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DECEMBER 17, 2020
Madison County Journal
Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumaITODAY.com
Vol. 37 No. 46 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 16 Pages, 2 Section Plus Supplements
$1.00
ELECTIONS
Early voting
under way
Early voting is now under
way for the two Jan. 5 U.S.
Senate runoffs in Georgia.
A total of 1,076 people
voted early through Tuesday in
Madison County.
Republican incumbent
David Perdue faces Democrat
Jon Ossoff, and Republican
Kelly Loeffler, who was
appointed by Gov. Brian
Kemp to fill the unfinished
term of Johnny Isakson, faces
Democrat Raphael Wamock.
Voting is held from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m., through Friday this
week, then Dec. 21 through
Dec. 23. and Dec. 28 through
Dec. 31 at the county elections
office at 94 Spring Lake Drive,
Danielsville.
A secure drop box is located
at the county office for absen
tee ballots and any other elec
tion material.
CHRISTMAS
Luminaries,
live Nativity
set for
Saturday
The 36 th -annual
Christmas Luminaries
will take place on Moon's
Grove Church Road and
Booger Hill Road (outside
the city of Danielsville)
Saturday, December 19
from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Live Nativity will
be in the parking lot of
Moon’s Grove Baptist
Church.
“Due to concerns with
Covid, the Live Nativity
will be a drive through
this year,” organizers said.
“We are asking everyone
to remain in their cars.
Goodie bags will be given
out. Please join us as we
share the true meaning
of Christmas, the birth of
Christ, with our communi
ty. There is no rain date.”
Madison County
Mentor Program
hosts event
— Page 2A
Softball
players
recognized
— Page IB
CORONAVIRUS
Cases continue to rise in MC
MCHS, MCMS
go virtual for
the week
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
The campuses of the county high school and
middle school are quiet again this week as Madison
County continues to see a spike in COVID-19.
Both schools went to distance learning for the
final week before Christmas break, while the coun
ty’s five elementary schools remain in-person with
fewer cases and quarantines.
As of the latest school posting on Friday, Dec.
11, the school system reported 28 students and nine
employees positive with COVID-19, with 498 stu
dents and 39 employees quarantined for exposure to
See ‘COVID’ on 3A
It’s Santa!
Truett Martin, 2, Danielsville, visits with “Santa” Saturday at the City of Dan-
ielsville’s drive-through Christmas event at Madison Memorial Park next to
the county government complex. See more photos on Page 3A. Zach Mitcham/
staff
COUNTY SEAT
Danielsville acts on
financing for sewer
system upgrades
By Margie Richards
margie @ mainstreetnews.com
The City of Danielsville is moving forward with
financing for city sewer upgrades.
The Danielsville City Council approved an interim
USDA financing loan Monday with United Community
Bank for $712,079 at a 1.9 percent interest rate. A res
olution for the loan will be approved at a special called
meeting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28, just prior to the council’s
work session.
The council has been awarded a $3.2 million USDA
loan to upgrade the sewer system in the city, but as part
of that award, the city is required to use interim funding
from a commercial lender first.
This loan is the first of two expected interim loans and
includes a pay off the approximately $477,000 balance
on a loan that was taken out earlier in the year to pay the
school system for ownership of the city sewage pond
located just behind the high school.
In related business, the council approved several
See ‘D’ville’ on 3A
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Index:
News — 1-3A
Opinions — 4-5A
Crime — 6A
Social — 7-8A
Sports — 1-2B
Obituaries — 4-5B
Classifieds — 6B
Legals — 7B
School — 8B
Contact:
Phone: 800-795-2581
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, Ga. 30633
Web:
MadisonJournalTODAY.
com
By Zach Mitcham
zach @ mainstreetnews .com
Roy Gandy stood on Rotary ramp number 800
Saturday remembering ramp number one.
The first recipient had suffered from polio and
had a terrible time trying to get in and out of his
home. Gandy and fellow Rotarians were there to
install an air conditioner for the Madison County
man, but it was obvious, he needed a ramp.
“He was a good guy, but he was crawling in
and out of his house," said Gandy. “That ramp
was our first one, a 24-footer. It took us most of
the day to do it.”
That was 1995. And over the next quarter of a
century, the Rotary Club of Madison County has
spread thousands of feet of ramps across homes
in Madison County and beyond, helping improve
the lives of one family after another.
“You can’t believe how many people we built
ramps for that cried," said Gandy, who recalled
going to Clarke County to build a ramp at the
request of a woman whose daughter had just
three months to live. The dying daughter wanted
to be able to get out of the house and see the plac
es she used to go. The crew carried on even after
a run-in with a permitting official. Gandy said the
official told him to stop building. He said, no, the
woman’s dying daughter was getting a ramp.
“She’s lying there in this bed and she can’t get
up," said Gandy. “She’s got three months to live.
She wanted to drive around a little bit and I’ll be
damned if I’m going to stop building.”
So the crew kept building.. .and building.. .and
building.
...and counting
Rotary Club reaches another
milestone in signature program
RARY c* ~
.adison rnnurT-'
Madison County Rotary Club members and volunters gather for a photo with Jimmy and
Sonya King, who received a ramp Saturday, the club’s 800th. Photos by Zach Mitcham
Saturday marked another yard marker, the
800th ramp. A crowd of Rotarians, volunteers,
local leaders and citizens were on hand to see
the ramp crew blitz their way through another
construction project. What used to take a number
of hours is now more appropriately measured in
minutes.
And there is always a need.
“We have never, ever been without a ramp
list,” said Rotarian Ed Brown. “I added two more
yesterday. I’ve got to visit sometime this weekend
and see where they’re going to be placed on the
See ‘Ramp’ on 3A
Original Rotary ramp crew members (L-R)
Jerry Bond, Roy Gandy and Pat Quinn are
pictured Saturday.
