Newspaper Page Text
Barrow News-Journal
Barrow County News Est. 1893 • Barrow Journal Est. 2008 Merged August 2016
44 Pages 3 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County Georgia 50$ Copy Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Barrow
Briefs
Road closure planned
Cooks Road from Stoney
Creek Drive to Walnut Drive
is scheduled to be closed to
through-traffic for culvert
repairs through Friday. The
detour route will be Ga. 211
Northeast to Pleasant Hill
Church Road Northeast.
Food distribution
scheduled
The Barrow County Food
Pantry in partnership with
The Food Bank of Northeast
Georgia will have a Food Dis
tribution Day, beginning at 8
a.m.. on Thursday at Holly
Hill Mall.
The event will be held rain
or shine.
The October distribution
day is sponsored by Pam
Sharpton and Tommye Stew
art and is open to all Barrow
County residents who meet
USDA income eligibility
requirements.
Proof of Barrow County
residency is required.
The distribution will be
on a first-come, first-served
basis.
The mall is located across
from Hill's Hardware, at 186
West Athens Street, Winder.
The food distribution day is
the fourth Thursday of every
month, January through Octo
ber and the third Thursday
during the months of Novem
ber and December.
Early voting underway
Early voting for the Nov.
8 general election is now
underway in Barrow County.
Registered voters may cast
their ballots 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mondays through Fridays
through Nov. 4 at the board
of elections office, 233 East
Broad St., Winder.
Saturday voting will be 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday.
Jug Tavern Squares
Halloween
The Winder Square Dance
Club “Jug Tavern Squares”
will host a Halloween Dance
on Friday from 7:30-10 p.m.
at the YMCA Winder.
“Costumes Desired not
Required.”
No YMCA membership
required.
See the website for more
information, www.jugtavern-
squares.org, or contact the
club presidents, Boyd or
Teresa McLocklin at 770-
540-3341.
“Please come and enjoy the
fun and fellowship,” leaders
urge.
Mailing
Label Below
8
?
SPLOST citizen committee convenes
By Scott Thompson
Editor
A citizen committee charged
with crafting a potential 1-cent
special-purpose local-option
sales tax referendum to put
before Barrow County voters
next fall convened last week.
Eighteen of the 29 county
residents who signed up to par
ticipate on the committee were
in attendance on Oct. 17 for
an organizational meeting in
the Terry England Conference
Room at Lanier Technical Col
lege.
The group is set to meet four
times over the next eight months
to consider possible capital
projects for the SPLOST ref
erendum that, if approved by
Barrow Board of Commission
ers, would be included on the
November 2017 ballot.
The next committee meet
ing is scheduled for Dec. 12 at
an undetermined location with
future gatherings also tentative
ly set for Feb. 20, April 10 and
June 12, when the committee’s
recommendations would be
finalized.
The county would begin a
mandated 30-day meet-and-
confer process with the munic
ipalities on June 27, and the
board of commissioners would
take a final vote July 28 on
whether to include the referen
dum on the ballot.
If approved by voters, the tax,
which would be a continuation
See SPLOST on Page 2A
Meeting needs
RON BEACHAM BARROW COUNTY VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER OPENS
Michelle Walker, middle, Military Veterans of Georgia, is shown at the opening of the
Ron Beacham Barrow County Veterans Resource Center on Tuesday. Approximately 50
people turned out Tuesday morning for the ribbon-cutting to officially open the center on
McElroy Street in Winder. Photos by Sharon Hogan
Veterans Resource Center opens in Winder
By Si. aron Hog'an
News-Journal Reporter
A large group turned
out Tuesday morning
for the ribbon-cutting
ceremony to open the
Ron Beacham Bar-
row County Veterans
Resource Center in
Winder.
The Veterans
Resource Center is a
partnership between
the Barrow County
Board Of Commis
sioners, Military Vet
erans of Georgia, DAV.
AMVETS, American
Legion, Military Order
of the Purple Heart,
Marine Corps League
and VFW.
The mission of the
center is to meet the
needs of veterans and
their families by pro
viding current infor
mation, referrals and
resources in a welcom
ing environment that
honors their service to
our community.
Sandi Beacham,
wife of the late Ron
Beacham, and his
daughter Connie
Ross cut the ribbon
to officially open the
resource center at 66
McElroy Street. Wind
er.
The center will be
open from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m.. on Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
The center will offer
the following services:
•on-site Veterans
Administration repre
sentatives for filing VA
claims
•on-site Georgia
Department of Labor
representatives for job
opportunities
•housing and food
assistance
•PTSD treatment
referrals and pro
grams, such as Oper
ation Atlas PTSD Dog
Program and Yoga
Warriors
•suicide intervention
and prevention classes
•Veterans Advocates
when they are needed
most.
Joe Walker, presi
dent of Military Vet
erans of Georgia,
thanked everyone for
the hard work to make
the resource center
possible.
Work is still continu
ing on the building that
previously housed the
Barrow County 9-1-1
Center.
The Yoga War
riors program will be
offered on Tuesday
nights at the center.
A representative
from U.S. Sen. Johnny
Isakson’s office read a
letter from the senator
thanking everyone for
making the resource
center possible and for
providing help for the
military veterans and
their families.
For more informa
tion on the center, call
678-227-3741 or email
info @ military veteran-
sofga.com.
Barrow CFO recognized for excellence
By Sk aron Hog'an
News-Journal Reporter
The Barrow County Board of
Commissioners, at the meeting
on Oct. 25, recognized chief
finance officer Rose Kisaalita
for receiving the Certificate of
Achievement for Excellence in
Financial Reporting, awarded
by the Government Finance
Officers Association (GFOA)
of the United States and Cana
da for the comprehensive annu
al financial report (CAFR) for
the fiscal year ended Sept. 30,
2015.
The Certificate of Achieve
ment is the highest form of rec
ognition in the area of govern
mental accounting and financial
reporting, and its attainment
represents a significant accom
plishment by a government and
its management.
County manager Mike Ren-
shaw said this was the sixth
consecutive year that Barrow
County had received this award.
The CAFR is judged by an
impartial panel to meet the
high standards of the program
See BOC on Page 2A
Barrow
SAT scores
down, but
ACT up
By Al ex Pace
News-Journal Reporter
SAT scores continue to
decline at the Barrow Coun
ty School System, but its
ACT average peaked this
year. The Barrow County
Board of Education received
an update on its ACT and
SAT scores at its Oct. 25
meeting.
BCSS had its highest ACT
average last year, totaling
19.9. That’s still below the
state average (21.1) but is
trending upwards for the
district.
The district’s SAT aver
age. however, has consis
tently declined over recent
years. Last year’s average
fell to 927, which was 56
points below the state.
“Our SAT trend is not
strong,” said director of stu
dent and data services Matt
Thompson. “That has been
going down pretty consis
tently. But what we have
found is the SAT tends to
be the test that kids take if
they’re not really prepared
to take the thing.”
Thompson noted the pub
lic perception is that the
SAT carries more weight.
But the district had approx
imately the same number of
students taking the ACT and
SAT (368 and 408. respec
tively) and most colleges
accept both tests. He said
“advisement is key” in help
ing students decide which
test to take.
“In the public imagina
tion, the SAT seems to carry
more weight,” said Thomp
son. “There really is no rea
son for that other than histo
ry... Our students are pretty
50/50 in terms of what they
take. And both assessments
will get you into any col
lege you pretty much want.
Some may have a slight
preference. But, in general,
either one will work.”
ELEMENTARY NAME
FINALISTS LISTED
The new BCSS elementa
ry school is one step closer
to being named. Following a
recent survey, the top three
picks for the name include
Berry Elementary School,
Cedar Creek Elementary
School and Winder Elemen
tary School.
Another survey is out this
week to narrow the choices
down and the top choice
See BOE on Page 2A
Index:
Church News 14A
Classifieds 8-9C
Legals 10-15C
Obituaries 15A
Pets of the Week 3C
Public Safety 7-10A
Sports 1-12B
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