Men, women, children, babies in strollers, old folks with walkers,
dogs, and a large yellow chicken
in a time-lapse movie from the
wildlife camera Gretchen set up at the
Thirteenth Annual Azalea Festival yesterday,
plus other videos and stills, and WCTV.
Here’s a video playlist:
Here’s a flickr slideshow:
Continue reading
As
he indicated yesterday,
Gabe Fisher got his sewage-covered neighborhood on WCTV last night.
Greg Gullberg wrote for WCTV yesterday, Valdosta Neighborhood Covered In Raw Sewage,
After days of torrential rain, the same rain that caused the rivers to flood, the sewage pump has been overwhelmed in the Meadow Brook Subdivison just off Gornto Road.
“You know how bad it smells in a bathroom when someone goes in and uses a public restroom. Multiple that ten times,” said Chad Harrison, a local resident.
The whole area behind their houses is just covered in raw sewage. Your boots sink down into it with every step. We’re talking everything from human waste, to toilet paper, to hygiene products and a whole other list of things that are just too graphic to mention.
“Probably about 12 to 14 inches of raw sewage,” said Harrison. “It’s just everywhere. It’s all up and down the creek. It’s all behind everybody’s houses.”
There’s more in
the WCTV story,
such as that the city has included neighbors in meetings, but has not
yet changed anything.
The city’s PR about the flooding
says:
Received today. -jsq
Continue readingFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release #03-13-02
March 3, 2013Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant Fully Operational
At approximately 1:30 p.m. today, March 3, the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant was brought online and returned to normal operation, after a loss of function for only three days compared to the nine days of complete loss of function experienced in the flood of 2009. Today, the river receded to the point where the temporary by-pass pumps could be connected to the existing valves. The system was turned on, became fully operational and began full treatment capabilities.
Lessons learned from the 2009 flood resulted in proactive measures which include the following:
- The installation of bypass pumps, pipes and valves to utilize in the event of an emergency or act of God.
- In 2009, the berm only protected the pump station, which did not prevent flooding of the chemical building, the chlorine contact building, the filters and the belt presses. The plant's electrical system was destroyed in the flooded area and the filters and belt presses were inoperable.
In this event, the electric system, chlorine cylinders, de-chlorination system and all flooded areas were turned off to avoid the damage that was experienced in 2009.
- In this event, the biological, natural occurring bacteria that are used in the treatment process were saved so that the system could treat wastewater immediately when it was turned back on. In 2009, the natural occurring bacteria were washed out of the plant as a result of the continuous pumping during the event.
- In this event, the plant was fully operational in three days. In 2009, the plant had a complete loss of function for nine days and was not fully operational for over a month.
The city's drinking water supply is in no way
Tim Carroll’s response to Gabe Fisher. -jsq
Continue readingGabe,
I know you are frustrated and pissed. My hope was with the info below all could see the city has not just been idly sitting by. What has been so frustrating for us is that our biggest problem is outside of the city limits.
As discussed below, we are about 90% complete on the design for the big force main project. Once completed it will eliminate the sewage spills during high rain events in your neighborhood.
Just spoke with Larry Hanson and the WWTP is firing back up as we speak. Soon you should start seeing the current spills end as the system is brought fully back up and running.
Something I might add we could not have done so quickly had we not taken the steps we did these past several days.
In regards to clean up —
Received today in response to Tim Carroll’s email.
All, Gabe Fisher here—2420 Meadow Brook. I do not currently have the time, nor mental capacity to fully think through this issue, but I want you all to see what the sewer system is currently doing to our backyards. This video was taken today, in by backyard, after the flood. It has been spilling at least at this same rate for the last 7 days.
What the sewer system is currently doing to our backyards —Gabe Fisher
Video by Gabe Fisher, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 3 March 2013.This contaminated water breached my crawlspace, around 24″ deep, and must absolutely be dealt with ASAP. What is the city going to do for me, and my neighbors who are in this same situation??
There is no other word for it—I am pissed. I have seen zero results since the flood in 2009. Yes, maybe receiving 12″ inches of rain is an act of God, but that does not account for all the man made structures that force the flood waters higher at my location, nor other obstacles it must overcome to quickly and efficiently escape our area—such as the train trestle along Gornto. And it absolutely does not account for the city’s poorly planned sewer system..
This isn’t the first sewage spill since the flood of 2009—there have been countless others in my area. I have photos and video evidence of at least 5 that would likely be classified as ‘major’.
This cannot and will not be ‘swept under the rug’.. I am still currently upside down on my property due to the flood of 2009 and this current flood has only further degraded my property’s value.
Gabe
Looking at his address in the Lowndes County Tax Assessor’s maps, and turning on Flood Map, Lakes and Rivers, and Aerial Photos, you can see that his property and most of all his neighbors’ lots are in the flood plain:
Continue readingReceived today. To quote a VDT editorial of 3 March 2012:
When officials act like they have something to hide, they often do….
Here’s George’s Open Records Request. -jsq
Continue readingFebruary 7, 2013
George Boston Rhynes (229-251-8645)
5004 Oak Drive
Valdosta, Georgia 31605TO: Valdosta-Lowndes County; South Georgia Regional Library Director/Chair person along with Board Members Respectively, Georgia News Media Outlets concerned about open government and the sunshine brightness…
SUBJECT: An open records request on behalf of the general public right to know…
Hearing a representative was in town, Gretchen took the LAKE video camera
down to the Chamber of Commerce.
Greg Gullberg of WCTV invited her to rebut Rep. Austin Scott (R GA-08)
in her role as Chair of the Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP).
After some back and forth,
the WCTV story
shows transparency winning, and Gretchen with the last word.
But their [sic] is one thing they both agree on.
“I quite honestly think both sides ought to put their budgets on C-Span and maybe we ought to have those negotiations on C-Span,” said Scott.
“So I’m all for having everything all out on the table for all citizens to see,” said Quarterman.
Hey, what if
the Lowndes County Commission put its board packets and budgets out on the web
for all us taxpayers to see?
Here’s the WCTV video. The video Gretchen took will follow.
Continue reading
Hardly-funded insurgents led by Haley Shank put a scare into turncoat south Georgia statehouse
incumbents.
What would happen with well-funded candidates?
As we’ve already seen, in new district 177 Dexter Sharper (D) won 2 to 1 over opponent J. Glenn Gregory (R). (All election data in this post is from GA Secretary of State.)
Conversely, Jason Shaw (R-176) ran unopposed, perhaps because he is the least offensive of the incumbents (he voted against HB 1162 that put the Atlanta-power-grab “charter school” amendment on the ballot, although he did vote for HB 797 that will funnel more of your local tax dollars to charter schools imposed by Atlanta even if your school board doesn’t want them).
Other south Georgia statehouse incumbents, all Republicans, had challengers, all Democrats. All the challengers opposed Amendment 1. Haley Shank did best, in District 173 against Darlene K. Taylor, 8,324 to 12,048 (40.86% to 59.14%).
Next was Continue reading
More people have voted early in Lowndes County than ever before,
with cars often backed up onto the street waiting to get into
the Board of Elections.
Eames Yates wrote for WCTV Friday, Record Breaking Number of Early Voters in Lowndes County,
Continue readingMore people have now voted early in Lowndes County than any time in history. Sherrie Luther was voter 22,00[0]…
making her ballot the one that broke the previous record set four years ago.
In the 2008 presidential election, there were 45 days of early voting in Lowndes County. In this year’s election there were just 16 days. Nevertheless the record was broken.
Sherrie was rewarded
The
WCTV news report
didn’t mention something else LAKE has done about
the Tim Golden use of a LAKE video without the required attribution:
LAKE paid for
a TV ad on the same WALB market as Golden’s ad.
That
LAKE ad
is still playing today: watch the news and football on WALB
in Valdosta and Hahira.
Bikram Mohanty is a man of integrity running for Georgia state Senate.
The incumbent Tim Golden’s attack ad misuses a video I took of Bikram Mohanty, without the credit its YouTube license requires.
Tim Golden voted to put on the ballot an amendment that could siphon off your local tax dollars for charter schools, even if your school board doesn’t want them.
Vote for integrity; vote for Bikram Mohanty for Georgia state Senate,
and vote No for Amendment 1.
This WALB ad, like the WCTV news interview, is another rare instance of the LAKE politburo deciding LAKE would go on record as an organization, so I was speaking for LAKE.
TL;DR: If you want to use LAKE materials, cite the source.
-jsq