About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2017)
Your official newspaper serving Greene, Morgan and Putnam counties in Georgia's Lake Country \ www.LakeOconeeNews.us VOL. 19 NO. 1 FRIDAY JANUARY 6 2016 75 GENTS MORGAN COUNTY Morgan to build $ 35 million hospital Hayden Massey news@lakeoconeenews.us The Morgan Memorial Hospital signed onto a $35 million loan from the govern ment in order to build a 25-bed critical access hospital. Kathleen Henderson and David Mullen came from Monroe to deliver a letter of conditions. “That’s why I am here tonight, to deliver a letter of conditions,” said Kathleen Henderson. “This is the next stage into the phase that would [begin] the develop ment.” Over the course of the meeting, Henderson explained all the different aspects of the letter of conditions and the government loan. The loan is for $35 million to be paid back in less than 25 years, at an average of $155,000 per month. “It is supervised credit,” Hen derson said. “So that means that somebody from [our] develop ment will be overseeing what you do at this stage.” Chairman of the Hospital Authority Terry Evans made a motion to borrow $35 million from USDA to build the hospital. The vote was unanimous. Sarah Burbach then made a motion to approve the USDA Letter of Conditions and to have Terry Evans sign it. Dan Zant seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Finally, Burbach made a motion to put Terry Evans in charge. Zant seconded the motion, and the vote was unanimous. This approval of the Letter of Conditions from the USDA is just the first step of many to the devel opment of this new critical access hospital. MORGAN COUNTY GREENE COUNTY Elected officials sworn in by probate judge T. Michael Stone michael@lakeoconeenews.us Morgan County Probate Judge Charles W. Merritt swore in elected members of Morgan County gov ernment on Dec. 28 at the court house. First to be sworn in was Alison T. Burlson who was elected to serve as a judge on the Ocmulgee Superior Court Circuit. Burlson was ap pointed by Governor Nathan Deal in December of 2014 to fill a term that expired last year. Next, Judge Merritt swore in Jody T. Moss as Superior Court Clerk. Moss begins her fourth term in office after first being elected in 2004. Becky Astin was then sworn in as Morgan County’s Tax Com missioner. Astin begins her fifth T. Michael Stone/Staff Ocmulgee Circuit Superior Court Judge Allison T. Burlson is sworn in by Morgan County SEE OFFICIALS » A8 Probate Judge Charles W. Merritt. BOC OKs solar farm ordinance Mark Engel engel@lakeoconeenews.us The Greene County Commission passed an ordinance on December 15 that sets guidelines for Solar Farms in the county. But it wasn’t easy. The vote was 3-1 with District 2 Commissioner Jeffery Smith abstain ing. “I wasn’t happy with everything that transpired,” he said. “That’s basically what it came down to.” Chairman Gary Usry and com missioners Ernie Filice (Dist. 4) and Angela Deering (Dist. 1) voted in favor of the ordinance. SEE SOLAR » A3 index Calendar B5 Churches B6 Classifieds D4 Community B1 Obituaries A6 Opinions A4 Recipes D1 Sports... Cl C3 FRIDAY 49/29 Sunny WEATHER »D7 0 94922 87855 7 Published by Smith Communications Inc. GREENE COUNTY Reminder: Economic development requires good schools Mark Engel engel@lakeoconeenews.us “I’m probably selfishly asking on behalf of our company,” Greensboro software developer Mark De Mattei told the Lake Oconee Academy Board of Directors Tuesday night. De Mattei said his local company had just merged with two others and they are about to introduce a new operating system that revolu tionizes text messaging. They want to expand soon in Greene County. “My kids are a product of the in credible things you guys have built,” he told the LOA board. “I just want to know that I can make an offer to Mark Engel/Staff Lake Oconee Academy Board of Directors meeting Tuesday. Pictured are (left to right) are directors Fatima SEE LOA » A9 Fields and Kim Larkin, CEO Dr. Otho Tucker, directors Mark Lipscomb, Connie Hoyle and Byron Lombard. LAKE COUNTRY Hank Segars named Lakelife associate editor Smith Communications Inc., parent company of The Eatonton Messenger, announced Monday that Hank Segars will be the associate editor of Lakelife magazine effec tive immediately. “I am very excited to have Hank joining our team,” said Mark Smith Jr., general manager of the Lake Oconee Nexvs. “He is an ac complished writer and has done a lot of work for us in the past. He is also quite the history buff and we look forward to many memorable issues of Lakelife with his help,” Smith said. “Hank will be working out of the downtown Madison office and helping out on some Lake Oconee Nexvs assignments in addition to the work he will be doing for the magazine.” Segars, a popular Lake Country writer and editor, enjoys researching a broad range of historical topics to include his favorite: The American South. Since 2012 the freelance writer has SEE SEGARS » A9 Hank Segars BEAT THE (MmS CALL TEAM 866 Harmony Rd. Eatonton, GA | Phone: 706-485-5456 | www.bryant-air.com
