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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Muuatuu flaily 3|muiuil Perry Office 1210 Washington St. P.O. Box 1910 Perry, GA 31069 (478) 987-1823 See us online at www. hhjnews. com Reader Classified Advertising: Call (478) 987-1823 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday. You can fax an ad 24 hours a day to (478) 988-9194. Display Advertising: Call Nicole Crofutt at ext. 224. Delivery by mail: Delivery by mail is available for $62 in-county and SB2 elsewhere per year paid in advance. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: P.O. Box 1910, Perry. GA 31069 The Houston Home Journal, A peri odical. mailed (ISSN 1526-7393) at Perry, Ga.. is published Tuesday through Saturday for $62 per year by Evans Newspapers Inc.. 1210 Washington St.. Perry. GA 31069: (478) 987-1823 Fax (478) 988-1181. Not published Thanksgiving and Christmas. Office Hours: The office in Perry is open from 8 a m. to 5 p.m Monday through Friday. NEWS TIPS: Call (478) 987-1823 ext 231 Newsroom Fax: (478) 988-1181 Presentation editor: Contact James Tidwell at jtidwell @ evansnewspapers.com Corrections: The HDJ strives for fairness and accuracy, and will print a correction or clarification when one is in order. Cali ext. 231. Advertising errors and omissions: The advertiser agrees that the pub lisher shall not be liable for damages arising from errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. There shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. This newspaper is a member of The Georgia Press Association, The National Newspaper Association and The Associated Press Legislative deja vu awaits session's start By GREG BLUE STEIN Associated Press Writer ATLANTA - Another round of legislation seeking to require voters to show a photo ID at the polls could await lawmakers returning to Atlanta in January, as do changes to a new crackdown on sex offenders. Sound familiar? It should. After both newly-passed laws were picked apart by the courts, state legislators are considering tackling them anew. Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue signaled he’s willing to consider changes to a law criticized by a federal judge that would bar sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of school bus stops. And leg islators are hoping to bypass the courts altogether by ask ing voters directly if they support requiring photo IDs at the polls. Republican leaders con tend the recurring legis lation is a symptom of a deeper problem: Judges who flout elected lawmakers by tinkering with laws they don’t like. And it could lead to a new round of legislation aimed at changing the way the state’s judiciary does business. “I don’t think the Legislature today can do its job properly when it’s worried about what the judicial branch might do,” said House Majority Leader Jerry Keen. “If you can’t win through the legislative process, your next best hope is to find a courtroom and a judge that agrees with you.” Democrats, who controlled the statehouse for genera tions before being ousted by Republicans four years ago, say the legal challenges are a sign that the newly empow ered GOP is crafting bad legislation. “It’s an example of the Republican party overreach ing,” said Robert Brown, the YOUR WEATHER TEAM! 1 HilHHi■ HiII r JBRB&gtfilffiai mssmri'm MGT Today's Weather Local 5-Day Forecast Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 12/30 12/31 VI 1/2 1/3 is. 75/61 71/47 66/39 62/36 64/37 Few showers. Highs Showers. Highs in Mix of sun and Partly cloudy. Highs Times of sun and in the mid 70s and the low 70s and lows clouds. Highs in the in the low 60s and clouds. Highs in the lows in the low 60s. in the upper 40s. mid 60s and lows in lows in the mid 30s. mid 60s and lows in the upper 30s. the upper 30s. Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset 7:37 AM 5:39 PM 7:37 AM 5:40 PM 7:37 AM S:4IPM 7:38 AM 5:42 PM 7:38 AM 5:42 PM UJL — —~—& Georgia At A Glance \ p' \ \ Atlanta ~ V \ S®/ 5 ® q• ■ Augusta \ y 70/62 \ ( ' \ \ Warner Robins \ \ 74/61 ( V V. V * Savannah -wy--- > Perry 77/60 ) ) 75/61 _ Cf ( Valdosta fn \,J atrsi p-V Area Cities mLo Cond. I Lull I,,——„ I mm I ■irinfl Albany 77 59 cloudy Athens 66 57 rain Atlanta 66 56 rain Augusta 70 62 rain Bainbridge 79 63 cloudy Brunswick 72 61 rain Cartersville 67 56 rain Chattanooga,TN 63 52 rain Columbus 75 62 rain Cordele 77 63 cloudy National Cities ICit^^^^^^HiLoCond^l Atlanta 66 56 rain Boston 43 31 mixed Chicago 46 42 cloudy Dallas 58 40 mst sunny Denver 31 20 snow ©2005 American Profile Hometown Content Service state Senate’s top Democrat. “And the people of Georgia aren’t going to be dictated by a narrow-minded party.” The loudest debate has cen tered on the voter photo-ID proposal, which lawmakers passed in 2005. Supporters said it was meant to pre vent voter fraud, but critics claimed it wqs designed to disenfranchise minorities, the poor and the elderly who don’t have a driver’s license or other valid government issued ID. U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy struck down the first version of the law, con tending that it amounted to an unconstitutional poll tax. The Legislature addressed his complaints in a subse quent version, but he blocked the law again in September, saying the measure isn’t in the public’s interest. “It’s as though they’re changing the rules every year by which the game is played,” said state Sen. Cecil Staton, the sponsor of the embattled legislation. This year, the Macon Republican is backing a con stitutional amendment that would empower legislators to approve “procedures to verify the identity of elec tors.” Before that proposed amendmen can go before WALK AWAY WORRY-FREE FOOT & ANKLE CENTER DR. SARVEPALLI D. JOKHAI Podiatric Physician and Surgeon, Board Qualified 1040 Morningside Dr. • Perry, GA 31069 478-988-4676 Twin 9m We Celebrate Hometown Life I Stories for and about hometown fust like yours. Look for us each week in this piper W W UCT—j Dalton 66 54 rain Dillard 62 49 rain Dublin 75 60 rain Duluth 64 54 rain Gainesville 63 56 rain Helen 65 54 rain Lagrange 72 57 rain Macon 73 60 rain Marietta 65 54 rain Milledgeville 71 60 rain Hi Lo Cond. | Houston 67 46 t-storm Los Angeles 68 45 sunny Miami 79 72 rain Minneapolis (39 31 mixed New York 48 36 pt sunny voters though, it must be approved by two-thirds of lawmakers in both cham bers. Federal courts have also scrutinized the state’s new crackdown on sex offenders that lawmakers overwhelm ingly approved this year. The law, which bans sex offend ers from living, working and loitering within 1,000 feet of school bus stops and other spots where children gather, was challenged in June by a host of civil rights groups who said it was too restric tive. Since then, U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper has ruled the school bus stop provision cannot be enforced unless school boards official ly designate the locations of their stops, and a broader ruling could be issued dur ing the session. House Speaker Glenn Richardson said he’d be willing to revisit the law and Perdue, answering an Associated Press question naire before his re-election, acknowledged that “efforts to amend or perfect (the law) might be necessary.” Ruling Republicans can count a few court success es recently. The Georgia Supreme Court backed a plan to redistrict a state Senate district that split the Specializing in surgery of ingrown toenails, heel spurs, hammer toes, bunions, also diabetic foot care. STATE AND REGION Moon Phases 0 f> First Full Dec 27 Jan 3 • • Last New . Jan 11 Jan 19 UV Index Sat 12/30 2 Low Sun 12/31 2 Low Mon 1/1 3 Moderate Tue 1/2 3 Moderate Wed 1/3 3 Moderate The UV Index is measured on a 0-11 number scale, with a higher UV Index showing the need for greater skin pro tection. 0 11 K%y Hi Lo Cond. Peachtree City '69 53 rain Perry 75 61 cloudy Rome 68 54 rain Savannah 77 60 rain St. Simons Island 72 61 rain Statesboro 77 58 rain Thomasville 81 63 cloudy Valdosta 81 61 cloudy Warner Robins 74 61 rain Waycross 80 60 pt sunny j City Phoenix 62 38 sunny San Francisco 59 41 pt sunny Seattle 44 35 cloudy St. Louis 58 50 rain Washington, DC 53 44 cloudy Democratic stronghold of Athens in half. And the court unanimously reinstated the state’s constitutional ban on gay marriage, reversing a lower court judge’s ruling. The challenges have come with a price. The state has spent more than $570,000 to defend the voter ID law, which was mostly handled by an outside lawyer, according to records obtained by AP from the Attorney General’s Office. Defending the Senate redistricting plan and the gay marriage ban cost the state about $25,000 total because they were handled in-house, said Russ Willard, the office’s spokesman. “It’s a waste of taxpayer resources,” chided state Rep. Calvin Smyre, a Columbus Democrat. In 2007, expect legislative leaders to go further than simply revisiting legislation. | | | 5©% off\ \AIi Christmas) - I 2M££=^>£) New patients are welcome by appointment We accept most private insurance plans. I 00040091 Obituaries ELIZABETH A. RAWLS WARNER ROBINS - Elizabeth A. Rawls, 92, passed away Dec. 21. Funeral services were held Wednesday in the chapel of Heritage Memorial Funeral Home. Burial followed in Parkway Memorial Gardens. Rev. Bill Bagwell officiated. Rawls was born in Louisville, Ky., to the late Owsley and Maude Allen Akin. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and was a retired U. S. Army nurse, having served in the European Theatre of combat in World War 11. She lived a long and full life, traveling the world with her beloved husband of 57 years, Charles Rawls, Sr. Survivors include her son Charles A. (Donna) Rawls Jr. of Warner Robins. Grandsons: Sean Rawls of San Francisco, Calif., and Ryan Rawls of Alpharetta. RUBYE PEAVY WARNER ROBINS - Ruby Peavy, 81, went to be with the Lord Tuesday. Peavy was bom June 26, 1925 in West Point. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Peavy; par ents, Fletcher and Mary Davis; brothers, Marco Davis and O’Neal Davis. Survivors include her children, Mary Jo Aho, Warner Robins; Garry Peavy, St. Simons, Island; a grand daughter and great grandchild. Services will be held at 2 p.m. in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home with inter ment following in Magnolia Park Cemetery. SHIRLEY MILLS WEBB MACON - Shirley Mills Webb, 63, passed away Tuesday. A memorial celebration of her life will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to The American Cancer Society 804 Cherry Street Suite A Macon, Georgia 31201. VERLIE MAE HARGROVE WARNER ROBINS - Verlie Mae Hargrove, 71, passed away Sunday. Services will be held at 11 a.m. today in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home with interment follow ing in Magnolia Park Cemetery. Go to www.mcculloughfh. com to sign the Online Registry for the family. Beluga whale gravely ill ATLANTA (AP) - One of the Georgia Aquarium’s five prized beluga whales is gravely ill and his immune system remains weak, aquar ium officials said. Gasper, a 17-year-old male beluga, has been ill for sever al years and doctors recent ly diagnosed a potentially deadly infection. The aquar ium said Gasper’s immune system does not appear to be getting worse, but that he remains very weak. Officials had said in October that his immune system was failing. The whale is being moni tored around the clock and aquarium staff are working to make sure the whale has <^ > 905 Downtown Carroll St. • Perry 478-987-1392 LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF GEORGIA CITY OF WARNER ROBINS Pursuant to Official Code of Georgia Annotated §36-35-4, notice is hereby given that the Mayor and Council of the City of Warner Robins, at their regular meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 16, 2007, will consider adoption of an ordinance to increase the annual salary for the office of mayor of the City of Warner Robins Kitchen Gallery 504 Russell Parkway • Warner Robins, GA 31088 Sunset Plaza • 923-0090 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2006 ♦ DAVID OVERTON JEWELERS •Jewelry Repair & Cleaning •Watch Repair •Engraving •Appraisals •Estate Jewelry •Class Rings from $50,000 to SIOO,OOO. If adopted, the increase will take effect on January 1, 2008. W^TOsßayfDec*27^ Thru Tuesday, Jan 2 nd ► Everything J bin StockJ Monday - Thursday: 10am - 6pm Saturday: 10am-2pm ||| the medications, fluids and nutrition he needs, said Dave Santucci, the aquarium’s spokesman. Before being brought to Atlanta, Gasper and his tank mate Nico had been housed in substandard conditions at an amusement park in Mexico City. There, the whales’ tank was located beneath a roller coaster. Gasper was in poor health with numerous skin lesions when the new owners of the amusement park agreed to move the whales to Atlanta. Aquarium veterinarians later discovered Gasper had the potentially deadly bone disease osteomyelitis, and he was taken off exhibit. Hours: Mon. -Fri. 9:3oam-s:3opm Sat. 9:3oam-2pm 3A 41035 |42594 I 4:51)4