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Barrow County’s only award-winning Georgia Press Association member newspaper Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Barrow k Journal www.barrowjournal.com Barrow County’s Legal Organ Newspaper VOL. 8 NO. 39 24 PACES 2 SECTIONS, PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. WINDER, BARROW COUNTY GEORGIA 30680 50« COPY Barrow Briefs Advocate training scheduled this summer The Piedmont Rape Crisis Center will host advocate training July 26-Aug. 18 on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Training will be at Arbor Pointe Church at 115 Towne Center Parkway, Suite 109, in Hoschton. Send an email to prcc391@ gmail.com for more informa tion and to reserve a space. Sunflower Festival plans underway The City of Statham will host its 18th annual Sunflower Festival on Saturday, Sept. 17. Applications are currently being accepted for vendors. Space is limited and vendors will be assigned on a first- come, first-served basis. The festival commit tee attempts to not have an over-abundance of the same type of vendors, however, there may be some duplications. All interested vendors are asked to make inquiries early about space for this year’s Sunflower Festival. Vendor spaces are 12x12. Craft vendor spaces cost $30 without electricity and $40 with electricity. Food vendor spaces are $55 without elec tricity and $65 with electricity. Vendors are responsible for furnishing their own tables and other needed materials. All food vendors must have an up-to-date fire extinguisher. No refunds are given due to weather. Call 770-725-5323 for more information or write Statham Sunflower Festival, P.O. Box 87. Statham, Ga. 30666. Inside: Index: Church News 10A Classifieds 4-5B Legals 6-11B Obituaries 11A Pets of the Week 10A Public Safety 6-7A Sports 1-3B Contact Info: Phone: 770-867-6397 Mail: 77 E. May Street, Winder, Ga. 30680 Fax: 706-621-4115 www.barrowjournal.com “Like us” on Facebook Mailing Label Below Budget process begins for county By Sli aron Hog'an Journal Reporter The Barrow County Board of Commissioners began work on its shortened Fiscal Year 2017 budget Tuesday. The BOC, in an attempt to get its fiscal year to align with the state, will have a nine-month, Oct. 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, budget for FY2017. The county’s fiscal year will then run July 1 through June 30. each year. County manager Mike Renshaw presented the pro posed budget, but no hard num bers were discussed. Charlie Felts presented some information on a proposed cost to implement the personnel sal ary study the county approved earlier. Another budget work session is set for Tuesday, July 26, as part of the regular 6 p.m. month ly BOC meeting. SALARY STUDY Felts said the recent sal ary study completed by the Carl Vinson Institute at the University of Georgia showed that the county was currently “below the market.” Felts presented three options for the board to consider, including: See Budget on Page 3A COLORS OF SUMMER From tomatoes to squash to cantaloupe to an old summer favorite, water melon, fresh produce is cur rently on sale at various stands in Winder and Barrow County. The produce pictured is just a sample of the offerings at The Farmer Barn in Winder. This produce stand is open seven days a week, operators said. Photos by Jessica Brown More recess could be in works for students Barrow County School System students could soon get more recess. The Barrow County Board of Education tentatively approved a July 14 a policy revision that increases the amount of required times for recess in its elementary schools. The revision increases the amount of break time to 30 minutes each day. The revision also says that these breaks cannot be “with held for academic reasons.” Any disciplinary reasons for withholding recess will have to be approved by that school’s administrator. The BOE may officially approve the revision at its next regular meeting. OTHER BUSINESS Also at its meeting, the BOE: •approved world language and ESOL learning resources. •approved a fraud prevention policy. •approved a policy on spend ing federal funds. •approved the purchase of 566 Dell Chromebooks, total ing $129,600. •approved the purchase of Aruba Wireless Access points for the new Russell Middle School. •tentatively approved a school property disposal pro cedures policy. •tabled a bid for a copier lease. •learned Education Local Option Sales Tax receipts were $782,700 last month, which is down from the same period last year. Two events scheduled Open House set for new RMS location An open house is scheduled for Thursday, July 28, from 5-7 p.m. and Friday, July 29, from 10 a.m. until noon for the new Russell Middle School facility. The new location, at the corner of Candler and McNeal, will be open for the 2016-2017 school year, which begins Monday, Aug. 1. Benefit motorcycle ride scheduled for local deputy The public is invited to help support deputy Jacob McCard during a July 30 benefit motor cycle ride. McCard, who is a husband and father who has been with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office since 2002, is battling advanced stage four throat can cer. His wife, Allison, has had to quit her job to help provide care for him. Deputy McCard is also running out of sick leave. The couple drives one hour each way Monday through Friday for radiation and chemo therapy treatments. The couple have three children: Rachel, 12, Brooke, 9 and Chase, 7. The cost for the benefit is $25 per rider and $10 per pas senger. T-shirts and food are included. The event will begin at Bethlehem Baptist Church at 548 Hwy. 11. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, with the ride beginning at 10 a.m. The funds raised from the benefit ride will help offset costs for medical, food, gas and other expenses, organizers said. The benefit is organized by the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office. For more informa tion, call 770-307-7590 or At A Glance •A benefit motorcycle ride will be held for Barrow County Sheriff’s Office dep uty Jacob McCard on Sat urday, July 30. McCard is battling advanced stage 4 throat cancer. 770-480-0575 or email cnor- ris@barrowsheriff.com or mtarver@barrowsheriff.com.