Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Houston Ibrily-journal VOLUME 136, NUMBER 156 Thursday August 10, 2006 The Home Journal’s FRONT PORCH INSIDE ■ Robins Air Force Base’s Michael Membrila earns a spot on the Armed Forces golf team. Also, members of the Perry Horseshoe Pitcher’s Club will contend in Summer Fun. In addition, look for a Georgia Bulldog notebook and a story regarding GSU playing GT in football. - See 6A IN BRIEF Judge to accept applications Due to the passing of the Honorable David Pierce, the position of Houston County Chief Magistrate Judge is vacant. Houston County Superior Court Judge George F. Nunn Jr., is soliciting applications for the position from any interested Houston County attorneys. The position is full time. The attorney may not practice law while a judge and pursuant to statute must live in Houston County. It will be an “interim” appointment as the position becomes an elected one in 2008. If interested, indicate, in writing, your interest to Judge Nunn no later than Tuesday. Ride with PRIDE The Warner Robins Police Department will be offering a free, two-hour program, Georgia Teens Ride with PRIDE, Aug. 26, from 9 to 11 a.m. It will be held at the Warner Robins campus of Macon State College located at 100 University Drive on Watson Boulevard. PRIDE - parents reducing inci dents of driver error - was created by the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute in an effort to reduce the high number of crashes, injuries and fatalities involving teen drivers in the state. The course is designed to help parents and their new teen drivers, ages 14-16. To register, contact Grace Hodges at 929-7253. - Ray Lightner BIRTHDAYS Aug. 8 ■ Alice Burch Today ■ Antoria Domonique Black ■ Ada Quesenberry E-mail your birthdays to: hhj@evansnewspapers.com or donm@evansnewspapers.com or send them to: 1210 Washington St., Perry 31069; attn: Don Moncrief. You can also call him at 987-1823, Ext. 231. INDEX LOCAL 2 A WEATHER 3 A OPINION 4 A SPORTS 6 A COMICS 8 A CLASSIFIED 9 A LEGALS 1 B PERIODICAL 500 Illlllllllllllllll! 8 "**55108 00001 * 4 Award-Winning Newspaper 2004 Better Newspaper Contest COOI * GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT Main Library UN IV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 3-OtGIT 306 August 10, 2006 S t-MUSr, Holstos Cot XT) SI.XCI- 1870 LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville It’s raining min 2+ million gallons lost in water incidents - y - |P|n .. ■■ ■/ ..,‘x " ** : mtx A IHHk W „ .Mag I P M 'G9§rjSjjs w>c " !< (mllfSfffi V’ 4 Jpw Si OBHB ■ PHf /It:; x la IT s*7 *'' 4 < 411 T : Jimr ■ HHf- - tMp jMT&UL . - . • Courtesy/Bill O’Neal City workers try to deal with a broken water line in downtown Perry on Monday. This break happened during road way construction on Meeting Street, and followed a much bigger water calamity on Friday. By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Staff Writer Water, water everywhere! The Crossroads of Georgia almost turned into a water park earlier this week. In one incident, about 2 million gallons of water gushed up out of an ancient water main, flowing down the streets and emptying the city’s water tanks. In another broken pipe incident, crews got wet and muddy struggling with broken service pipes as geysers shot up into the air. Perry City Manager Lee Gilmour said that the first water accident came on Friday when workers removed the WR to condemn bnd fop right of way By RAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer Warner Robins aban doned two rights of way Monday, but will have to condemn land to get anoth er. The city council, in its meeting Monday, voted unanimously to condemn .209 acres along Ga. 96 near Lake Joy Road so the city and county can complete the road widening project. City Attorney Jim Elliott said the land was sold and annexed into the city in 2005, but the 10-foot right of way was inadvertently left off the deed. The property owner, Robert T. Hammond, sold about a 50-acre tract on Lake Joy Road, Elliott said, “but the surveyor made an error and left the right of way off.” Hammond no longer lives in the state, Elliott said, “and is not willing to nego tiate - in good faith. He thinks it’s worth $1 million dollars.” The city is paying $6,270 for the parcel, based on the www.hhjnews.com "One of the really big problems, is that the pipes were made In the early 19405." - Perry City Manager Lee Gilmour old fountain, which is to be relocat ed to another site by the Downtown Development Authority. The site was once the location of a city water tank, and when workers removed the fountain they unknow- appraised value of the entire tract when it was sold in 2005, Elliott explained. The money will be set aside in an account with the Clerk of Superior Court. The money for the pur chase will come out of the city’s portion of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, used for road projects. Elliott said the road proj ect was a SPLOST project and the county attempted to acquire the right of way from the new owner, when it was discovered the parcel was left off the purchase. The city had annexed the property and the road, so the city has to pay for the right of way, he said. The action taken by the council directs the parcel be acquired by condemnation and directs Elliott to file condemnation proceedings including a “declaration of taking” to acquire the land and deposit with the court the just compensation - the $6,270. The city, in other busi ness, abandoned two other rights of way including the street Reid Place by Pearl Stephens Elementary. Elliott said the stub-out street was built but never used. The city will execute quit claim deeds to the tract, he said, to the adjacent prop erty owners. Asimilar request for Gwen Drive at Houston Medical Center was removed from the council agenda and the council also abandoned a sewer line right of way ease ment along Chantilly Drive, as the line was moved back and the necessary right of way acquired. In still other business, the city council presented a plaque to the family of the late Phillip Campbell to honor one of the ball fields at Flint Field being named in his honor. Mayor Donald Walker said, Campbell, a former city councilman was very active in Warner Robins American Little League for decades. “Certainly Mr. Campbell contributed to many in this community, myself and Gov. (Sonny) Perdue See LAND, page $A ingly removed a cement plug which had sealed off a water main, and emp tied two of the city’s water tanks onto the downtown street. City workers have tried to locate underground cut-off valves in the Main Street area, but have been unsuccess ful (as of Tuesday). “One of the really big problems,” Gilmour said, “is that the pipes were made in the early 19405.” He pointed out that the Main Street and Carroll Street construction area in Downtown Perry is one of the old est parts of the city with some water See GALLONS, page $A "* 2&t J^Bk ■tJ&~ '' ' Ji ENLGary Harmon Youth coach Gerry Thaxton makes notes on Jeremiah Stephens during the Warner Robins/Perry Recreation departments’ Mite draft Tuesday on Perkins Field in Warner Robins. For more, see 10A. Two sections • 20 pages Below the fold ■ Owner: Give me $1 mil lion. City: Condemned ■ Tolleson, Walker still upbeat on Perry fishing area WRPD offers reward for information By RAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer On Tuesday, Warner Robins Police Department announced it is offering up to a $5,000 reward for infor mation that leads to the arrest of person(s) respon sible for the death of Felicia Hardman. Hardman, 29, was found on Aug. 1, at approximately 1:43 p.m., officers responded to 140 Vernon Dr. in refer ence to a deceased person. Hardman was found inside of her home with multiple stab wounds and was pro nounced dead on scene. An autopsy was completed the following day and it was determined that Hardman died from these wounds which were caused by some See REWARD, page §A Tolleson, walker upbeat on lake By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Staff Writer Will the dammed-up land at the Flat Creek Fishing Area turn into a lake in due time? Former Rep. Larry Walker, who spearheaded the effort to get the facility for Houston County is still cautiously optimistic. “I’m no expert,” Walker said, “but I’ve been to the site several times and Les Ager (a local official with See LAKE, page ft The write stuff IS