Union County: Commissioner’s Called Meeting scheduled for Monday evening
Union County’s public calendar shows a Commissioner’s Called Meeting scheduled for Monday evening. If you’ve ever been surprised by a called meeting, you know these can move fast, so it helps to know it’s on the schedule.
Listed time window is 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Quick tip: if you care about a local issue this week, check the meeting detail page and any posted packet before you head out.
Sources:
News Date: 2025-12-22.
Towns County: Public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget
Towns County posted a notice for a public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget. Budget hearings can feel dry, but they’re the “money story” behind roads, staffing, and services people ask about all year.
Scheduled for Monday, December 22 at 9:30 a.m.
Location listed as the Towns County Courthouse on River Street in Hiawassee.
The notice also references a called county meeting for budget adoption on December 30.
Sources:
News Date: 2025-12-22.
Holiday travel heads up: Georgia DOT lane-closure suspension windows
Georgia DOT’s holiday travel alert includes temporary lane-closure suspension windows, which can reduce some of the usual construction pinch points for holiday driving. Long-term closures can still remain in place, and crews may still be active near roadways.
Suspension window one: Tuesday, December 23 at 6:00 a.m. through Sunday, December 28 at 10:00 p.m.
Suspension window two: Wednesday, December 31 at 5:00 a.m. through Friday, January 2 at 5:00 a.m.
Plan for traffic anyway, and leave extra room for unexpected slowdowns.
Sources:
https://wlaq.com/2025/12/19/holidays-georgia-dot-suspends-lane-closures-shares-key-travel-windows-and-safety-tips/
News Date: 2025-12-19.
Hiawassee: Mountain Country Christmas in Lights is open nightly through Dec. 23
If you’re looking for a simple holiday-week outing without a big event roundup, the Christmas in Lights display is listed as open nightly through December 23 at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee.
Listed hours are 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The listing notes nightly operations in the final stretch leading up to December 23.
Expect traffic to bunch up near the fairgrounds during peak arrival times.
Sources:
News Date: 2025-12-15.
Blue Ridge planning note: SR 5 / Blue Ridge Drive widening is in the official pipeline
Georgia DOT planning documents list the SR 5 and Blue Ridge Drive corridor widening work as a multi-phase effort. Even before any detours show up, this kind of project shapes commute time, business access, and route choices for years.
Recent GDOT materials describe a widening segment from Pineview Lane to Dougherty Circle.
Project information appears as multiple phases in statewide planning documentation.
We’ll watch for schedule changes and any posted traffic impacts as they become public.
Sources:
https://www.dot.ga.gov/BuildSmart/BoardMeeting/Minutes/CommitteeMeetingDecember2025.pdf
https://www.dot.ga.gov/PartnerSmart/Programs/Planning/Documents/HB617_2025_FLIP.pdf
News Date: 2025-12-22.
Where to listen and follow
Podcast: https://adu.riverrun.digital
Producer: https://go.riverrun.digital
Notes, methods, and rights
This Appalachia Daily Update episode was assembled with the help of AI tools to speed up research and drafting, using only public sources listed above. We do our best to confirm key details at publish time, but schedules and public notices can change quickly. If you spot something that needs a correction or want to suggest a local item, email adu@riverrun.digital. Copyright 2025 RiverRun.Digital. Learn more at
https://go.riverrun.digital
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