Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

MiTustmi Itatlji 3jmmtal LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville VOLUME 136, NUMBER 176 . -V • , v >flll >to » ( x t ~ * - , . ..VC 1% 4 ' u ‘" ** j" « ' vW'WW® 1 : ** J- 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 Newspaper 2004 Better Newspaper Contest COOI * 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 - I ,y ' Journal/Charlotte Perkins Developer Jack Smith An old flame Sparks fly again over Langston Road developments fcfe Sfn-F. v ■ - Journal/Charlotte Perkins Mid-county resident Walton Wood. M t y | ' ||p§ 1L 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. j® - HK H -'’^B.v'4;''-7 r> - '/ v : ,Mf 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 . t * 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 ~r . . s mmmmM 1 *-Wb |SiL 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