The Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline was granted eminent domain in
order to run through some of the private properties along its path.
In doing so it was required to offer what the defense calls ‘just
compensation.’
One Moultrie land owner was offered around $20,000 for an easement
on his property. This week a jury, siding with the land owner,
decided that was not enough.
Sabal Trail is now ordered to pay five times that amount, more than Continue reading →
Sure, 300,000 is less than the
millions of gallons Valdosta spilled in January 2017.
And sure, Valdosta has spent tens of millions of dollars building
a whole new Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
uphill out of the flood plain, and a force main, and mamy other improvements.
Sure, the situation is better than it used to be,
as I’ve been bragging about on the radio and in this blog recently.
But it was that same new WWTP that spilled yesterday.
Sure, what spilled was mostly rainwater.
But people in the seven Florida counties downstream (or in Lowndes and Brooks
Counties, Georgia downstream) are not Continue reading →
June 26, 2018, Valdosta, GA —
The jury deliberated a bit less than an hour two hours,
delivering a verdict just before 7PM tonight:
$103,385 for easement and
$4,531.50 for timber.
The figures offered by Sabal Trail were
$19,979 for easement and
$4,117 for timber.
Assuming these numbers transcribed from various speakers
are correct, the jury awarded five times what
Sabal Trail offered for the pipeline easement and somewhat
more than their offer for timber.
“When Sabal Trail goes to jury trial, it loses,”
said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.
Here are the winners, waiting in the hall before the jury came back:
The winners:
Fred Jones, Lynn Lasseter (Defendant), Jonathan Waters (attorney), Reese Waters (attorney’s assistant)
This
jury verdict from the U.S. Court, Middle District of Georgia,
is very similar to Continue reading →
When I started out the day, I wasn’t planning on spending the morning watching jury selection but I did. Honestly, everyone should go observe court our government in action now and then. Voir dire!
I knew that electronic devices weren’t allowed so I left my phone in the car. I couldn’t find any paper so I used Moonwalking with Einstein to remember things.
I arrived at the Federal Building about 9:15AM and noticed the changes since the post office moved out.
The only thing you can do is go into the elevator.
I took the elevator to the second floor to the security screening but had to go back to the car to get ID.
I successfully negotiated security by 9:30AM.
The agenda for this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session and tomorrow evening’s voting Regular Session doesn’t say where the LAS is,
but apparently it’s these two parcels nestled between Moody AFB’s Grassy Pond and the private Pike’s Pond Fishing Club, west of I-75 and Lake Park.
WWALS Scout and VSU Art Professor Julie Bowland
donated this painting of Running Spring for auction 1-5PM this afternoon
at
The Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602,
in the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
Come on down to hear new songs about our rivers,
with a buffet and cash bar!
Plus you could get this painting, maybe even for Continue reading →
Come hear good music this afternoon, new songs about the Suwannee,
Withlacoochee, and other rivers, said
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman
on the radio yesterday morning with
Scott James.
The M.C. for today’s finals of the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,
WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, explained the raffles (kayak, swag,
and silent auction), and we mentioned
the buffet and cash bar at the
at the Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.
We listed the finalists in the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,
and described the format: speeches (especially by Will Eason of the Salty Snapper), finalists play new songs about the rivers, judges score on music, lyrics, history, etc., and finally
the results of the raffles, and the prizes.
We showed off the First Prize plaque, just handed to us by WWALS
Board Member Phil Hubbard, who made it.
Videos: Songwriting Contest on Scott James Radio 2018-06-22
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),
Once festival season is over today, we noted we’ll get on with the programs WWALS fundraising pays for.
Such as
water quality testing: Continue reading →
How you can hear new songs about our rivers while munching on a buffet
with a cash bar at the
First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,
1-5PM this Saturday, June 23, 2018,
at the Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.
Update 2018-06-26:
Cross examination starts at 9AM today in the Sabal Trail Jury Trial in Valdosta.
John S. Quarterman went to the oral arguments yesterday afternoon.
Update 2018-06-25:
Oral arguments start 1PM today in the Sabal Trail Jury Trial in Valdosta.
Gretchen went to jury selection this morning, which wrapped up rapidly.
