Letter to the Editor: Parent Concerned About Closing of Oconee Co. Head Start Facility

Oconee County Head Start slots will be moved to Barrow County after July 2013, according to a mother who writes, "to lose this critical program in our community would be a travesty."

Dear Editor, I have lived in Oconee County since I was 10 months old.  I am now 32 years old and have no plans of moving out of this county.  This is my home.  My parents have been active members of the community since they moved to Oconee County in August of 1981.  My mother has served on several committees and boards for the community in addition to adopting 18 children over the years with a focus on keeping large sibling groups together and several of my siblings have special needs.  I am a single mother to a wonderful 4 year old, who has a father that is very active in his life but due to economic factors we are all struggling financially.  My son and I have a support system behind us that is rare and priceless. Thanks to my wonderful …

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Job Seeking in Oconee

Oconee Property Appraisal Department Hiring

Apply now for the full-time property appraiser II position.

Employer: Oconee County Government Description:Oconee County Human Resources lists an open position for full-time PROPERTY APPRAISER II through the Property Appraisal Department. See the attached job description for more details. How to Apply: Submit applications from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Oconee County Board of Commissioners' Human Resources Office at 23 North Main Street (Oconee County Courthouse), Room 203.  An application packet and driving history form can be found online. Deadline: Until filled. Check and see if the position is still available. It was listed as an open position on Oct. 29, 2012.

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Daily Dose: Information to Know As You Start Your Day

Oconee Today -- Sept. 12

Everything you need to know in Oconee County today.

Weather: The Weather Channel is calling for party cloudy skies today with a high near 82 degrees. Ten percent chance of rain throughout the day, with a UV Index in the very high range at 9. Top things to know:

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Oconee County to Help Residents Save on Prescription Drugs

The county is launching a new free discount prescription savings program that is already being implemented in several other Georgia counties.

Oconee County residents will soon have the opportunity to save on the cost of their prescription medications thanks to a new program known as Coast2Coast RX. All county residents, regardless of income, age and health, will be allowed to participate in this program which also includes pets. The Rx Card will not only help residents save on prescription drugs, the card also provides discounts on dental, vision, veterinary and hearing services plus discounts on lab and imaging tests and diabetes supplies and equipment for all family members. Martin Dettelbach, Chief Marketing Officer of Financial Marketing Concepts, Inc., of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and the issuer of the Coast2Coast Rx free discount card, stated in a press release, “we are …

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Kristi Palmer

8:12 am on Sunday, August 26, 2012

Hey everyone, more information is available on the Coast2Coast Rx program via their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Coast2CoastRxCard as well as their website http://www.coast2coastrx.com/index.php.   more ›

Sample Beef Burgundy and More at the Oconee Farmer's Market

A list of locally-grown produce and handmade products vendors will be selling at this week's Oconee Farmers Market in Watkinsville, Ga.

The Oconee Farmers Market is open every Saturday through the fall from 8 a.m. until around 1 p.m. at its location in front of the Oconee County Courthouse. Here's a list of locally-grown produce and handmade products vendors will be selling this week: Don’t miss any Oconee news. Subscribe to Oconee Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Northeast Georgia Election Liveblog

A real-time look at how the July 31 primary unfolded in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Oconee and Walton counties.

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Edwin Beckham

11:06 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Ah, good times ahead in Athens ;-) Did you see the good interview with the liquor store worker who anticipated nothing but an extra day of work? Food (drink?) for thought!   more ›

Photos and Video: Oconee's 15th Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Easter-themed activities kept children busy for hours but it was the main event -- the egg hunt -- that stirred up the most excitement.

The warm, sunny day was the perfect setting for the 15th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Oconee Veterans Park on Saturday.  The event was presented by the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department, Oconee County Tourism and The Oconee Enterprise.  Canned food items were collected and will be donated to the Area Churches Together Serving Food Bank. Activities included inflatables, cookie decorating, face painting and a photo op with the Easter bunny, among others. Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis, Commissioner Chuck Horton and Sheriff Scott Berry presided over the egg hunt, which was broken into age divisions.  Children eagerly scrambled around the fields, filling their special baskets with colorful treat-filled eggs.  And a few …

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Oconee County Launches Newly Redesigned Website

The new version of oconeecounty.com offers search capabilities and a calendar, among other features.

The official website for Oconee County has been redesigned in shades of blue.  The new version of oconeecounty.com has unlimited server space and features a search tool, calendar of upcoming events and phone directory. There are sections for the "Latest News" and "Bids & RFPs."  There are also links to frequently asked questions.   Commissioners in June agreed to spend $7,980 in leftover funds from the FY 2011 budget for local web development firm Vivify Creative, Inc. to give the website a makeover.   The previous version had been in place for a decade. The county will pay a $107 yearly maintenance fee for services. Last summer, Paula Nedza, county information technology director, said a more comprehensive website that streamlines …

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Sheriff's Office Revisits Cold Case Homicide

A phone call has triggered the reexamination of the 1970 murder of Debra Ashe, Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry tells the Athens Banner-Herald.

Update: Sheriff's Office clarifies that the case was never closed and has been reexamined multiple times over the years. More than forty years ago, 14-year-old Debra Ashe died after being brutally beaten with the stock of a rifle at her home in Bishop. Over the years, local investigators and the Georgia Bureau of investigation exhausted all leads but were unable to identify the girl's killer; however, a new lead has prompted Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry to revisit the murder investigation. The beating occurred at 5201 Price Mill Road on Aug. 24, 1970 and Ashe died from the injuries on Aug. 26, two days later, the Athens Banner-Herald reports. According to an incident report filed Nov. 3, Berry asked investigators to take another look …

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House Hunt: Virtual Tours of Oconee Real Estate

Take a virtual tour of homes for sale.

Youtube is one outlet real estate agents and Realtors are using to post information about Oconee County homes for sale.  Take a virtual tour of a few of them today! Sellers, if you have homes you would like to feature on Oconee Patch, please add pictures or a video of the house to this article and a description of the property in the photo caption or comments section below.  To add photos, simply click on "Manage your photos and videos." And to buyers, happy house hunting!

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