With uncertain times, more people seeking skills to live off the land

 By Dave Williams

Bureau Chief

Capitol Beat News Service

Atlanta - Georgia health-care workers and nursing home residents will start receiving immunizations against COVID-19 this week as the state Department of Public Health gets its first shipments of a vaccine produced by Pfizer.

“Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of this pandemic,” Christy Norman, vice president of pharmacy services at Emory Healthcare, said Monday during a news briefing.

The school board closed the year with a meeting that heard a great report on the graduation rate at the high school, but a dismal report on how virtual learning is not reaching  a number of students effectively. They also spent big on a sorely-needed new telephone/communication system for all schools during their regular December meeting Thursday and discussed the need for renovations at Pickens High School. See coverage of virtual learning report below. See this week's print or online editions for coverage of other topics discussed. 

Students falling behind with virtual classes

A report from the first semester showed that many students are faring poorly and some rarely logging on to the virtual learning classes.

A slide presented at the meeting showed the majority  of students above fifth grade who returned to traditional classrooms during the first semester came back “not on track.”

In an election year that just keeps coming, early voting for both of the state’s U.S. Senate seats and one Public Service Commissioner will open Monday. All early voting in Pickens County will be held at the Recreation Center in Roper Park 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

On the ballot will be: 

U.S. Senate

• David Perdue, (incumbent) Republican

• Jon Ossoff, Democrat

photo from Amicalola EMC

     Jason Smith, chief operating officer, ETC; John and Cathy Harrison, ETC; Senator Steve Gooch; Representative Rick Jasperse; David and Marianne Bowman, ETC; Dennis Chastain, CEO of Georgia EMC and Todd Payne, CEO of Amicalola EMC. 

At a meeting Wednesday, Dec. 2, Amicalola EMC and ETC (Ellijay Telephone Company) provided some details about a partnership that will bring broadband service to unserved customers in their shared service delivery area that covers parts of Pickens, Cherokee, Dawson, and Lumpkin counties. 

     The meeting was attended by leaders from both local companies, as well as by members of the legislature including Sen. Steve Gooch and House Rep. Rick Jasperse, who said lack of access to reliable, high-speed internet in rural areas has risen as a top concern.

     See full story in this week's print or online editions.