GwinnettForum | Number 26.01 | Jan. 6, 2026
THE RED AREAS of Gwinnett are served by septic tanks. Much of Gwinnett County is served by county and city sewage treatment plant. However, many areas of Gwinnett have septic tanks to dispose of household waste. The red areas show the areas of Gwinnett served by septic tanks. This graphic is from the Gwinnett Water Resources Department.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Septic tanks dot much of Gwinnett’s geography
EEB PERSPECTIVE: The year 2026 stacks up to be a big political year
SPOTLIGHT: Peach State Federal Credit Union
ANOTHER VIEW: Merger not necessary; railway systems run smoothly
FEEDBACK: Where is the Congress on Trump’s war?
UPCOMING: Coyote tests positive for rabies in Buford
NOTABLE: GGC Coach Sheetinger joining Washington National ranks
RECOMMENDED: All Roads Lead to Tucker, Georgia by Diane Story
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Emory president becomes spokesman for the South
MYSTERY PHOTO: Here’s another lighthouse for you to identify
LAGNIAPPE: Jackson EMC Foundation awards $40K to agencies
CALENDAR: Small Business Book Club Jan. 12 In Suwanee
Septic tanks dot much of Gwinnett’s geography
By Rebecca Shelton
Director, Gwinnett Water Resources Department
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | For many Gwinnett County residents, septic systems are a reliable and practical way to manage household wastewater. When properly maintained, septic systems are a cost-effective alternative for homes that do not have access to public sewer infrastructure.
While sewer service is often viewed as the gold standard, expanding sewer into existing septic neighborhoods comes with significant financial and practical challenges. The cost of converting a home from septic to sewer can exceed $60,000 per home for the public county infrastructure. Extending sewer to more than 74,000 homes and businesses across the county that are currently on septic would cost the county nearly $5 billion.
Additionally, homeowners typically face $14,000 or more in private costs to abandon their septic tank and connect their home to the sewer system. For comparison, replacing a failing septic system costs up to $20,000 for an average home. After paying to connect to sewer, homeowners then take on a new recurring sewer expense. The average sewer bill in Gwinnett is about $60 per month.
Sewer installation in established neighborhoods is also highly disruptive. Sewer lines may be installed up to 20 feet deep, frequently running through the middle of residential streets. This depth creates challenges for maintaining traffic flow and ensuring safe access for emergency vehicles and school buses during construction. Additionally, Gwinnett’s rocky terrain often requires blasting, which is also disruptive for homeowners.
For many residents, the most practical and cost-effective choice is to properly maintain their existing septic system. Routine maintenance typically costs only a few hundred dollars every few years. This maintenance can prevent costly repairs or system failures down the road. This small investment can save homeowners thousands of dollars over the life of the system.
About 75,000 Gwinnett water customers are on septic and about 205,000 Gwinnett water customers are on sewer. So about 27 percent of Gwinnett water customers are on septic.
We provide water service to the entire county except Buford, Braselton, Loganville, and Auburn.
Septic systems, when maintained correctly, remain a safe, reliable, and financially sound option for many Gwinnett County households, protecting both individual homes and the broader community. Maybe in the future a more cost-effective technology will be available to convert homes from septic to sewer.
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The year 2026 stacks up to be a big political year
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JAN. 6, 2026 | Before you know it in 2026, we’ll be in election season.
You might say we are already. After all, in 2026 candidates must qualify for running for office as early as March 2 and qualifying ends on March 6 at noon. Candidates will have only a little more than two months to campaign, for May 19, the general primary election will be held. Then it will be six months more of campaigning before the General Election on Nov. 3, 2026.
All the state constitutional offices will be voted on this year, meaning there will be open races for governor all the way to the Public Service Commission. Yes, and statewide candidates are always positioning themselves for this clash of personalities. While we can’t believe it will happen, one commentator has thrown out the idea that the year 2026 might be the year that Democrats could return to power in Georgia. We don’t think it will happen that quickly, but at some future date, the Republicans might lose their dominance in Georgia. For sure, we anticipate that Democrats will pick up seats in perhaps both the House and Senate in 2026, but a majority? Probably not yet.
This year? If enough Georgians are frustrated with the antics of President Trump, more Democrats will win. We’ve seen Democrats prevailing in several unlikely states, so it is possible.
On the local front, it’s also the year that a majority of the county commission and two members of the school board will be elected.
Presuming that they will run again, that means that on the ballot will be County Commission Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku and District 4 Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp. For the school board, the seats of members Steve Knudsen and Dr. Adrienne Simmons (the current chair) will be on the ballot this year. Note this, however: the School Board members run in non-partisan races. Note this, however: the School Board members run in non-partisan races.
And that brings us to the county judges, who are also elected during the primary. Judgeships facing the voters in 2026 are:
Superior Court:
- Div. 1, George Hutchinson (open seat); he’s retiring.
- Div. 2, Tracie Cason
- Div. 8, Tim Hamil
- Div. 9, Tracey Mason
- Div. 11, Angela Duncan
State Court:
- Div. 5, Erica Dove
- Div. 4, Ronda Colvin
The Gwinnett constitutional officers also will face voters in 2026. That includes Sheriff Keybo Taylor; Tina P. Garner, clerk of Superior Court; Christopher A. Ballar, probate judge; and Tax Commissioner Denise Mitchell.
Hold on! We’re not finished. Remember that Gwinnett has a combined 31 statehouse representatives and senators (nine senate and 22 house districts). No doubt most will seek-re-election.
Don’t forget a statewide race for a seat in the U.S. Senate, currently held by Democrat Jon Ossoff. And as normal, all U.S. House seats will be open, with the possibilities of some interesting races.
2026 will also see the Congressional mid-term elections, where if the Democrats can take the House of Representatives, the Democrats will put more pressures on Mr. Trump’s policies.
Think that’s all? In November, many of our 17 cities will hold their own city elections, too. All in all, 2026 comes along as quite a political year. Soon you’ll start seeing yard signs.
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Merger not necessary; rail systems run smoothly
By Robert Hanson
LOGANVILLE, Ga. | As a veteran of over 30 years in the freight transportation industry – over two thirds of them in railroading – I read with great interest the op-ed piece on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger submitted by Rep. Rick Jasperse.
In its title, he says that the NS-UP “Merger could strengthen freight system.” How? Today’s rail system is as strong as a steel I-beam right now. Both these companies are amazingly prosperous (I know – I get their annual reports) and neither is in any financial peril that would be remedied by merger.
Mr. Jasperse also said that the merger would create a more seamless east-west connection.
How? Run-through trains, using motive power from partner railroads, have been in service since at least the 1970’s. These trains do not go through the regular interchange process but stop only to change crews and refuel. These exist right now, and a merger will not noticeably improve on this. It can be accomplished by co-ordination between companies, as has been proven over the last decades.
Reduce traffic congestion? How? Getting trucks off the Interstate? Intermodal service has been available since the late 1950’s and while many trucking companies avail themselves of this service. I-85 is still wall-to-wall with trucks at some hours of the day. I don’t think the merger will wave any magic wand to remove them. The service is currently available. The merger will change nothing in this area.
He writes, “The combined NS and UP system will give Georgia an edge in attracting the next generation of employers.” How? What will be here that is not already here right now.
Mr. Jasperse points out both the NS and the UP spend large sums of money in helping to train local fire fighters and first responders. Again I ask, if this already exists, how will this be improved by the merger?
In the years that I have been tracking (no pun intended) the railroad industry, I can honestly say that I have rarely, if ever, seen a railroad merger that was truly in the public interest. Most of them boiled down to plain old-fashioned greed.
I believe this one to be no exception.
And by the way, what will become of the 1000+ employees that will lose their jobs in Atlanta alone due to this merger while we’re waiting for this next generation of employers?
Mr. Jasperse says that Georgians want transportation solutions that work. Unless I’ve been badly misled by my years in the transportation industry, that system already exists, and this proposed merger will do nothing to improve on it.
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Where is the Congress on Trump’s war?
Editor, the Forum:
Donald Trump had the American military attack Venezuela to remove Nicolas Maduro from power. It wasn’t really about the alleged narco-terrorism, it was and is about oil, other natural resources, money, and power. The attack was an act of war, but the president did not obtain a declaration of war from Congress. So, where is the Congress, particularly the Republican members who control both houses?
The Republicans have relinquished their power to the president and, instead of decrying Trump’s presidential overreach, they are praising his military adventurism. I think they are doing so because they lack the gumption to oppose Trump. Today, the GOP stands for the “Gumption Optional Party.” The Republican members are a completely cowed caucus. They have reason to fear Trump, but bravery is about overcoming fear, upholding their oaths to defend the Constitution, and serving Americans.
– Mike Wood, Peachtree Corners
Appreciates coverage of compelling neighborhood issue
Dear GwinnettForum Editorial Staff:
As 2025 comes to a close, we would be greatly remiss if we did not take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks for printing our press release in your Sept. 12 edition.
Your coverage not only amplified our voice, but also conveyed a clear and straightforward account of a small—yet determined—group of homeowners fighting to prevent a funeral home and crematorium from encroaching upon their treasured neighborhood. Through your platform, the greater Gwinnett County community was reminded that even in these polarizing times, citizens can organize, remain informed, and prevail.
We sincerely appreciate your commitment to fair and balanced reporting and wish your entire editorial staff a successful and productive 2026.
– Isaac Coleman, CHC spokesperson and Demorris Walker, CHC lead/adviser, The Centerville Highway Corridor (CHC), LLC
Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 300 words, and include your hometown. The views of letters are the opinion of the contributor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: ebrack2@gmail.com.
Coyote tests positive for rabies in Buford
A coyote tested positive for rabies yesterday after three incidents in Buford on December 26 and 27, 2025.
During the first incident, a resident and a dog were injured in an attack near Holland Park Drive. Additional attacks involving two residents and another dog occurred at 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on December 27 near Wyncliff Court and Bennies Way in Buford.
Diseases like rabies can be transmitted to humans and pets through bites or scratches from wild animals such as foxes and raccoons. Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement and GNR Public Health advise residents to use caution and avoid animals behaving in unusual ways.
Pet owners should ensure that their pets are current on rabies vaccination. According to the National Association of State Health Veterinarians, unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid animal must be strictly quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month prior to being released.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rabies virus attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal in humans if untreated. Early symptoms of rabies in people include fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort.
If you have been bitten or scratched by any stray animals or suspected rabid animal, immediate preventive treatment is necessary.
Please seek medical care immediately and inform the health care provider of the exposure. Then, contact GNR Public Health at 770-339-4260 and ask for the on-call epidemiologist.
- To report an animal behaving in an unusual way and have it picked up, call the Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement Bite Office at 770-339-3200, ext. 5576.
Shumate joins Gwinnett Housing Corp. board
Greg Shumate of Suwanee has joined the Gwinnett Housing Corporation board of Commissioners.
Shumate is CEO and Managing Partner at Capital City Home Loans, with extensive experience in the mortgage banking industry. His leadership extends beyond his company as he serves on several boards, including the Gwinnett Medical Center and the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia.
His commitment to education and community service is evident through his involvement with Georgia Gwinnett College and Warrick Dunn Charities. With a background in marketing from Georgia State University, he combines strategic insight with a deep understanding of financial services. His long tenure in various leadership roles highlights his stability and adaptability in the ever-evolving mortgage landscape. Outside of work, he is passionate about supporting local initiatives and promoting education.
GGC’s Sheetinger joining Washington National ranks
Georgia Gwinnett College baseball coach Jeremy Sheetinger is departing for the professional ranks. He is joining Washington Nationals to coordinate its minor league training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., and assisting in improving defensive skills for players and teams throughout the organization.
Assistant coach Ryan Terrill is also advancing his professional career by becoming the recruiting coordinator with NCAA Division I’s Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). This position moves him closer to his family roots in Virginia.
Under Sheetinger, GGC baseball captured the 2021 NAIA national championship and advanced to the Avista NAIA World Series for seven consecutive seasons, including back-to-back semifinal finishes. The 2026 Grizzlies were ranked No. 2 in the NAIA preseason poll after a 56-7 season in 2025.
Sheetinger led the Grizzlies for six seasons, compiling a 279-52 record (83.2 winning percentage), with four 50-win seasons, and the 2021 NAIA national championship, winning all five games at the NAIA Avista World Series.
Sheetinger says: “My dad used to remind me that if you see a turtle sitting on a fencepost, recognize he did not get up there by himself. “Career advancement for coaches is only created by the players on the field – they are the most important people and drive our collective success. Couple this with the loyalty, work ethic and commitment of our assistant coaches, this all played an influential role in elevating GGC baseball. My family and I are forever indebted to the men who wore the G-Claw with pride and supported our vision for the program.”
All Roads Lead to Tucker, Georgia by Diane Story
From Rick Krause, Lilburn: Diane Story’s All Roads Lead to Tucker, Georgia, was a light, charming, and informative read. Its subtitle, A Collection of Short Stories: Southern Charm and Wit, describes it well. It spills over substantially into Gwinnett County, blending stories in Suwanee, Duluth, Norcross, Lilburn, and areas. It is part memoir, regional appeal, and life lessons in a narrative anchored by a straight-forward Southern voice. In fact, the book’s guiding statement—’Girl, no matter where you are in life, you’ll never be lost as long as you remember, all roads lead to Tucker!’ Story’s writing has humor and affection, portraying Tucker, not just as a town, but as a state of mind. The book is truly sentiment-infused, but I really liked the historical aspect. I truly felt a part of it, in space and in time. It’s a read to put a smile on your face. Highly recommended.”
- An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Click here to send an email.
Emory president becomes spokesman for the South
Atticus G. Haygood, an editor, author, and educator, was a distinguished president of Emory College and a progressive bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He gained national prominence as a spokesman for the New South, promoting business and commercial development, and he fearlessly preached reunion, reconciliation, and educational opportunity for African Americans. He also championed such causes as federal aid to education and prohibition.
Atticus Greene Haygood was born on November 19, 1839, in Watkinsville, the eldest of Martha Ann Askew and Greene B. Haygood’s eight children. Educated at home, he entered Emory College in Oxford in 1856 and graduated in 1859. That year he married Mary Yarbrough, with whom he had eight children (four of whom survived to adulthood), and was admitted into the Georgia Methodist conference. (He and Mary also adopted and raised a grandson.) He served as a circuit rider and intermittently as army chaplain during the Civil War (1861-65).
After the war Haygood quickly assumed leadership roles in the Methodist establishment. He became presiding elder in the North Georgia Conference, and in 1870 the General Southern Conference selected him as Sunday school secretary. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and edited and published church school materials. His book Our Children (1876) resulted from the experience. In 1875 he was elected president of Emory College, where he reformed the curriculum, worked to make the college more affordable, and generally helped raise Emory’s profile in the region. From 1878 to 1882 he edited and contributed to the Wesleyan Christian Advocate.
Haygood’s rise to national prominence began with his 1880 Thanksgiving sermon, during which he spoke of the positive impact emancipation and industrialization would have on the South, and with his book Our Brother in Black: His Freedom and His Future (1881), an account of the role played by freedpeople during Reconstruction(1867-76). His work caught the attention of the directors of the John F. Slater Fund, an agency created by northern philanthropists to underwrite projects for southern African American education. Haygood was the fund’s agent from 1883 to 1890.
His book The Case of the Negro (1885) advocated racial and national reconciliation, and he was a key figure in the founding, in 1882, of Paine Institute (later Paine College) in Augusta. Elected bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, that year, he declined the position, citing his unfinished work at Emory. In 1884 he resigned the Emory presidency, and when reelected bishop in 1890, he accepted and was assigned to California. In 1893 the Haygoods returned to Oxford, where he died in 1896.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to htts://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Here’s another lighthouse to identify
Readers keep sending us beautiful lighthouse photographs. Here’s another. Try to figure out where it is located. Send your answer to ebrack2@gmail.com, and tell us where you live.
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas recognized the recent mystery photo. It is of a converted, red shipping container that houses the Fox Brothers Bar-B-Que “Que-osk,” an extension of a number of popular Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q restaurants and breweries in the Atlanta area. The photo was shot at 120 Ottley Dr NE in the Armour Yards of Atlanta, a former industrial district between Buckhead and Midtown that has been converted into a vibrant office and retail hub featuring historic warehouses, local eateries, wellness spots, all with direct access to major highways and trails like the BeltLine.
“Inspired by their Texas roots and love for the bold flavors of Texas-style barbecue, twin brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox moved to Atlanta from Fort Worth, Texas. In 2001, they started holding backyard gatherings for friends and family to test out their barbecue skills. By 2005, these small, friendly gatherings grew into a catering business that would cook for large groups of people, sometimes exceeding 250 meat-loving, BBQ aficionados at a time. In 2007, The Brothers, along with partner Beau Nolen, opened their first full-service restaurant, the Fox Brothers Barb-B-Q on Dekalb Avenue in Candler Park. This was followed by the Que-osk (Armour Yards) in 2016, The Works (Upper Westside) in 2021, and the Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q (Brookhaven Station) in 2023.”
Also sending in the correct answer were George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; and Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C. Photo by Andy Brack of Charleston, S.C.
- SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Jackson EMC Foundation awards $40K charity
The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $81,246 in grants for organizations during its recent meeting, including $40,246 to organizations serving Gwinnett County.
- $10,500 to Society of St. Vincent DePaul Georgia-St. Monica’s Conference, Duluth, for its Emergency Housing and Shelter Program to provide families in Gwinnett County with housing and shelter costs.
- $10,500 to St. Vincent DePaul Prince of Peace, Flowery Branch, for its Helping Our Neighbors at the Brink of Homelessness Program to provide rental assistance for families facing eviction in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties.
- $10,000 to the American Red Cross of Northeast Georgia, Watkinsville, for its Disaster Relief Program to help families in all counties in Jackson EMC’s service area with financial assistance and recovery support after a disaster or home fire.
- $6,746 to the Gwinnett Citizen Fire Academy Alumni Association, Inc., Lawrenceville, for its Fire Extinguisher and Fire Escape Ladders Program to provide fire extinguishers for residents in Gwinnett County.
- $2,500 to Hope Worldwide for rental assistance for its Launch Pad Transitional Housing Program providing shelter to young adults facing homelessness or aging out of foster care in Gwinnett County.
Jackson EMC Foundation grants are made possible by the 225,092 participating cooperative members who have their monthly electric bills rounded to the next dollar amount through the Operation Round Up program. Their “spare change” has funded 2,142 grants to organizations and 440 grants to individuals, putting more than $22.4 million back into local communities since the program began in 2005.
Small Business Book Club is Jan. 12 in Suwanee
Meeting today at noon will be the Snellville Commerce Club, with the meeting at Snellville City Hall. Speaker for January 6 will be Musashi Uchida, business consultant with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center in Gwinnett.
The Norcross PDC (people drinking coffee) meets each Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. at the 45 South Café in downtown Norcross. The January 7 meeting will be an Atlanta Press Club Roundtable of speakers on how newsrooms work. The event is free and visitors are welcomed.
Join award-winning author Vanessa Riley as she discusses her newest saga, Fire Sword and Sea, based on the life of the legendary 17th-century pirate Jacquotte Delehaye. This will be at the Snellville Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library on January 10 at 3 p.m. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce will welcome Tim Elmore, founder of Growing Leaders, at its Thursday Thought Leaders on January 8 at 11:30 at the Hilton Atlanta Northwest. He will speak on “The Future Begins with Z: Finding, Keeping and Leading Generation Z on Your Team.” Registration closes at noon January 6.
Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra and Youth Orchestra will present a side-by-side concert on Sunday, January 11 at 7 p.m. at Discovery Theatre, 1355 Old Norcross Road in Lawrenceville. The program will consist of MOZART Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550; Mozart Flute Concerto No. 2 in D, 2nd Movement, Teodora Stoyanova, Flute’ Strauss II the Blue Danube Waltz; ANDERSON The Typewriter; and STRAUSS Sr. Radetzky March Op. 228. Gregory Pritchard and Robert Trocina, are the conductors.
Small Business Book Club will meet at noon on January 12 at the Suwanee Branch of Gwinnett Public Library. Join us for insightful discussions and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs. This month’s selection is The Daily Entrepreneur by S.J. Scott and Rebecca Livermore.
A detention pond workshop will be presented by representatives from Gwinnett County’s Department of Water Resources at 6 p.m. on January 15 at the Grayson Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. This program is aimed at private property owners and HOAs, and helpful advice to protect detention ponds from major failures, safety hazards, and liability issues.
A solo exhibit of the work of Chitra Ramanathan of Norcross, a teaching artist at Norcross Gallery and Studios, is now going on at the Pinckneyville Park and Recreation Center in Berkeley Lake through January 31, 2026. It is a retrospective, as some early works are included up to current ones, many large in scale.
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