FANNIN, Ga. — The newly elected members of the Blue Ridge City Council were sworn in during a meeting on Jan. 18. Each member and the Mayor took the oath of office before beginning the meeting. The new council also appointed several city employees and board members during the meeting. Rhonda Haight took her oath […]
Read More »Whitener breaks tie, city council approves condominium complex
FANNIN, Ga. — After delaying their vote for a month, the Blue Ridge City Council approved a controversial condominium proposal. In a two to two vote, Mayor Whitener voted in favor of allowing the project to continue. Last month, the council heard a proposal for a condominium complex that would exceed the Central Business District […]
Read More »Light Up Blue Ridge brings Christmas to downtown
FANNIN, Ga. — Light Up Blue Ridge drew a large crowd to the heart of downtown for the Lighting of the Great Tree on Nov. 27. After a parade made its way through the city, attendees gathered around the tree to take part in the annual tradition, considered by many to be the start of […]
Read More »City Council approves employee bonuses of up to $3,000
FANNIN, Ga. — The Blue Ridge City Council experienced heated debate over a proposed condominium during their Nov. 16 meeting. However, the council also took action on several other issues, including up to three thousand dollar bonuses for city employees. The American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, took effect in March of 2021. Since then, […]
Read More »City Council considers approval of 55 foot condominium complex
FANNIN, Ga. — During the Nov. 16, 2021 Blue Ridge City Council meeting, representatives of WAMM Development, LLC sought approval of their planned condominium complex to be located at 200 West First Street. The biggest issue of the night was whether or not WAMM Development will be allowed to continue with their project. The proposed […]
Read More »Blue Ridge City Council Election: The Results
FANNIN, Ga. — After almost a month of voting, the polls for the Blue Ridge City Council election closed today, Nov. 2, 2021 at 7 p.m. This election has been called one of the most important in Blue Ridge history and comes at a time of heightened worry about the future of the city. For […]
Read More »City Council Election: Interview with Richard Arnold
FANNIN, Ga. — Richard Arnold is a candidate for the Post 4 seat on Blue Ridge City Council. He spoke with FYN to discuss his candidacy, his concerns, and his goals for the city. Arnold is running against Jacqueline Brown and William Whaley. On a city manager form of government : Arnold says he’s strongly […]
Read More »City Council Election: Interview with Mike Panter
FANNIN, Ga. — Mike Panter is a candidate for the Post 2 seat on the Blue Ridge City Council. He spoke with FYN to discuss his candidacy, previous achievements, and future goals. Mike Panter is incumbent and running against Angie Arp, who has previous experience on the city council. On collecting delinquent taxes and business […]
Read More »City Council Election: Interview with Angie Arp
FANNIN, Ga. — Angie Arp is running for the Post 2 seat on the Blue Ridge City Council. Arp spoke with FYN to discuss her past experiences and future goals. She has previously served on the council and is running against an incumbent, Mike Panter. On her break from city council: Arp says, “I think […]
Read More »City Council Election: Interview with Rhonda Haight
FANNIN, Ga. — Rhonda Haight, an incumbent on the city council, is running for Mayor of Blue Ridge. She spoke with FYN to share her current views and future goals for Blue Ridge. She is running against Donna Whitener, the incumbent mayor of 12 years. On new leadership: When asked why she thinks Blue Ridge […]
Read More »City Council Election: Interview with Mayor Donna Whitener
FANNIN, Ga. — Donna Whitener is running for re-election as Mayor of Blue Ridge. She has been incumbent mayor for 12 years. She spoke with FYN to discuss her experiences as mayor, and her goals for the future. She is running against Rhonda Haight, an incumbent on the city council. On infrastructure: Whitener says, “We’ve […]
Read More »Blue Ridge City Council meets for the last time before elections
FANNIN, Ga. — The Blue Ridge City Council held their last meeting before elections take place Nov. 2. At the meeting, the council dealt with several issues including city finances, infrastructure, and water management. 2022 Budget Mayor Whitener announced the budget for 2022 is set at $3,157,500, a large decrease from last year. She explains, […]
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