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New members of BoC ready to start work
01.02 commissioners 2
Newly sworn-in Effingham County commissioners Bob Brantley, left, and Dusty Zeigler, center, chat with returning commissioner Reggie Loper following Tuesday afternoon’s oath of office ceremonies in the Effingham County Judicial Complex. - photo by Photo by Pat Donahue

They’ve already started their training in Athens and they’ve been more than interested observers at the last few county commission meetings.

Starting Jan. 6, Dusty Zeigler and Bob Brantley will be on the dais with their fellow Effingham County commissioners, after they took their oaths of office Tuesday afternoon in the Treutlen Courtroom.

“I’m ready,” said Zeigler, who will assume the seat as the first countywide-elected chairman.

Said Brantley: “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Zeigler and Brantley have taken part in sessions conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.

“And there’s more throughout the year to go,” Zeigler said.

Brantley and Zeigler not only delved into what county commissioners need to know about how to do their job, they also talked with many of the other newly-elected commissioners from around the state. They found out just how tough things are elsewhere in the Peach State.

“I think Effingham is in pretty good shape,” said Brantley, who succeeds the retiring Hubert Sapp as the 1st District commissioner. “The Athens trip was very enlightening, just to hear all the problems around the state. It was enlightening and scary.”

Studying the agenda ahead of time and figuring out where the sticky issues might be will be paramount for Zeigler.

Brantley added there are plenty of issues ahead for the commissioners, and he praised the current group for the way it has conducted the county’s business.

“I think they’ve done a great job,” he said. “I hope we continue to do a great job.

‘It Was Overwhelming': Rincon Mayor Kevin Exley Shares His Personal Journey Through Cancer and Recovery
Exley cancer
​Rincon Mayor Kevin Exley ringing the cancer bell at Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion after completing treatment for head and neck cancer — a moment he called emotional, humbling, and the start of a new chapter. (Submitted photo)
After weeks of intensive cancer treatment, Rincon Mayor Kevin Exley is returning to city hall and his full-time job in Savannah. In his first interview since ringing the cancer bell, Exley opens up about the pain, faith, and community support that carried him through the hardest chapter of his life. Now cancer-free, he reflects on the emotional journey — and the gratitude he feels to be moving forward, one step at a time.
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