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Festival board. The Million Pines Arts & Crafts Festival is an annual community event that highlights local artisans, craftspeople, live music, delicious food, and family-friendly activities. Although the festival was canceled last year, the commission hopes this year’s event will make up for the hiatus.

County Manager TJ Hudson presented proposals for new vehicles for the Public Works department, which currently has only one functional vehicle. The remaining vehicles have been passed down from the Sheriff’s office. Chairman Phil Jennings highlighted the need for more reliable vehicles, especially in light of Hurricane Helene, which showed the importance of preparedness for emergency situations. “We have done a good job of getting by. A freeze was put on new vehicles for Public Works and EMS when I came on as Chairman. Hurricane Helene has shown us we must be ready for emergencies, and heavier-duty vehicles are needed,” he said.

The board approved the purchase of four F-150 trucks and one F-250 truck. The county will pay state pricing, saving the county even further. The vehicles will be purchased using funds from the 2019 SPLOST account, meaning no additional tax burden will be placed on county residents.

In other business, the board approved muchneeded repairs to the courthouse’s cupola. Eskola LLC, which submitted the lowest bid, was awarded the contract for the work. The repairs will be funded through the 2019 SPLOST account.

The Treutlen County airport will also receive a facelift to bring it up to Georgia Department of Transportation (G-DOT) standards. Ongoing improvements include removing trees, clearing dirt from the runway, and eliminating overgrown grass. More extensive repairs are needed, including shortening the runway from 3,500 feet to 3,200 feet and resurfacing. These improvements are an added benefit to the community, as the airport is frequently used for recreational flights, crop dusting, and animal rescues. The estimated cost for these repairs is $53,000, with $39,839 covered by a state grant and the remaining $13,279 funded through T-SPLOST.