Ground broken
In a brief ceremony, Oconee Hospice of the Foothills broke ground this week on the third and final phase of the Cottingham Hospice House. The full-time residential facility that cares for patients near the end of life features 15 rooms, but seeks to add another 10 once the state approves a certificate of need. Estimates for finishing what is to be a shelled-in space are about $300 thousand to $400 thousand, but the OMC Foundation predicts that once this year’s Christmas Tree Festival is finished, there were will be more than $200 thousand in the bank toward the goal.