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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 DEARLY DEPARTED ■ Barbara Joan McGrew, 69 PERIODICAL 500 min 8 , 55108 00001 4 Award-Winning Better Newspaper Vjge—J WtJ Contest till IlillllllllllLlllllllllltllllillllMlllllllull COOI * GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT Main Library UNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 3-DIGIT 306 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