Newspaper Page Text
Houston J9atfa Imottri
VOLUME 136, NUMBER 223
BELOW THE FOLD: City of Perry starts process to consider impact fees County commission says no to Perry PUD island
Friday
November 24,2006
The Home Journal’s
FRONT
PORCH
From the editor
As we at the Houston Daily
Journal continue to shoot pictures
we continually run into the prob
lem: Lots of photos - not enough
room (especially true when we
shoot your little ones playing youth
sports). What to do what to do?
Well, the answer is a resurgence
of a something we used to practice
heavily in the past. That is: Put
the extras on our website. To that
end, we re asking you to check us
out/revisit us today, and each and
every day at hhjnews.com.
IN SPORTS
What do you do when you're unde
feated outside of Houston County?
For the Bears football team, it's hope
for a road game. And, that's exactly
what they'll have Saturday when
they travel to play M L. King.
For the Demons Friday, their task
is to head way down south and take
on a team that's given up 13 points
in eight games.
- See 1B
IN BRIEF
AARP to offer
driving course
The American Association of-
Retired Persons will host a defen
sive driving course at Rehoboth
Baptist Church, located at Highway
41 South in Perry on Monday and
Tuesday from 6-10 p.m.
Successful completion of the
AARP course will lead to reduced
premiums with most auto insurance
companies.
The course is open to all ages.
Call Larry Sandefur, 987-2973, for
further information.
Leadership Perry
class being organized
The 2007 Leadership Perry class
is now being organized by the Perry
Area Chamber of Commerce with
Chris Kinnas Jr. as coordinator.
The deadline for applications is
Monday.
Leadership Perry meets month
ly from January to September for
day-long tours that focus on state,
county and city government, educa
tion, Robins Air Force Base, health
and human services and industry.
The class will have its kickoff recep
tion at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 7 at the
Perry Chamber office, and will hold
a class retreat in January at Georgia
Veterans State Park.
For an application or for more
information, call 987-1234
BIRTHDAYS
Today
■ None reported
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November 24, 2006
Serving Molston Cot \n Si.\( / JS7O
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
www.hhjnews.com
Natural gas on the rise
Warner Robins to see cost increase
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Natural gas rates are going up 5 cents for
residents of Warner Robins.
The increase was “to offset the loss to the
city when we neutralized prices,” explained
city Councilman Terry Horton during the
council meeting earlier this week. The new
price, $2.05 LDR with a base fee of $7
removes the rate differential between in
city and outside-the city rates.
Horton said the city could justify the dif
ference in rates but it would have to spend
about $35,000 to fight it in court. He noted
the revenue was on the difference in costs
and was only about $4,000 a year.
The city has previously removed the rate
differential between water and sewer ser
vice for outside residents.
Horton said the logic behind the neutral
ization according to the state was no repre
Gate ICFYpers
The Air Force’s impressive power to make things
move and to deliver are legendary. Wherever the
goods need to go, whenever the men and women v
of the Air Force are needed, the job will get done.
Around the large oaken conference table is
another major power, the power to help, the power
to care...
mb 11, if* i
Si
■■■ tatfM
Journal/Nancy Hawk
Sitting, from left, Staff Sgt. L. Heng, Hannah, Elena and Arlene Heng. Standing, Joy
Ashley, Key Spouse program manager.
By NANCY F. HAWK
Journal Staff Writer
| i he room is filled with the
1— —I might and glitter of the Air
Force Headquarters confer
ence room.
The Air Force’s impres
sive power to make things
move and to deliver are
legendary.
Wherever the goods need to go,
whenever the men and women of the Air
Force are needed, the job will get done.
Around the large oaken conference
table is another major power, the power
to help, the power to care. This power
fills the gaps when a military service per
sentation for those outside the city.
Councilman Dean Cowart said the actions
by the state are slowly eroding the benefits
of city services, like cheaper gas and sewer.
“I sure don’t disagree,” added Warner
Robins mayor Donald Walker. Both voted
for the change over concerns about regula
tions from the Public Service commission.
Walker said he also saw it as an opportu
nity for the city to expand its natural gas
customers.
“We’ve got a $5 million gas line running
down to Frito Lay,” the mayor said. “We
need to make some money off it.”
In other business, the city council:
■ Approved two utility projects, one of
which would provide gas service to the
Willingham, development area. The cost for
the new project is $12,500.
The other project extends the
See RISE, page toB
son has to do a job in some far off place.
The power to reach out, the power to
care about the lost dog, wife expecting,
telephone bills or the Leave and Earning
Statement (pay statement), or just to be
there to listen are the tools of the Key '
Spouse program.
The Key Spouse program was first
adopted by high-deployment Air Force
bases in 1997. The program is designed
to provide better communication between
Air Force families and Air Force officials.
Army and other services have this type
of program, but the story here is about
Robins Air Force Base.
Joy Ashley is a fulltime dedicated
See KEY, page 108
Centerville increeses
shoplifting preventinn
Amendment gives it ability to try more cases
By JOE SERSEY
Journal Correspondent
The Centerville City
Council met Tuesday for
its monthly work session.
Among the council’s
agenda items was the sec
ond official reading of the
shoplifting amendment
ordinance.
The new ordinance will
bring the city into com
pliance with state law
amending the shoplifting
law so that the Centerville
Municipal Court can try
shoplifting cases for thefts
valued at S3OO or less and
for third offenses.
Previously, the city court
could only heard cases con
cerning first and second
offense and thefts of SIOO
or less and first and second
offenses only.
According to council offi
cials, the intent of the law
was to remove some of the
shoplifting case burden
from the state courts.
As one visitor to the meet
ing pointed out, approval of
the amendment came just
in time for the big shopping
day after Thanksgiving.
In another item, Mayor
Harold M. Edwards Jr. read
the council 'g proclamation
acknowledging November
as National Adoption
Month.
Present to reserve the
official document was Joyce
Handy from the Houston
County Department of
Family and Children
Services.
Her department has
sponsored 24 adoptions
this year. She said that’s
about the yearly average.
With approximately 300
children eligible in the
state on any given day,
Houston County is one of
the leading counties in the
state in finding homes for
children through adoption,
Handy said.
She encouraged would-be
parents interested in adop-
Perry starts process of
considering impact foes
By CHARLOTTE
PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
There’s much still to con
sider, but the Perry City
Council is taking the first
tentative steps toward
requiring impact fees from
developers building subdi
visions within the city lim
its.
At Tuesday night’s work
session, the mayor and
council heard presenta
tions from two Atlanta
based consulting firms
with extensive experience
County says no to island
By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
The Houston County
Commissioners, during
their work session Tuesday,
objected to another Perry
annexation request because
the tract is not contiguous
to city limits.
The tract this time is
89.96 acres off Moss Oaks
Road adjacent to Big Indian
an Evans Family Newspaper
Two sections • 18 pages
Memorial fund
Centerville City
Council, during its
meeting Tuesday also
established a fund in
memory of Joshua
Hollis Duncan, 7, who
was killed when hit by
a car Sunday.
To donate to the
fund, visit the Colony
Bank on the corner
of Gunn Road and
Margie Drive.
tion to call 877-210-KIDS
to start the process.
Also approved by the
council was a motion by
Councilman Robert A.
Smith Jr. to give Christmas
bonuses to city employees.
Full-time employees will
receive a $l5O bonus in
their December 8 check and
part-time employees will
receive $75. The bonuses
will be subject to the same
deductions as their regular
salary.
Councilman Smith want
ed to reward the town’s
employees for their dedi
cation and hard work and
the council voted unani
mously for the awards with
Councilman Sherod Wilson
absent.
Members of the
Centerville police and
fire departments sought
approval from the council
for its annual Christmas
parade. A tentative sched
ule is set for the week of
Dec. 18, with a specific date
to be announced.
Edwards closed the ses
sion with a heartfelt decla
ration of sympathy to the
families involved in the
accident that killed Josh
Duncan.
He announced that a
fund for Duncan to assist
his family has been set up
at the Colony Bank on the
corner of Gunn Road and
Margie Drive.
in helping municipalities
and counties set up impact
fee ordinances.
Bill Ross represented
Ross & Associates, while
Barry J. Hall spoke for
Policies I.F. Management
Group, Ltd. Both empha
sized that impact fees
charged to developers can
only be a small part of a
city’s financial planning.
In other words, the fees
will not cover the entire
cost of the additional ser
vices made necessary by
new houses.
See PROCESS, page ioB
Creek. Commissioner Larry
Thomson made the motion
to object to both the annex
ation and the proposed
planned use development
rezoning saying, “It’s not
contiguous.”
Commissioner Tom
McMichael seconded say
ing “ we can object because
it doesn’t meet the law.
See ISLAND, page ioB