The first week of early voting wraps up today and tomorrow in Athens and around the state. Voters—not many of them so far—have been casting ballots in advance of Georgia’s March 12 presidential preference primaries. Early voting in Athens takes place from 8 til 5 today and 9 til 5 tomorrow at the Elections Office on Washington Street. Jackson County voters, casting their ballots in Jefferson, are also deciding a special election for a Jackson County Commission seat.
The University of Georgia’s Office of Sustainability is hosting the Southeastern Student Sustainability Conference. The conference that begins today continues through Sunday at UGA’s Delta Innovation Hub. That is on Spring Street in Athens. A special called meeting of the Oconee County Industrial Development Authority is set for 9:30 this morning at the Oconee County Administrative Building.
Elbert County is making plans to celebrate Super Bowl hero Mecole Hardman, who caught the game winning pass in the game played earlier this month. Mecole Hardman week is set for next month, March 17-23 in Elberton. Hardman, a former Georgia Bulldog from Bowman, has won two straight Super Bowl rings as a member of the Chiefs.
An Elbert County judge leaves in place an injunction on construction of new poultry houses within the city limits of Bowman. Despite the injunction, there is as of now no final ruling on whether or when poultry house construction will be allowed to resume.
Electric automaker Rivian, forging ahead with plans for a massive production plant along the Morgan-Walton County line, is laying off workers elsewhere. Rivian says it will cut about ten percent of its salaried workforce. The California-based company is not saying how many of its more than 16 thousand workers are salaried employees.
The Banks County School Board names a new principal for Banks County High School: Will Foster will take over for the retiring Mike Brown. Foster has been a teacher and an assistant principal at the high school in Homer. He’ll take over as principal at the end of the school year.
Lawyers for Rodrigo Ugalde say they will be back in court in Carnesville, looking for bond for the man accused in last summer’s assault on an elderly homeowner. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office say the victim of the attack that happened last June was robbed and beaten. Ugalde was arrested on a long list of charges that include aggravated assault and home invasion.
Injuries to a pedestrian are described as serious: a 70 year-old man was hit by a vehicle on Highway 8 in Hart County. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the accident in Hartwell.