Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
The Braselton News
Page 3A
School days altered
for solar eclipse
Area schools will use the upcoming solar eclipse as a
unique learning experience for students.
A near-total solar eclipse is expected in the area around
2:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21. That conflicts with many
school dismissal times.
For children's safety and a rare teachable moment about
solar eclipses, area schools have announced the following
changes in dismissal times for Monday, Aug. 21:
•Jackson County — elementary schools delayed until 3:15
p.m. Middle and high schools remain the same.
•Gwinnett County — one-hour delay.
•Hall County — one-hour delay.
•Barrow County — 30-minute delay.
In a press release. Hall County School System leaders said
Georgia’s first total solar eclipse in 38 years “creates a great
teachable moment for students in the Hall County School
District, and teachers across the district will be teaching
students about the solar eclipse.”
Gwinnett. Barrow and Jackson County school leaders also
plan to use the solar eclipse as an educational experience
for students.
Jackson County has purchased 12,000 pairs of viewing
glasses for students, staff and volunteers. West Jackson Ele
mentary School STEAM coordinator Ben Propes plans to
get a closer look at the eclipse.
Propes is sending a high-altitude balloon up to capture
photo and video of the natural phenomenon.
Other Jackson County teachers have created websites with
specific activities for students in different grade levels.
County dealing
with jump
in bus riders
A large increase in students riding buses has put some
unexpected pressure on the Jackson County School
System.
At its meeting last week, the Jackson County Board of
Education heard a transportation update that included
plans to hire additional bus drivers and to put back into
service some old buses the system had planned to retire.
After several years of not buying new buses during
the recession when money wasn’t available, this year
the BOE agreed to buy eight new buses plus two new
special education buses. But even with those in place,
a surge in ridership and some major redistricting across
the county has overwhelmed the system in some places.
In a memo posted earlier this week, system leaders
said over 5,000 students are now riding a bus and that
some schools have 85 percent of its students riding a
bus.
One of the factors that could be affecting the increase
in ridership is that the system now has buses by grade
level, meaning that elementary students ride together,
middle school students ride together and high school
students ride together.
Monday night, the BOE approved hiring three bus
drivers.
OTHER ACTIONS
Monday night, the BOE:
• approved hiring five additional special education
paraprofessionals in the system.
• approved revised job descriptions for assistant
superintendent of human resources and student support
services and for assistant superintendent for operations.
The board also approved the creation of a chief finan
cial officer position and a reorganization of its admin
istrative structure. In related actions, the board moved
Annah Dodge from finance director to chief finance
director and agreed to buy a new software system to
handle accounting and other financial demands.
• approved an agreement with the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office for the use of SROs during the year.
• approved spending $95,000 to buy land adjacent to
existing school-owned land on Hwy. 332.
Website offers
details on Mulberry
watershed project
Jackson County has updated its website to include the
specifics regarding the Mulberry Watershed Partnership.
This partnership is an eight-month process to study
the drainage basins which flow into the Mulberry River.
County commissioner Ralph Richardson Jr. spear
headed this initiative with staff and an awarded EPD
grant, according to a county news release.
For more information, visit http://www.jacksoncoun-
tygov.com/631/Mulberry-Watershed-Partnership.
Council continued from 1A
•approved annexation and residential rezoning requested
by Tom Henderson for nine acres on Jesse Cronic Road.
•remembered former council member James A. Stevens
Sr., who died on Aug. 5 at 88. Mayor Bill Orr said he was
a “longtime resident of Braselton, member of Northeast
Church, volunteered with the civil defense, a board member
of the West Jackson Fire Department, bus driver for Jackson
County schools and co-founder of Braselton Family Sports
and Recreation.” During his 10 years on council. Stevens
“helped make visionary decisions to purchase and renovate
historic town hall.” He also voted to hire police chief Terry
Esco and city manager/clerk Jennifer Scott. He also served
on the town’s ethics board after retiring from General
Motors.
Elections board consolidates 16 precincts to 4
Jackson County elections leaders have consolidated the
current 16 voting precincts down to four.
The Jackson County Board of Elections and Registra
tion recently approved the consolidation.
“With the increase in early voting, most voters cast
their ballot before Election Day which decreases the need
to have so many Election Day polling locations,” said
county PIO Sloane Meyer in a news release. “The Board
of Elections and Registration believes the consolidation
of the precincts will streamline the voting process. The
Elections office will be able to adequately supply and staff
each polling location to enhance the voting experience for
all voters in Jackson County.”
The new polling locations will be located at:
•Northeast Church for the west side of the county
•Hope Crossing Church for the central part of the county
•Southside Church for the southeast part of the county
•Mt. Olive Baptist Church for the northeast part of the
county
Board leaders said all the new polling locations can
handle the Election Day turnout, traffic and parking needs.
“The board believes there will be a significant monetary
savings in consolidating and hopes that voters understand
that it was not a decision that was entered into lightly,”
said Meyer.
The board also voted to purchase the Easy Vote Pro
gram.
“The Easy Vote Program will help speed up the process
of early voting, as well as absentee by mail voting,” said
Meyer. “This will help to decrease lines as more voters
continue to take advantage of the three weeks of early
voting before each election.”
Health group recognizes Rep. Benton
Rep. Benton recognized
Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson) was recently recognized for helping
streamline regulations to allow people with disabilities to receive medi
cations in community-based settings. The Service Providers Association
for Developmental Disabilities recently presented Rep. Benton with their
Legislator of the Year Award during its annual conference in Augusta for his
work on the legislation. Pictured are: SPADD president Mike Walker, Rep.
Benton, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
commissioner Judy Fitzgerald and Sen. Larry Walker.
Rep. Tommy Benton
(R-Jefferson) was recent
ly recognized for helping
streamline regulations to
allow people with dis
abilities to receive med
ications in communi
ty-based settings.
As chair of the Human
Relations and Aging
Committee, Rep. Tommy
Benton (R-Jefferson).
sponsored HB 486. to
allow “people with intel
lectual and development
disabilities to be treated
in their communities ver
sus in state institutions.”
The Service Providers
Association for Devel
opmental Disabilities
recently presented Rep.
Benton with their Legis
lator of the Year Award
during its annual confer
ence in Augusta for his
work on the legislation.
“Representative Ben
ton has been a champi
on for those Georgians
with disabilities who
need assistance to live
in their community,” said
SPADD president Mike
Walker. “He understands
the needs to this group of
vulnerable citizens and
took action (via HB 486)
to assure they enjoy high
quality support while liv
ing in towns and com
munities through the
state vs. nursing homes
or state operated institu
tions.”
HB 486. known as the
“Proxy Care Bill,” directs
the Department of Behav
ioral Health and Devel
opmental Disabilities to
develop and implement
a medication adminis
tration curriculum which
assures “consistent train
ing of direct support
staff in community-based
group living homes.”
The staff known as
“proxy caregivers” are
selected by the resident
and are permitted to
administer mediation by
the proxy care amend
ment to the Nurse Prac
tice Act.
HB 486 and the result
ing changes to proxy care
rules seek to assure “con
sistency and quality care
and support for those with
disabilities while stream
lining the training process
making its implementa
tion more cost effective
and practical for the hun
dreds of community orga
nizations around the state
who provide this care.”
Getting better.
Game day and
every day.
Our Dawgs play hard. And
when the game gets too
rough, they choose Piedmont
Athens Regional. As the
official healthcare provider
of the Georgia Bulldogs, we
have the care you need to
get you back in the game.
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