Newspaper Page Text
3ht Sutler 3tfrral&
“Your Newspaper Since 1876”
(Publication Number US PS 534-720)
144th YEAR, NO. 28 THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021 1 SECTION, 8 PAGES 50 CENTS PER COPY
There Was Once A Team
Book Signing Held Saturday In Crowell
Bunny Fuller Harris wrote the booh *There Was Once A Team,” which was co-authored by
her daughter.■ Katie Harris Doclrill, about the 132 game winning streak of the Lady Vi
kings, from 1967-72, Bunny was a member of the team for four of the five winning streak
seasons. She and Katie wrote the book to honor the team, their coach, Lady Viking Head
Coach Norman Carter, and the community. A book signing was held Saturday, July
10th, at the Crowell Community Center Bunny, Katie, Coach Carter, and many of the
members of the winning Streak team were available to sign books. Books are $20 and are
available through cash, check, Venmo, or PayPal from Bunny Harris
(bunnyharris35@gm.ail.com), Pictured (left) are: Katie (l), Bunny (r) 9 and Tom Callier
discussing "There Was Once A Team * and Coach Carter (right) addressing the large
crowd. (See more on page 5.)
Board Of Commissioners Calls
Special Meeting To Discuss Roads
The Taylor County Board of Commissioners held a special
Notice
The Taylor County Development Author
ity is seeking public input at a meeting on
Wednesday, July 14th, at 1 p*m., at the Tay
lor County Board of Commissioners Annex
Building, as they are applying for a GDOT
TAP Grant for the downtown walkability,
safety enhancement, and beautification
project, to be located around the courthouse
square and downtown Butler.
called meeting Wednesday
morning, July 14th, to update
the 2020 Local Maintenance
Improvement Grant (LMIG)
projects.
According to the meeting min-
utes, when assigning projects
for the 2020 LMIG, the engi
neers recommended resurfac
ing Crowell Church Rd_ How
ever, beginning in 2022, the
Department of Transportation
(DOT) plans to repair the
bridges on Ilwy. 128, north of
Reynolds, and to detour traffic
>See Commissioners on p. 5
Representative Patty Bentley Appointed
To Broadband Infrastructure Committee
June 29, 2021, Governor
Brian Kemp named members
of the Georgia Jobs and Infra
structure Committees, which
will be responsible for receiv
ing applications and making
recommendations to the Gover
nor regarding federal
corona virus relief funds allo
cated to Georgia through the
American Rescue Plan. State
government entities, units of
local government, industries,
and nonprofits will be eligible
to apply.
‘Today, I am naming a bipar
tisan group of state leaders to
three Georgia Jobs and Infra
structure Committees focused
on broadband, water and sewer
infrastructure, and the eco
nomic impact of the COVID-19
pandemic/' said Governor
Kemp. 'These committees will
ensure federal coronavirus re
lief dollars are allocated stra
tegically across our state and
address one-time funding
needs in these three key areas. ' 1
The Georgia Jobs and Infra
structure Committees will re
ceive applications beginning
August 1, 2021 at opb.georgia.
gov. Applications will close on
August 31, 2021, and grants
are targeted to be announced
the week of October 18, 2021.
These dates are subject to
change as guidance from the
U S, Department of the Trea
sury continues to evolve.
State Representative Fatty
Bentley was selected to serve
on the Broadband Infrastruc
ture Committee. Bentley said,
"I am honored to be selected by
the state's Governor to serve all
Georgians in this capacity.
Broadband is critical to every
day life, and I want to do all I
can to ensure every area of this
state has access to high speed
internet services/’
During the 2020 General As
sembly Session, Representa
tive Bentley was named Secre
tary for the Higher Education
Committee.
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4 T\MjORCOI NTS SCHOOL DISTRICT
- * MEET THE TE \CHER EVENT
July 2<h 2021
Primary School 1:10 jini fk'il) pin
I'Jemrntarv ScIhmiI .1:1)0 pm 7:00 pm
Middle School .1:00 pin 7:00 pm
High School .1:00]iiu 7: 50 pm
Department Of Corrections Commissioner
Timothy C. Ward Visits Taylor County
During the last week of June,
the Commissioner of the Geor
gia Department of Correct ions,
Timothy C. Ward, made a visit
to Taylor County. He met with
the Board of Commissioners,
local law enforcement. Repre
sentative Patty Bentley, and in
terested citizens.
Commissioner Ward said the
Department of Corrections is
seeking a sustainable business
for the former probation deten
tion center building in the In
dustrial Park in Butler.
Ward also discussed the men
tal health crisis that plagues
the Department of Corrections,
Sheriff Jeff Watson stated, “It’s
insane the amount of money
citizens spend on menial
health. The biggest mental
health center in the country is
the jail and prison system/
Ward was appointed by Gov
ernor Brian Kemp as the Com
missioner for the Georgia De
partment of Corrections on
Feb. 18, 2019. As Commis
sioner, he manages a $1.3 bil
lion budget and leads approxi
mately 10,000 employees. The
agency’s responsibility is to pro
tect the public by supervising
more than 50,000 state offend
ers through the operation of
secure and safe facilities, while
reducing recidivism through
effective programming, educa
tion, and healthcare.
Ward began his career with
the Department in 1992 as a
Correctional Officer, He served
in several capacities in the De-
Grand Jury
Convened
In June
The Grand Jury of Taylor
County convened on the 14th
day of June 2021 with 23 mem
bers present and sworn.
The following officers were
elected: Cordarious O’Neal
Searcy, foreperson, and Shonda
Renee Blair, secretary.
The Grand Jury returned four
true bills and three no bills.
The Grand Jury made the fol
lowing appointments to the
Board of Tax Equalization:
Debra Flowers, from Jan. 1,
2021 until Dec. 31, 2023, and
Delissa Jones, from Jan. 1,
2021 until Dec. 31, 2024.
The Grand Jury recom
mended that these present
ments be published in The Tay
lor County News.
The Grand Jury wishes to
thank the Honorable Judge
Bobby Peters and District At
torney Mark Jones and his staff
for their service and assistance.
Lilia Beth Summers Advances To
Regional Round Of Drive, Chip & Putt
Lilia Beth Summers won 2nd place overall at the Drive, Chip & Putt, at The. Country
Club of Columbus, on Thursdayi July 8th. She now advances to the regional round at
The Club at Savannah Harbor in Savannah—one step closer to the finals at the Augusta
National Golf Club. Lilia Beth is the daughter of Wes and Gina Summers of Reynolds.
Stale Representative Fatty Bentley presents Commissioner Ward
with a token of appreciation, a basket of local goods.
partment, to include Counselor
and Senior Counselor, and was
a former Superintendent at
Western Probation Detention
Center in Butler and McEver
Probation Detention Center.
He served as Warden at Rogers,
Johnson, and Phillips State
Prisons, as w r ell as Director of
Facilities Operations and As
sistant Commissioner of Facili
ties. He was appointed by Gov.
Nathan Deal to serve as Chief
of Staff in Dec. 2016, and was
appointed Interim Commis
sioner in Jan. 2019 by Gov.
Kemp.
Ward holds a Bachelor’s De
gree in Criminal Justice from
Savannah State University
and a Master’s Degree in Pub
lic Administration from Colum
bus State University. He and
his wife have three children,
He is a native of Dawson, GA
and resides in Milledgeville.
Reynolds Policeman
Lends A Helping Hand
Recently, a couple was traveling through Reynolds, when
they had a flat tire. Lt. Chris Gillespie of the Reynolds
Police Department offered to help and chained the tire.
Reynolds Police Chief Lonnie Holder stated, “Policing is
more than taking people to Jail and writing citations.
Thank you, Lt. Gillespie for going above and beyond and
helping this couple get back on the road after getting a flat
tire. *