Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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 iimiiiv 8 '*s 510 B n o 0001*4 Award-Winning Newspaper 2004 Better Newspaper Contest liilUliMill.Jiiiiniilll.i.ll.MU liliiull COOI * GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT Man Library UNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 3-DfGfT 305 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 1m X V 9 jSSBmmB HKI RiBiSI 1 "*4*o I i wj 9 119 Bl Pi m IS ISIII | 9 II 9 II r IH hi■ll vv ■ ■ > f ' ' ' e . " lafeai- 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