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Httusfcm Jhily 3jro*r*ial VOLUME 136, NUMBER 165 Wednesday August 23, 2006 The Home Journal’s FRONT PORCH I INSIDE ■ In Sports today: Warner Robins High School’s cross-country team holds Track-a-thon as part of their preseason preparation. Also, Houston County’s softball team wins Lead-off tourney. In addi tion, look for Braves notebook and Adam Van Brimmer writes about the Falcons’ Shockley. - See 1B IN BRIEF HMC welcomes new administrator Houston Medical Center has named Skip Philips as administra- tor for the 186-bed facil ity in Warner Robins. He joins Houston Medical from Riverside Health System in Newport News, Va., where he served as PHILIPS senior vice president of Operations for Riverside Regional Medical Center, a 570-bed tertiary acute care hospital. He earned his Master of Healthcare Administration and Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University, after gradu ating from Emory University. Matt Elementary sets meeting dates Matt Arthur Elementary School has set its School Council dates. They are: Oct. 20, Dec. 8, Feb. 9, 2007 and April 20, 2007. All, according to a release, are slated to begin at 7:30 a.m. Red Cross blood drive coming to Perry A Red Cross blood drive will be held at First Baptist Church-Perry located at 1105 Main Street today. It is slated to be held from 3:30-7:45 p.m. BIRTHDAYS Today ■ Leah Dannenberg ■ Nisi Russ ■ Brenda Phillips ■ Rebecca Williams 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 WEATHER 3 A SPORTS 7 A COMICS 8 A CLASSIFIED 1 0 A FOOD 1 B PERIODICAL 500 S ilolli 4 (^p Award-Winning Newspaper 2004 Better Newspaper Contest ii.U f , .iii.iniilil,, if f ll( | | l , lll | I |f aia || COOI * GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT Main Library UNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 3-DfGIT 306 August 22, 2006 Si:kvi.\g Houston Coivn Srxn: 1870 LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville Insurance costs WR extra $1 mill By RATLIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer Warner Robins City Council came up with $1 mil lion to cover insurance costs from the previous fiscal year at Monday’s meeting. “We had a number of claims above the stop-loss number,” said Mayor Donald Walker. “There were unusually high Medicaid expenses.” The council approved the • *JL* '• ■ *’• -r- 'fiiwffiir-¥ev ■ , i :ti vlfii li^flßr ,:% ' - -’■ - Bu rTtiiirShffa -r J . . j<duß9|HflH * jC tf^!^4l ir'^sJ‘" : / v> '^ jiffttfr J| V', B * ■ —ll——nr n ■ ENI/Gary Harmon Those heading to and/or from work Tuesday found a change to Houston Lake Road. It now goes straight through to Houston Lake. The construction at the south end of Houston Lake Road and Ga. 127 has changed the three-way intersection around, closing the road that ran along Houston Lake County Club. The next phase of the project will include a new bridge over Mossy Creek and widening the road into Perry. City council takes aim at billboards Annexes Peach County parcel, other land By RAYLIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer “We’ve brought down the first one,” said Mayor Donald Walker. The City Council approved a sign variance for Wayne Buzzell, so he could relo cate one of the billboards off Russell Parkway to 700 First St. The variance stipulated it must be a billboard off Russell and it could not go up on First Street until the one comes down off Russell Parkway. Buzzell requested the variance after his request was denied by city Code Enforcement because “it doesn’t quite fit the criteria,” explained Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Kiefer. While it is in an area zoned for billboards, Manufacturing, it is about 480-feet inside the mile required away from any zon ing district in which bill boards are prohibited, Kiefer explained. Some smaller signs are coming down, too. Councilman Steve Smith thanked Kiefer for taking down all the signs along the city rights of way, as the council had instructed at the last meeting, following the election and citizen com plaints. “The signs cost about $lO apiece,” Kiefer said. “It cost them about $3,000 for the signs we threw out.” www.hhjnews.com transfer of $840,000 from the unobligated general fund balance and $160,000 from the unobligated water and sewer fund balance to cover deficits and expenses for the period ending June 30, the end of the city’s previous fiscal year. City Finance Director Bill Harte explained, “we had a negative fund balance of $815,000.” Harte said the city spent Detour ahead The council also annexed another parcel out of Russell Parkway in Peach County on Monday. The City Council unani mously approved C. Tim Dupree’s request for annex ation of 35.699 acres and rezoning it to C-2 (General Commercial). The parcel is between Frontage Road and Sullivan Road off Russell Parkway. The land was zoned Residential Agricultural in Peach County and is adja cent to a tract owned by Flash Foods. The city council also annexed two other tracts and approved three rezon ings. ROC Enterprises request was approved for the rezon ing of 40.52 acres on Sandy . JpVi .. - ; v / j HU I—■ Journal Kay Lightner Warner Robins City Councilmen Terry Horton, Steve Smith and Clifford Holmes vote in favor of an annexation as part of a unanimous vote. "You cannot predict if someone has a heart attack, brain surgery: We had a high run on claims." - Mayor Donald Walker $7,127,307.12 last year to cover insurance, prescrip tions and administrative fees. “Claims were 49-per cent greater than the past Run Road from Residential Mobile Home to R-4, which allows for multi-family and single family dwellings. Tom Brightman said the property was purchased for specula tion. He said plans include an assisted living facility up front and apartments in the back. He noted it would be an improvement over the current mobile home park zoning. The land is adjacent to another mobile home park, a golf course and the railroad tracks along Ga. 247. Silver Eagle Enterprises requested the annexation of four lots in the Tara Estates subdivision totaling 2.46 acres at the zoning of R-2 (10,000-square foot lots). The four lots, currently Two sections • 14 pages year,” Harte said. “We based the budget for this year on the last five years,” he said, and See COSTS, page 6A zoned R-2 in the county, are at the end of Tarlton Court and Melanie Lane. One lot there is already in city lim its. The others are being brought in to obtain city ser vices (water and sewer). Walker noted the annexa tions would put the adjoin ing The Willows subdivision contiguous to city limits. The Willows already has city sewer, the mayor said, and there are covenants to annex it in once it becomes contiguous. “We just have to notify them,” Walker said, adding the deal “was done before my time.” Council also approved Edwina Gunn’s request for the annexation and rezon ing of 6.27 acres on U.S. 41, south of Gunn Road, behind Tractor Supply Co. See COUNCIL, page 6A w Evans Family Below the fold ■ Warner Robins City Council takes aim at billboards; annexes land ■ Three to graduate from National Guard’s Youth Challenge Perry siteof surplus foal distribution Special to the Journal USDA Surplus Commodity Food will be distributed by the Middle Georgia Community Action Agency, Inc., beginning Sept. 12. Distribution, according to a release, is to begin at 8:30 a.m. and be con ducted at Rozar Park Recreation Center in Perry. The following items, once again according to a release, will be available: Green beans, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, apple juice, applesauce, mixed fruit, peaches, beef stew, beef, tuna, salmon, pea nut butter, roasted pea nuts and rice. The release from the organization also states you must bring “proof of street address and a signed statement for any one you will be picking up for.” Authorization forms are available at the Perry Neighborhood Service Center. Middle Georgia CAA, Inc., is an equal opportu nity employer and serves people regardless of race, color, creed, national ori gin, age, sex or disability. You can contact the Perry Neighborhood Service Center at 987- 3503 for more. Three teens to graduate from youth challenge Special to the Journal Three Houston County teens are among more than 139 youth set to graduate from the Georgia National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy at commencement ceremo nies to be held in Macon Saturday. Takeria Mathis and Samantha Campbell of Centerville, and Javaris Beck of Warner Robins are members of Class No. 13 of the Fort Gordon based YCA program. Georgia’s Youth Challenge is a 22- week residential youth pro gram for teens aged 16- 18 who have dropped out of school. The military-styled program provides teens with the opportunity to complete basic academic courses leading to a high school diploma or GED. The voluntary program also provides teens valu able life skills training emphasizing academic, physical fitness and per sonal discipline. Jennifer Buck, Deputy Assistant Secretary of See TEENS, page 6A