yet the VDT has never covered the group that has
most consistently followed the watershed-wide
flooding issues that cause Valdosta’s flooding problems:
WWALS Watershed Coalition.
The VDT recommends citizens get more involved
in sniffing out Valdosta’s sewage problems, yet it doesn’t seem
to cover Citizens Wishing To Be Heard anymore, nor has the VDT called
for the citizen participation sessions promised by
the local governments for the Army Corps of Engineers flooding studies.
Maybe the VDT could encourage citizen participation, rather than ignore it.
VDT editorial today, It just plain stinks, Continue reading
These are the fourteen items he promised
two weeks ago at the SpectraBusters panel at VSU:
Sabal Trail will be expected to adhere and honor all Lowndes County Ordinances –Bill E Slaughter, JR to FERC, 10 April 2014.
I thank Chairman Slaughter for making that statement to FERC.
Despite his apparent refusal to speak on behalf of all the citizens of the county after the 24 February 2014 Commission meeting, he did actually say his ecomment to FERC was “on the behalf of the Commission and Citizens of Lowndes County”, and that he expects Sabal Trail to follow all Lowndes County ordinances, plus Continue reading
Opponents to the
Brookhaven apartment building
rezoning packed the room,
like they did
at the Planning Commission meeting the previous night.
The Lake Park City Council tabled it,
asking the developers to go talk to the citizens.
The annexation request discussed at length at the 10 March 2014 Lowndes County Commission Work Session was on the agenda for last night’s Planning Commission but was withdrawn. It’s still on this agenda.
And they have Citizens’ Concerns not once but twice, which resulted in several citizens praising the City Council and staff, especially for the Lake Park Rodeo parade.
Here’s a link to the agenda for the 1 April 2014 Lake Park City Council Regular Session, followed by links to the videos in the order they actually discussed things, plus a few notes. Continue reading
Breakfast right now, meeting 10AM.
VDT, 11 April 2014, Sharper hosts town hall meeting,
State Rep. Dexter Sharper hosts a town hall meeting this Saturday to discuss the past General Assembly session and the upcoming Let Us Make Man event.
Let Us Make Man 2014 is a train-the-trainer, community-oriented event designed for everyone: parents, non-profit administrators, entrepreneurs, college students, churches, teachers and most importantly teenagers. A full day of workshops include: Continue reading