Around Pickens Podcast

Latest Episodes:

008 - Roads Special Episode with Chairman Stancil & Public Works Director Anderson Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

With more than four hundred miles of county-maintained roads, there will always be a sign that needs to be put up, a street to be repaved, or a pothole to be filled. But with so much to be done how does the government prioritize its road improvements? That is the question at the heart of this month’s discussion with BOC Chairman Kris Stancil and Public Works Director Kirk Anderson. In it our guests not only speak to many of the “big picture” aspects of maintaining the county road system but also answer some of the most asked road-related questions from residents.

Links:

You can direct any Public Works related questions to their email roaddept@pickenscountyga.gov or give them a call at 706-253-8873.

For ordinance information related to roads, check out Chapter 54 of the county’s code of ordinances: https://library.municode.com/ga/pickens_county/codes/code_of_ordinances

If you have a question you would like for Chairman Stancil to answer on the podcast you can email it to questions@pickenscountyga.gov

007 - School Safety Special Episode with Sheriff Donnie Craig and COO Chris Wallace Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

With thousands of students and hundreds of staff, keeping Pickens County schools safe is no easy task. Fortunately, we have a big team working to make it happen. In this month’s episode Pickens County Schools Chief Operations Officer Chris Wallace and Sheriff Donnie Craig get together to talk about how their organizations work together to prevent and prepare for emergencies at school. Through this informal discussion they reflect on how safety measures have changed over time, how new technology is making school grounds more secure, and how they are working to create a positive campus culture.

006 - Balancing the Budget with Finance Director Miranda McDowell Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

As summer draws to a close a new season is right around the corner. Here at the county offices that time is our budget season. This year the finance department will be taking it on with our new director Miranda McDowell at the helm. In this episode Miranda walks us through the work she and the finance team are responsible for and discusses the new financial software that should make it all a little more efficient. Later, in the Question to the Chairman part of the show, Kris gets into the details about how the Code of Ordinances is updated. If you have a question you would like to hear Kris answer, you can submit it to questions@pickenscountyga.gov.

Links:

Link to the Finance department’s webpage: https://pickensga.com/finance/

Link to the County’s Code of Ordinances: https://library.municode.com/ga/pickens_county/codes/code_of_ordinances

Tickets and sponsor information for the Long Table on Main event can be found here: https://northgeorgiafamilypartners.org/long-table-2-2/

005 - Learning about Code Enforcement with Chief Marshal Mike Carswell Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

From serving delinquent tax notices to dealing with unruly peacocks, enforcing the code of ordnances is no walk in the park! This month we got together with Chief Marshal Mike Carswell to get to the bottom of what his office is and is not responsible for. The interview is quite illuminating as Mike clears up misconceptions, provides resources, and reveals his personal philosophy for how he approaches law enforcement. Later in the episode Chairman Stancil takes a viewer question and walks us through the county’s response to the recent tornados and where matters stand today. Remember if you have a question for Kris, you can submit it to questions@pickenscountyga.gov.

Links:

The county’s code of ordinances can be found here: https://library.municode.com/ga/pickens_county/codes/code_of_ordinances

To get in touch with the Marshal’s Office, visit their webpage here: https://pickensga.com/county-marshal/

To lean more about the Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center you can visit their website here: https://www.goodsamhwc.org

Check out this years JeepFest agenda and get all the updates here: https://www.sheriffsjeepfest.com/#intro

004 - A Walk Around Roper Park with Recreation Director Brian Jones Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

Summer has officially arrived and there are some great places to spend it right here in Pickens! In this month’s episode we spoke with Recreation Director Brian Jones about the ins and outs of the Parks and Recreation department. Our conversation covered a variety of topics and shed light on everything from how their staff organizes youth sports to improvements coming to Roper Park. Later in the program Chairman Stancil answers a timely question from one of our listeners about the future of green space in Pickens. Remember if you have a question for Kris, you can submit it to questions@pickenscountyga.gov

Links:

If you are interested in volunteering with Parks and Recreation, or viewing their calendar, you can visit their website https://pickrec.com . If you want to reach out to Brian or Seth directly you can call them at 706-253-8862 or stop by the Recreation Center located at 1329 Camp Road, Jasper, GA 30143.

If you would like to learn more about the Community Thrift Store’s Christmas in July event or register your team for the corn hole tournament, visit https://www.pickenscommunitythriftstore.org/festivals/ for more details.

003 -A Peek Inside the New Library with Branch Manager Katie Dobson Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

The Library is back! After nearly two years of renovations the Pickens library is once again opening its doors to the public. In this episode Branch Manager Katie Dobson walks us through all of the new upgrades it got and fills us in on all of the summer programs kicking off this month. Stick around after the interview to hear about events happening around the county and a viewer’s question to Chairman Kris Stancil.

002 - Understanding County Government with Chairman Kris Stancil May 01, 2023

Show notes

Local government can be confusing. It doesn't have the three standard branches that states and the federal government have, which can make it difficult to understand exactly how elected officials work together to keep a county running. That is why we got together with Chairman Kris Stancil to talk about how a county government operates and how Pickens County’s administration is structured. Stay tuned after the interview to hear about upcoming meetings and exciting community events for the month of May.

001 - Paving Roads with Public Works Director Kirk Anderson Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we sit down with Public Works Director Kirk Anderson to discuss his background and what all goes into paving roads. After the interview we take a look at the calendar to see what sort of events are happening around Pickens in November and take a look back at the county’s history during the Civil War.

Trailer: Introducing Around Pickens Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Do you ever wonder who makes the big decisions on paving roads, laying water lines, or responding to weather emergencies? Have you ever wanted to know what a day in the life of a first responder, animal control officer, or campus deputy is like? If you live in Pickens County and want to get to know the people behind your government, then this is the show for you. In each episode host Graham Parker sits down with county personnel, from department heads to everyday workers, to learn about what they do and how they make decisions. Additionally, the show explores a variety of other topics including government meetings, community events, and the history of Pickens itself.

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