The Lula City Council has approved the purchase of 1.6 acres located at 5960 Athens Street and Hwy. 51.  The council intends to develop additional downtown parking and add other amenities.

At the Homer Council meeting on Tuesday, leaders had an opportunity to look at a map of a round-about proposed by the Georgia Department of Transportation. For many years, citizens have asked for help to ease traffic issues that plague the city when citizens travel to work and school.

The town of Homer will host a "Gingerbread Christmas" which will include a parade and Christmas tree lighting on Saturday, December 11, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Banks County now uses Georgia Burn Permits to obtain a local burn permit. A burn permit is required for burning all natural vegetation that is hand piled, including leaf piles and vegetative debris disposal from storm damage, weed abatement, disease and/or pest prevention.

The Baldwin City Council, on Monday, September 27, during the council meeting re-set the October work session meeting to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6, in the courtroom at the police department.

The Lula City Council voted at its meeting last week to move forward with infrastructure improvements that were put on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Banks County Board of Education approved several personnel items at its September meeting, including the following:

The historic Cobb Street Bridge in the city of Lula should reopen in six months.

A fundraiser has been planned for Roman Haynes, a Banks County High School senior athlete, who was seriously injured in a football accident on Friday, September 17.

Booster vaccine doses for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been approved for specific groups of fully-vaccinated individuals. Although the booster dose is not required, it will help fully vaccinated people maintain protection over the coming months, medical officials report.

The Baldwin City Council, at the September 13 monthly meeting, unanimously approved the 2021 Millage Rate at the rollback rate of 1.608 mills for Banks County residents – down from 1.675 mills - inside the city and 6.793 mills for Habersham County residents – down from 7.504 mills.

An additional kindergarten class has been added at Banks County Primary School due to growth in enrollment.

COVID-19 testing is offered at District 2 Public Health drive-thru testing sites for no-cost. Testing is also available by appointment at Walgreens pharmacies in many counties throughout Georgia.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Banks County is up 115 since last week.

The Homer Town Council is considering getting into the waste water treatment business although they declined an offer to buy a sewer system that is already in place in the city.  

A Rural Development investment of $9,450 will be used to help Banks County Golf LLC purchase and install a 13.68 kilowatt solar array.

In a work session on Monday, the Lula City Council made it clear that a city tax will not be imposed again this year.

Gillsville resident, Keith Segars, has been appointed to the Gillsville City Council to fill the Post 5 seat vacated by Wade Dale, who resigned to run for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Roy Turpin did not seek re-election.

Austin Fontes, 17, Commerce, has been identified as the victim in the wreck Thursday morning in Banks County. He was killed in the wreck that occurred at 7:38 a.m. at 2477 Hwy. 441 near Berlin Road, Homer.

A Banks County High School student was killed in a wreck Thursday morning on Hwy. 441 on Berlin Road.

The Banks County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval Tuesday night, Sept. 7, on a request from Zach Lurie, owner of Maximum Powersports, for a conditional use permit to operate a motorcross training facility at 221 Columbus Drive, Homer.

Flag, monument to get lights in Veterans Park in Homer

The Banks County Board of Health will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 14, at 9 a.m. in the conference room of the Banks County Health Department, located at 667 Thompson Street, Homer.

The Banks County Health Department will offer drive-thru flu vaccines from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 12.

Early voting will begin Oct. 12 for the town elections in Homer, Lula, Gillsville and Alto. Early voting will be held through Oct 22.

Homer officials met on Aug. 25 to finalize plans to apply for a state grant to upgrade water and sewer services in the city.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Banks County is up 106 since last week.

At the monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 24, the Town of Alto council approved commercial and industrial water deposit rates.

The Banks County Farm Bureau has canceled the Annual Meeting set for Monday, Sept. 13.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Banks County is up 66 since last week.

Requests approved by the Banks County Board of Education at the August meeting included the following:

The Development Authority of Banks County, at the monthly meeting on Thursday, August 19, discussed the financial analysis for the Banks County High-Tech Industrial Park on Hwy. 441.

The 49th annual Homer Holiday Festival will be held Sept. 3-4 in downtown Homer.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has issued guidance in providing additional COVID-19 doses. Based on the guidance District 2 Public Health have received, health departments are administering the additional dose to immunocompromised individuals.

The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado with 90 miles per hour winds did touch down in Banks County on Tuesday, Aug. 17.

When qualifying ended, elections had been set in Homer, Lula, Gillsville and Alto. The election will be held in the towns on Nov. 2, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado with 90 miles per hour winds did touch down in Banks County on Tuesday, Aug. 17.

Following the FDA’s authorization of an additional COVID vaccine dose for immunocompromised individuals, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is now recommending that certain patients with weakened immune systems receive an additional dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or M…

Banks County voters will go to the polls on Nov. 2 to vote on a one-cent special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST), as well as a one-cent education local option sales tax (ELOST).

In a unanimous vote on Monday night, the Lula City Council approved its much talked about derelict and blighted property ordinance. The action came during the regular council meeting following a public hearing on the ordinance.

The Banks County Board of Education approved leaving the system's millage rate at 14.5110 mills for FY2022 when it met last week.

The Baldwin City Council, on Thursday, August 12, at the monthly meeting approved the first reading of the 2021 Millage Rate Ordinance, leaving the millage rate the same as 2020.

Two homes were destroyed and a road remains closed due to flooding after a storm passed through Banks County Tuesday. It is believed that a tornado touched down in the county during the storm.

There will be a special rate of $14.50 for a one-year subscription to the Banks County News in August. The regular subscription price is $45 per year.

Following a public hearing on Tuesday, August 10, the Homer City Council, during its monthly meeting, unanimously approved rolling back the millage rate from 4.86 mills to 0 for 2021. The city’s five-year tax history shows this has been the case since at least 2016.

The meeting will be held at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, located at 2405 Hwy. 51, Lula, on September 13 at 6:30 p.m.