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jPbdßto jpdMBHWM VOLUME 137, NUMBER 123 BELOW THE FOLD: See Perry grow - More than 10,000 new homes on the horizon CMNMMMNnpWIBHMHNi Weekend June 23,2007 The Home Journal’s FRONT PORCH IN BRIEF Barbecue to be held for Rick Goddard A barbecue for Rick Goddard, candidate for Georgia's Bth Congressional District will be held Monday at 6 p.m. at Hooterville Farms Hangar - at the home of Tim Dupree and Linda Shingler, 519 Landings Drive in Warner Robins (approximately one mile south of Russell Pkwy on US 41 - between Russell Pkwy and Hwy 96). The cost is $lO, children 12 and under, according to a release, are compli mentary. For questions or to RSVP, con tact Katie Connell Miller at 478-550- 0152orKatie@goddardforcongress. com. BIRTHDAYS Today ■ Gabriel Rice ■ Robert Bearden ■ Brittany Capps II John Hair ■ Taylor Loudin Sunday ■ Chris Kinnas Monday ■ Kyle Bryant ■ Eddie Blount ■ David W. Daniel (Happy 50th!) E-mail your birthdays to: hhj@evansnewspapers.com or donm@evansnewspapers. com or send them to: 1210 Washington St., Perry 31069 attn: Don Moncrief. You can also call him at 987-1823, Ext. 231. ANNIVERSARY Today ■ Curtis and Mary McNeal (Happy 60th!) CORRECTIONS: ■ In Thursday's edition, the pic ture on 1A entitled “'Can a corn' (Cobb)," the girl in the picture is actually Skyler Thompson. ■ Also in Thursday's edition, the picture on 2A entitled “30 years with the WRFD,” the gentlemen being honored for 30 years of service - pictured - is actually Steve Farner. We sincerely apologize for the errors! PERIODICAL 500 UlilllH 8 ”5 5108 0 0001*4 Award-Winning Newspaper 2004 Better Newspaper Contest COOI * GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT Main Library UNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 3GSC2-GGG2 3-DIGIT 306 June 23 2007 Si:Rvi.\'(i Houston Cot sty Since 1870 Today weather Sunny High: 99 Low: 73 hhjnews.com Mfgh Mom, son team to the challenge City to build sports complex WR also changes ordinance regarding elections ByJRAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer Warner Robins is spending $1 mil lion to build a sports complex. The project, which was proposed a few years ago includes multiple ball fields as well as massive park space over two tracts of land totaling more than 64 acres. At a called meeting Wednesday, the council voted unanimously to £ r J&l . aKpH 18 1 m 4? ■a, >"* >■■-■}v-*-. ‘."•■‘vc-. ■ ~ IB BPwJWwfflAjajitiJY-' 1 w ■em -v./* ; ; c' ISBEJS ,* . % ■ ENI/Gary Harmon Rebecca Leigh and other basketball campers practice jump shots at the Houston County basketball camp held at Houston County High School this past week. For more, see 28. See Perry grow More than 10,000 new homes on the horizon By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Staff Writer Mike Beecham, Perry’s Director of Community Development, has some numbers that suggest that Perry’s small town days are numbered as farmlands and woodlands give way to residential development. According to the U.S. Census, Perry’s population in 2003 was 10,566. At this point the best estimate of lots already cleared for single-family resi dential building within the city limits is 10,300, which could effectively triple the city’s population in the decade ahead. In most cases developers are getting apprdval for subdivisions which will be built as Planned Unit Developments, in one section at a time, with green space and forested buffers. As for the total growth projections, Beecham said that the projected increase is likely to take 10 to 15 years. LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville SPORTS: Next stop-ItBA tor Perry grad Al Thornton. Aquanauts post state qualifiers. 1D Music and more. IU take $1 million from the unreserved general fund balance to pay for con struction of the sports complex. To help expedite the project, like the city did with the recent con struction of two fire stations, the council also approved a resolution permitting the city purchasing agent to issue purchase orders for materi als and services less than SIOO,OOO without first getting council approv- Jump shot Beecham says that a total 0f4,277.704 acres of land'have been zoned residen tial, and while there may be a few quadriplexes (or four-home groupings) built on some of that land, most of the applications from developers are for single family homes. The standard estimate for residents per home is 2.5. The 10,300 home “guesstimate,” doesn’t include land outside of the city limits but within Perry’s service area, and also doesn’t include apartment growth such as the 300 units going up now on Houston Lake Road. Beecham said that his department is keeping the BOE informed of all sub division proposals, and that the city’s comprehensive plan includes land for industry as well as residential growth. WWW.HHJNEW S .COM Lee 111 Map on 7A • School registration set to begin in July UTOTYIE A good imir day 1 tor women in need. Columnists and QD more. uD al. The purchase orders will still be submitted to the council for review, City Comptroller Bill Harte said. “This gets us started,” said Mayor Donald Walker. “We have the soil disturbing permit and we’ll pur chase silt fences to be in compliance with city ordinances oh runoff.” The park includes the 45 acres remaining after the city sold 50 to the county Board of Education for a middle school and 19 acres the city swapped to and later bought back from the Air Force, explained City School registration set to begin in July Special to the Journal Registration for students new to Houston County schools will be held in July for the 2007-08 school year. Parents should register stu dents at their zoned school. School zones may be verified online or by calling the school. Zone maps are also provided on the HCBOE web page, http://www.hcbe.net/ zonemaps.html. Dates for enroll ment and required documentation are provided below. School begins Aug. 6. All Elementary Schools Beginning July 13 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Parents are encouraged to reg ister their children as soon as possible to provide a smooth tran sition and proper placement of the child and are asked to provide any medical information that would impact instruction. See SCHOOL, page 8A Two SECTIONS • 18 PAGES ■r * Councilman Dean Cowart. Cowart has been a forerunner for the project and has been in con tact with the Georgia High School Association about the city hosting the girls softball tournament. He also suggested the park as a site for a Macon Music farm team. At the called meeting held imme diately following the called Warner Robins Redevelopment Agency meeting Wednesday, the city coun cil also approved a change in See COMPLEX, page 8A Man faces multiple charges By RAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer Slamming on your brakes while in front of a pursu ing patrol car might get you charged with aggravated battery. Keith Bernard Brown, 32, of Robins Landing Apartments, 320 Carl Vinson Parkway, found that out Wednesday night. Brown was also charged with fleeing or attempting to elude and improper lane change for his driving along Ga. 247 around 11:17 p.m. Wednesday while fleeing deputies into Bibb County. The incident began when Warner Robins Police requested assistance from the Sheriffs Office with a vehicle that refused to stop during a traffic stop at Elberta Road and Ga. 247. Warner Robins Police reportedly stopped following due to department policies and the deputy continued up Ga. 247 into Bibb County looking for the vehicle. After a few miles the dep uty called in that he would be heading back to Houston County and looked for a place to turn around, when he saw a vehicle just ahead of him matching the description of the one Warner Robins Police had been chasing. He verified the tag and initiated a traffic stop on the 2007 Chevy GMC Yukon, activating all emergency equipment - lights and sirens. The driver reportedly failed to yield for about a mile before stopping the first time. The deputy reportedly gave loud verbal commands repeatedly to “put the car in park and show me your hands.” The driver reportedly told the deputy “listen to me, I’m going back to Warner Robins,” and drove off, pull ing a U-tum and heading southbound on Ga. 247. While continuing south at speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour, and the deputy pursu ing with lights and sirens going, the offender, report edly slammed on the brakes right in front of the deputy. When eventually stopped, Brown reportedly told the deputy “I just wanted you to slow down.” The deputy had to’ Set CHARGES, page SA an Evans Family Ni:\vspaper