Oconee County, GA Politics

​ I love this bank, and it is the closest financial institution to my place of employment. We have an account or two or three there. All the employees are really nice and send me birthday cards and the whole nine yards. So I was very disappointed to receive a letter in the mail this morning telling me that they plan to close this branch permanently soon. I think that this is a loss not only for Watkinsville but for all of Oconee County as well. I hope at the very least that they will keep the Automatic Teller Machine there for the time being. I hope that they are not terminating any of their wonderful and personable employees. We do not need higher unemployment rates locally or statewide either. This former Athens First Bank and Trust (now Synovus) was a welcome addition to the landscape of businesses in downtown Watkinsville.  Synovus is keeping their Butler’s Crossing location open 

 Qualifying for the four positions (two on the Board of Commissioners, two on the Board of Education) began today and continue through noon Friday at the the Board of Elections office on Water Street next to the Courthouse in downtown Watkinsville. Two incumbents on the Board of Commissioners were among the first to re-qualify for re-nomination and probable re-election Monday Morning. Commissioners Chuck Horton and Amrey Harden were eager to sign their names and pay their qualifying fees for their second consecutive terms (although both have long and storied political careers in Oconee County). Both are retired, but remain active in many different organizations in the community, and will talk to you regardless of whether you are a Democratic partisan, a Republican participant, an independent or something else all together.  Assuming neither get an opponent (and that seems likely even in this volatile political climate), they will both have my enthusiastic endorsement and will most like