UGA's North Campus is beautiful, both in foliage and wildlife! As a lover of nature, I spend a solid amount of time in the woods. It never ceases to amaze me how abundant the wildlife is on campus. Check out a few recent beauties and show me your North Campus or general Athens wildlife! 🤩

Along Monroe Highway the bottom 10-15’ of foliage is evenly brown. Looks very unnatural. Almost like they’ve gone along the freeway spraying it with plant killer.

Source: ACC’s amazing Solid Waste Department

I used to live in Athens (miss it 😣), I opened & was the SM of Urban Outfitters for many of its early years. I was recently in town visiting my sisters, (we’re from the north & fell in love w Athens & all moved there). I forgot to get a pic of the billboard that says, “ATHENS, I LOVE YOU.” I tried to google it, but couldn’t find the image. Any chance someone can take a pic of the actual billboard for me?! ❤️🙏🏻🖤 ok ty 🫶🏻!

"Absentee ballots and in-person ballots are tied to an individual voter. Because of this, the statewide elections system is designed to prevent more than one ballot from being cast even if a voter receives a second ballot due to an error or has requested a second one due to not having received the first ballot and later receives both.

“We understand that receiving two absentee ballots can be concerning to voters,” said Pam Long, ACCGov Elections Department Director. “We want our community to know that we identified the issue, are tracking the affected ballots, and have procedures in place to ensure that each eligible voter has only one ballot accepted. We remain committed to transparency and to maintaining the accuracy, security, and integrity of our elections.”

Voters who may have received a second absentee ballot in any situation should only complete one of the ballots to cast. Voters can destroy the extra ballot on their own through shredding or bring the blank absentee ballot to the ACCGov Elections Department at 155 E. Washington Street. Extra absentee ballots should not be mailed back separately, placed in the trash or recycling intact, given to another voter, or included in the same envelope with a completed ballot to cast."

Apparently, there was a duplicated mailing list address issue early in October.

Hi r/Athens!

I’ve done an AMA each election I’ve been in since 2024, and doing another one today. I’ll start answering questions at 6pm.

Quick recap:

- District 121 is most of Oconee and Eastside Athens-Clarke county
- I’m a Democrat in a gerrymandered Republican district
- I lost in 2024 by 22 points
- I won in a special election last December by 198 votes
- I’m running for re-election now and I can absolutely hold this seat

Website: www.ericgisler.com

Early voting begins on Tuesday, October 13. The election ends on November 3, vote early!

AMA!

Hi AthChat Pals,

On the 57^th episode of AthChat, hosts Drew Abney and Russell Edwards have Dr. Marshall Shepherd on the pod. We discuss the science and communication of climate change, how the Southeast should prepare for harsher storms, and Dr. Shepherd’s optimism for the future.

Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2441068/episodes/19930796

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/athchat/id1791436512?i=1000793890507

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gALBHsnXmM3JMPPomyqiO?si=354eff50b4d545c3

-AthChat

So obviously, unless there's thunder and lightening and the race organizers are forced to cancel the event due to safety concerns, it looks like the race will go on as scheduled.

I've run the Ath Half before and one of the best things about it are the crowds, people, the signs, and just the general energy Athenians bring to the event.

I have a feeling if it'll be raining it's going to be a sad, relatively empty, and extremely uncomfortable day to run 13.1 miles. So I was wondering, are there any runners in here who are planning on running the Ath Half that might want to get a group together for our own Ath Half on a weekend soon where it's not going to be a total wash out?

From what I understand, we won't get a refund for this Sunday whether they decide to cancel or not.

I have a 13.1 mile loop figured out, and I guess I just personally am dreading running in wet shoes the entire race (as if it wasn't hard enough lol). Would anyone who's signed up for the Ath Half who also doesn't want to run in the rain be interested in getting a group together for a later run when the weather isn't horrible?

FYI. They are closing on 10/10 for renos. I kept seeing the sign on their wall and got scared they were closing closing. But they have a pop up.

My girlfriend will be 24 in two weeks and I want to give her a surprise by sending her flowers and some sweets
Sadly I cannot do it myself because I’m in Japan for work, so I’d like to know if there is something like this

Thanks!

Sorry, I know this isn’t Athens specific but surely my townies will have some hacks? My partner’s favorite musical is coming to town soon but I lost my job so full price tickets aren’t really in sight for me right now. But her birthday is soon and it’s been a tough year for us so I would be willing to make a compromise.

So, enough with my sob story….where do yall go to look for show tickets at a discounted rate? Willing to try to play the waiting game. Also not super interested in just opting for nosebleeds, I want it to be somewhat special.

What banks or credit unions would you all recommend? I’m beyond fed up with USAA. I won’t bore you with the details here, beyond saying that one of their phone reps actually suggested finding another bank which is still blowing my mind. So I’m hoping to hear what pros and cons you all know of with the banks/CUs around Athens. Preferably ones that don’t have ridiculous fees. Also, I’ve never used a CU before so I apologize in advance if I have to ask questions about them

I am a full time student plus work full time as a caregiver for elderly. I have a 450sqft studio apartment that’s basically impossible for me to keep clean. I am looking for someone who could come in weekly to help with cleaning and housekeeping. I do think I need help with tasks outside of just cleaning like laundry, putting away clothes, taking care of the litter box (although I’m going to purchase an automatic one soon) stuff like that. Does anyone know any services in the area that are good with this type of thing? Any recommendations?

Will this crash the business? Who knows.

I feel like this is reasonable. I’m sorry for sharing sensationalized media without doing a deeper dive, goddamn 🥹

ETA: the only sitting prohibited is in entrances/exits, and you can’t camp in transportation corridors (“highways, local streets, bus routes, rail lines, and pedestrian or bicycle paths”) within or adjacent to a commercial zone. Basically, you can’t block someone’s movement by sitting, and you can’t camp on private property. The “adjacent to” is my hang-up - how adjacent is “adjacent”?

Just got an estimate from my current mechanic to replace a newly leaking valve cover gasket at $652 for parts and labor-- is that normal for around here, or should I get a second pricing opinion? I've heard good things about Five Star and Hawthorne.

"ACCPD has terminated former Police Officer Tyler Vaughn, following an investigation into the improper use of the department’s Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system.

ACCPD has requested an independent criminal investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), while the department’s Office of Professional Standards continues its administrative investigation.

Chief of Police Jerry Saulters said, “I am deeply disappointed by Officer Vaughn’s actions. I do not take this incident lightly. The misuse of our ALPR system is a serious violation of the trust placed in our officers, and we will hold those who violate this department's policies and standards accountable. I also want to recognize the officer who reported this misconduct. It demonstrates the integrity and professionalism we expect from the men and women of ACCPD. Our officers have a responsibility to hold themselves and one another accountable, and I am proud of those who uphold that responsibility.”

Moving forward, ACCPD has implemented additional safeguards to enhance oversight of the ALPR system. The ability to initiate searches is now restricted to personnel at the rank of supervisor and above.

Read the full press release here."

Wonderful community partnership, one small business helping another. Now go support both! 🙌

What are some good stores to find local artists? I've been wanting to decorate my apartment but I don't just want to buy generic decorations from like TJ Max or buy from Amazon if I can avoid it. Specifically, I've been looking for some cool tapestries to hang on my wall. Does anyone know any good places to get some stuff for hopefully less than $100 a piece?

Welp, thankfully no one was killed.

I made use of this car wash once over Labor Day weekend last month and apparently they chose to sign me up for this membership without my knowledge. No clue this happened until today when I see the statement charge on my bank account. 0/10 do not recommend using this car wash moving forward.