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A lt’» time! flHBmWs
lkcal organ for Houston County,
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of ILLE
VOLUME 136 , NUMBER 177
BELOW the Fold: Houston Healthcare awarded RAFB contract □ County to write off s2l+ thousand in bad debt® 21st CP looking for new boss
Friday
September 8,2006
The Home Journal’s
FRONT
PORCH
IN SPORTS
■ Westfield will probably have
to replace star running back/
defender Austin Madruga who
went down with a torn ACL this
past Friday. Also, look for local
cross country results, Braves
notebook and more.
- See 1B
IN BRIEF
Perdue to be at big
game; looks for help
Gov. Sonny Perdue will be at the
Northside versus Warner Robins
High school football 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.
Houston Arts Alliance
to salute military
In honor of the Armed Forces,
the Houston Arts Alliance will pres
ent: ‘Georgia Big Band Music and
Dancing - “A Night of Swing at
the Canteen” at the Museum of
Aviation Century of Flight Building
Saturday, from 7-10 p.m.
Prizes will be given for the best
decorated table and best costume,
from WWII to the Korean War.
A table for eight costs $160; and
the cost for single seat at a table is
S2O. There are special discounts
for military personnel (active duty).
Guests may bring their own food
and drink - picnic style or gourmet
style. Tables must be reserved.
To purchase tickets call the
Alliance office, 218-5229, Monday-
Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets
may also be purchased at Robins
Air Force Base, and at the Warner
Robins Visitor Center.
BIRTHDAYS
Today
■ Sue Moore
DEARLY DEPARTED
■ Mike Burr, 59
INDEX
LOCAL 2 A
WEATHER 3 A
OPINION 4 A
SPORTS 1 B
FOOD 1C
PERIODICAL 500
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2004
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September 8, 2006
Sl RVI\(, HOUSTON COL STY Since 1870
Ain Force to reduce civilian workforce
Robins to offer separation incentives
Special to the Journal
Robins Air Force Base
officials announced civil
ian workers would be able
to apply for separation
incentives beginning today
through Sept. 21. These
incentives, according to a
release from Robins AFB,
“seek to achieve Air Force
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ENI/Gary Harmon
The Warner Robins City Council voted Tuesday to buy this building at the comer of Watson Blvd., and Commercial Circle. It is slated, however, to
be torn down to make way for downtown development.
By RAYLIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Warner Robins City Council, during its meet
ing Tuesday, approved taking $240,000 to buy a
building on Commercial Circle and then tear it
down.
The unanimous vote was to take the money out
of the unobligated general fund and transfer it to
the city’s legal department to pay for the Stokes
building at the corner of Watson Boulevard and
County writes off bad debt
By RATLIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
The county water and
waste collection depart
ments have to write off
$21,226.64 in bad debt,
while collecting $7.5 mil
lion in revenue during the
past fiscal year.
“It’s something we have
to do on an annual basis,
“explained, Commissioner
Tom McMichael, during the
council’s meeting Monday.
“Sometimes people move
and we can’t find them.”
Commissioner Jay
Walker recognized some of
the names on the list as
Wiggins steps down as 21 CP chairman
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
“I’m looking for a new
boss,” Mary Therese
Tebbe of the 21st Century
Partnership told those gath
ered at the Houston County
Development Authority
meeting Wednesday.
She said current 21st
Century Partnership
www.hhjnews.com
directed reductions and bal
ance skills.”
Applications will be accept
ed from employees located
at Robins and serviced by
the base personnel office.
However, wage grade, wage
leader, wage supervisor, engi-*
neer, firefighter, medical,
intelligence and special sal
ary rate positions, according
I IflQtliii n ft! i
people who’d died.
McMicheal had high
praise for the departments,
who “overall did a splendid
job.”
He also noted the over
due bills are “not in the file
13, they’ll be turned over
to a collection agency.”
Of the total debt,
$13,923.34 is from the
water system, which had
$5.6 million in revenue.
There was $1.9 in revenue
from waste collection with
about $7,303.30 in debt to
write off.
The debts ranged from
See DEBT, page §A
Chairman Eddie Wiggins
is stepping down. “Do you
know someone?” Tebbe
asked the community
leaders gathered for the
Development Authority
meeting.
She said a nominat
ing committee will be set
up at the next quarterly
See DOWN, page fA
to the release, are generally
excluded from this program,
“because of mission needs
and workload requirements.
Employees occupying such
positions will be ineligible to
participate in the incentive
program.”
The reductions, accord
ing to the release, are being
made due to an anticipated
Commercial Circle - street address 1100 Watson
Blvd.
Mayor Donald Walker said during the meet
ing, the council had authorized him to negotiate
the deal. The deal was scheduled to be signed
Wednesday. The seller, Freeman Stokes will get
$5,000 in earnest money upfront with the rest in
cash at closing.
City Attorney Jim Elliott said the purchase
price is $340,000, which includes $240,000 in
B. *
Base awards Houston Healthcare ambulance contract
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Houston Healthcare, according to a
release, has been awarded a one-year con
tract effective Sept. 17, to provide emergen
cy paramedic response and patient transport
services at Robins Air Force Base.
The contract has four one-year options
Two SECTiONOtS!&IBaes
"Based on our numbers and the
systematic way these reductions are
being targeted, we do not see any advene
impact on our abdlty to futfttl our mission."
- Michael O’Hara, Personnel director
Air Force budget shortfall
for Fiscal Year 2007. The
proposed Program Budget
Decision will require
cash to Stokes, with Stokes in turn “gifting”
SIOO,OOO to the city.
There will be an additional SIO,OOO cost for
demolition and asbestos abatement for the build
ing and the rest of the block to South Davis
Drive.
The property, better known as the old Barker’s
Furniture Store is 0.96 acres and is zoned C-3
(heavy commercial).
See BUILDING, page *4
Hb| B§flr ?v '
fWlHlJimiimHlaMAndrea Stevens
f onto the ne*
1 ambulance that will be used at RAFB. 8
E^^lUrmos.j
through Sept. 17, 2011, explained Houston
Health care spokeswoman Mary Jane
Kinnas. Under the terms of the contract,
Houston Healthcare will provide 24-hour
paramedic ambulances, each staffed with
one paramedic and one EMT-Intermediate
or two paramedics stationed on then base,
See CONTRACT, page *4
.1A h VANS- F AMIIX A i:\vsr \PHR
a reduction across the Air
Force of 2,000 civilian autho
rizations.
See REDUCE, page