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JANUARY 7, 2021
Madison County Journal
Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumaITODAY.com
Vol. 37 No. 49* Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 16 Pages, 2 Section Plus Supplements
$1.00
PUBLIC HEALTH
Vaccine waiting game
Shots not yet available in Madison County
By Margie Richards
margie @ mainstreetnews.com
As COVID-19 numbers continue to
rise dramatically in Madison County
and all across Georgia and the coun
try, many are wondering when they
can expect to receive the needed vac
cines to protect them from the vims.
Madison County Health Department
Nurse Manager Elizabeth Allen says
some patience will be required.
“Vaccinations are our thing,” she
said of public health departments.
“We are anxious to get fired up and
get the community vaccinated against
this vims.”
However, the rollout is going to take
some time.
For the foreseeable future, those
receiving a vaccine when their turn
comes will do so at the Athens-Clarke
County Health Department, where
Allen says they are vaccinating 150-
to-200 people a day, by appointment
only.
She said one major obstacle hin
dering having the vaccines at the
Danielsville office is the requirement.
particularly for the Pfizer vaccine,
for a freezers capable of storing it
at subzero temperatures until thawed
for use.
“The freezers are out of stock right
now,” she said. Another issue right
now is supply.
Madison County is part of the
ten-county Northeast Georgia Health
District, which includes Clarke
County. Its website, publichealtha-
thens.com, provides information
about COVID vaccines, including the
federal government’s priority list vac
cination program, developed due to
the limited availability as the program
begins.
The state is currently on priority
level la. which includes all health
care workers and residents and staff
of skilled nursing facilities; howev
er, Governor Brian Kemp and the
Georgia Department of Public Health
(GDPH) announced Dec. 31 that due
to extra shipments sent to mral areas
they were expanding la criteria in
See ‘Vaccine’ on 2A
ELECTIONS
Marilyn Hilley (L) and Madison County Board of
Elections and Registration Chairperson Tracy
Dean (R) process mail-in ballots Tuesday.
Senate
runoffs
Republicans take Madison
County by 3-1 margin
COUNTY SEAT
D’ville City Hall
closed due to
coronavirus
Danielsville City Hall will
be closed until Monday, Jan.
11 due to COVID-19 among
the staff.
According to the
Danielsville Police
Department, there will be
no front end staff to handle
payments, billing, or gener
al inquiries over the phone
during this time.
The police department will
still be available by calling
706-795-2189 and leaving a
message or you can contact
them through their Facebook
page. For emergency assis
tance, call 911.
Emergency contacts for
maintenance personnel and
other city workers are posted
at city hall.
COUNTY GOV’T
Pictured (L-R) at Monday’s county commission meeting are Dennis Adams,
Terry Chandler, chairman Todd Higdon, Theresa Bettis, Brian Kirk, Derek
Doster and attorney Mike Pruett.
Index:
News — 1-3A
Opinions — 4-5A
Obituaries — 6-7A
Crime — 8A
Sports — 1-2B
Social — 3B
Legals — 4-7B
Classifieds — 8B
New faces
at BOC table
By Zach Mitcham
zach @ mainstreetne ws .com
While Georgia has turned purple lately, Madison
County remains solidly red.
Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David
Perdue were the overwhelming favorites of Madison
County voters in the Senate runoffs Tuesday, with both
winning the county by a 3-1 margin.
According to unofficial totals from the Madison
County Board of Elections and Registration office,
Loeffler topped Democrat Raphael Wamock, 10,084 to
3,086, (76.6 to 23.4 percent), while Perdue topped Dem
ocrat Jon Ossoff, 10,108 to 3,058, (76.8 to 23.2 percent).
But the statewide Senate races remained too close to
call as of press time. The eyes of the nation are on Geor
gia as control of the U.S. Senate will be determined by
the two Georgia runoffs.
Also Tuesday, Republican public service commission
incumbent Lauren “Bubba” McDonald was favored
over Democrat Daniel Blackmon, 10,088 to 2,295 (77.5
See ‘Runoff’ on 2A
EDUCATION
Online or
in-person?
Superintendent expects to announce
something Friday about next week
Contact:
Higdon, Adams, Chandler take their seats
Phone: 800-795-2581
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, Ga. 30633
Web:
MadisonJournalTODAY.
com
By Zach Mitcham
zach @ mainstreetnews.com
Todd Higdon presided over his first meet
ing as county commission chairman Mon
day, while two fellow board members,
Dennis Adams and Terry Chandler, also
took their seats for the first time at the board
table.
“Not much to report; today's the first
day,” said Higdon during the “chairman's
reports” agenda item. “I got about eight or
nine hours under my belt so far.”
Monday’s meeting included routine zon
ing hearings that involved no opposition.
The meeting was over in about 20 minutes.
Higdon thanked former county commis
sion chairman John Scarborough for his
helpfulness during the transition.
“He went above and beyond to make my
next four years very pleasant, at least to the
best it could be,” said Higdon. “He provided
every bit of information that I needed to
have.”
The new chairman also welcomed Adams
and Chandler to the table.
“I think the county is going to be well
served with these two,” he said. “I look
forward to the next four years working with
Brian (Kirk), Teresa (Bettis) and Derek
2021 budget hearing
When: 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 14
Where: in the commission meeting room in
the county government complex
(Doster), Danny and Terry. I think Madison
County has a pretty bright future.”
Higdon said the county is on sound finan
cial footing as he takes office.
"I will say to the people of Madison
County, I may be the very first chairman to
ever be elected with a budget in the black,
which makes my life a little bit better and
Madison County residents’ lives a little
better,” he said.
In a separate matter Monday, the com
missioners approved a one-time payout for
employees who were not able to use all of
their vacation time in 2020 due to COVID-
19 and the elections. Some employees
couldn’t take vacation because other people
were out due to quarantine or being sick.
Higdon said that about seven employees
were unable to use vacation days and that
the total hours to be paid out is less than
150.
The board also discussed the recommen-
See “BOC” on 2A
By Zach Mitcham
zach @ mainstreetnews.com
Madison County schools
returned from Christmas
break with digital learn
ing this week. And coun
ty school superintendent
Michael Williams says
he anticipates making an
announcement Friday on
whether school will be
in-person or digital for Jan.
11-15.
“We’re assessing where
we are as a county as
well as a school system
and what our numbers
look like, our covid pos
itive cases as well as our
quarantine cases,” he said.
“We’ll try to have a deci
sion about next week hope
fully Friday morning.”
The county school
board will meet Jan. 12.
In light of the steep rise
in COVID-19 cases in
Madison County, Williams
was asked if the BOE may
shift policy on mask wear
ing back to earlier guide
lines, which required stu
dents and staff to wear face
masks in classrooms when
social distancing was not
possible.
“We are evaluating that,”
he said. “We’ll most defi
nitely looking at that.”
Tuesday’s meeting will
also include the approv
al of the 2021-22 school
calendar and discussion of
COVID-19 pay for staff.
Federal funding covered
up to 80 hours of COVID-
19 sick leave for school
personnel, but the CARES
funding expired Dec. 31.
The board will discuss the
matter Tuesday and how
it wants to handle leave
time for those sick or quar
antined. Williams said he
anticipates an extension
from the board for per
sonnel.
Madison County
COVID-19 cases continue
to rise. As of Tuesday, Jan.
5, there have been 1,733
total COVID-19 cases in
See ‘School’ on 3A
