Lumpkin designated a broadband-ready site

Business, Community, Education

Lumpkin, Ga.- Lumpkin County partnered with Windstream to become a designated broadband-ready site. The Department of Community Affairs gave a presentation at the work session on September 7 about the new partnership.

The adult education center also gave a presentation at the work session, and a GDNR Trail resolution was put before the commissioners for their consideration.

Mr. Christopher Dun Department of Community Affairs commissioner and Windstream Representatives Dina Perry and Michael Forbo were present at the meeting. Development Authority Director Rebecca Mincey briefed the board on the broadband site and what it means for Lumpkin County.

The Gateway Corridor Overlay District is the site of the designation. In order for the area to qualify for the designation, the area must be broadband-ready, have a local provider being able to provide at least 1 GB of broadband service to that district, and be able to show the potential for economic development and job growth in the area.

Lumpkin County was designated as a broadband-ready community in August of 2020. Windstream is able to provide 1GB of broadband service for the area of the Gateway Corridor Overlay District. With the adoption of the Gateway Corridor Overlay District and the design guidelines that became a targeted area for economic development and an opportunity for commercial and mixed-use development.

“We hope to bring more jobs and investments to Lumpkin County. This benefits Lumpkin County not only now will we be a broadband-ready community be we will also have the site designation as we look to apply for funding from the state fiscal recovery fund, which will also be an important story we are able to tell,” explained Mincey.

For more information on what it means for Lumpkin to be a broadband-ready community visit https://www.dca.ga.gov/newsroom/blog/rural-digital-opportunity-fund-auction-expand-broadband-georgia-households-businesses

The next presentation brought before the commissioners were the Adult Education Center. Shannon Cole and Jennifer Parker told the commissioners about the GED graduation rate for Lumpkin County. The numbers are from FY 19-FY21.

Jennifer Parker presenting for the Adult Education Center to the Commissioners.

In FY 19, there was a total of 64 people that got their GEDs. In FY 20, the number drop to 25 due to COVID restrictions and in FY 21 there has been a total of 60 GEDs attained by the students.

In 2019, ten of those that got their GEDs were in jail at the time, in 2020 there was only one and thus far for 2021 they have not been able to enter the jail. The rest of those that got their GEDS were from the Adult Education Center. Lumpkin Literacy is a partner that pays for at least two of the test for the students.

In addition to helping people receive their GEDs, they offer training programs to get people back into the workforce with better jobs than they had before the program. For more information on classes and where to find them visit https://www.laniertech.edu/adult-education/adult-education-class-locations/

The graph displaying the GED rates.

On November 15, they are hosting a graduation ceremony for 120 students. These are all the way back to 2019. The ceremony will take place at the Hall Campus of Lanier Tech. at 7 p.m. and Lumpkin has the most people walking for their county.

“I just want to make sure how highly I value your program. I am a career educator and not all the kids make it all the way and most of the time believe it or not it’s not their fault because there are other circumstances that impact their progress. This gives them another opportunity and another chance,” commented Commissioner District 2 Bobby Mayfield.

The last item that was presented to the commissioners was the GDNR Recreational Trails Program. The commissioners already voted to move forward with the application process and part of that is a resolution by the commissioners. The resolution just says they will pay the upfront cost and be reimbursed up to 80% once the work is complete. For more information about this program visit https://lumpkin.fetchyournews.com/2021/08/04/commissioners-consider-donation-of-antique-tractor/

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