Newspaper Page Text
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SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2007
Local clinic offering dog chips today
By RAY LIGHTSER
Journal Staff Writer
Critter Fixers will be
offering a chip clinic today.
The veterinary clinic is
offering the identification
chips to pet owners for
at a discounted price. Dr.
Vernard Hodges said the
K'9 vest donated to Warner Robins PD
By RA Y LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
The Warner Robins Police
Department Canine Unit
has a new member, Curly,
and thanks to a donation,
Curly has a bulletproof
vest.
The ballistic/stab resis
tant vest was donated by
Vest N RD.R, a 501(c3) non
profit organization, founded
in 2002 for the sole purpose
to raise funds for police dog
protection. Each vest costs
$695.
CONTRACT
From page lA
“I’m glad it’s over, for our
part. I look forward to mov
ing on to a healing process.”
Alexander said he was
relieved, “Nobody likes hav
ing their name and integrity
questioned,” he said, refer
ring to allegations that sur
faced, following the rejection
of a proposal by local devel
oper Gary Lee because his
grandmother was a member
of the of the authority at the
ROAD
From page iA
school’s mascot), but chose
to name it after Carpenter,
Commissioner Tom
McMichael said “to praise
the fantastic job” Carpenter
has done. Court Director
of Operations Timmy
Stalnaker said the school
is complete, and explained
there was a conflict with
using Mossy Creek Road,
since there is another Mossy
Creek already in use.
The board also awarded
the contract to build the
PROPOSALS
From page iA
or not, it will cost taxpayers
in the unincorporated areas
more money.
The question is does the
county leave it as it is; raise
the millage only on those
north of Ga. 96; or raise
the millage on all unincor
porated residents. If chang
es are made, those getting
increased fire protection
would have to pay more.
“There is no way to do
it without raising taxes,”
Lasseter told the commis
sioners.
She is willing to pay more,
“The cost is just a pittance
to save my investment.”
The fire tax cost for the
owner of a $150,000 home
currently is about $71.40 a
year.
The cost to that home
owner if the fire tax was
raised to 2.12 mills would
be $127.20 and $226.80 if
raised to 3.78 mills.
The increase in property
tax would likely be offset by
a decrease in fire insurance
costs, since the ISO rating
would be lowered.
“The way I see it,”
BIGE
From page iA
for her only child to be bur
ied in.
According to this mother,
Eric, who would have been
17 next month, woke up
about 3 a.m. on Thursday
morning with a severe asth
ma attack. She tried all the
treatments that have been
prescribed for him, but when
he kept getting worse and
complained of a headache
too, she called 911.
“His lungs collapsed. They
say he died at the hospital,”
she said, “but I think he
died at home. They just kept
on trying and trying to save
him.”
A group of Perry High
chips will cost sls and he
will install them for free
today.
The microchips are about
the size of a grain of rice,
the Hodges said, and can
be scanned at a shelter to
identify the animal and its
owner.
“I see that all the time,”
The duties and taska of
a working canine unit can
be dangerous at times so
WRPD protects its canines
with bulletproof vests, as it
does for all its officers.
Maj. Jon Wagner
explained vests for the now
six dogs of the Canine Unit
have come from a mixture
of both donations and city
purchases. The department
is grateful for the donation.
Curly is a 3-year-old
Belgian Malinois who is
assigned to Officer James
Hilderbrand. Upon comple-
time.
Walker has called for
Alexander’s resignation sev
eral times, at both city coun
cil and housing authority
meetings.
“The board did a thor
ough investigation of all the
allegations,” Alexander said,
and found nothing.
The contract was approved,
“after four long and agoniz
ing hours,” Harrington said,
“of deliberations and detailed
and involved review of every
line of the contract.”
The discussion of the con
newly named road to Three
Kings of Perry, accepting the
low bid of $900,000. “They
have worked for us before,”
said Commission Chairman
Ned Sanders. “It looks like
we’re getting a good bid.”
The commissioners
accepted the low bid on
another road project in the
Sandefur Road area, this
one for $336,778 R.K.
Shah & Associates to per
form design services for
road improvements along
Lake Joy Road from Cohen
Walker Drive to Sandefur
Road and on Sandefur Road
Lasseter told the commis
sioners, “anything you do
is way past due. We are too
large a county not to have
better fire services.”
Currently residents in
unincorporated Houston
County pay 1.19 mills in
fire tax to provide fire ser
vice. For that they get 11
full-time firefighters, with
one at each of the eight
county stations from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday through
Friday. Three stations have
a second shift from 4 p.m. to
midnight Monday through
Friday. Their back up and
response the rest of the time
comes from volunteers.
The average budget to do
this for the past three years
is $1,295,194.60. That cost
includes $634,922.33 in sala
ries, with the rest for opera
tions
To increase fire staff
ing to one person per sta
tion 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, Lasseter said
the fire tax would have to
be increased to 2.12 mills.
This increase would also be
required for the consolida
tion proposal.
It would require the hiring
of 13 more fulltime firefight
ers at $40,000 a year add-
teachers visited the Williams
home on Friday morning,
bringing still another T-shirt
for his mother to cherish.
They told her that students
in all of their classes were
telling “Eric stories,” that
everybody seemed to know
him and love him.
They described him as out
going and talkative and as
“a dreamer” who always had
plans.
“He’s one you’d never for
get,” Sheila Jones said, and
the others echoed “unforget
table.”
Eric Williams’ funeral
will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday
at Fellowship Church on
Martin Luther King Drive,
Perry. His teammates will
be there to celebrate his life.
he said. “I know this dog is
someone’s pet, but there’s
no tag or ID.”
Critter Fixers is the con
tract veterinarian for the
Warner Robins Animal shel
ter , Hodges said.
“I’m trying to encour
age people to get their pets
chipped so there’s not so
tion of training, this team
will be used for narcotics
detection, tracking and
patrol functions.
Wagner said the depart
ment has not had to pur
chase any of the six dogs in
the unit. They have been
donated or were the per
sonal dogs of the trainer.
Vest ‘N RD.R has pro
tected 83 police dogs with
the vests.
They report that more
than 55 police dogs have
been killed in the line of
duty, and some of these
tract took place over at least
two closed sessions. A draft
contract was commissioned
following hours of a closed
session personnel hearing
on Alexander over the alle
gations. The terms of the
12-month contract, effective
May 17, Harrington said is
just a ratification of what he
has been doing and keeping
the salary at $79,232.
Alexander did not have
a contract before this. “We
never felt the need for a con
tract until now,” Alexander
said.
from Lake Joy Road to U.S.
41. McMichael noted the
engineering firm is “highly
recommended by the state
DOT.”
He also noted the bid was
about half a million less than
the highest bid. “A red flag
goes up when there’s that
kind of spread.”
The commissioners also
did not object to three
.annexation requests from
the city of Warner Robins.
“They all fall within the con
fines,” McMichael said “and
we can’t object anyway,” of
the following requests:
ing $520,000 to the salary
budget. The increased fire
tax would bring in approxi
mately $2.3 million or which
1.385,011.90 would be for
salaries and $922,377.30 for
operations.
Under this level of ser
vice it would lower the coun
ty ISO rating to five. It is
currently between 6 and 9
depending on the area, and
only 3 within Warner Robins
city limits.
To bring county staffing
levels on par with Warner
Robins Fire Department
- three to four firefight
ers per station 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, and
lower the county ISO (insur
ance services office) rating
to between 3 and 5, depend
ing on the area, the fire tax
would have to be 3.78 mills.
This would have to be
done with the auto aid
option, which the county
would have to be on par
with Warner Robins Fire
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many animals at the shel
ter.”
The chip clinic is Saturday
from 7:30 to noon at
Critter Fixers on Ga. 96 in
Bonaire.
For more information on
the chip clinic call Critter
Fixers at 988-0883.
Law Enforcement
Week
Local law enfrocement
will be out to meet the pub
lic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday at the Kmart in
Warner Robins. There will
be a static display featuring
cars and equipment from
the Houston County Sheriffs
Office, and police depart
ment from Warner Robins
and Centerville.
could have been prevented
through the use of protec
tive armor.
“All of Georgia has been
watching this situation,”
he noted. “Most executive
directors at housing authori
ties will be going for con
tracts now.”
Now that it is over,
Alexander said, “hopefully,
I can focus on the tremen
dous job ahead of us with
the recent reorganization by
HUD.”
The federal department
of Housing and Urban
Development has reorga
nized the housing projects
from the eight individual
• A 1 Childers’ request for
annexation of a 1-acre tract
at Joy Road and Hatcher
Road, which would remain
at the zoning of R-l (single
family residential).
• Old Hawkinsville Road,
LLC’s request for the annex
ation of Parcel “C 6” located
at 348 Highway 247 South
totaling .44 acres from the
zofting of R-l to C-2. The
parcel is surrounded on
three sides by an adjacent 12
acres in the city and zoned
C-2.
• Ernest W. Livingston
Jr.’s request for annexation
Department north of Ga. 96.
The 3.78 mill fire tax across
the county would bring in an
estimated $4,114,185.60 for
fire department operations.
If this were done, 61 new
fire fighters would have to be
hired, adding $2.44 million
to the present salary budget
and leaving $809,173.70 for
operations.
Lasseter said, “it would
not take a whole lot to con
vert the existing stations
over to 24-hour facilities.”
Lasseter also noted that
the fire department does not
just respond to fires, but also
to accidents with injuries,
entrapment, rollover as well
as medical calls in industrial
accidents.
With the increase to at
least three people per station
24 hours a day, seven days a
week, unlike now a station
would not be out of service
if responding to a medical
call as two employees can
take a rescue truck and one
Many Sizes • Highest Quality
PAY
FINANCING
90 Days Same
As Cash
•n
LIST
From page iA
“None of the cash was recov
ered but it is believed the
checks were destroyed by
Mr. Thompson.”
Thompson, 32, of Elko,
was arrested at EZ Jewelry
ahd Pawn on Sunday
while in possession of sto
len property, according
to Williams. “They’re the
ohes that called to alert
us on him,” Williams said.
“The operators of the
pawnshop were instrumen
tal in the arrest and pro
vided information that was
chicial to investigators in
identifying Thompson as the
offender,” Williams said.
He said the subsequent
investigation has led to the
recovery of more than $5,000
in stolen jewelry, tools and
household items taken from
residences and storage build
ings in Houston and Peach
counties. Several of the items
Were recovered from pawn
shops in the Middle Georgia
airea where Thompson had
pawned them for money,
Williams said.
projects all under central
management to three amps,
with revenue and expenses
kept in the individual amps.
There will be two separate
property managers, one
managing two amps and
separate maintenance per
sonnal, some split between
two amps
“Its going to be an account
ing nightmare,” Alexander
said when this was first dis
cussed at the last meeting.
The final decision on
Whether this is over rests
With the mayor who wanted
of 518 and 520 Maplewood
brive at the zoning of R
-3 (residential with 7,500
square foot lot minimum).
It is zoned RMH (residential
mobile home) in the county,
In other actions, the com
missioners:
• Approved the swap of
the 2000 Ford Mustang used
by the WAVE officer to Terry
Holmes Ford for a 2005 Ford
Explorer, which will be used
by the WAVE officer who
instructs student on the
prevention of weapons and
violence in the school envi
ronment. The official action
can remain at the station to
pull another truck for a fire
call. It would reduce the reli
ance on volunteers, increase
response time and allow only
two stations to respond for a
structure fire.
Now at least three have to
respond to get the personnel
there.
If the county opts for staff
ing of one firefighter per
station 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, response time is
increase from present levels
because someone is always
at a station and when a call
comes in a truck will be roll
ing. Volunteers will sill be
needed, but they can gather
jllerru llrriteii iHethuiust Church
JHustc jKimstrg
presents a
Choir Recognition Service of Music
on
Sunday, May 20, at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
A Celebration of Music
featuring
Adult and Children’s Choirs
and
Handbells and instrumentalists
Jane Kimbrel, Minister of Music
Childcare provided.
Call 987-1852 for more information.
1002 Carroll Street
Perry, Georgia 31069
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
The investigation began
after the Peach County
Sheriffs Office contacted
Houston County Sheriffs
investigators concerning
a case they were working
involving Thompson.
“A lot of victims do not
realize their items are miss
ing until we contact them,”
Williams said, “especially
those victims that had items
stolen from their storage
sheds or utility buildings.”
He said Peach and
Houston County investiga
tors are working together on
recovering property and get
ting it returned to victims.
The incidents remain under
investigation and more
charges are pending in these
cases, Williams said.
Thompson remains held
in the Houston County
Detention Center without
bond on numerous burglary,
theft by deception and crim
inal trespass charges. He
also has a hold from Peach
County for similar charges
there.
Anyone with information
is asked to call Williams at
542-2085 or after hours at
542-2080.
Alexander gone. Walker has
previously said he has the
authority to appoint and
remove members, noting
to a decision by the state
Supreme Court regarding
the Macon mayor and that
city’s housing authority.
“State law is pretty clear,
dismissal of members is the
sole authority of the mayor.
I’ll give them 10 days notice
that I’ll hold a hearing,”
Walker said last month. “Mr.
Alexander is going. If he’s
not gone, I’ll hold my own
hearings.”
was to declare the Mustang
as surplus and transfer the
title.
• Awarded the bid for con
struction of cells 4-7 at the
County Landfill to Cooper
Barnett and Page Inc., based
on the recommendation of
Atlantic Coast Consulting,
that based the recommenda
tion on a 100-point criterion
review of the six bidders,
which the company scored
93 out of 100. The crite
ria included cost, experi
ence, client references, time
schedule and acceptance of
conditions.
at the scene instead of going
to the station first. They can
go pull more equipment if
needed.
Lasseter has been try
ing to get the word out the
neighbors and county resi
dents, with fliers and infor
mation as well as encourage
people to go to the meetings.
“We’re on a mission to edu
cate and to save our county
fire department.”
She has an e-mail address
savehcfd@hotmail.com
- for those with concerns
or comments, and sends out
a reminder list for county
commission and Vision 2020
meetings.
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