Category: Athens

(UPDATE: Information added regarding what would happen to the Certificates of Obligation if a bond election is called.)

By Michael V. Hannigan/HCN

A change of direction by the Athens City Council could send the Cain Center rehabilitation project to the voters for approval, Mayor Monte Montgomery told area reporters Monday afternoon.

According to Montgomery, during a workshop meeting last week council members discussed concerns over the budget impact of not only the ongoing cost of running the Cain Center, but also the cost of the debt for the construction.

Because of those concerns, members of the council asked staff to explore partnering with another entity — either the hospital or the county — to defray the cost. If that doesn’t work, they would like to explore putting the Cain Center question to the voters in the form of a bond election instead of paying for the project with the previously planned Certificates of Obligation (COs).

Continue reading “Athens City Council reconsiders funding for Cain Center project”

By Michael V. Hannigan/HCN

The intersection of State Highway 31 and FM 1616 in Athens will be getting a traffic signal, according to a TxDOT spokesperson.

The decision comes following a TxDOT traffic study conducted at the request of the city.

TxDOT’s Kathi White said, “The results show that a signal is warranted. TxDOT is currently beginning the process to get this project designed and funded.”

Continue reading “Intersection of SH31 and FM1616 to get traffic signal”

By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Coordinator

As has been the case for many years now, all five of Athens ISD’s campuses have “met standard,” according to the Texas Education Agency. Furthermore, the district as a whole was scored a “B.”

The grade is a result of the state agency’s new A-F Public School Accountability System, which uses pages of complicated calculations to reduce thousands of data points — mainly STAAR test results and end-of-course exams — into a single letter grade.

Continue reading “All AISD campuses meet accountability standard”

Press release

When they hear the word “vandalism,” most people immediately think of graffiti, but there are many other forms of vandalism, and they are all a detriment to society.

Graffiti is a common form of vandalism and is sometimes mistaken for urban street art. The difference between the two is that street artists have permission to paint from the property owner. Graffiti vandalism is done without permission and is often inappropriate. It is usually juveniles who vandalize properties and they can be arrested for it. If they’re caught then they will need a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney to help with their legal problems. It can be very expensive to get rid of graffiti. It is also time-consuming to remove and people have much better things to do than repaint over and try to wash off graffiti. That’s why a lot of people have started to use GRP fibreglass sheets or something similar to help them protect their houses from vandalism. If urban art is what you’re into, you’ll need to practice on your own property.

Continue reading “City of Athens asks for help ending vandalism”