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As advance voting continues and general election day approaches, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government has shared some important information regarding voting.

Voters have until Nov. 1 to participate in advance voting. Otherwise, voters must wait until Nov. 5 to cast their ballots in person, or submit them by mail if they request an absentee ballot by Friday, Oct. 25.

Early voting does not require voters to go to their assigned polling location, as not all polling locations participate. Voters go to any participating location in their district if they want to cast their ballot before Nov. 5. To vote early, Athenians can go to one of the six participating voting locations:

Full voting schedules and dates for each location, and additional information regarding advance voting in Athens, can be found at accgov.com/advancevoting.

On Nov. 5, all voting locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voters are required to vote at their assigned precinct which can be found on the My Voter Page on the Georgia Secretary of State's website.

The Precinct 7A polling location has been moved from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens to Timothy Baptist Church, located at 380 Timothy Road.

Voters in Precinct 7A will be issued new voter registration forms via mail. There were no changes to actual districts or precincts, just the location where voters in Precinct 7A will cast their ballot on Election Day.

The Athens-Clarke County Elections Department can be reached at 706-613-3150 or 155 E Washington St. for more information.

On election day, voters must bring one of the following forms of photo ID:

Voters who want to vote by absentee ballot must submit an application for an absentee ballot which will be reviewed by the voter’s county elections office. The application does not require an excuse or explanation. To receive an application, voters must visit securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov or they can request an application via mail, email, fax or at their county elections office. Applications must be submitted by Friday, Oct. 25.

Voters will receive their ballots by mail after approval. Voters who are active in the military and deployed may receive ballots electronically under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

If a voter does not receive their absentee ballot after submitting their application, they should reach out to their county registrar. If the voter is unable to get their absentee ballot in time, they can vote in person after signing a statement that they have only voted once.

After filling out the required information on the ballot, voters can then submit their ballots either via mail or in person in a dropbox in their county. Locations for in person delivery in Athens are available on the ACCGov website. Voters can verify their vote was submitted by checking the My Voter Page for their state.

Athens-Clarke County will have both English and Spanish ballots available during the November 2024 election. Election communications will also be available in Spanish.

A sample of the Spanish ballot can be found on the ACCGov website, along with the English version.

Both advance voting and election day polls will have audio ballot options available for those of low vision or blindness. They will also have wheelchair-accessible booths. Voters may also be eligible to get assistance from a family member or friend to fill out a ballot by signing an assisted voter oath, per state law.

A massive rock quarry is proposed for a nearly 1,000-acre tract of land in southern Jackson County that has raised numerous concerns from various groups including the city of Athens and the Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission.

The quarry is proposed by Vulcan Materials, a corporation based in Birmingham, Alabama, with quarries and construction materials sites operating in 23 states across the country. Vulcan has more than two dozen quarries in Georgia including one in northern Jackson County.

A public meeting regarding the proposed quarry will be held by the Jackson County Planning Commission at the country courthouse at 6 p.m. Oct. 24. If needed, a key meeting on the proposal is planned for Nov. 18 by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.

The site is located between Nicholson and Clarke County near the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and Old U.S. Highway 441 and includes numerous parcels of land that are now mostly composed of woodlands, a few homes, two lakes and a creek.

Vulcan, according to its website, is the nation’s largest producer of construction materials such as crushed stone and gravel and is a major producer of asphalt and concrete.

Vulcan has contingency purchase contracts for most of the land based on whether the quarry is approved, according to Randy Durham, a member of “Stop the South Jackson Rock Quarry” that formed in the wake of the proposal. This citizens group generated a petition, which by Oct. 16 had received about 800 signatures, Durham said.

Another group, Citizens for Sustainable Jackson County, has also joined an effort to oppose the quarry.

Vulcan officials had countered the objections saying the acreage is next to existing commercial and industrial businesses. It’s proposed design ensures a “respectful, safe and environmentally responsible operation.” The mine on the property would be screened by a large buffer area.

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The rock extracted from the mine would be used for many reasons including roads, bridges, and schools, according to Vulcan.

Vulcan has also pledged to provide $2 million to support the county’s infrastructure and set aside nearly 200 acres along Chandler Bridge Road for conservation. Another offer is to provide those residing within 2 miles of the operation free materials up to 20 tons each year.

Vulcan reported that the initial mining area of 25 acres would take 10 to 20 years to complete, while an additional mining area of 54 acres would go for 30 plus years.

But what appears a major concern for some agencies is that part of the land borders the North Oconee River.

Rivers Greenway Commission Chairman Charlie Barrow sent a letter to the Athens-Clarke commission in August 2023 expressing concerns about the mining operation due to it being in the watershed that serves both the North Oconee River and Sandy Creek. The group also noted that the Oconee River Land Trust has land conservation easements on properties on both sides of the proposed quarry.

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Athens-Clarke County also expressed concerns about the project which is near the county line and only 7 miles from a water treatment plant on the north Oconee. A letter from former Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams also noted the amount of dust, noise and land vibrations that could adversely affect homes in the area. And it noted the increased traffic congestion.

A report from the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission noted that a mining operation “could negatively impact the area’s environmental quality due to dust, noise and runoff.”

A Jackson County Comprehensive Plan study for the area noted that heavy industrial operations are not accommodated in the current land use map.

The Regional Commission study noted that the Georgia Department of Transportation reported that the access on U.S. 441 would not be permitted so the intersection at U.S. 441 at Old Highway 441 and State Route 334 would have to be improved with turn lanes and signal upgrades.

The study quoted an A&R Engineering report that projected 342 daily vehicle trips at the location.

The study also notes that the application from Vulcan estimates the project would be worth $40 million at build-out and generate $250,000 in annual local taxes for Jackson County.

The Regional Commission advised that the county should measure the repeated infrastructure needs to ensure the county would not be committing more in maintenance expenses than the tax would cover.

(This story was updated because and earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

Inspired: Artworks by Students of the Clarke County School District, Student Art Biennial

The Lyndon House Arts Center is pleased to announce the opening of the biennial Clarke County School District Student Art Exhibition, with this year’s theme “INSPIRED: Artworks by Students of the Clarke County School District Inspired by Athens Creatives,” on Tuesday, October 15 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

We are very excited to welcome this ongoing partnership with the Clarke County School District that celebrates the creative youth in our community and the importance of art education.

“This exhibition has been years in the making, stemming from the collaborative efforts of two CCSD art teachers, Laura Lee D'Huyvetter and Jenniffer Jones, who served as board members of the Athens Area Arts Council (AAAC). Their vision was to foster a connection between local artists and students in their art classes. With the AAAC's mission to “connect the arts to the community through promotion, education, and funding” in mind, grant funds were allocated to nine artists. These artists created videos detailing their backgrounds, artworks, and creative processes, which our CCSD students were able to access for inspiration in producing the artwork featured in this book and exhibition. The exhibition is dedicated to Leonard Piha, a visionary artist and a former Clarke County School District art teacher who inspired many students during his tenure.

The partnerships between our schools, artists, and organizations like AAAC are essential in nurturing and expanding our local arts community. We are fortunate to be situated in Athens, GA, where the arts and music thrive as an integral part of our community. The achievement of this exhibition, accompanying book, and the arts educational opportunities that CCSD offers to our students owe much to the unyielding support of our community. “ – Dan Smith, Fine Arts, Health, & PE Curriculum Coordinator, Clarke County School District

The exhibit will include works by students from kindergarten to 12^th grade and will include all mediums including weaving, sculpture, photography, painting, drawing, and collage. Also on view will be art by the professional working artists who provided inspiration to the students.

For our opening reception, we are happy to announce performances by many talented young musicians including Clarke Central High School Honor Chamber Strings and Cedar Shoals High School Camber Strings.

The “INSPIRE” exhibition is accompanied by a beautiful publication with all the student artist’s work pictured. The catalog is available to each child in the show and as quantity continues, these are available to family, friends and all. Thank you to all the supporters and sponsors who make this publication possible.

All exhibitions are free of charge and open to the public. Exhibitions are on view during regular gallery hours Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please note during the fall, the Lyndon House Arts Center will be closed on home football games.

For more information, please call 706 613 3623, or visit www.accgov.com/exhibits. Lyndon House Arts Center, located at 211 Hoyt Street, is a facility of the Arts Division of Leisure Services Department.