Newspaper Page Text
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LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
VOLUME 136, NUMBER 176
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Below THE Fold: County authorizes cost study for fire services; Warner Robins to lower tax rate; Police search for burglary suspects
Thursday
September 7,2006
The Home Journal’s
FRONT
PORCH
IN SPORTS
■ A Houston County defensive
gem plays a big part in the Lady
Bears’ softball win over Warner
Robins. Westfield rolls in its
region softball opener. Also look
for Georgia notebook and other
sports news.
-See 1B
IN BRIEF
WR man killed
crossing street
Charles Thompson, 58, died
Tuesday after crossing the street.
Thompson of Warner Robins was
wheelchair bound and attempted to
cross North Davis Drive near 401
North Davis Drive about 9:50 p.m.
Tuesday when he was reportedly
struck by a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
driven by Whitney Grate, 19, of
Warner Robins.
Thompson was taken by ambu
lance to the Medical Center of
Central Georgia where he died
from his injuries received in the
accident, police said.
No charges are pending at this
time against the driver.
Officer Randy Evans of the
Warner Robins Police Department
Traffic Division is conducting the
investigation.
- Ray Lightner
Perdue to be at big
game; looks for help
Gov. Sonny Perdue will be
at the Northside versu Warner
Robins High school game at 5:30
p.m., Friday, for a tailgate party.
Volunteers are needed by the cam
paign team. Call Bob Wilbanks at
397-5224.
Breakfast with the
candidates
Rep. Larry O'Neal and former
Congressman Mac Collins will be
the speakers at the Republican
Breakfast Meeting, 8:30 a.m.,
Saturday, at Sonny’s BBQ, 811
Russell Parkway, Warner Robins.
All candidates and the general
public are invited. A continental
breakfast is available for $3.25
per person. No reservations are
necessary.
BIRTHDAYS
Today
■ Gale A. Purvis
DEARLY DEPARTED
■ Timothy Vernon Williams,
47
■ Lucille V. Blankenship, 86
INDEX
LOCAL 2 A
WEATHER 3 A
OPINION 4 A
SPORTS 1 B
b iiPj ; lIH 4
Award-Winning
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2004
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Contest
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GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT
Main Library
UNIV OF GEORGIA
ATHENS GA 30602-0002
3-DIGIT 306
September 7, 2006
Ser ving Ho us ton County Since 1870
-
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Journal/Charlotte Perkins
Developer Jack Smith
An old flame
Sparks fly again over Langston Road developments
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■ -
Journal/Charlotte Perkins
Mid-county resident Walton Wood.
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Journal/Charlotte Perkins
Langston Road residents Harriotte McDannald, left, and Dee Allison.
Police search
for burglars
By RAYLIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Thanks to On Star, depu
ties were able to find a sto
len pickup about two hours
after it was reported stolen.
With the help of Wal-Mart
surveillance video, public
deputies are hoping to iden
tify the two suspects who
used the credit cards sto
len from the home with the
truck on Aug. 29.
The credit cards were
used at several Wall-Marts
in Middle Georgia that day
including Perry, Cordele
and Macon, said Cpl. James
Williams, Houston County
Sheriffs Office Criminal
Investigation Division.
“We were able to
See BURGLARS, page 6A
www.hhjnews.com
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
While one annexation and rezoning was approved with no objections at Tuesday night’s Perry
City Council meeting, another is still on the table and continues to spark controversy.
The council unanimously approved the
annexation and rezoning of a 44.14 acre site
along rural Kings Chapel Road which will be
developed as a subdivision with single-family
homes.
At the same meeting, the much-debated
rezoning and annexation of two sites on
Langston Road came up for a first offi
cial reading, and brought out a crowd of
Langston Road residents and others from
the mid-county area who are concerned
about the rapid growth in that area. The details of projects, both being proposed by Perry
developer Jack Smith, have been adapted several times to provide increased buffer zones alojig
the road and to accommodate a possible required widening of Langston Road in
the future.
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Warner Robins to roll back tax rate
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Warner Robins plans to roll back its
tax rate. “It makes the 12th time we’ve
rolled it back to a revenue neutral
rate,” said Mayor Donald Walker dur
ing the council’s meeting Tuesday.
The council has not formally set the
millage rate, but it has authorized the
city clerk to advertise the proposed
County authorizes cost study for fire service
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Houston County has taken the next
step towards “enhanced fire protec
tion” for unincorporated residents.
County commissioners during their
meeting Monday followed the recom
mendation of Vision 20/20 and autho
ilrft
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Joumal/C harlotte Perkins
From left, Councilman Riley Hunt, Mayor pro tern James Moore and City Manager Lee
Gilmour.
The Houston County commissioners have objected by letter, not to the
annex- ations but to the number of homes planned
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Journal/Charlotte Perkins
Perry businessman Kim Mullins.
rollback from last year’s 9.8 mills to
9.257 mills. “We’re rolling back the
rate,” said Councilman Terry Horton,
“to compensate the increase in the tax
digest.”
Councilman John Havfilla explained,
“the bill might go up, but there’s a
reduction in the rate.”
Unlike the county, which lowered
the rate, but kept it above the roll
back rate, the city was able to roll
rized the Middle Georgia Regional
Development Commission to perform
a cost analysis of the Warner Robins
Fire Department providing fire ser
vices north of Ga, 96. Any cost for the
study would be minimal and shared
by the county and the cities, said
Commissioner Gail Robinson, add
ing “there is no estimate on the cost
Two sections • 18 pages
"that mean nr developer.”
- Developer Jack Smith, on himself
"Once you folks approve It, it's not
going to come back to you.”
- Sandifer Road resident Walton Wood, in regard to develop
ment on Langston Road
to the two units, one of which is 46.13
acres and would be designed with 96
dwellings - a reduction from an
earlier plan for 104 homes.
The other site is 153.661
acres, and would include 360
homes in a Planned Unit
back the rate to revenue neutral. The
city was able to do it because of the
$161,420,827 increase in the city tax
digest. About s7l million of that is
from reassessments and almost 90
.million is from other changes to the
tax digest, mostly in real property or
new houses in the city.
Also unlike the county, the city
will not have to hold three public
See RA TE, page 6A
yet.”
The study would perform a cost
analysis of current fire protection
costs in Warner Robins and “what
county residents might have to pay to
receive this enhanced fire protection,”
Robinson said.
While both city and county
See STUDY, page 6A
mmmm Family Newspaper
————
Development.
Dee Allison, Larry
Holmes, Ken Lawson and
Harriotte McDannald,
|l all of Langston Road
expressed objections.
Allison spoke about
water drainage issues
and questioned traffic
studies that have been
done. McDannald
suggested that all
See SPARKS, page 6A