Athens Transit set a new record for ridership in fiscal year 2025, giving over 2.1 million rides. athenspoliticsnerd.com/athens-trans...

FINALLY we're seeing the ridership boost on Athens Transit that fare-free bus service was always expected to bring. Article coming soon.

The ACC Fire Department has a new rescue truck: "Rescue 4 is a custom-built heavy rescue vehicle designed to strengthen the department’s technical rescue and emergency response operations across the community." www.classiccitynews.com/post/heavy-r...

The 2025 election has started! Polls are open now for two seats on the Public Service Commission. athenspoliticsnerd.com/2025-general...

Author and YouTube personality Hank Green weighs in on Georgia's Public Service Commission election which is going on now. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgvE...

Polls have opened today for the 2025 general election. This election may determine how high our utility bills end up in future years. "The incumbents have accepted contributions from ... companies that benefited from some of the board’s most controversial decisions." www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Suzanna Karatassos, candidate for state house in district 120, writes that hospital closures and other issues with Georgia's healthcare system are the result of Republican policies on the federal and state level. athenspoliticsnerd.com/opinion-geor...

The ACC Commission has authorized the purchase of land on Old Lexington Road for a new fire station, ending years of indecision and controversy. athenspoliticsnerd.com/acc-commissi...

Well at least they didn't pick Trump himself for the peace prize. 🙄 www.reuters.com/world/nobel-...

The fact that Trump might retaliate if he doesn't get the peace prize really strengthens his case for it, I think. 😆 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Residents of the Pinewoods neighborhood lack reliable access to clean water, as they have for years. Some concerned community members pleaded with commissioners on Tuesday to take responsibility for this situation and work to guarantee clean water for all. www.youtube.com/shorts/sBG0t...

Commissioner Davenport had a lot to say about the Firefly Trail during his end of meeting comments. He's asking people to have respect for the property owners who might lose a portion of their backyards as the trail is built.

People are speaking now at city hall, asking the mayor and commission to find a way to connect the Pinewoods community to city water. Currently, this neighborhood does not have consistent access to clean drinking water. Their water regularly shuts off for hours at a time, as it has for years.

Now the commission is putting everything on hold. The item that changes the procedures for boards, authorities and commissions is going back to government ops.

They're voting on the fire station #5 replacement, drumroll please.... It passes 6-3. Commissioners Davenport, Fisher and Johnson voted no. Thornton is absent. Thank God reason prevails. Interesting vote from one of the mayoral candidates, though. 👀

Davenport now says he wants a comprehensive fire station location plan, not just a plan of where to put fire station no. 5. How long does he want to delay this?

Davenport is making the density argument rn, that the fire station should be located at a high population density place. But the fire chief directly answered this. He said density is addressed by adding more trucks at the already existing stations. What the new station addresses is coverage area.

I love how some people are citing international fire standards in support of their argument with the fire chief. 😂 If what they're saying is true, we should not only not put the fire station there, but maybe also terminate the fire chief? Like how incompetent do these people think he is?

Someone just argued that buying the land for the fire station might violate the gratuities clause, because they're paying more than market. But they're getting land! It's not something for nothing, hah! That person was really reaching.

Moving on the fire station controversy. Hold on to your hats.

A number of people are speaking in opposition to a proposed industrial development on Old Elberton Road down at city hall. The planning commission recommends denial, so this might be a relatively easy decision. We'll see.

Commissioner Johnson just voted against the consent agenda but didn't give a reason. Very mysterious.

The monthly mayor and commission voting meeting is set to start at 6 pm. The biggest thing on the agenda is the fate of fire station #5. The Firefly Trail discussion has been delayed. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2feF...

The vote on the Firefly Trail has been pushed back a month. flagpole.com/featured/202...

Tim Denson launched his campaign for Mayor of Athens-Clarke County at Athentic this weekend. "We do not have to accept a world where working class people must choose between housing and healthcare." www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTHg...

I'm hearing that there are technical issues with Davenport's plan to halt Firefly Trail construction along the approved route and that it will be considered in November, not next Tuesday. If you want to give a comment, you still can but it would at the end of the meeting now.

My opinion is that the debt ceiling is definitely not constitutional. One of the concerns in this article from the Biden era is that a politicized court would rule with Republicans. But this now works in favor of overturning the debt ceiling. www.vox.com/politics/202...

Ruwa Romman on Zeteo! www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Rj...

Next week, the ACC Commission may prevent the Firefly Trail from connecting to Winterville along the approved route, derailing the project after four years of work and several hundred thousand dollars spent. athenspoliticsnerd.com/acc-commissi...

The federal government has shut down. No one knows when it will reopen. If we're waiting on Trump and the Democrats to reach a deal, it could be years. Who knows if that would never happen. www.cnn.com/politics/liv...

I appears I am out of step with the progressive position on the looming govt shutdown. I'm surprised but interested in this turn of events. It definitely seems like something historic is happening.

"If it feels like the current fight isn’t about health care or insurance subsidies but about our system of government itself, that’s because it is." For a progressive perspective on the upcoming shutdown (that I don't really agree with tbh), check out this article: prospect.org/politics/202...

Regarding the debt ceiling which we're hurtling towards like a brick wall, the question is if you think the US government should pay its debts and continue normal operations. Or we can shut down everything EXCEPT the military, ICE and SS essentially permanently. Is that really something Dems want?

The national "Week Without Driving" is Sept 29 - Oct 5. Do you think you could make a whole week? Athens Transit -- which is still free to ride -- challenges you to do it. flagpole.com/featured/202...

My apologies, I may not be able to contain myself in proper journalistic etiquette. Ruwa Romman for Governor is just too damn exciting. THIS IS HUGE

Now is the time to be brave. Republicans in Georgia have controlled our state for over 20 years leading to underfunded schools, closing hospitals, & low wages stuck at $5.15. I'm running for Governor to change that.

Stop the presses, y'all! State Rep. Ruwa Romman is running for Governor! 🤩 www.ajc.com/politics/202...

An OMB official said that several programs will continue regardless of a shutdown, including ... military operations, law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement..." Dems, Republicans are not going to negotiate with you. Not voting for a clean CR is madness. www.cbsnews.com/news/white-h...

Thinking about running for political office? The Athens-Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a "political leadership academy" on October 18 and November 1. "Participants will gain professional training and insights on campaigning, fundraising, branding and other key aspects of civic engagement."

Tylenol is still a dangerous drug that doesn't work. No one should take it, I feel, but not for this reason. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCoU...

Athens faith leaders speak out against the horrors of mass deportation in this 2 minute video: www.youtube.com/shorts/EMdKV...

Athens faith organizations joined together for a “March of Faith in Resistance to Mass Deportation” which took place this Sunday. athenspoliticsnerd.com/athens-faith...

Next month, commissioners may finally decide where to put fire station no. 5 after years of delay. They might also fund two affordable housing projects and change the structure of local advisory boards. athenspoliticsnerd.com/commissioner...

Dr. LaKeisha Gantt announced her candidacy for ACC Mayor today with a campaign kickoff tour. "Pauldoe is on the ballot. Unheard voices and marginalized communities are on the ballot. Athens is our city and now is our time." www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3t6...

"In 2022, the Athens-Clarke County Commission passed a Vision Zero resolution vowing to eliminate traffic deaths by 2037. Now, local transportation officials are using a $1 million federal 'Safe Streets for All' grant to make a plan to turn that promise into reality." flagpole.com/news/city-do...

We’re being watched: ACCPD surveillance hub opening soon. This is a one-minute video companion to the article on my website about the opening of ACCPD's Real Time Crime Center. www.youtube.com/shorts/1UIbw...

The Real Time Crime Center, opening later this month, will provide police analysts access to over 1,000 camera feeds and other surveillance tools to help them fight crime. But some Athenians fear the center will erode civil liberties and put them at risk. athenspoliticsnerd.com/rtcc-real-ti...

I wonder why they'd want to hide this information? 🤔

Once a close ally of Gov. Kemp, Duncan helped shepherd GOP-backed measures such as abortion restrictions, gun expansions and other conservative priorities through the Legislature. Now he’s pledging to reverse some of the policies he helped pass. #gapol ajc.com/politics/202...

There will be dueling options regarding the location of the new fire station next month. Myers wants to approve the Old Lexington Rd site but make changes to appease the neighbors, whereas Davenport wants to exclude the entire area from consideration, contradicting the fire dept recommendation.