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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Mmtatim Hitiiy journal Perry Office 1210 Washington St. P.0.80x 1910 . Perry, GA 31069 (478) 987-1823 See us online at www.hhjnews.com Reader mm Classified Advertising: Call (478) 987-1823 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can fax an ad 24 hours a day to (478) 988-9194. 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 Daily 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, GA31069; (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 Managing editor: ■ Don Moncrief, 987-1823, Ext. 231; donm @evansnewspape rs.com Lifestyle/Food editor: ■ Charlotte Perkins, 987-1823, Ext. 234; cperkins@evansnewspapers.com Staff writers: ■ Ray Lightner, 987-1823, Ext. 239; rlightner @ evansnewspapers.com Photographer: ■ Gary Harmon, 987-1823, Ext. 229; gharmon @ evansnewspapers.com Sports writer: ■ Matthew Brown, 987-1823, Ext. 237; mbrown @ evansnewspapers.com Presentation editor: ■ James Tidwell, 987-1823, Ext. 239 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 State Briefs Money at heart ot waterway woes SAVANNAH (MNS) - To the dismay of boat ers in Georgia, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has been living up to its nick name: “The Ditch.” Intracoastal sailors affec tionately use that moni ker for the partly artificial, partly natural passage that stretches from Norfolk, Va., to the Florida Keys because it was originally dug out to a depth of just 12 feet. In Georgia it’s been a little too ditch-like lately. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hasn’t dredged it in five years, and the tides and river flows have been filling it in. “The Intracoastal is abso lutely worst in Georgia,” said David Roach, chairman of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association. “You’ve got shoaling cou pled with a huge tidal range. When it goes to low tide, there’s nothing there. It’s a couple feet deep.” The waterway’s dilapi dated condition deters boat ers who would otherwise sail their business right into Georgia, said Charlie Waller, president of the Georgia Marine Business Association. “When they hear about it, they stay away,” said Waller, DAVID OVERTON JEWELERS > We Buy Gold Scrap!! Bring It In And Let Us Weigh It. 905 Downtown Carroll St. • Perry 478-987-1392 TODAY’S Today's Weather I Local 5-Day Forecast Thu 8/30 93/70 Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thun derstorms in the a. Sunrise Sunset 7:08 AM 8:02 PM 8 i ft m ■ Georgia At A Glance \ i/^~\ \ Atlanta * \ \ 87/68 y >' \ \ \ Augusta I / 93/72 \ ( \ Warner Robins \ \ ' *S \ Savannah * ) , IVariv | J 93/70 P ( / Valdosta . 96/71 Area Cities \t\ty HI Locond. | Albany 95 71 t-storm Athens 91 69 t-storm Atlanta 87 68 t-storm Augusta 93 72 t-storm Balnbridge 95 72 t-storm Brunswick 91 76 t-storm Cartersville 88 67 t-storm Chattanooga,TN 80 66 t-storm Columbus 90 71 t-storm Cordele 95 71 t-storm National Cities City Hi Lo Cond. Atlanta 87 68 . t-storm Boston 84 64 mst sunny Chicago 74 57 sunny Dallas 89 76 t-storm Denver 83 58 t-storm ©2005 American Profile Hometown Content Service who co-owns and manages the Isle of Hope Marina. “They go 'outside.’ They go on the Atlantic Ocean. Or they time their trips on the tides, which tends to irritate them.” ' Federal money to deepen the passage is in the works - but not a sure thing - in Congress, so every day that goes by without deepening is hurting local businesses. “Maintenance is not sexy,” Roach said. “There’s no rib bon cutting.” U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., has met with Roach, Waller and local legislators, including State Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, and State Rep. Burke Day, R- Tybee Island, to discuss the funding. Another meeting is scheduled money or federal support for dredging the waterway. “The Office ofManagement and Budget does not think recreational boating has a big enough impact to justify federal funding,” he said, “so we have to beg for earmarks in our district that already has many competing Corps projects.” Georgia could soon be looking at that and other ways to fund the dredging. Ten years ago, Florida reduced its dependence on federal funds by imposing a property tax, an average of about $5 a year, on residents •Jewelry Repair & Cleaning •Watch Repair •Engraving Mon.Tri. •Appraisals 9:3oam-s:3opm •Estate Jewelry Sal * 9:3oam-2pm •Class Rings YOUR WEATHER TEAM! Frl 8/31 / ’ \ 93/69 Scattered thunder storms possible. Sunrise Sunset 7:09 AM 8:01 PM We Celebrate Hometown Life 51110 STATE AND REGION Sat 9/1 89/69 Scattered thunder storms possible. Sunrise Sunset 7:10 AM 8:00 PM |&ty Hi to Cond, | Dalton 89 67 t-storm Dillard 81 61 t-storm Dublin 95 68 t-storm Duluth 87 66 t-storm Gainesville 88 69 t-storm Helen 86 65 t-storm Lagrange 88 67 t-storm Macon 92 69 t-storm Marietta 87 66 t-storm Milledgeviile '93 68 t-storm Houston 91 73 t-storm Los Angeles 90 69 sunny Miami 89 76 t-storm Minneapolis 77 57 sunny New York 84 68 sunny of counties bisected by the waterway. A study of the same prob lem in North Carolina offered solutions that included add ing a fuel tax earmarked for Intracoastal maintenance or diverting to waterway main tenance some of the fuel taxes boaters already pay, Roach said. A user fee for the waterway is another pos sibility. The Georgia Boating Association and users of the waterway have funded a study that showed the Intracoastal brings about $33 million to the state’s economy each year. But that study was far from compre hensive, Waller said. “We only captured a small part to give people a feel for what they have to lose if the waterway is not kept in shape,” he said. To get better numbers, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has agreed to put SIB,OOO toward an economic analysis. The THE CITY OF WARNER ROBINS DOES HEREBY ANNOUNCE THAT THE MILLAGE RATE WILL BE SET AT THE REGULAR MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 AT 6 :30 P.M. AND PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF O.C.G.A. 48-5-32 DOES HEREBY PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING PRESENTATION OF THE CURRENT YEAR’S TAX DIGEST AND PROPOSED LEVY, ALONG WITH THE HISTORY OF THE TAX DIGEST AND LEVY FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. CURRENT PROPOSED 2007 TAX DIGEST AND FIVE YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY CITY OF WARNER ROBINS (Includes Houston & Peach Counties) CITY OF WARNER ROBINS 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 REAL ESTATE & PUBLIC UTILITY 733.481,458 846,086.715 902,233,622 975,697,112 1,134,905,493 1,224,308,543 PERSONAL PROPERTY 96,671,799 96,734,123 107,140,265 115,925,770 113,700,846 118,473,710 MOTOR VEHICLE 96,555,330 104,457,863 98,725,330 97,613,800 97,613,800 108,809,050 MOBILE HOME 3,537,785 3,566,981 3,529,155 4,314,337 4,314,337 3,736,649 TIMBER * 14,519 24,116 HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT 94,514 78,000 31.200 198,929 314,485 GROSS DIGEST 930,355,405 1,050,845,682 1,1)1.706,372 1,193,582,219 1,350,733,405 1,455,666,553 TOTAL EXEMPTIONS (60,398,310) (63,125,648) (58,715,986) (61,168.821) (61,164,712) (62,835,194) NET DIGEST 869,957,095 987,720,034 1,052,990,386 1,132,413,398 1,289,568,693 1,392,831,359 MILLAGE RATE 10.45 MILLS 9.903 MILLS 9.882 MILLS 9.80 MILLS 9.257 MILLS 9.254 MILLS NET TAX LEVIED 9,091,052 9,781,391 10,405,651 11,097,651 11,937,537 12,889,261 NET REVENUE & INCREASE 564,181 690,340 624,259 692,000 839,886 951,724 DIET REVENUE % INCREASE 6.6165% 7.5936% 6.3821% 6.6502% 7.5681% 7.9725% WMf xW It*: II) Meteorologist Lauren Casey Nfim* Mkfcts Q*ors& turn* tor tenon* Sun 9/2 - 88/69 Scattered thunder storms. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 60s. Sunrise Sunset 7:10 AM 7:58 PM Moon Phases Full Aug 28 • New Sep 11 UV Index 8 8 Thu 8/30 Fri 8/31 Sat 9/1 Sun 9/2 Mon 9/3 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 W* 11 eezh Peachtree City 88 65 t-storm Perry 93 70 t-storm Rome 90 68 t-storm Savannah 93 73 t-storm St. Simons Island9l 76 t-storm Statesboro 94 70 t-storm Thomasville 96 72 t-storm Valdosta 96 71 t-storm Warner Robins 93 69 t-storm Waycross 96 70 t-storm Phoenix 108 89 mst sunny San Francisco 88 64 sunny Seattle 79 59 pt sunny St. Louis 87 62 pt sunny Washington, DC 89 70 sunny University of Georgia might match that funding, Kingston said. Ex-Piedmont DA, wife indicted ATHENS (MNS) - A Banks County grand jury on Tuesday indicted former Piedmont Circuit District Attorney Tim Madison, his wife and a former prosecu tor on felony charges stem ming from a state investiga tion into the misspending of thousands of dollars from a victim’s assistance fund. Madison, his wife, Linn Jones, and former Assistant District Attorney Anthony Brett Williams were expect ed to turn themselves in at the Banks County Jail on Wednesday. Madison and Jones face four counts of making false statements and one count of conspiracy for allegedly forging timecards so Banks County funds paid Jones for Mon 9/3 / 88/69 Scattered thunder storms. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 60s. Sunrise Sunset 7:IIAM 7:57 PM Last Sep 4 #> First Sep 19 Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High Ex-prof may take AG post By REBECCA %yiGLEY Morris News Service ATHENS - A former adjunct instructor at the University of Georgia School of Law could be a front runner for the now empty U.S. attorney general’s post, according to news analysts and UGA law professors. CNN’s Don Lemon has suggested former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson - who taught classes at UGA in 2004 and 2005 and currently serves as head legal counsel at PepsiCo - as a contender to replace Alberto Gonzales, who announced his resigna tion Monday amid allega tions of questionable firings of U.S. attorneys. Washington politicians have said that they expect President Bush to nomi nate Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to replace Gonzales, but Lemon also has suggested Solicitor General Ted Olson and Frances Townsend, Bush’s homeland security advisor. “I think Larry would be a fantastic choice,” said UGA law professor David Shipley, who served as the law school’s dean when Thompson taught at UGA. “I think it would be a good move to the White House ... (Thompson could) revitalize a justice department that’s in bad shape.” A Thompson nomination would be akin to former President Gerald Ford tap ping the non-political Ed Levy as attorney general fol lowing the Watergate scan dal, although the current political situation is not as bad, Shipley said. Thompson has swayed back and forth between the public and private sectors. He served as a U.S. attor ney for the Northern District of Georgia in the mid-1980s and later joined the Atlanta based law firm King and Spalding. While at the law firm, Thompson represented Justice Clarence Thomas during Thomas’ turbulent hours she never worked. The four timecards were for pay periods in 2005 and 2006. Madison, who resigned effective June 4, also faces single counts of felony theft by taking, theft by receiv ing and violating his oath of office, all in connection with taking “funds other than his lawful compensa tion,” the indictment stated. Those funds allegedly were taken from funding that Banks County provided for the operation of Madison’s office in Homer, according to Russ Willard, spokesman for the state attorney general’s office. Williams, a former assis tant district attorney in Madison’s Banks County office, also faces single counts of felony theft by taking, theft by receiving and violating his oath of office. Williams left the dis trict attorney’s office before spring 2007. Charges connecting THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2007 ♦ confirmation hearings in 1991. Thompson left King and Spalding to accept the deputy attorney general appointment, from which he resigned in 2003. Political analysts once considered Thompson as a replacement for for mer Attorney General John Ashcroft until Bush named Gonzales -- as well as a replacement for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Thompson taught sever al classes at the UGA law school in 2002, 2004 and 2005, including one covering national security and anoth er on white collar crime. “He played a very active role when he was here. ... He had his door open all the time for students,” said Shipley, whose office was next door to Thompson’s. Although Thompson holds a coveted position at PepsiCo, his commitment to public service is strong enough that he probably would step up to the plate, said UGA law professor Ron Carlson, who got to know Thompson well when he came to UGA. “I think he would take the job ... (because) he is very moved and motivated by public service,” Carlson said. “I think there’s a strong likelihood,” of Thompson replacing Gonzales, Carlson said, especially because Washington officials may want to keep Chertoff where he is. Thompson may be a shoe in for attorney general if White House officials and congressional leaders “somehow decided against (Chertoff),” Carlson said. However, Olson - who delivered a UGA law school commencement speech at UGA - also has a good chance for the attorney gen eral’s office because Bush tends to name insiders for empty positions. Olson has served well as solicitor and, like Thompson, he draws respect from Democrats and Republicans alike, Carlson said. Williams and Madison stem from alleged thefts in 2005. The case was presented to the Banks County grand jury Tuesday by two senior assistant attorneys general, David McLaughlin, head of Attorney General Thurbert Baker’s special prosecutions unit, and Kim Schwartz, a member of the unit, Willard said. In March, Baker asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate whether Madison’s office misappropriated money for a Jackson County victim’s assistance fund and another fund that held money seized in drug busts. The GBl’s investigation involved four bank accounts managed by Madison. Char-Broiled Sizzling Steaks green derby 1-78 fxH 136 • 887-8877 3A 149988 52526 I