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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016
4th Avenue reconstruction approved
By Sharon Hog'an
News-Journal Reporter
The Auburn City Council approved
reconstruction work for 4th Avenue last
week.
The council approved a bid from Shep-
Co Paving in the amount of $289,306
for the work between Auburn-County
Line Road and the eastern city limits of
Auburn.
Funding for the project will come
out of Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax (SPLOST), $107,133; and
Local Maintenance Improvement Grant
(LMIG). $182,172.
The council received several bids on
the project ranging from $442,000 to
$661,000.
In an effort to negotiate with the low
bidder to bring the project within budget
the curbs, gutters and sidewalks were
removed and the low bidder. ShepCo
Paving. Alpharetta, presented a revised
bid of $289,306.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the monthly meet
ing. the council:
•approved a proclamation proclaim
ing August 11, each year, as “811 Call
Before You Dig Day.”
•approved an agreement with Acker
man & Co. and Chitra Subbarayan to
provide marketing and economic devel
opment advisory services for six months
at a fee of $6,000 due in six installments
of $1,000 each.
•approved reimbursing Barrow County
$73,263 for road paving on Harmony
Grove Church Road from Mt. Moriah to
Scenic Lane and rescind the motion from
June 2, 2016, not to exceed $61,819. Bids
received were 18.5 percent higher than
projected.
WINKLER SWORN IN AS CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
At the Auburn City Council meeting on Aug. 4, Paige Winkler (R) was sworn
is as the city’s code enforcement officer. Police chief Carl Moulder (L) per
formed the swearing in. Also shown (L-R) are: council member Robert L.
Vogel III, mayor Linda Blechinger, and council member Bill Ackworth and
Jay L. Riemenschneider. Council member Peggy Langley was also present.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
Whistlestop Shops going up in Auburn
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WHISTLESTOP SHOPS
GOING UP IN AUBURN
Phase I of the Whistlestop Shops project in
downtown Auburn is now under construction.
The four “micro retailing” shops are expected to
be completed by the end of Aug. Auburn Parks
and Leisure Director Dan Pruehs (L); Danny Orr
(C), DL Masonry; and city planner Alex Mitchem
(R) are shown on Monday taking a look at one
of the shops. Photo by Sharon Hogan
By Sli aron Hogfan
News-Journal Reporter
The Whistlestop Shops
in downtown Auburn are
under construction.
Phase I of the project
is included in the city’s
projects to be completed
in 2016. These projects,
as well as projects slat
ed for work in 2017 and
2018 were discussed at
the annual city council
retreat on Aug. 6.
The four “micro retail
ing” shops that are cur
rently being constructed
“have already been spo
ken for,” according to city
planner Alex Mitchem.
Mitchem presented
some information on the
shops being built by DL
Masonry from Fayette
ville.
“The term ‘micro
retailing’ describes
how some businesses
are moving from giant
superstores to smaller,
demographically target
ed stores focusing on a
small selection of popu
lar products,” Mitchem
said. “Further, it also
refers to small, indepen
dent. family-owned busi
nesses.”
At the city coun
cil retreat on Aug 6,
Mitchem talked about
the progress on the 8x12
detached retail shops.
Landscaping, lighting,
signage and other ame
nities are also included.
The power and water
infrastructure necessary
to support these units
currently exists on site,
Mitchem added.
The proposed design
of the Auburn shops is
akin to the Pier Village
Merchant Shops on Saint
Simons Island where
small wooden detached
retail sheds contain jew
elers, bike shops, appar
els and ice cream shops,
Mitchem added.
The project will pro
vide small business
es a storefront to sell
their products, as well
as a destination to bring
patrons to downtown
Auburn, Mitchem stated.
“Furthermore, the
shops improve connectiv
ity for pedestrians in the
downtown area accessing
the Community Garden
and the Gateway Trail
Head via a 10-foot wide
plaza. Mitchem said
those expressing interest
in the Whistlestop Shops
currently under construc
tion include jewelry,
cupcakes, hot dogs and
antiques. The shops will
rent for $200 per month.
The city plans to con
struct additional units if
the need is out there, he
said.
Auburn 5th safest small city in state
The City of Auburn has been voted the fifth safest small city in Georgia.
A team of analysts from ValuePenguin analyzed 99 cities with populations of more
than 5,000 to determine the safest cities in the state. The crime scores ranged from
413 to 8,227.
Auburn was chosen at No. 5 for cities with a population of 5,000-10,000. Braselton
came in at third in this category and Flowery Branch was No. 1.
Summer pet adoption discount offered
Barrow County Animal Control is ber. The Barrow County Animal Control
offering special adoption prices through Shelter is located at 616 Barrow Park
the summer. The adoption fee for dogs Drive in Winder. Call 770-307-3012 for
and cats will be $25 through Septem- shelter hours or more information.
ID altered: Winder man arrested
for violating sex offender registry
Thomas Alan Lee Free
man, 37, of Winder, was
arrested in Barrow County
for violating the Georgia
Sex Offender Law.
Freeman, an absconded
sex offender from Jackson
County since 2013, appar
ently changed his appear
ance to avoid detection
from law enforcement
officers.
Freeman is currently
incarcerated in the Jack-
son County Jail facing
charges of failure to regis
ter as a sex offender and a
probation violation. Free
man also has a hold out of
Barrow County for similar
charges.
$ 5 00 0FF
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BOC approves health plan renewal
New rates mean only slight increase to county
By Scott Thompson
News-Journal Reporter
The Barrow County
Board of Commissioners
voted Tuesday to renew the
county’s health insurance
plan at only a small increase
in cost.
The BlueCross BlueSh-
ield plan will cost the coun
ty about $3.22 million, an
increase of $19,000. The
new rates, which take effect
Oct. 1, will be locked in for
15 months.
County employees cov
ered under the plan will not
see a change in their premi
ums, human resources direc
tor Charlie Felts said.
The county also renewed
its dental and vision plans
with BlueCross BlueShield
at no additional cost. Those
rates will be renewed for
two years starting in Octo
ber.
The plan will also include
a new virtual doctor visit
program for county employ
ees and family members
who are covered.
LiveHealth Online will
allow those covered by the
plan to go online with their
smart phone or tablet and
speak live with a physician,
get treatment recommen
dations or receive prescrip
tions.
The feature will be avail
able 24/7 and allow for
those in need to consult a
physician after office hours.
Felts said it could also help
lower costs to the county
by cutting down on patient
emergency room visits and
hospitalization.
In other business Tuesday,
commissioners:
•Approved the hiring of
Charles McGiboney as the
new county public works
director. The position has
been vacant since early
spring. McGiboney’s salary
will be $85,000.
•Awarded a bid of $1.66
million to Pittman Construc
tion Company for patching
and resurfacing of the fol
lowing roads: Union Grove
Church Road (0.88 miles),
Harmony Grove Church
Road (1.47 miles). Midland
Avenue (0.3 miles), Beaver
Dam Road (0.62 miles),
Carl-Cedar Hill Road (0.65
miles), Rockwell Church
Road (1.03 miles), Hoyt
King Road (0.51 miles) and
Wright Street (1.26 miles).
The projects are being paid
for through a combination
of the Georgia Department
of Transportation’s Local
Maintenance and Improve
ment Program, SPLOST
2012 proceeds, the county’s
capital projects fund for road
improvements, and money
from the city of Auburn.
Missing continued from 1A
The area of the body was not visible to
the general public as it was surrounded
by an empty building, a privacy fence and
some small trees and overgrown brush.
An investigation revealed an extremely
decomposed body of a male.
Further investigation of the body
revealed photo identification, person
al items and other details matching a
49-year-old male reported missing after
leaving the nearby Holly Hill apartments
on July 28 and not being heard from or
seen since. The body was later confirmed
as that of Sheriff.
BOC continued from 1A
The property owner. Cedar Creek Cor
ners, LLC, is seeking the re-zoning to
allow for a solar farm, which would be
used to transmit power to Jackson EMC.
The land was initially intended to be a
residential development, but that never
materialized.
Despite the endorsement by county
staff and the planning commission, board
chairman Pat Graham, who was joined in
opposition by commissioner Joe Good
man, said a solar farm would not be
consistent with the county's future land
use map.
Kids ’ event
set for
Statham
Library
The Statham Library will
host a Home Depot Kids
Workshop on Saturday,
Aug. 20, at 10 a.m.
A computer skills class
for adults will be also held
Thursday. Aug. 25, at 5:30
p.m.
Space is limited for each
event. Call 770-725-4785
for more information.
The Statham Library is
located at 1928 Rail Road
Street and is open from 10
a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday
through Thursday, 10 a.m.
until 5 p.m. on Friday and
10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on
Saturday.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Town of Carl
regular town meeting,
August 18, 2016 @ 7:00pm.
In Loving Memory
of our Daddy & "Pop"
A.B. Dean
August 16, 2007
Gone from our lives,
but never gone from
our hearts.
We miss you and we
love you!
Sister (Teresa) & Greg
Ashley & Kristin
r
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Bring this coupon to Publix on August 10, 2016, and find out what
one penny gets you! Good with your purchase of $10 or more.
Limit one coupon per household per day. Excluding all alcohol,
tobacco, lottery items, money services, postage stamps, gift cards,
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Reproduction or transfer of this coupon is strictly prohibited.
Effective August 10, 2016 at participating stores in Ga., Ala., and Tenn.
Publix.
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