Newspaper Page Text
♦ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15,2007
6A
Be aware of new travel rules before trip
By STATE POINT
MEDIA
With spring and summer
vacations on the horizon,
travelers need to be aware
of newly-enacted Homeland
Security regulations that
have now taken effect for
U.S. travelers.
Beginning immediately,
U.S. citizens who travel
to Canada, Mexico or the
Caribbean by plane will need
a passport. And starting
sometime next year, travel
ers visiting these same des
tinations by land or sea will
similarly require a passport.
Previously, all that was
needed was a driver’s license
or a birth certificate.
The new rules have been
enacted by Congress as a
response to the September
11, 2001 terrorist attacks,
at the recommendation of
the 9/11 Commission. Most
Americans, however, are not
yet ready for this new law.
As it stands now, less
than a third of U.S. citizens
MONEY
From page lA
Storm Alberto hit.
Skip Holmes is the coordi
nator for Certified Literate
Community Program at
Middle Georgia Technical
College. The primary focus
is the GED program at the
college.
“There’s not a person in
this room,” Holmes said,
“that is not impacted by lack
of adult literacy.”
He gave sobering statistics
including two in five Georgia
first graders will not gradu
ate high school, a 40 percent
countrywide dropout rate for
teens and that those without
a high school diploma “will
die 10 years sooner than the
state average.”
Some $25,000 is budget
ed for the Certified Literate
Community Program in the
proposal.
Brenda Brown, director of
adult education at Middle
Georgia Technical College,
said her program is provid
ing basic adult education ser
vices and housing services
for city employees. The Basic
DISCOVER
From page iA
The subsequent search of
the car turned up a green
leafy substance in a clear
cigarette wrapper in a purse
on the passenger seat.
Hill reportedly admitted
the purse was hers and was
also arrested for possession
of marijuana (less than one
ounce). Her red Honda Civic
was towed and she was taken
to jail.
At 12:27 p.m. Sunday, an
officer pulled over a Ford
Explorer, as both the driver
and passenger reportedly
were not buckled up. The
driver and passenger were
released as they initially
SELECTS
From page iA
The entire attendance was
on their feet in appreciation
of the a cappella range of the
group.
■ One of the visitors from
Shirley Hills Elementary,
Justin Stokes was a runner
up in the district spelling
bee. Stokes will be attending
regional trials Saturday.
■ Perry High School’s
RMA, State Project No. 05-
676-017 has been paid in full,
while extending the contract
for the Parrish Construction
Group to complete their ren
ovations.
The renovations include
the PE locker room build
ing, gymnasium, vocational
JOINS
From page iA
for coordinating the review,
charging and supervision of
criminal cases within the
United States Attorney’s
Office and numerous other
federal and state agencies.
She likewise worked in
training of narcotics officers
with the goals of demand
reduction, interdiction and
enhanced community safety.
She is admitted to the bars
- approximately 73 million -
maintain valid passports.
And according to a new
Kayak.com survey of more
than 1,000 respondents, 32
percent plan to apply for
a passport now that it will
be mandatory for U.S. citi
zens returning by air from
Canada, Mexico and parts
of the Caribbean. Though
fewer than one-in-20 have
started the application pro
cess, nearly one-in-five of
those polled say their travel
plans this year will change
due to the new legislation.
“We know from the Travel
Industry Association that
only 27 percent of Americans
have passports,” said Steve
Hafner, Kayak.com co
founder and CEO. “In our
poll, only a small percent
age of those who plan to get
one say they have sent in
their applications. The State
Department reports that
applications were already
starting to spike&#B23o;so
we think it could cre
Skills Enhancement Training
Program, which helps city
employees with oral and
written communication skills
and GED certificates is bud
geted to receive $20,000.
Deshanta Thomas operates
the community outreach ser
vice center, which serves men
who are homeless since 1999.
It is also the only emergency
shelter for homeless women
and children, who are not in
drug or domestic abuse situ
ations. The women’s shelter
can house eight women or
five women with children.
“It provides safe housing,
meals, telephones and helps
stem the tide of criminal
activity,” Thomas said, by
providing the basic services
for people out on the streets
so they don’t have to steal to
get them.
About SIO,OOO is budgeted
for the community outreach
service center of the $59,000
budgeted for public servic
es. The Certified Literate
Community Program and the
Basic Skills Enhancement
Training Program are also
included in that.
Rounding out the rest of
came back clear with no
open warrants. Just after
they were released, however,
the, officer was notified the
driver had an open warrant
for violation of probation.
When the officer located
the vehicle again, there was
a third man also in the car.
The third party asked if he
could leave, and was told:
“No, stay in the vehicle.”
He reportedly then said “I’m
not going to jail for this stu
pid (expletive),” opened the
door and ran off.
The driver in turn said the
man was his cousin. He, the
driver, was arrested but later
cleared for the violation of
probation, because another
family member, reportedly
building and agricultural
building. This will complete
the Perry campus but will
move to the SPLOST 2007-
2012 funding.
■ Kings Chapel
Elementary School has been
approved for 12 additional
classrooms, bids/ proposals
were due by 2 p.m. this past
Monday.
■ Northside High school
will host this year’s summer
school courses. Northside
Middle School has been
selected to host the middle
school-level summer cours
es. Of note is the middle
school curriculum cost for
students attending summer
school have been approved
for increase from $175, to
S2OO.
■ In regard to rental
of Washington, California,
Indiana and Georgia and has
20 years of legal experience
in a variety of fields, the last
seven in prosecution.
“We are pleased to be able
to have someone of Emory’s
experience and talents join
our office,” said District
Attorney Kelly Burke. “She
will enhance the great work
that George Hartwig has
done in reducing illegal
drug trafficking in Houston
County.”
ate a mqjor backlog when
they start processing all of
those new applications once
they’re in the system.”
Be sure to plan ahead,
since it takes about six weeks
to receive a new passport or
roughly two weeks if you
apply for expedited service.
Costs to apply for a passport
are $97 for adults and SB2
for children.
If you can’t get a passport
in time and really want an
island vacation, many choic
es do exist that don’t require
a passport - including cruise
getaways, as well as visits to
such islands as Daufuskie,
Islamorada and the Marco
Islands, says Hafner.
U.S. territories, such as
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin
Islands and Guam, are
exempt from the passport
requirement. For more infor
mation on getting a passport
and for travel information,
visit the U.S. Department
of State’s Web site at www.
travel.state.gov.
the funds for public servic
es is $4,000 for True Light
Transportation, which pro
vides rides for shopping and
doctor appointments for
seniors and low-moderate
income citizens.
Frank Mack from the
Family Counseling Center
on Olympia Drive, said
the center has operated as
a nonprofit agency for 50
years now, providing licensed
counselors to work with low
income families. He said the
counselors connect families
with other community ser
vices. No funding was allo
cated in the initial projected
use proposal for the Family
Counseling Center. The
proposal can be modified if
deemed appropriate. John
Sillers, executive director
for Habitat for Humanity of
Houston County noted the
organization of volunteers
has built 34 homes since
its inception in October of
1991. “We haven’t been able
to build any since August
because donations have fall
en off,” Sillers said.
The $25,000 proposed in
the plan would provide five
a cousin used his name to
avoid arrest on his own pro
bation violation.
Develle Devinci Robinson,
20, of Oglethorpe, was
reportedly speeding and
had pot in the car while not
buckled up at 5:01 a.m., Feb.
7. He was caught on radar
reportedly going 74 mph in
a 55 mph zone on Russell
Parkway at Elaine Drive.
As the officer approached
the driver, he reportedly
observed shreds of cigar
paper and a small orange
plastic bag - “items used in
the smoking and transport
ing of marijuana” - in the
ashtray of the rear passen
ger door. The K-9 unit was
agreements submitted to
the board for the month of
February, Warner Robins’
Recreation Department’s
baseball/softball program has
been approved, the Georgia
Golden Olympics have been
approved, Houston Health
Care’s Asthma Camp has
been approved. But, Paddle
Georgia scheduled to take
place at Bonaire Middle
School was disapproved due
to, according to the board,
organizational use not being
within the current function
ing standards.
“This request would use
the area for sleeping space
and for activities outside the
parameters allowed by the
Board of Education,” Vice
Chairman Tom Walmer’s
objection.
She joins Senior Assistant
District Attorney George H.
Hartwig 111 in the drug pros
ecution unit. “I can’t recall
when we have ever had the
experience and aggressive
ness in our drug prosecution
unit as we have today,” Burke
said. “Drug dealers already
know about the severity of
drug prosecutions in this
county. Now they need to
know that we will be coming
after them with two talented
prosecutors.”
LOCAL
GSP launches Operation precious cargo
By RAYLIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
State Troopers have
increased efforts to make
sure drivers and children
are buckled up.
Operation Precious
Cargo is a statewide pub
lic effort, explained Perry
Georgia State Patrol Post
Commander Sgt. Lawrence
Harrell, “to put out pub
lic awareness about child
restraints and see if compli
ance goes up.”
It is an effort to educate
adults about proper child
seat use. “Children do not
know they are at risk by
riding unrestrained in a
motor vehicle,” said Col. Bill
Hitchens, Commissioner
of the Georgia Department
of Public Safety, “so adults
must make sure children
are safe.”
Harrell said the local
effort, which runs through
next Tuesday includes con
centrated patrols and safety
potential homeowners with
down payment assistance.
Jerome Stevens from
Rebuilding Together, for
merly Christmas in April,
said that group has done
505 homes in the Houston
County area since January
1997. “There is no way to
accomplish that without
grant funding,” he said.
The all-volunteer group
makes sure low-income
senior homeowners, age 62
and up, have a safe and dry
home. Some $50,000 is bud
geted for this program.
Housing funding makes up
the single largest portion of
the $669,000 at $341,450 of
the grants. The housing pro
grams also include $256,450
for owner occupied hous
ing rehabilitation for low
to moderate income elderly
homeowners and SIO,OOO for
Military Organizing Repairs
for the Elderly to offset cost
of materials.
About $91,000 of the CDBG
is earmarked for clearance,
acquisition, and/or demoli
tion of vacant or hazardous
lots and buildings in the area
targeted for redevelopment.
called out to conduct a free
air sniff around the car and
the dog reportedly alerted
on the left rear passenger
area.
Besides the small orange
bag, the search of the car
reportedly turned up a hand
rolled burned cigarette butt
that had the odor of burnt
marijuana in the front seat
ashtray along with a mari
juana bud and small blue
bag on the right passenger
floor. Robinson was charged
with speeding, the safety
belt requirement and pos
session of marijuana (less
than one ounce).
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checks. “We’ll be patrol
ling the cities more and the
interstate to better see kids
who are not restrained.”
The State Patrol has a
zero tolerance for children
not restrained by safety
belts, Harrell said, which
will be strictly enforced.
Hitchens cited state and
national statistics on chil
dren injured or killed in a
Operation Precious Cargo
press release. He said 30
children younger than age
5 died in Georgia traffic
crashes during 2004 and
“Georgia had the second
highest number of deaths
in this age group among the
eight Southeastern states.”
In 2005, Hitchens said,
“an average of five chil
dren ages 14 and younger
died and 640 others were
injured across the county
every day,” according to the
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration.
He also noted that approxi
mately 7,500 lives have been
The community develop
ment block grant focuses on
the older areas of the city.
The Neighborhood Strategy
Area is bordered by Ga. 247,
Russell Parkway, Pleasant
Hill Road, Johns Road,
Suzanne Drive, Keith Drive
and Bargain Road.
The grant proposal als9o
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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
saved by the proper use of
child restraints during the
past 20 years. “Despite the
tremendous progress dur
ing that time,” Hitchens
said, “motor vehicle crashes
still remain the number one
killer of children ages 4 to
14 in America. All too often
it is the improper use or
non-use of child safety seats
and booster seats that is to
blame.”
Troopers encourage
adults to make sure every
one is properly restrained at
all times in a motor vehicle,
no matter how short the
trip. They also recommend
a carefu) reading of the
instruction manual before
installing the seat.
The most common mis
takes made in installing the
seats are not attaching the
seat correctly and tightly in
the vehicle, not fastening
the harness tightly enough
and not using the chest clip
or using it incorrectly.
includes $38,750 for code
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