About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2017)
Tigers lose three straight; Morgan boys slip to No. 2 in state ill] £4^1 Your official newspaper sewing Greene, Morgan and Putnam counties in Georgia's Lake Country \ www.LakeOconeeNews.us VOL. 19 NO. 4 FRIDAY JANUARY 27 2017 75 GENTS MORGAN COUNTY Brand new bird coming to Madison Katherine Klimt katherine@lakeoconeenews.us Just as it was recently announced that the iconic “Big Chicken” KFC franchise in Marietta is about to close for a major re modeling project, Madison will soon get its own new and improved KFC restaurant on Eatonton Road. At the most recent Corridor Design Com mission (CDC) meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17, Savannah-based franchise owner Inman Hodges presented his plans for a complete teardown and rebuilding of the current restaurant building. At more than 20 years old, the existing structure is overdue for replacement rather than mere revamping, as Hodges explained: “We are going to have new equipment to meet new needs, and the building’s going to be a little bit larger . . . we want to start completely fresh.” The new building will aim to both be easily recognizable, with KFC’s distinc tive red and white stripes, and point to a more modern direction for the franchise. Additionally, the exterior branding will be SEE CORRIDOR » A2 T. Michael Stone/Staff Two businesses located between Jefferson Street and Washington Street may soon be under one roof. New construction on Washington Street gets thumbs-up Katherine Klimt katherine@lakeoconeenews.us During its last meeting on Thursday, Jan. 19, Madison’s Downtown Develop ment Authority (DDA) approved the dem olition of a derelict property on the 400 block of Washington St., a short distance from downtown. The property has been slated for dem olition for some time but action has been delayed because of the presence of huge slabs of concrete left there by previous tenants. City planning director Monica Callahan called these slabs a “concrete puddle” and pointed out that they have SEE MADISON » A10 MORGAN COUNTY Cherokee exhibit Katherine Klimt/Staff Presenter Bo Taylor discussed Cherokee heritage onstage. SEE MORE PHOTOS » PAGE A12 index Calendar B5 Churches B8 Classifieds D3 Community B1 Obituaries A8 Opinions A4 Recipes D1 Sports H.. Cl FRIDAY 52/33 Sunny WEATHER »D6 0 94922 87855 7 Published by Smith Communications Inc. MORGAN COUNTY Deputy discovers suspected gang tagging T. Michael Stone michael@lakeoconeenews A Morgan County Deputy stumbled across graffiti associated with a notorious and nationwide gang last week, according to an incident report obtained from the Morgan County Sheriffs Office. Deputy Kenneth Smith was patrolling in the 1600 block of Double Bridges Road on Jan. 17 when he noticed graffiti on a wooden fence in the shape of a six-pointed star with the letter “G” in its center. According to law enforcement, this symbol is associated with the “Gangster Disciples,” a notorious gang operating in 24 states. Smith also noted a backwards “E” and a backwards “S” in the same area. Contributed The six-pointed star with a G in the center of it is a symbol of the Gangster Disciples, according to GANGS » A10 law enforcement. PUTNAM COUNTY Regional officials consider new tax for roads Lynn Hobbs lynn@lakeoconeenews.us With 480 miles of roadway in Putnam County and repaving costs of roughly $220,000 per mile, local officials are looking at funding options for the routine mainte nance and upkeep of Eatonton and Putnam County’s roads. One consideration is a Transpor tation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (T-SPLOST), which could be on the Putnam County ballot in November, Putnam County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dr. Steve Hersey said at the Jan. 18 meeting of Eatonton Putnam Tourism, Arts, Heritage Partnership. Local officials are considering the tax, but so are region officials, meaning Putnam voters could have two T-SPLOSTs to decide - one for the county and one for the region. “The difference is the amount of money that will stay in Putnam County for roads and bridges,” Hersey explained. The number of miles and the costs SEE ROADS » A2 Who you choose to work with in real estate makes all the difference. IxXA/ LUXURY HOMES ▼ Y® INTERNATIONAL "The Vining Group is the BEST! Jonathan has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to buying or selling a property in the lake area. I've worked with a lot of different agents through the years, and I must say that The Vining Group takes things to the next level!" - CHRIS BRASWELL ★★★★★ HIGHLY LIKELY TO RECOMMEND FEATURED LISTING 1031 OLD MILL LANE
