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The ADVANCE, January 17, 2024/Page 14A
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BAD BOY
MOWERS
MOWERS &
TRACTORS
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • SERVICE • PARTS
Sales Tax Referendum, New
Bleachers on WCBOE Meeting Agenda
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
A sales tax referendum
and new bleachers were on
the agenda for the Wheeler
County Board of Educa
tion during its monthly ses
sion on January 8.
The Board adopted a
resolution to hold a ref
erendum during a regular
election on May 21 to con
tinue a one-cent sales and
use tax to finance capital
outlay projects and retire
previously incurred debt
in the Wheeler County
School District. The sales
tax currently being collect
ed in the county began on
April 1, 2021, and is antici
pated to reach its collection
maximum prior to its expi
ration on March 31, 2026.
The new tax, if ap
proved by voters, will com
mence on April 1, 2026, or
the first day of the calendar
quarter immediately fol
lowing the quarter in which
the Sales Tax for Education
now in effect is terminated.
The proceeds of the tax will
be used for retiring previ
ously incurred general ob
ligation debt and financing
capital outlay projects for
educational purposes at a
maximum collection of $3
million.
The Board also ap
proved the purchase of new
aluminum bleachers for the
Wheeler County stadium
at a cost of $40,000. The
new bleachers will replace
aging wooden seating on
the home side of the stadi
um. Seating on the visitors’
side is aluminum and was
installed in the 1990s.
School System Fa
cilities Director Gregory
Wilcher said the new alu
minum seating can be or
dered and received within
four to six weeks, and will
be installed by system em
ployees. He said the seat
ing is durable and easy to
maintain.
During the session,
the Board discussed the
need for new lighting for
the baseball field. Current
lighting is obsolete and
poles are in need of replace
ment. Wilcher will research
replacement products and
costs and the Board will re
ceive an update in the near
future.
The Board approved
the allocation of $100 per
night for bus drivers’ over
night stays while transport
ing students to out-of-town
events. Lodging for the
drivers is funded through
the budgets of organiza
tions requiring transporta
tion.
A resolution signify
ing the completion of the
system’s project to con
struct its new K-12 school
was passed by the Board.
The action enabled docu
ments to be finalized so
the system can receive final
reimbursements from the
state which funded a major
portion of the construction
costs.
The Board also ap
proved the $50,000 pur
chase of a used heavy duty
truck with winch and buck
et capabilities to include in
its fleet of vehicles for use
by the transportation and
maintenance departments.
Funds from the system’s
earlier auction of excess
equipment after moving to
the new school will be used
to fund the purchase.
Over the holidays,
the state issued retention
supplements to school em
ployees. The state allocated
to Wheeler County $1,000
each for 105 employees,
around 66% of its staff.
Superintendent Suzanne
Couey stated that super
intendents in surround
ing counties had reported
similar funding percent
ages. While the Board had
the option to divide the
66% in funding between
all of its 160 employees,
the Board voted to allocate
$ 1,000 each for all full-time
employees and $500 each
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BOARD APPROVES NEW BLEACHERS — School System Facilities Director Gregory Wilcher
briefs the Wheeler County Board of Education on new aluminum bleachers proposed
for the home side of the Wheeler County Football Stadium. The Board approved the
proposal to replace the current wooden seating.
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IMPLEMENTS
for part-time employees.
Funds will come from the
system’s General Funds.
The Board approved
rehiring Tim Quigley,
who previously served as
Wheeler County Middle/
High School Band Direc
tor. He replaces Glaeden
Boyd whose resignation
was accepted by the Board.
Other personnel
changes included the res
ignation of paraprofes-
sional Maci Spell; the em
ployment of Janie Cahill
as Wheeler County El
ementary School (WCES)
Counselor, replacing Kelli
Rice; the hiring of Christie
Jones as WCES parapro-
fessional, replacing Maci
Spell; and the hiring of Sue
Bridges as substitute kitch
en staff.
The Board’s
2024/2025 calendar was
approved with one change,
the October meeting will
be held on the first Mon
day of the month due to a
federal holiday; otherwise,
the Board will meet on
the second Monday of the
month. Board and System
calendars are posted on the
System’s website.
The Board’s next ses
sion is scheduled February
12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Board
office in Alamo.
ANNUAL GROCERY BOX DRIVE - The Vidalia Rotary Club packs boxes with groceries
every year in November to distribute to those in need,
Vidalia Rotary Club Receives
District Grant Funds
Courtesy of the
Vidalia Rotary Club
The Vidalia Rotary
Club recently received $220
in grant funds from the Dis
trict 6920 Rotary Office to
help offset the cost of a re
cent grocery box drive.
On November 14, 25
members of the Vidalia Ro
tary Club assembled and
distributed over 50 food
boxes - which included
boxed and canned food,
along with a $25.00 gift
card to a local grocery store
- to over 240 people in
need within Toombs Coun
ty. The project invested
around $3,025 in the com
munity, as Toombs County
Family Connection and the
Vidalia City and Toombs
County School Systems
helped to connect the club
with those in need.
The Club shared their
gratitude not only to the
district office, but also to
the school systems and
Toombs County Family
Connection Executive Di-
OVER 200 LIVES AFFECTED - This year, the boxes were dis
tributed to 240 individuals and families in need through
out Toombs County.
rector Paige Williamson for
their help throughout the
task.
IT IS
APPOINTED
UNTO MAN
BY GARY TOOLE
The bible says
that it is ap
pointed unto
man once to
die. Hebrews
9:27. Not a set
time appoint
ment as some
may think.
You can
change an ap
pointment. The bible says that we
can lengthen or shorten our time
on earth. This 77 allotted years is
your appointed time ain’t exactly
what it is cracked up to be, because
when old folks said that you are
living on borrowed time they
meant living way past 77. So don’t
be too easy to get confused by not
having a good reference bible like
the Dake bible that gives the more
accurate understanding by giving
the meaning of the original lan
guages which is Greek and Hebrew
for the most part. So now the bible
says that there is a time to die. Not
a set time but God’s time. If Jesus
don’t come while you are living
then you will die. A time to die.
Just like the bible also says that
there is a time to be born. Not a set
exact time. We say nine months.
Well, some come early and some
come late. You might be born in 9
months or 10 months or 7 months.
A time to be born and a time to die
and it also says there’s a time to
laugh and a time to weep. Now if
you go around laughing all the time
they will wonder what you are
drinking and if you go around
weeping all the time they will prob
ably put you in the nut house.
Amen! Now this set time business.
A fellow told me that he would not
die until his time was up. Until his
time. And so feeling sorrow for his
ignorance and thinking I might
could help him which I later
learned the hard way, that you can
help fix ignorance but stupidity is
forever. So he said that if it was not
his time to go then he could walk
right out in front of a Grey Hound
bus going 90 miles an hour and
somehow that bus would miss him.
Bah hum bug! Now that bus driver
that is well trained to look out for
the safety of those passengers will
not swerve to miss you but when
he hits you some will ask him, what
was that and he will say, just a
bump in the road and you will be
smashed flatter than a flitter and
that is mighty flat and all there will
be in the road is a greasy spot. So
go ahead and act the fool and make
my day. Go get right with God be
cause Jesus is coming and noone
knows the day nor the hour of His
return. Not even the angels. Can
you say amen?
PD.ADV.
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