Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Volume 133 Number 20
Jasper, Georgia
20 pages in two sections
Published Weekly
Pickens County’s Census response lower than state, national averages
Pickens’ Response
Georgia’s Response
National Response
Jasper’s Response
Nelson’s Response
56.1%
60.1%
64.7%
61.3%
53.7%
Talking Rock’s Response
56.1%
Response rates as of 8/31/20 DEADLINE TO BE COUNTED IS SEPTEMBER 30TH Visit www.census.georgia.gov
At long last, Pickens VA
Clinic open for business
Angela Reinhardt / Photo
Veterans have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the Pickens VA Clinic since the project was made
public in August of 2017. Veterans were lined up before opening to enroll on Monday.
One veteran happily said, “This is an extremely big deal. ”
Only urgent face-to-
face visits being
conducted; Other
appointments by
telehealth
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
Several veterans were already
lined up outside the Pickens VA
Clinic before it opened for its first
day of business, 8 a.m. on Monday,
Aug. 31. This comes as no sur
prise, as the clinic has been one of
the most anticipated developments
in the community in years.
Pat Buchanan was one of those
veterans. He drove down bright
and early from Ellijay to enroll.
For years he has travelled to the
Blairsville clinic for his medical
care, but said the Pickens facility is
more convenient and expects it
will attract veterans from all over
the immediate and surrounding
areas.
“This is an extremely big deal,”
said Buchanan, who has been anx
iously awaiting opening day since
a friend told him about it two years
ago. “This is going to be far closer
and easier for people to get to than
Blairsville or Atlanta. Say I had an
8 a.m. appointment in Atlanta, I’d
to leave at 4 so I have time to drive
and spend the hour it takes to find
a parking spot. This is great, great
news for veterans in the area.”
That morning, representatives
from the Atlanta VA Healthcare
System, as well as the 25 or so em
ployees of the local facility, were
on site to enroll and transfer pa
tients. The Pickens location will
offer primary care, mental health,
telehealth, eye, and audiology
services.
“The new Pickens County VA
Clinic will increase access and en
sure that our veterans continue to
receive the high-quality health care
that they have earned and deserve
closer to their home,” Atlanta VA
Health Care System Director Ann
See VA Clinic on 11A
Woman rescued in Monument Rd.
area after a night in the woods
Pickens Sheriff Facebook / Photo
A large group from local agencies and several state groups that spe
cialize in missing person searches found a Monument Road woman on
Monday after she was reported missing Sunday afternoon. The woman
was tired but okay after a night in the woods.
County to pave 28 roads
Open records
request over
petition
causes uproar
Candidate Stancil said
petitions shredded
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
An open records request for
commission candidate David
Shouse’s petition signatures -
made public by way of an open
records request - created an up
roar on social media over the past
week between Shouse and GOP
candidate Kris Stancil and their
supporters.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, the
elections office announced they
verified enough of Shouse’s signa
tures for him to appear on the No-
See Request on 11A
Progress to host
commission
chair candidate
forum
The Pickens Progress will host
a forum between commission
chair candidates David Shouse (I)
and Kris Stancil (R) on Monday,
Oct. 5.
The event will be held at the
Pickens County Administration
Building, downstairs in the Pick
ens Room, beginning at 7 p.m. It
will be moderated by longtime
Progress contributor Larry Caven-
der, who has moderated numerous
other political debates, forums,
and town hall meetings.
Both candidates have agreed to
attend. More details about the for
mat and seating capacity will be
provided soon.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
The Pickens government will
resurface over 11 miles on 28
county roads. Officials opened
bids for the large paving project on
Thursday, Aug. 27.
There were five bids, ranging
from just over $ 1 million to around
$1.3 million. The paving will be
funded by the 2014 SPLOST.
Pickens Commission Chair Rob
Jones said the project will wipe out
most of the 2014 SPLOST monies
earmarked for paving, “but there’s
a little left in there for the sheriff
and for some water projects”
After commissioners officially
accept a bid at a called meeting on
Thursday, Sept.3 paving should get
underway quickly, according to
Jones. The bid package stipulates
the project be completed within 60
days of it being awarded.
“They’ll want to go ahead and
get started so they can get paid,”
Jones said, “but of course they are
dependent on the weather. We’re
having that called meeting to ac
cept the bid so we can get going.”
The following roads will be
resurfaced: Whispering Waters
Drive, 2,350 ft.; Whispering Court,
570 ft.; Whispering Pebbles Trail,
1,490 ft.; Quiet Water Court, 690
ft.; Mill Creek Drive, 1,050 ft.;
Staff reports
A 74-year-old Monument Falls
woman spent one night in the
woods after becoming lost “a
pretty good ways from her home”
before a search dog found her
Monday, Aug. 31, according to re
ports from Pickens Fire and Res
cue.
Fire Chief Sloan Elrod said the
woman, Gloria Rivera-O'Ferrall,
had gone for a walk down the road
but switched to a trail and he spec
ulated went into a small structure
when it started raining. Earlier in
formation indicated she had med
ical issues that could have
contributed to her wandering off
from the home.
A press release from Pickens
Fire and Rescue stated that Sunday
they were requested to respond to
an elderly female missing on Mon
ument Falls Rd. Multiple agencies
spent most of the night actively
looking, and the search began
again, at 7:30 a.m. Monday.
See Rescued on 12A
Mill Pond Court, 1,584 ft.; Hobson
Court, 2,230 ft.; Daisy Lane, 2,000
ft.; Hobson Drive, 4,020 ft.; Deer
Run, 3,200 ft.; Doe Ridge Lane,
450 ft.; Ginger Drive, 1,500 ft.;
Lance Road, 1,560 ft.; McClain
Mountain Road; 7,061 ft.; Emerald
Creek Drive, 1,900 ft.; Emerald
Creek Court, 415 ft.; Green Valley
Farm Road, 1,700 ft.; Refuge Hill
Road, 2,550 ft.; Whitley Road
South, 3,800 ft.; Hensley Way,
4,820 ft.; Hubbard Road, 1,285 ft.;
Afton Road, 827 ft.; Poole Road,
2,429 ft.; Lankford Drive, 2,000
ft.; Thrasher Road, 2,165 ft.; Dean
Mill Road, 4,815 ft.; Samaritan
Way, 950 ft.; Caring Way, 400 ft.
Pickens Dragons
open season at
home versus
Gilmer Friday
Page 1B
Youngblood
resigns from
school board
Page 9A
Editorial
Pickens not a
tourist destination
but is a great
place to live
Page 4A
Obituaries - 8A
• Bonnie Murray
• James Coleman
• James Davis
• Joyce Wheeler
•J.R. Payne
• Myra Turner
• Willene Teague
To our readers
Subscribe to the
Progress before
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