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gfre Aiiuancg The ADVANCE, September 7, 2022/Page 5A MoCo continued from page 1A which totaled $11,039 or 0.44%; however, 2021 saw an 11.065 net tax increase, which brought in an addi tional $277,156. This year’s millage rate is expected to bring in $2,909,210, an increase of $125,125 from last year. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair mar ket value of $100,000 is ap proximately $1.06, and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $200,000 is $2.16. This comes as a second tax increase to Montgom ery County taxpayers, as the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners have proposed a millage rate increase of 0.250 mills. The effect on a home with a fair market value of $100,000 willbe $10, and the increase on a non-homestead prop erty with a fair market value of $50,000 will be $5.00. Board members will hear the concerns and reac tions from the public to this proposed millage rate at a series of three public hear ings, which are scheduled to be held at the Montgomery County Board of Education office on Thursday, Septem ber 8, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and Thursday, September 15, at 2 p.m. The rate will be voted on following the last public hearing. County Agent Introduced Southeast District County Extension Coor dinator Cheryl Poppell introduced new Montgom ery County Agent Lauren Braddy Stanley, who will also work with the area 4-H youth program. The Board approved helping to pay the salary the County Agent at the regu lar March meeting of the Board of Education after an agreement was made by the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, University of Georgia Ex tension Office, and Mont gomery County School System to jointly fund the position. Stanley was inter viewed and recommended for the position by the UGA Extension Office, and became the County Agent upon the County Commis sion’s approval last month. “She is probably no stranger to most of you. Lauren Stanley comes to us after a few years in educa tion and has also worked in agricultural chemical com panies. She has a lot of ex perience in both agriculture and natural resources, and youth, and I believe she will be a great resource and asset to this community,” Poppell told the Board. “I also want to thank you for your fund ing this position and bring ing a County Agent back to Montgomery County. Many board members remembered Stanley from her time as the elementary and middle school agri culture teacher during the 2020-2021 school year, and were enthusiastic about her return to the area. “I want to thank you so much for your support for this position. I truly think I have found what I think will be my true passion, which will be serving the county as the agent for agriculture and natural resources, as well as the 4-H youth program,” Stanley told the group. “I re ally look forward to serving my home and community. I can honestly say that the kids here are unmatched. I did not find anyone like them anywhere else. I look forward to working with those students again, and I hope that I can be an asset to the community.” Board Chairman Jim Paul Poole spoke to Stanley on behalf of the Board. “We do want to thank the UGA Extension Office for find ing us a very good agent. We look forward to working with you, Mrs.Stanley, for the good of all of our chil dren.” Purchases Centegenix The Centegenix secu rity alert system was ap proved to be purchased and installed at each school campus for $112,401, and will be funded through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. This system is currently being employed by several other surround ing school systems and al lows teachers to call for im mediate help from school staff and/or emergency professionals. The system is con trolled by a badge, which the school requires all staff members to wear. When an incident occurs, these staff members may press the badge 3 times for school personnel’s response, and 8 for emergency person nel’s response. These badges then transmit this signal to the appropriate authorities who can see the location and identification of the staff member requesting as sistance. When the badge is pressed 8 times for an emer gency, red lights begin flash ing in the hallway, a message plays over the intercom, computer screens within the school show emergency procedures and where the emergency is occurring, and law enforcement is con tacted. “Teachers would press the badge 3 times for things like an injury, a fight, or oth er school level incidents,” Assistant Superintendent Brian Barnhill. “Meanwhile, they would press it 8 times for things like intruders, shooters, heart attacks, and major events of that nature.” Barnhill also presented the Board with testimonies from other school systems, such as Houston and Mus cogee County and Met- ter School System, who all agreed the system is an ex cellent investment in their schools’ safety. The installation will occur between October and November of this year. Once installed, teachers and staff will be trained on the equipment and will con duct periodic practice drills of the alert system. Buses Board members ap proved the purchase of 2 gasoline-powered Blue Bird buses for $127,694 each. Transportation Director Reggie Ricks explained that Please see MoCo page 9A From the Record THE BLOTTER These are the reported arrests from the Toombs County Sheriff's Office, the Vidalia and Lyons police departments, and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for the past week. Incidents are taken directly from police files, All suspects are innocent until proven guilty. In Lyons... • Thomas James Drew, of Lyons,was arrested on August 30 and charged with Warrant Service. • Jason Blake Johnson, of Lyons, was arrested on Sep tember 3 and charged with DUI- Commercial Vehicle, Failure to Maintain Lane, Possession of a Controlled Sub stance, Possession of Drug Related Ob jects, Warrant Ser vice. • Eric Bradley Hudson, of Lyons, was arrested on Sep tember 2 and charged with Shop lifting, Criminal Tres pass. In Toombs County... • Jerry Arm strong, of Swains- boro, was arrested on September 1 and charged with Ag gravated Assault. • Edwin Boney, of Ailey, was ar rested on Septem ber 1 and charged with DUI/Drugs/Less Safe. • Jermaine Brown, of Vidalia, was arrested on Sep tember 1 and charged with Pos session of Marijuana < 1 oz.; Cocaine-Pur chase, Possession, Manf, Distribution, Sale; Heroin-Pur chase, Possession, Manf, Distribution, Sale; Methamphet- amine-Purchase, Possession, Manf, Distribution, Sale; TCDC-Off Bond-Pre vious Case. • Charles Con ner, of Uvalda, was arrested on Septem ber 1 and charged with False Imprison ment Under Color of Legal Process. • Jada Davis, of Wadley, was ar rested on Septem ber 3 and charged with DUI/Alcohol/ Less Safe, Illegal Stop/Stand/Park Where Prohibited. • John Dixon, of Ailey, was arrested on August 31 and charged with Proba tion Violation-Felony. • Jose Gonzalez- Perez, of Vidalia, was arrested on Au gust 29 and charged with Possession of Marijuana < 1 oz., Speeding in Excess of Maximum Limits, DUI/Drugs/Less Safe, Possession of Drug Related Objects. • Tiffany Hunt, of Vidalia, was arrested on August 29 and charged with Proba tion Violation-Felony. • Caleb Kan- geter, of Ellabell, was arrested on August 29 and charged with Theft by Taking. • James King, of Vidalia, was arrested on August 30 and charged with Proba tion Violation-Misde meanor. • Johnny King, of Lyons, was arrested on August 31 and charged with Meth- amphetamine-Pur- chase, Possession, Manf, Distribution, Sale; Mandatory Ed ucation for Children Between Ages 6 and 16. • Christopher Taylor, of Ailey, was arrested on August 28 and charged with DUI/Alcohol/Less Safe, Open Con tainer-Alcoholic Bev erage-Passenger, Tag Light Require ments. • Lodus Tharpe, Jr., of Ailey, was ar rested on August 29 and charged with Theft by Taking, Fail ure to Appear-Mis- demeanor, TCDC- Out of County Hold. • Paige Wade, of Alma, was arrested on August 29 and charged with Finan cial Transaction Card Fraud, Theft by Taking. • Charles Willis, Jr., of Vidalia, was ar rested on Septem ber 2 and charged with Probation Viola tion-Misdemeanor. In Montgomery County... The Montgomery County Sheriff's De partment Police Re port was unavailable at presstime. In Vidalia... • James Darrell Davis, of Vidalia, was arrested on August 31 and charged with Possession of a Con trolled Substance / Possession of Mari juana / Loitering and Prowling / Simple Obstruction. • Jonathan D. Jenkins, Jr., of Vida lia, was arrested on August 31 and charged with Hit and Run. • Charles Edward Cowart, Jr., of Lyons, was arrested on Sep tember 2 and charged with War rant Served (Houston County). • Derek James Collins, of Vidalia, was arrested on Sep tember 3 and charged with Disor derly Conduct. Kemp renews temporary suspension of state sales tax on gasoline Kemp allocates funds for school health care and COVID learning loss recovery By Dave Williams Bureau Chief Capitol Beat News Service Gov. Brian Kemp is sued an executive order Thursday extending the temporary suspension of the state sales tax on gaso line and other motor fuels that has been in effect since March. The latest extension runs through Oct. 12. In extending the sus pension, Kemp cited the highest inflation in 40 years, gasoline prices that have fallen from June’s re cord but remain high, and ongoing supply chain chal lenges. “We are using the means available to us to provide much-needed re lief to Georgians,” the Gov ernor said. A second executive or der Kemp signed Thursday renewed his emergency declaration related to sup ply chain disruptions. The General Assembly approved the first tempo rary suspension of the mo tor fuels sales tax in March. Kemp has extended the suspension several times through executive orders since this year’s legislative session ended in April. Since that first suspen sion of the tax, the average price of gasoline in Georgia has remained among the lowest in the nation and is currently 46 cents per gal lon below the national av erage, according to AAA. This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation. By Rebecca Grapevine Staff Reporter Capitol Beat Gov. Brian Kemp this week announced increased funding to address COV ID learning loss and build school-based health cen ters in Georgia. On Monday, Kemp said $37.4 million will go to organizations helping Georgia students recover from COVID learning loss. On Tuesday, the Re publican governor said he is allocating an additional $125 million to pay for school health centers. All told, the total is $162.4 million. The fund ing comes from federal COVID relief funds allo cated to the state in 2020 and 2021. The funding for Geor gia school-based health centers (SBHCs) will be administered by the De partment of Education through a grant program, Kemp said. School-based health centers can provide a vari ety of services depending on a community’s need. These include providing primary and behavioral care, treating illnesses, and providing vision and den tal services. “SBHCs have also been proven to help com munities by reducing avoidable or unnecessary emergency room visits, in creasing access to quality health-care options, [and] improving school atten dance records...,” a state ment from the governor’s office said. The $37.4 million in education funding will pay for tutoring to help students recover from COVID learning loss and help students with special needs. Recipients include the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, the Georgia Department of Education, the Georgia Alliance of YMCAs, the Georgia Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Geor gia Public Library Service. A spokesman for Dem ocrat Stacey Abrams — who is challenging Kemp for the governorship in November — criticized Kemp's announcements. "Brian Kemp already cut nearly $1 billion from public education — and now wants credit for fed eral investment he repeat edly opposed," said Alex Floyd, a spokesman for the campaign. Georgia has a historic budget surplus, in part due to federal COVID relief funds that flowed to the state government and part ly due to record economic growth. Kemp plans to send $350 in cash assistance to low-income Georgians en rolled in state benefit pro grams like food assistance and Medicaid, he said last week. That will account for more than $ 1 billion of the state surplus. Kemp also announced he would spend $2 billion of the surplus on tax re funds and homeowner tax rebates if he is reelected in November. This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation. Southeastern f TECHNICAL COLLEGE Southeastern Technical College is an equal opportunity employer and offers the following career and technical education programs for all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, age, disability, or national origin: The college offers many associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate of credit programs in air conditioning technology, automotive and diesel technology, business management, CNC, computer information systems, cosmetology, criminal justice, dental hygiene, electronics technology, fish and wildlife, nursing, and more. Persons seeking further information concerning the career and technical education offerings and specific pre-requisite criteria for admission to these programs should contact the admissions office at (478) 289-2200 in Swainsboro or (912) 538-3100 in Vidalia or visit the college website at www.southeasterntech.edu. Southeastern Technical College offers additional services to students with limited English language skills or with disabilities so that they may benefit from these programs. For additional information regarding these services, your rights, grievance procedures, or the Colleges non-discrimination policies please contact Lanie Jonas, Title VI/Title IX coordinator, office 138B at ljonas(S)southeasterntech.edu or (912) 538-3230 or contact Helen Thomas, Title IX, Section 504 coordinator, office 165, at hthomas(S) southeasterntech.edu or (912) 538-3126. Both offices are located in the Vidalia campus administration building at 3001 East First Street, Vidalia, GA 30474.