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BELOW THE FOLD: County commissioners adopt tax levy - millage rate to be same as previous year
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Volume 138, Number 61
S
Danny
Evans
Editor and
Publisher
devans@evansnewspapers.com
600 acres
sweetens
the deal
The acquisition this
week of 600 plus
acres of land (old
Northrop property), bor
dering on Airport Road
and Perry Parkway, by the
Houston County Industrial
Authority will be a great
asset to Perry and Houston
County. The land was pur
chased from American Real
Estate owned by Jamie
Reynolds and Dudley
Horton.
This is a deal the
Development Authority has
been working on for several
years. Getting the funding
was the problem. This will
strengthen the ability of
the authority to draw new
industry to the area.
I know many of you are
thinking: What in the world
do they need 600 acres of
land for, they can’t sell the
Spec Building? It’s all about
bait.
I think a deal will go
through on the Spec Building
soon.
The land was badly need
ed. Houston County was
losing too many deals to
other counties and states
because we had nothing to
barter with. When a large
company wants to locate in
our community, many oth
ers are courting them too.
When our competition can
offer land for free or at a
reduced price, they have a
competitive advantage to
lure large distribution cen
ters or plants looking for a
new location.
Think of it as courting a
beautiful lady. Is she going
with the guy with nothing
to offer, or is she going with
the one that sends the flow
ers, candy and jewelry. It’s a
no brainer. This is the same
See EVANS, page $A
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August 2,2008
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Local lines
• Two charged in'o7 rape case
• Target employee charged
for theft
• Houston March for Babies
set
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
CITY OF PERRY, CITY OF WARNER ROBINS AND CITY OF CENTERVILLE
Attack helicopters coming to RAFB
Unit's transition begins
with hangar
groundbreaking
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Managing Editor
They’ve been part of
numerous counter-narcot
ic operations throughout
the United States. During
Operations Desert Shield/
Storm, they were there.
When Hurricane Katrina
hit, they were the first
Marine helicopter squadron
to fly missions over New
Orleans. Most recently
they were deployed to Iraq
(again) and Afghanistan
(three times in both cases).
Wednesday they landed
at Robins Air Force Base.
Or at least a small contin
gent of them did as part of
a groundbreaking ceremo
ny on the “outback” (an
affectionate term Warner
Robins Air Logistics Center
Commander Maj. Gen.
Tom Owen said was used
to describe the most north
eastern sector) side of the
base.
“They” are members of
the Marine Light Attack
Helicopter Squadron-773.
That also includes Marine
Aircraft Group-49, Det. A.
The units, which go by the
nickname of “Red Dogs”
and are slated to be made
up of 150 active duty and
300 Reserve Marines in all,
are scheduled to activate on
Robins AFB in 2010. They
are coming here, accord
ing to a base release, as
part of the BRAC and
Headquarters Marine Corps
Aviation Plan.
Wednesday’s ceremony
was to begin that process
by digging up the first
dirt on a 40,000-foot han
gar. The hangar in turn,
Marine Col. Lance Maffett,
Marine Aircraft Group-49
Plans officer, explained, will
be used for “heavy” main
tenance (or when weather
won’t permit working out
side) with light maintenance
on the six Cobra and three
Huey helicopters, which will
make up the unit’s total air
craft strength, being done
County commissioners adopt tax levy
Millage rate to be same as previous year
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Managing Editor
Perhaps Houston County
Commissioner Jay Walker summed
it best.
“In my time I’ve probably been a
part of about 25 budgets,” he said.
“And this one was the hardest.”
FRONT PORCH 30 years ago:
"Where neighbors meet "
HHJ history
50 years ago:
Perry High School’s band,
under the direction of Hal
Middleton, traveled to North
Carolina for band camp. Also, a
person could buy a case of Coca-
Cola for .69 cents and expected
enrollment for Houston County
schools were 9,000.
Rotary recognition
Officers elected and spe
cial thanks go out to many.
Also, The Quiz, Talk of the
Town and much more.
Lifestyle
Saturday, August 2, 2008
i
From left, Thomas Troutman, New South executive vice president, Col. Lance Maffett, Marine Aircraft Group-49
Plans officer, Maj. Gen. Tom Owen, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center commander, Ric Powers, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers area engineer and Col. Debra Bean, 78th Air Base Wing vice commander, break ground for the new
Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 fiangar Wednesday at Robins Air Force Base.
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ENI/Gary Harmon
The UH-1 “Huey”, left, and AH-1 “Cobra” helicopters will make up the unit’s delivery
'platforms.
on the flightline.
The Cobras, Maffett
explained, are equipped
The moral victory then, added
Chairman Ned Sanders, was the
fact that although the budget -
approved and adopted at a meet
ing prior to the one Sanders and
Walker were speaking at Tuesday
- might have increased 3.7 percent,
there is to be no increase in the
Vandals broke into Perry
Elementary School. The culprits
broke lights, bottles, and scat
tered paint and wrote obsceni
ties on the walls of the school.
Also, the First National Bank in
Perry caught on fire in the early
morning hours and Houston
County schools were expected
to begin the year with 16,034
students.
10 years ago:
The McLendon house and the
Andrew house were moved frrm
the intersection of Washington
i
strictly as an assault plat
form (missiles; guns, et
cetera), while the Huey’s, he
millage rate.
The commissioners ensured that
with a unanimous vote Tuesday
during a special called meeting in
Warner Robins. They adopted a res
olution calling for a millage rate of
9.45 mills for General county pur
poses, 12.47 mills for Educational
purposes and .25 as part of a State
levy. Those apply to both the incor
porated and unincorporated parts
and Commerce streets to make
room for the construction of
CVS Pharmacy. Also, John W.
Geiger became a partner with
his father, James N. Geiger in
the law firm Geiger and Geiger.
Sources: The Daily Sun, The
Houston Home Journal
- Compiled by Krystal Rlner
Anniversary
Aug. 4
Amy and Jared Gist (One
year and counting)
Birthdays
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A grand sandoff
BASEBALL: WRALL team heads
to Florida. GOLF: For competi
tors - there’s nothing to fear
but Tears’ herself. More.
Sports
said, are configured as gun
ships and used in that role
as well as airlifting troops in
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ft ft Janet Phillips ft
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ft Malcom Taylor tft
ft ft Nancy Brown tft
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www.hhjnews.com
and out of a particular area.
In addition to the han
gar, which has a price tag
of $27 million (being paid
for by BRAC funds, Maffett
said) Red Dog members
will occupy some facilities
being vacated by the 19th
Air Refueling Group as that
unit moves its assets else
where (also as part of the
BRAC). .
Taskings for the heli
copter unit, Maffett said,
will come from 4th Marine
Headquarters based out
of New Orleans. Locally
and for training purposes,
members of the community
can expect to see them in
the sky two or three times
a day.
However, Maffett added,
“Because most are Reserve,
See HANGAR, page ioA
of the county. In addition, a 1.18
mill Fire levy - to provide the obvi
ous: fire protection - will also be a
part of the unincorporated parts of
the county. That makes it a grand
total of 22.17 mills for the incor
porated portions of the county and
23.35 mills for the unincorporated.
“Tm just delighted,” Sanders
summed, adding he wanted to
See TAX, page ioA
ft Tammy Palfrey ft
ft - ' Cameron Collins ft
FRONT DOOR
‘'Always open "
"Be careful for nothing; but in
every thing by prayer and suppli
cation with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto
God. And the peace of God,
which passeth all understand
ing, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:6,7
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ENI/Gary Harmon