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o o 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.