Tuesday’s electoral “Republican Sweep” in headline news didn’t just impact national politics, but filtered down to state and local races – even those that where party affiliation has absolutely no bearing on job performance or governing philosophy.

Incumbent Republican Governor Nathan Deal, despite his ethical shortcomings, soundly defeated strong challenger Jason Carter, 52.8% to 44.82%, with a victory margin slightly over 200,000 votes. Libertarian candidate Andrew Hunt, whose support APPEARED to be on the uptick during the last few weeks, took less than 3% of the total vote.

Deal claimed all but about three dozen of the state’s 159 counties, including everything in Northwest Georgia. Carter’s support was concentrated in Atlanta, coastal Georgia, and portions of South Georgia where his family originates.

The only competitive local race, GA House District 1, was also a disaster for those opposed to the status quo. Incumbent Republican John Deffenbaugh again whipped Democrat challenger Tom McMahan, 72.56% to 27.44% with only 9,762 total votes cast. Deffenbaugh claimed every single voting precinct in his district across both counties it covers.

Voters who held their noses and ignored Deal’s ethical excrement also held their noses to ignore Deffenbaugh’s complete lack of doing anything (including not listening to constituents and making conflicting, wishy-washy statements on a number of issues) during his one term in office. Much of that nose holding was less about the men themselves but about the party they claim.

You’re not dumb if you voted for someone in a specific party, but if you voted for a candidate SOLELY because of the party they claim, without any other research or knowledge, you’re approaching stupid.

Gov. Deal thanks you though. So does John Deffenbaugh.

Many said they chose Deal despite his problems because of his party. Others said he was the only viable choice, and no candidate they really liked was on the ballot. A good number of the same people admit to not voting during the May primary (where both parties had multiple candidates), and reject the idea of a third-party candidate like Andrew Hunt because “he can’t win” even though he could win easily if people didn’t have the idiotic perception he couldn’t win. The very definition of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Would people have voted the same, and would Tuesday’s election results been the same, if voters couldn’t see the candidates’ party affiliations, or if parties didn’t exist at all? Likely not.

Party politics (which are the problem, not the cure) are summed up best here: an analogy of being forced to eat PB&J sandwiches or ham and cheese, no matter what you actually prefer to eat. “You should find like-minded people who like the same sandwich that you do… It all tastes the same anyway. Just pick one of the two sandwich parties.”

At least, finally, we’re done with elections until July or August of next year when city offices come up for a vote again.

The current election cycle locally started over a year ago with the resignation of GA Rep. Jay Neal. The race to replace him turned into a runoff and a January vote, followed by primaries in May, another runoff in July, and finally this vote in November. While some campaign every day of every year, and politics are always with us, actual elections and candidate challenges should stay out of the news for a while.

Should.

Don’t hold your breath.             

One thing Walker County voters DID reject was a proposal potentially allowing Sunday alcohol sales in the county’s unincorporated areas.

A small majority of voters in in every precinct except Rossville and Fairyland said Walker County isn’t yet ready for alcohol sales, of any kind, on church day.

LU has taken a neutral position on the issue of expanded alcohol sales for the last five years, beginning with LaFayette’s 2009 by-the-drink vote. As stated then, increased availability of alcohol isn’t a gateway to hell OR an economic savior, it’s just a thing.

In this case specifically, not allowing stores to sell beer and wine on weekends (or Holidays or election days) doesn’t prevent people from drinking on those days – it just makes doing so inconvenient. Stores, likewise, don’t lose much money from this law; those who wish to drink alcohol at home on a Sunday generally buy it for that purpose ahead of time in the same place it would be purchased that day.

If the ballot measure DID pass, it might not have changed anything. Back in May, Walker voters approved allowing businesses in unincorporated areas to sell liquor – but six months later Commissioner Heiskell hasn’t lifted a finger to change the laws and let that occur. The will of the people means little when the person charged with updating rules isn’t responsive.     

Saturday fire claimed a house on North Main Street – twice.

The rental home at 614 N. Main caught fire around noon Saturday. Fire crews extinguished the flames, but returned later that night when the home caught fire again, this time a complete loss.

Per reports, the initial fire was likely caused by electrical wiring in the attic. So far there’s no word what led to the second blaze, if it was a result of the first fire or a separate incident. Rumors are circulating around town (so far without any known proof) that the later conflagration might have been set intentionally to hide evidence of a break-in.

Other rumors suggest the initial fire started due to corner cutting by the destroyed home’s owners, the Teems family, who recently remodeled the structure. The Teems have been proactively assisting the family find new housing and replace their lost possessions. Local churches have also begun collecting clothing and household items for the family.       

Scare on the Square and other local Halloween/fall events last weekend went off without problem, despite less-than-perfect weather.

Halloween photo above, from the Fall Festival at Highlands church, was chosen as a favorite by LU Facebook readers.               

Halloween scares are nothing compared to today’s election.

For governor we have Nathan Deal, 40 year career politician with serious ethical problems and an attitude of being untouchable, inexperienced legislator Jason Carter whose platform isn’t quite mainstream, and libertarian third party candidate Andrew Hunt who has a few ideas that seem like they need more time in the oven.

As the incumbent governor representing the state’s dominant party, Nathan Deal should have every advantage in this upcoming election – but polls show he and Jason Carter are neck and neck. Why isn’t he doing better? Ethical problems, ineffective government, lukewarm support, and a strong challenger.

But not all dissatisfaction with Gov. Deal benefits Jason Carter. Quite a few who are sick of deal but have trouble stomaching a vote for Jimmy Carter’s grandson are taking a close look at Libertarian candidate Andrew Hunt.

If Hunt gets 20% of the votes on Tuesday, the Libertarian party will be legally equal to the R and D parties in Georgia. They’ll have the same ballot access and state funding the other two parties get and can hold primary elections.

The race is close enough that a surge for Hunt would result in a runoff, and then you could pick the candidate you wanted to win out of Carter and Deal in January – and we’d have a viable third party option in future elections.

So what do we know about Mr. Hunt? Here’s an interview with him from last week and a video he released over the weekend.

Today voters in Dade County and the West side of Walker will also choose who represents them in the GA House through 2016. Candidates are Tom McMahan and incumbent John Deffenbaugh.

LU doesn’t endorse either candidate, but asks that you NOT vote for Deffenbaugh. His uselessness over the last two years and (so far) dismissal of the Sole Commissioner Vote Petition make him undeserving of a second term.

So that means either not voting in that race, or selecting Tom McMahan. A vote for Tom would certainly send a message to Atlanta.

While a majority of Walker County residents’ personal views line up with the stated platform of the Republican Party, the execution of those party goals leaves much to be desired. Bottom line: if Nathan Deal, Jeff Mullis, Bebe Heiskell, Steve Wilson, and John Deffenbaugh are the best the Republicans can do, the party deserves a spanking at the polls.         

A house fire in the Catlett area Thursday morning claimed the life of a 60-year-old man, Peter Wattenbarger.

Per reports, the semi-disabled man’s home at 963 Round Pound Rd. caught fire because of a defective wood heater. (The structure is a complete loss.) He was pulled from the fire by an off duty firefighter, assistant chief Marlin Thompson, but died of his injuries after arriving at Hutcheson.

Mr. Wattenbarger becomes Walker County’s second fire-related death this year and Georgia’s 87th.       

Today is Halloween. Scare on the Square will be held tonight at 5 PM, so expect the normal traffic issues and watch for kids on the streets all over town. (It starts at FIVE not FOUR or THREE. FIVE.)

The city says smoking is not allowed on the street during this year’s event and “family appropriate” costumes are encouraged, with public decency laws being enforced. If the weather gets bad enough, SOTS will be moved to next Friday, November 5th.

Other Halloween/fall events today and tomorrow:

Fall Festival at Highlands Church, 6 tonight – rain or shine.

Lake WinnepeSPOOKah at Lake Winnie, 6-11 tonight.

Trunk or Treat at Stone Ridge Fellowship, 2-7 tomorrow.

Pumpkin Smash, tomorrow morning in Chattanooga.

Also tonight the Ramblers will participate in a football game against the scary 7-1 Cartersville Purple Hurricanes, LHS’ final home game of the season.     

Several days ago someone started a rumor on social media about a shooting at Ridgeland. Students were warned not to attend class on Wednesday or Thursday because they would be in danger of death. Investigators said the threats were started by a “female former student” who attended class at Ridgeland earlier this year.

Walker Sheriff’s Office increased security at the school even while saying the threat was a hoax, and of course nothing happened – but a number of students were absent due to irrational fear.

The odds of being shot at school are about the same as catching Ebola, which is to say it’s not likely at all. But the chances of being shot on a day when a shooting threat has been in the news is much lower than the odds on a regular day.. People who plan to shoot up a school don’t announce it first – and Ridgeland has probably been safer this week than it has in years.

Heck, SRO Deputy Bruce Coker showed up every day to do his job because of the threats. How often does THAT happen?     

Times Free-Press catches Commissioner Heiskell in a bold-face lie regarding her plan to buy the Covenant Bank property.

Heiskell said the county faces a $165,000 fine for not giving tax assessors more office space. State officials say “that’s not true” and they could start putting two people in each office instead of spending a half million dollars on a new building.

“The tax assessor’s office now is located at 201 S. Main St. in LaFayette. Heiskell thinks the building is about 75 years old, and she said the conditions are so poor that mold has grown on the arms of the office’s chairs.”

Mold on the chairs. That’s not a lack of funds, that’s a lack of cleaning – and very hard to believe. Has anybody ever seen these moldy chairs?

The only cure for a county buying property out of control, on the whim of one senile old lady, is to have a multi-member commission. Our taxes (which just shot up) shouldn’t be used to fill one person’s crackpot dreams. Sign the petition demanding a vote to change county government.   

Friday morning a Rome judge delayed the foreclosure of Hutcheson (again) until early January, saying Erlanger hasn’t given the community enough advance notice of its plans.

Meanwhile, Hutcheson’s debts to Erlanger and Regions Bank continue to get bigger – leaving more for the counties to cover once a foreclosure occurs.   

Employees of El Pueblito Restaurant say the business has closed its doors for good. Workers were called in Saturday and given all pay they were owed.

One Eleven, which occupied the same downtown building, announced its closure almost a year ago to the day.   

Tragic news from Naomi.

15-year-old Damon Jones died in a 4-wheeler accident Thursday night. Jones, a 10th grader at LHS, was riding an ATV near Mt. Zion Church off Dunwoody Rd. with another boy and was killed when he struck a cable hanging across a parking lot.

An extremely sad, terrible situation.

Jones’ death has devastated fellow students at LaFayette High School, many of whom didn’t attend Friday as they dealt with the loss. Per Channel 3, an account to help pay for Jones’ final arrangements has been set up at the Bank of LaFayette.       

Rumors verified, per WQCH Radio: Commissioner Heiskell has offered to BUY the former Stearns Bank/Covenant Bank building in Rock Spring, and is willing to spend at least a half million dollars to get it.

She says the county needs it for the tax office and will probably bulldoze old Kitchen’s Clinic in town where the tax assessor is located now.

WQCH Radio, 10/23/14: “WALKER COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS NEGOTIATING A POSSIBLE PURCHASE OF THE FORMER STEARNS BANK LOCATION AT ROCK SPRING.

“COMMISSIONER BEBE HEISKELL SAID WEDNESDAY THAT COUNTY OFFICES INCLUDING THE TAX COMMISSIONER AND ASSESSORS OFFICES, NOW LOCATED IN THE FORMER KITCHENS CLINIC BUILDING IN LAFAYETTE, MAY BE MOVED TO THE ROCK SPRING LOCATION IF A DEAL IS STRUCK.

“THE COUNTY INITIALLY ASKED STERNS TO DONATE THE EMPTY BANK LOCATION FOR A TAX WRITE-OFF, BUT THEY REFUSED. SHE SAID THE BANK CAME BACK RECENTLY WITH AN OFFER TO SELL THE BUILDING TO THE COUNTY FOR 950-THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE COUNTY COUNTERED WITH AN OFFER OF 500-THOUSAND. NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL UNDERWAY.

“WALKER COUNTY IS UNDER A CONSENT ORDER FROM THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO HIRE FOUR MORE APPRAISERS IN THE ASSESSORS OFFICE, AND THE ‘KITCHEN’S CLINIC’ ANNEX BUILDING IN LAFAYETTE IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. HEISKELL SAID THE FORMER CLINIC ALSO HAS A MOLD PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE EITHER GUTTED AND REMODELED, OR TORN DOWN FOR COURTHOUSE PARKING SPACE.

“SHE REFUTED RUMORS THAT THE COUNTY HAS OFFERED 2 TO 3 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE STERNS BANK BUILDING. THE BANK VACATED THE ROCK SPRING LOCATION THIS SUMMER, CLOSING THE GEORGIA OPERATIONS IT ACQUIRED AFTER COVENANT BANK FAILED.

“HEISKELL SAID THE 17-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT BUILDING AT ROCK SPRING COULD BE A BARGAIN, AND MAY SOLVE THE COUNTY’S OFFICE SPACE PROBLEM FOR LESS MONEY THAN BUILDING NEW OFFICES. SHE ALSO ADDED THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE WILL REMAIN IN LAFAYETTE, AS THE SEAT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.”

Reports from a year or so ago say the building cost about $2 million to construct, but that was before the housing and building market collapsed… It MIGHT be a good real estate deal, but Walker County supposedly doesn’t have this kind of money. We’re broke and raised taxes and have a hospital to support, remember?

The county has plenty of unused space. What about putting some of the assessors in one of the empty community centers, or one of the cabins at Mountain Cove Farms? Or park a trailer next to the office building on Duke and Withers Bebe bought years ago for her own new office and never moved into… None of that would cost a half million dollars.

In addition to what the building will cost to buy, taking this property into government hands means it won’t be taxed anymore. The bank’s 2014 property tax bill is $19,103.12 . That’s how much the county general government and local schools will lose out on EVERY YEAR FROM NOW ON if Bebe takes over this building.

That’s almost enough to pay another deputy or a part-time school teacher.