Newspaper Page Text
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
VOLUME 136, NUMBER 201
Below the Fold: Governor’s Office of Student Achievement singles out local high schools m Fair sets new attendance record
Wednesday
October 18,2006
The Home Journal’s
FRONT
PORCH
IN SPORTS
■ Westfield and Deerfield-
Windsor both find itself in an
unfamiliar position - both need
ing to win to keep their play
off hopes alive. Also, Houston
County's Lady Bear volleyball
team wrapped up at least a sec
ond seed for the state tourney.
Silver Dollar is preparing for its
Lucas Oil finale and more.
- See 1B
IN BRIEF
Mossy Creek festival
set for weekend
The Mossy Creek Barnyard
Festival will be Saturday and
Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m„ off Lake Joy
Road between Ga. 96 and Langston
Road. Signs giving directions are
along the way.
The festival, now in its 26th year,
features original crafts and demon
strations of “old-times" skills. More
than 150 artisans and performers
from 24 states will be at the festival.
There will be live music, a petting
zoo and festival food from many local
clubs and organizations. Tickets are
$5 for adults, $1 for children. Parking
is free. For more information, visit
www.mossycreekfestival.com.
Christmas parade
date scheduled
The 49th Annual Christmas
Parade will be held in Warner Robins
Dec. 2 at 10 a.m.
The parade will begin at the inter
section of North Houston Road and
Watson Boulevard and proceed east
to City Hall. Per a release: "Each
year thousands of families attend
this much anticipated holiday event
which provides a great opportunity
for area organizations and business
es to gain valuable exposure and
show off their community spirit.”
There is still time for schools,
churches, civic groups, clubs and
businesses to participate in this
year's parade. Deadline for entry
application is Nov. 1. Anyone inter
ested in volunteering should con
tact the Warner Robins Chamber of
Commerce by Nov. 20.
For information and an application
contact the Chamber at 922-8585.
BIRTHDAYS
Today
■ Ann Taylor
■ Bobby Jones
ANNIVERSARY
Oct. 16
■ Robbie and Torrie Minter
DEARLY DEPARTED
■ Lamar Brown, 86
PERIODICAL 500
3il illlif™ 4
Award-Winning
Heller Newspaper
Contest
COOI *
GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT
Main Library
UN IV OF GEORGIA
ATHENS GA 3G602-00G2
3-DfGIT 306
October 18, 2006
Serving Houston Col nty Since 18ZQ
From SPLOST to development to gangs, more
Political forum offers a bit ol all
By JOE SERSEY
Journal Correspondent
The Informed Citizens United held a polit
ical forum Monday night at Fuddruckers
in Warner Robins.
Formed in June by Houston County resi
dents concerned with development abuses,
the ICU’s Monday night meeting was set
to allow local candidates for state and
county positions to meet and debate issues
of concern.
“We are concerned with a wide variety of
issues,” said President David Wittenberg
of the 20-member organization. “We don’t
believe that SPLOST is appropriate.”
Wittenberg says that developers need
to pay some of the cost that taxpayers are
forced to ante up.
“People moving in are demanding hous
ing,” he said. “Developers are supplying
that demand and profiting handsomely.”
He pointed out that three of five Houston
County commissioners are also members
of the boards of banks who loan money to
developers.
feyl
» JET'S / 1
9 Brl
Governor’s office singles out local high schools
Special to the Journal
All four high schools in Houston
County made significant strides in
SAT scores and have been recognized
by the Governor’s Office of Student
Achievement.
Houston County High received the
2006 SAT Region Winner’s Trophy for
Class AAAAA and Region 1-AAAAA.
www.hhjnews.com
"Our elected officials divided
and conquered. The
developers lead and we
follow with our SPLOST
dollars."
- Informed Citizens United member
“To our minds this brings the possibility
of conflict of interest,” Wittenberg said,
“whether it has occurred or not.”
He was quick to point out that neither
he nor his organization is accusing anyone
of improprieties. His concern was about
perception.
During the meeting, ICU members
brought up current commissioner Jay
Walker’s motion before the commission at
the December 2005 meeting for an ad valo
rum tax to pay the principal and interest
See FORUM, page 6A
Northside High and Perry High were
both recognized for making at least
a 10-point gain. Warner Robins High
had the highest scores in' its region,
3-AAA.
Houston County High was recog
nized as one of 35 high schools in
Georgia with the largest numerical
improvement in SAT scores in their
WR police seeking
robbery suspects
Make arrest in Westwood burglary
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Warner Robins police are
investigating two armed
robberies that occurred in
the past couple of days.
One is the robbery of a
woman outside the night
depository Monday night,
while the other is a home
invasion that took place
early Tuesday morning on
Arnold Street.
At 9:03 p.m., officers of
the Warner Robins Police
Department responded to
the Wachovia Bank, 1205
Watson Blvd., concerning
an armed robbery. The vic-
region.
The school was awarded a Regional
Champion Trophy and SI,OOO grant
for an average gain of 25 points on the
SAT verbal and mathematics portions
between 2004 and 2006.
Houston County High students
improved their SAT scores by 30
See SCHOOLS, page 6A
Three sections • 18 pages
A
FAULKNER
ness and produced a hand
gun. He demanded the vic
tim relinquish her deposit
bag, to which she complied.
The suspect then fled the
area - last seen running
toward Meadowdale Drive.
There were no injuries
See SUSPECTS, page 6B
An old
flame
ABOVE: Justin
and Nash
Donnelly of
Warner Robins
check out a
sweet ride
during the
Wings and
Wheels car
show held
Saturday at
the Museum
of Aviation.
LEFT: Jacob
and Taylor
Ross admire
a custom
Camaro. For
more, see 6A.
ENI Gary Harmon
an Evans Family New seam. k\
tim told
police she
exited her
vehicle and
approached
the night
deposit box
when a
black male
stepped out
of the dark-
City votes to
lower taxes
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Warner Robins has low
ered the tax rate for its
residents.
The city council voted
unanimously to set the
millage rate at 9.257 mills
for 2006, down from 9.9
mills in 2005.
“This is the 12th year in
a row we’ve lowered the
rate,” said Mayor Donald
Walker.
The city portion of a tax
bill on a SIOO,OOO home,
not including homestead
or other exemptions, will
be about $370.28, or about
$26 less than last year, if
the value of the house
remained the same.
This does not include
the county and school
millage. With those, the
tax bill on a SIOO,OOO
home in the city would be
about $1,290.
The city council also
approved the tax error
and release list, which
corrects mistakes by the
board of equalization on
value of properties in the
city. City Clerk Carolyn
Robbins said a majority
of the $24,043 in correc
tions were errors from
See TAXES, page 6A
Fair sets
new record
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
A record 431,499 fair
goers attended the 17th
annual, state-sponsored
Georgia National Fair in
Perry, Oct. 5-15.
11 ’ s the fifth straightyear
that the attendance record
at the Georgia National
Fair has been broken,
said Michelle Treptow,
director of communi
cations for the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and
Agricenter. Several fac
tors contributed to this
success, Treptow said,
“the beautiful fall weath
er, school fall breaks for
several counties, Sneak
a-Peek, lower gas prices,
and the best Fair pro
grams.”
This year, an additional
30,884 people raised the
attendance by 8 percent
See RECORD, page 6A