WATCH: New ACCGov Manager Bob Cowell

Bob Cowell, the Manager for the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, recently sat down in the new Costa Building to introduce himself in a brief video.

Cowell was appointed as the fifth Manager of ACCGov on July 15, 2025. He has over three decades of leadership positions with cities and counties, most recently serving as the City Manager for the City of Roanoke, VA.

To learn more about the Manager and the Manager's Office, visit www.accgov.com/manager. 

WATCH: Rock Program for Erosion Control

The rock program for erosion control is an initiative of the ACCGov Transportation and Public Works Department's Stormwater Management Program. 

It is designed to assist private property owners in minimizing erosion on their land by providing type 3 riprap rock to them at no cost. Riprap rock typically ranges in size from 6 to 12 inches in diameter and is composed of durable, angular stones like granite or limestone

Learn more about the program in this rock program video.

One complimentary rock delivery is available for single family residential property owners in Athens-Clarke County. For more information or to schedule an assessment, visit www.accgov.com/rockprogram or contact Stormwater Management at 706-613-3440 or stormwater@accgov.com. 

Registration for 2025 Parade of Lights

Entries are now being accepted for the 2025 Athens-Clarke County Downtown Parade of Lights with the theme "Cooking Up a Great Holiday!"

The parade is scheduled for Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 PM, and the deadline for entries is Tuesday, November 4 at 5:00 PM. Late applications are not accepted.

An online application is available at www.accgov.com/parade. The application fee is $40.

ACCGov Closures for Indigenous Peoples' Day & Veterans Day Holidays

Heads up: Animal Services operations, Leisure Services parks and facilities, Solid Waste collection schedules, Transit operations, and general ACCGov administrative offices will have changes due to two upcoming holidays: Indigenous Peoples' Day on Mon., Oct. 13 and Veterans Day on Tues., Nov. 11.

For information on specific department closures and operations related to Monday's Indigenous Peoples' Day, visit www.accgov.com/news. Veterans Day changes will be posted online the first week of November (before the next Mixtape comes out).

Faith & Blue Events

ACCGov's People & Belonging Department, Police Department, Sheriff's Office, and the District Attorney's Office, along with community partners, are hosting events as part of the Faith & Blue national initiative this weekend.

A Tailgate Event takes place on Saturday, October 11 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM at Ebenezer Baptist Church West (205 North Chase Street) and a Multicultural Festival takes place on Saturday, October 11 from 3:00-7:00 PM at Bishop Park (705 Sunset Drive).

At the Multicultural Festival, attendees can enjoy food trucks, live performances, family-friendly activities, the Leisure Services' Pop-up Park, and more. The events are free and open to the public.

Faith & Blue is a national initiative that builds stronger relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve through faith-based partnerships, celebration, and connection.

Learn more at www.accgov.com/belonging. or contact the People & Belonging Department at 706-215-7238 for more information.

Halloween Events

Several ACCGov departments are hosting family-friendly Halloween events in October:

• Movies by Moonlight featuring "Wicked" at Walker Park (Oct. 10)
• Scary, Oozy, Slimy Day at Sandy Creek Nature Center (Oct. 18)
• Journey through the Stars Planetarium Program: Spooky Space at Sandy Creek Nature Center (Oct. 18)
• Walk through Boo at Lay Park (Oct. 24)
• Sheriff's Fall Festival at Sheriff Training Center (Oct. 24)
• Police Haunted House & Trunk-or-Treat at Georgia Square Mall (Oct. 24-30)
• Fright on the Firefly Halloween Trick or Treat Trail (Oct. 25)
• Jack-O-Lantern Jog 5K and Goblin One-Mile Fun Run (Oct. 26)
• Trunk or Treat and Halloween Carnival at Heard Park (Oct. 28)
• Halloween Costume Party Therapeutic Program at Howard Park (Oct. 30)

Also, check out the Athens Ghost Hunt overnight ghost hunt/history video series and paranormal reports from 2014 (at the Morton Theatre) and 2022 (at the Taylor-Grady House) at www.accgov.com/ghosthunt.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Hard to believe we're already asking about this again, but ACCGov's Landscape Management Division is currently seeking a privately-owned tree for donation to the Athens-Clarke County community as a public Christmas tree for display in front of City Hall during December.

The tree should be a cedar tree that is approximately 20 feet in diameter, 35 feet tall, and symmetrical with a single trunk. The ideal candidate tree would be one that will need to be removed at some point in the future by the property owner due to its location, size, or other factor. Landscape Management will evaluate trees and handle tree removal and transportation at no cost to the owner. 

Potential donors should contact the Landscape Management Division of the Central Services Department at 706-613-3561. The tree will be cut down on Monday, December 1.

The ACCGov Mixtape is distributed monthly by the ACCGov Communications Department, accgov.com/communications, 706-613-3795