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The ADVANCE, December 8, 2021 /Page 3A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
ASSURING EXCELLENCE — Family representatives look on as REACH scholars sign a
document assuring their commitment to remaining diligent in their academics and
outstanding in their character throughout the remainder of high school. Front row, from
left are Ansleigh Chambers, Katy Gonzales, Rori Johnson, Sanaya Lewis and Kingston
Ryals; back row, from left: Mandy Harris, Lucera Rodriguez, Jessica Baker, Stephanie
Lewis and Katrina Ryals.
J.R. Trippe Names REACH Scholars
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
J.R. Trippe Middle
School celebrated five
promising students at the
annual REACH Scholar
ship signing on November
30. During this signing,
these students pledged
to maintain excellence in
academics and character
in exchange for receiving a
$10,000 scholarship upon
high school graduation.
Eighth grade students
Ansleigh Chambers, Katy
Gonzales, Rori Johnson,
Sanaya Lewis, and Kingston
Ryals all celebrated their se
lection as REACH scholars
alongside family and friends
at the formal ceremony.
Also in attendance for the
first time were past REACH
scholars, who shared mes
sages of encouragement to
these new scholars.
Vidalia City Schools
Superintendent Garrett
Wilcox explained REACH
to those in attendance. “This
is $50,000 worth of scholar
ships we are giving away
right here,” he explained.
“The REACH scholarship
program rewards students
for self-accountability, pro
motes parent involvement,
and provides a critical place
in student achievement.”
This year marked the
fifth year in which the Vida
lia City School System has
recognized these scholars
within the school. Accord
ing to Wilcox, this annual
event is one of his favorite
experiences in the school
year. “This is one of my
favorite days of the year
where we are rewarding
students, not only for their
hard work and academic
achievement, but also for
their good character, which
may be attributed to many
of you parents here today,”
he said.
“This was a competi
tive deal,” he added. “These
students had to sit in front
of adults as eighth graders
and go through an inter
view process, and that’s not
easy. These five students
stood out and will hope
fully reap the benefit of be
ing a REACH scholar in the
future.”
J.R. Trippe Middle
School Principal Sandy
Reid also weighed in on
the quality of students that
had been selected for this
honor. “This group of stu
dents worked really hard
for this scholarship,” she
emphasized. “Their inter
views were phenomenal.
We had the most outstand
ing interviews this year - it
was very competitive and
hard to determine which
students would be awarded
this scholarship. But when
it came down to scoring the
rubric, these students really
came to the top in their per
sonalities, hard work, and
determination.”
She continued, “If
these students are indica
tive of the type of people
that we are helping to pro
mote at J.R. Trippe Middle
School, then it makes us re
ally proud as a school.”
These students will
continue through high
school meeting with an
academic coach and men
tor, who will help motivate
and guide them through
their journey to high school
graduation and postsecond
ary education.
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November Net Tax Revenues Up 17%
From the Office of
Governor Brian Kemp
The State of Geor
gia’s net tax collections in
November totaled $2.29
billion, for an increase of
$332.7 million, or 17 per
cent, compared to Novem
ber 2020, when net tax
collections totaled $1.96
billion. Year-to-date, net
tax revenue collections to
taled $11.87 billion, for an
increase of nearly $ 1.70 bil
lion, or 16.7 percent, over
FY 2021.
The changes within the
following tax categories ac
count for November’s over
all net tax revenue increase:
Individual Income
Tax: Individual Income
Tax collections for Novem
ber totaled $1.22 billion,
which was an increase of
$195.4 million, or 19 per
cent, over last year when
net Individual Tax revenues
totaled $1.03 billion.
The following notable
components within Indi
vidual Income Tax com
bine for the net increase:
• Individual Income
Tax refunds issued (net of
voided checks) increased
by $14.1 million or 24.5
percent
• Individual Withhold
ing payments increased by
$173.6 million, or 17 per
cent, compared to last year
• Individual Income
Tax Return payments were
up nearly $8.9 million, or
65.3 percent, over FY 2021
• All other Individual
Tax categories, including
Non-Resident Return pay
ments, were up a combined
$27 million
Sales and Use Tax:
Gross Sales and Use Tax
collections increased by
$208.6 million, or 18.6
percent, to a total of almost
$1.33 billion, up from the
previous year’s total of 1.12
billion. Net Sales and Use
Tax increased by $154.5
million, or 30 percent,
compared to November
2020, when net Sales Tax
revenue totaled $515.8 mil
lion. The adjusted Sales Tax
distribution to local gov
ernments totaled $654.2
million, which was an in
crease of $57.6 million, or
9.7 percent, over last year.
Lastly, Sales Tax refunds
declined by $3.5 million,
or -45.8 percent, from FY
2021.
Corporate Income
Tax: Net Corporate In
come Tax collections de
creased by $26.6 million,
or -171 percent, compared
to FY 2021, when net Cor
porate Tax revenues totaled
$15.5 million in November
2020.
The following notable
components within Cor
porate Income Tax make
up the net decrease:
• Corporate Tax re
funds issued (net of voided
checks) increased by $30.2
million or 141.6 percent
• Corporate Income
Tax Estimated payments
were up $6.5 million, or 23
percent, over last year
• All other Corporate
Tax payments, including
Corporate Return pay
ments, were down a com
bined $2.9 million
Motor Fuel Taxes: Mo
tor Fuel Tax collections
for November increased
by $13.4 million, or 8.4
percent, from last year’s
monthly total of $160.1
million.
Motor Vehicle - Tag
& Title Fees: Motor Ve
hicle Tag & Title Fee col
lections for the month fell
by $1.5 million, or -5.5
percent, compared to No
vember 2020 when Motor
Vehicle fees totaled $27.5
million. Title ad Valorem
Tax (TAVT) collections in
creased by nearly $3.3 mil
lion, or 5.7 percent, com
pared to last year’s total of
$57.5 million.
Wheeler Commissioner
Rochelle Culver Completes
ACCG Academy Training
ACCG, Georgia’s
County Association, re
cently awarded Wheeler
County Commissioner
Rochelle Culver with cer
tificates for successfully
completing the County
Operations and Manage
ment and Revenue and
Finance specialty tracks
in the Lifelong Learning
Academy.
Commissioner Culver
was honored during the
ACCG County Reconnect
Conference at the Savan
nah Convention Center in
Chatham County.
ACCG and the Carl
Vinson Institute of Gov
ernment at the University
of Georgia have collabo
rated for more than two
decades to provide county
officials with supplemental
training and educational
tools in the Lifelong Learn
ing Academy. With abun
dant courses to choose
from, every county official
has a tailor-made learn
ing experience that allows
them to excel in specific
areas of expertise.
“County officials are
faced with many challeng
es and ever-evolving cir
cumstances under which
they must govern Georgia’s
local communities,” said
Dave Wills, ACCG’s Exec
utive Director. “The Life
long Learning Academy
was created to help them
navigate those challenges.
I commend county leaders
such as Rochelle Culver,
who take full advantage of
educational opportunities
to further their knowledge
on how to better serve their
communities.”
The Lifelong Learning
Academy was created with
input from county com
missioners who identified
courses based on the issues
and decision-making chal
lenges regularly faced by
county officials. To ensure
the course requirements
and curriculum remain
relevant and engaging, the
ACCG Lifelong Learning
Committee - comprised of
county commissioners and
staff from both ACCG and
the Carl Vinson Institute of
Government at the Univer
sity of Georgia - meet reg
ularly to review and adjust
accordingly.
Through this col
laborative approach, the
Lifelong Learning Acad
emy has been successful in
equipping county officials
with the necessary skills
to meet the needs of their
constituents.
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“See ... I told you
months ago that they
would come up with
another covid. The
money and power
are just too good for
pharmaceutical
companies and politi
cians to give up. And
Fauci says it will be
here until next fall (so
it can sway the mid
term elections)."
“Really heard on
the news this morn
ing: "Gas prices keep
dropping. The price
was down almost a
penny since a month
ago."
"How do you test
positive for omicron
covid? - according
to a news broad
caster, slight fever
and a cough. 'As of
November 28, the
WHO said there had
been no reported
deaths due to the
omicron variant.'"
“Surprise. Stacey
Abrams has an
nounced that she is
running for governor
again. Republicans
must unite or the state
will become blue
right before our eyes.
I love Trump, but he
needs to remove him
self from Georgia pol
itics right now. He is
dividing republicans,
and we cannot win if
we're in conflict with
each other."
“Just rode through
Tarrytown and that
little city has the pret
tiest Christmas lights
around. They should
be really proud of
themselves. They re
ally have gorgeous
lights. Merry Christ
mas, everyone."
“The trash on the
side of the road and
the leaves have
stopped up the sewer
on East Lexington
Ave. I was wondering
if the city can do
something about it."
“The GA Bulldog
football team was de
feated by Alabama.
They are supposed to
play Michigan. We
can't be too over
confident. That's
what I was worried
would happen.
Maybe they can beat
Michigan and maybe
if they have to con
front Alabama again,
they can beat them.
Only time will tell."