Ware County is getting another Dollar General after action by the Ware County Commission last week.
Commissioners approved the rezoning of a parcel at the intersection of Dorothy Street and E. Blackshear Avenue that will be the site of another facility for the franchise during their monthly meeting Thursday, January 16 at the Administration Building.
There currently are eight stores under the Dollar General umbrella in the county including a Dollar General Market.
Present for the meeting and the work session that preceded it were Commission Chairman Elmer Thrift, Commissioners Leonard Burse, Barry Cox, Timothy Lucas and Jon Tindall.
The Waycross-Ware County Planning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning request during its regular meeting November 14, 2024.
The Ware Commissioners held a public hearing on December 9. The rezoning was postponed when Commissioner Lucas revealed he owns the adjoining property.
The rezoning request was approved by a 3-1 vote with Lucas abstaining and Burse voting nay.
Chairman Thrift opened a discussion regarding roads which he said should be on the Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation (LMIG) list.
Commissioner Tindall reported he and newly appointed County Manager James Shubert had ridden the roads and suggested the list developed for the 2022 LMIG application which was never comthe pleted be used.
The commission approved the use of the 2022 LMIG Project Report which includes 20 roads.
Executive Director of the South Central Georgia Chapter of the Red Cross, Jacqueline Shoemaker, updated the Commission on the services the organization responded to last year including 16 home fires and Hurricane Helene. Shoemaker said hurricane assistance is still available through their Bridge Assistance program. Monthly blood drives in conjunction with the Waycross Exchange Club help the Red Cross maintain their standing as the largest provider of blood in the country.
Frank Riley, Executive Director of the Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D Council and Mark Wiles, a retired Forest Ranger who worked on the 2007 wildfire known as the Sweat Farm Fire, made a presentation regarding the Community Wildfire Development Grant for the Georgia Forestry Commission.
According to Riley, the grant provides funding for the development and revising of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP), and the implementation of projects described in a CWPP that is less than 10 years old.
A CWPP provides a community with a road map to reduce wildfire risk.
Several appointments were made during the regular meeting. Commissioner Cox was elected 2025 Vice Chair, Commissioner Lucas was reappointed ex-officio member of the Waycross/ Ware County Library Board, Daniel Morris was appointed to Board of Directors of the Waycross Ware County Development Authority and Commissioner Tindall was appointed to the Downtown Waycross Development Authority board.
The commission approved the reduction of speed on Fulford Road in the industrial park to 35 mph.
A resolution to reactivate the recreation board was approved. Appointed members are Carlos Nelson, Mike Thigpen, John White, Alesia Gibson, Ramona Thrift, Madelyn Tanner and Martin Cheatham.
Interim County Manager Melinda Brooks reported the State Street overpass, a state project, is scheduled to begin construction in January 2026 and the Albany Avenue overpass, a county project, is scheduled to issue an RFP (Request for Proposal) in April 2026.
