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24 Pages, 2 Sections
A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Sunflower Festival
returns to Statham
The Sunflower Festival returns to downtown Statham
Saturday, Sept. 17. Over 100 vendors set up booths
across Railroad Street with a varierty of crafts, food
and activities for kids.
Kids’ activities during Statham’s annual Sunflower
Festival included face painting, trampoline jumping,
animal baloons and more.
GruntWorx’s service dog lisa greeted attendees at the
Sunflower Festival.
Auburn’s new drinking water
treatment plant breaks ground
Credit: Morgan Ervin
Several years in the making, the multi million dollar water project spearheaded by Auburn Mayor Linda Blechinger
(pictured on left) broke ground Thursday, Sept. 15. Once complete, the plant will provide critically needed water
supply to citizens of Auburn and Winder. Also pictured: Auburn councilmembers Jamie Bradley (center) and Taylor
Sisk (right).
Over a decade in the making Auburn Mayor Linda
Blechinger’s multi-million dollar idea comes to life
By Morgan Ervin
A groundbreaking
ceremony was held at
the site of the new Au
burn-Winder drinking
water treatment plant
Thursday, Sept. 15,
where Auburn Mayor
Linda Blechinger and
city administrator Alex
Mitchem gave praises to
all who have taken part
and committed the proj
ect over a decade in the
making.
Following the
yearslong drought in
Georgia in the early
2000s, then-Governor
Sonny Perdue made an
interesting point that res
onated with Blechinger
and led her to what would
become a multi-jurisdic
tional, regional solution
to the shortage of raw
water storage in the area.
“We have plenty of
rainfall, but we don't
have places to capture
the rain,” Blechinger re
called Perdue saying.
Soon after Perdue’s
comment, Blechinger
noticed an old photo in
city hall of Park’s Mill,
See Auburn, page 2A
Voices of concerned
residents heard by BOC
By Morgan Ervin
A proposed development on Carl Bethlehem
Road drew a crowd of concerned neighbors to the
Barrow County Board of Commissioners (BOC)
meeting Tuesday, Sept. 13, where they expressed a
shared opposition to the 74-acre proposal.
The applicant, Holt Persinger, requested an
amendment to the county’s Future Land Use Map
(FLUM) and a rezone to medium-density resi
dential (R-2) to accommodate 147 single-fam
ily detached homes, located on the south side of
Carl-Bethlehem Road, just west of the intersection
with Williams Road.
The area falls within the Rural Neighborhood
character area of the county’s FLUM, which al
lows for agricultural (AG), agricultural residential
(AR) and low-density residential (R-l) with intent
to preserve and maintain the rural character of
Carl-Bethlehem Road.
“We believe the FLUM is correct and we be
lieve it is appropriate to our community,” said Jim
Pepper, who spoke in opposition during the public
hearing on the proposal.
Pepper added that he gathered up a petition with
80 signatures from people living in the immediate
area who oppose changing the FLUM and rezoning
to a higher density.
“We do not oppose the development on property
as long as its in accord with recommendations of
planning and zoning staff, who recommended R1
[ low-density residential] with homes on one acre
lots,” said Pepper.
Resident Pat Griffith expressed her concerns
See BOC, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
Bethlehem cancels
council meeting due
to lack of quorum
By Morgan Ervin
The Bethlehem City
Council recently can
celed a scheduled meet
ing due to the lack of a
quorum.
Among the items that
were slated to be on the
Sept. 6 agenda was Sha
ron Johnson, who is one
of the candidates running
to fill the seat of Dan
Wages, who recently re
signed.
But Johnson said she
was told she couldn’t
speak at the city council
meeting. Johnson has had
an ongoing dispute with
councilman Scott Mor
gan over various code vi
olation allegations.
According to Johnson,
she was on the original
agenda released by city
clerk Kathy Bridges. But
Johnson said Mayor San
dy McNabb reportedly
called Bridges wanting
to know what Johnson
would be speaking about
See Bethlehem, page 2A
Winder challenges
constitutionality of state’s
annexation dispute arbitrations
By Morgan Ervin
During its Sept. 6 vot
ing session, the Winder
City Council approved
the annexation and re
zoning of a property
located at 0 Pearl Pen
tecost along the West
Winder Bypass, assign
ing it as a Planned Unit
Development (PUD), in
a 4-2 vote with coun
cilmembers Jimmy Ter
rell and Stephanie Britt
opposed.
See Winder, page 1A
PEARL
PENTECOST
WEST
WINDER
BYPASS
The proposal at 0 Pearl Pentecost was approved by the
Winder City Council on Sept. 6 for annexation and re
zone into the city’s Planned Unit Development zoning
district. This development proposal led to an annex
ation dispute arbitration between Barrow County and
the City of Winder last month.
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