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BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020
Economic Story of the Year
Mount Vernon Mills shutting down end of an era
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
In early 2020, plans were
announced that Mount Ver
non Mills in Alto would be
closing.
For more than five de
cades, the mill provided a
job for residents of Banks
and Habersham counties.
Some employees started
working there as a teenager
and were still there when
decades later when it shut
down.
In some families, second
generations of the same
family worked at the plant.
When the Mount Vernon
Mills closed in Alto, it the
end of a piece of history for
many people in the com
munity.
For this reason, the clos
ing of the plant has been
named the Economic Story
of the Year.
When the plant closed, it
employed 600 people, 65
of them being Banks Coun
ty residents.
"As we have received
notification of the closing
of Mt. Vernon Mills, for
merly known as Riegel,
our hearts are moved with
compassion and much
prayer has been spoken for
all the families that will be
affected by this action,"
Mayor Audrey Turner said
when the announcement
was made. “Of the over
600 employees, many have
worked there most of their
lives and some whole fami
lies are employed there. We
know life always brings
change and, according
to Romans 8:28 KJV, we
know that all things work
together for good to them
that love God, to them who
are the called according
to his purpose so we trust
that He will lead each one
into their new purpose and
meet every need according
to His mighty power as we
look to Him.”
Political Story of the Year
Election year brings new chairman to BOC; two new commissioners
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
It was a whirlwind elec
tion year with voters elect
ing a new chairman to the
Banks County Board of
Commissioners and two
new commissioners. A re
count led to a change in the
candidates in the run-off for
one of the BOC seats; while
a recount was held in the
presidential race following
a request from President
Trump. All of the election
news in 2020 has been
named the Political Story of
the Year.
It was a close race for the
BOC chairmanship with
Charles Turk winning with
1,970 votes, while Will
Ramsey had 1,906 votes.
Turk ended up taking office
early after Chairman Jim
my Hooper resigned due to
medical reasons.
In the District 1 Banks
County Board of Commis
sion race, Bo Garrison won
in a three-person race with
out a run-off, taking 55 per
cent of the vote.
In the District 4 BOC
commission race, it first
looked like Keith Gardiner
and Bob Blackwell were
the top two vote-getters and
would be in a run-off. Fol
lowing the election. Black-
well was up by two votes
over William Reems.
However, due to a dis
crepancy in the District 4
County Commissioner race
in the total number of votes
cast and the total number of
absentee paper ballots cast,
as discovered by the Banks
County Election Superin
tendent on election night.
the absentee ballots were
re-scanned by the IT Tech
from Dominion Voting.
The re-scanned count was
different from the scanned
votes on election night.
Since the vote counts were
different, the Election Su
perintendent chose for the
paper absentee ballots to
be counted by hand by the
Board of Elections.
In the hand count, Black-
well received 857 votes and
Reems received 860 votes.
Therefore, Reems and Gar
diner were in the run-off.
Gardiner won the run-off
for the District 4 commis
sion seat.
At the year’s end there
was also a recount in the
presidential race. The re
count of ballots in Banks
County confirmed the orig
inal election returns that
President Donald Trump
heavily carried the county
over Democrat Joe Biden.
The machine recount was
completed in the county as
part of a statewide recount
requested by the Trump ad
ministration.
In Banks County, the re
count showed that Trump
got 7,795 votes and Biden
received 932.
Trump filed numerous un
successful court challenges
in Georgia and several other
swing states in a bid to over
turn election results where
he lost to Biden.
The state’s recount comes
as election officials prepare
for a runoff for Georgia’s
two senate seats. The bal
ance of power in the Senate
could be decided in those
races.
COVID vaccine
available to EMS
front line workers
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetne ws .com
Banks County Emergency Medical Service workers have
been offered the COVID vaccine by Georgia Public Health.
“Public health is currently offering it to our EMS front
line workers (EMTs and paramedics) and fire first respond
ers,” Deidra Moore, Banks County EMA/E-911 direc
tor states. “They rolled out them first along with nurses /
healthcare and nursing homes.”
Thirty-five of the vaccine has been given so far in Banks
County. Anyone that would be classified as “Tier 1A”
is encouraged to call the Health Department for vaccine
scheduling.
Moore said the next round of the COVID vaccine that
comes to Banks County will reportedly be for others in
public safety, including law enforcement, 911, public safe
ty command staff and other vital emergency services.
“I am sure more will be included with that group but I
have not heard the details further yet,” Moore stated.
Details have not been released as to when the COVID
vaccine will be available to the general public.
CORONER SWORN IN
Coroner Mark Savage is shown being sworn in for an
other term of office by Probate Judge Helen Hewell.
His wife, Kim, is shown with him.
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