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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
Winder men sentenced in 2015 burglary of convenience store
Three Winder men who were interrupt
ed by police while trying to rob a May
Street convenience store in December
2015 were recently convicted in Barrow
County Superior Court and sentenced to
prison.
Manual Villagomez, 19, was found
guilty of armed robbery and possession
of a firearm during the commission of
a felony, and was sentenced to 25 years
with 10 to be served in confinement.
Kelby Aaron Fair and Dylan Ray Strong,
both 18, were also convicted of armed
robbery and sentenced to 20 years with
10 to be served in confinement.
All three men received credit for the
time they served over the past year after
being denied bond following their arrests,
according to a Winder Police Department
news release.
STRONG FAIR VILLAGOMEZ
FFA WEEK IN AUBURN FEB. 12-18
The Auburn City Council proclaims the week of Feb. 12-18, as FFA Week
in the City of Auburn. The council approved the proclamation, as read
by Apalachee High School FFA Treasurer Victoria Wehr (middle), during
the Feb. 2 council meeting. Shown with Wehr, left to right, are: Alex
Mitchem, City of Auburn Community Development Director; and Mayor
Linda Blechinger. Photo by Sharon Hogan
Auburn council proclaims
Feb. 12-18 FFA Week in city
By Sk aron Hog'an
News-Journal Reporter
The Auburn City Council proclaims
the week of Feb. 12-18. as FFA Week in
the City of Auburn.
The council approved the proclama
tion, as read by Apalachee High School
FFA Treasurer Victoria Wehr, during the
Feb. 2. council meeting.
Samantha Kickbush, Sims Academy
ag teacher, and Shannon Wehr, Victo
ria’s mother, accompanied her to the
meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the meeting, the
council:
•introduced Jay Miller as the new city
planner. Miller now handles licenses
and permits.
•unanimously approved the Memo
randum of Understanding (MOU) with
Columbia Southern University (CSU)
for their Learning Partnership pro
gram. Police chief Carl Moulder, at the
work session meeting on January 19,
explained CSU of Orange Beach, Ala.,
is an online university accredited by the
Distance Education and Accreditation
Council and is recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education. Many CSU
courses are geared toward a career in
public service. The Learning Partner
ship program is a non-binding agree
ment that allows CSU to offer a 10
percent tuition discount on all online
classes to employees, their spouses and
children, at no cost to the city. The pro
gram also allows for an application fee
waiver - $25. Textbooks are provided
at no additional cost. Moulder said the
program would be no cost to the city.
•unanimously approved the minutes
from the January 2017 meetings.
•met in closed session for approxi
mately 50 minutes to discuss personnel.
No action was taken.
•heard the monthly staff reports from
the department heads.
Piedmont CASA to hold fundraiser
The fifth annual Piedmont Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASA) Heart for Children
- Heart for Chocolate fundraiser will be held
Saturday, Feb. 18.
The “Black & White Gala’’ is set for 6:30
p.m. at the Jefferson Civic Center. The event
will include a full dinner buffet, silent/live
auctions, chocolates from local bakers, open
bar (tips appreciated) and the Fly Betty Band.
For more information, call Michelle Black at
678-777-5630 or www.PiedmontCasa.org. All
proceeds will benefit Piedmont CASA, serv
ing advocates to local foster children to ensure
they have a safe and stable permanent home.
CITY RECEIVES GRANT
Pictured, from left to right, are: Councilman Travis Singley, Police Chief Jim
Fullington, Lt. David Garrett, city administrator Donald Toms, Councilman
Alfonza Brown, GMA Representative Aileen Harris and Councilman J.R.
Parrish.
City of Winder awarded grant to
purchase safety vests, body armor
The Georgia Municipal Association has
awarded the city of Winder a $7,500 Safety
and Liability Management grant for the
purchase of AED safety vests and body
armor.
“This program allows each city to stretch
their budget dollars and provide a safer
work environment for their employees,”
GMA marketing field manager Ellen
Thomas said in a news release.
The Safety and Liability Management
Grant program was introduced in 2000 to
provide financial incentive to assist mem
bers in improving their employee safety
and general public liability loss control
efforts through training and the purchase
of equipment and services, according to
the release.
Since the inception of the program, more
than 500 grants have been approved, total
ing $1.5 million to fund items such as
bulletproof vests, training videos, confined
space entry equipment, reflective safety
vests, fire department turnout gear and
police department in-vehicle video systems.
The grant funds have helped leverage
the purchase of more than $2.6 million in
equipment and training, the release said.
Bethlehem council approves budget
By Sli aron Hog'an
News-Journal Reporter
The Bethlehem City Council approved its
Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 budget on Monday.
The council approved the $342,067 budget
in a unanimous vote at the monthly council
meeting.
The 2017 budget reflects an increase of
$8,270 — or just over two percent — over the
2016 budget of $333,797.
The largest increase in revenues in the FY
2017 budget is $7,000 in franchise tax.
The biggest increase in FY2017 expenses
is $10,000 in the road Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax (SPLOST); but $20,314 that
was in the 2016 budget for equipment was
taken out of the 2017 budget.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the monthly council
meeting, the council:
•approved spending approximately $11,000
to fund one-half of the Harrison Mill Road cul
vert repair project. The Barrow County Board
of Commissioners will pay the other half for
this project.
•received copies of the proposed tree ordi
nance for the city. A brief discussion was held
on the ordinance. City attorney Ron Bennett
explained that the proposed ordinance primar
ily deals with tree protection and care and the
establishing of a tree board.
The ordinance is just the next step in getting
the city certified as a Tree City USA.
The council plans to have this item on the
agenda for the March 6, council meeting.
•discussed the banner that is used in support
of law enforcement, first responders and fire
fighters.
Mayor Sandy McNab reported he received
a call from a woman who wanted to see the
banner include the support of the military,
including those serving currently, veterans and
those who have been killed.
McNab discussed installing a flagpole to
include a flag that would be flown at half-mast
all the time to honor those in public service
who have been killed.
But after some discussion on flag etiquette
this idea was nixed.
In the end the council agreed that once the
proposed sign is installed along Highway 11
a message could be included on the sign to
support the military, law enforcement, first
responders and fire fighters.
Winder continued from 1A
NGMC continued from 1A
power of our position for the wellbeing
of our constituents: and 5) Create an
environment of honesty, openness and
integrity.
•the appointment of Ann Pack to the
Winder Housing Authority Board for
a term of five years, ending April 20,
2021.
•an Urban Redevelopment Plan
(URP) update on behalf of the Winder
Housing Authority for a Revitalization
Area Strategy (RAS) and Communi
ty Development Block Grant (CDBG)
application. The Northeast Georgia
Regional Commission has updated the
2012 URP, and covers new objectives
that reflect future projects and needs of
the city. This approval will also autho
rize the mayor to make any adjustments
needed to the updated URP.
•the purchase of a 2016 Chevrolet
Tahoe, four-wheel drive, under the
state contracting pricing, not to exceed
$33,800, for use as a police vehicle.
•authorizing the mayor to enter a
one-year agreement with Darnel Quick
Recovery Inc.. Covington, for utility
debt collections.
•approved the purchase of construc
tion equipment for utility and storm
water projects, not to exceed $178,600,
to include an excavator. Ford F-650 die
sel crew-cab truck, trailer and shoring
equipment.
•dedicating the North Broad Street
and East Broad Street Intersection
Green Space in honor of J.C. Cook.
Cook was instrumental in the creation
of a variety of activities and organiza
tions for the city’s youth.
will feel empowered to make
similar choices that support
the health and well-being of
those in their facilities.”
Some of the choices made
in the effort to be responsible
stewards by NGMC include:
•Reducing energy use by
35 percent compared to sim
ilar hospitals
•Reducing water use by 33
percent compared to similar
hospitals
•Implementing geother
mal wells that use the ground
to heat and cool the hospital
•Reducing the building’s
carbon footprint by elimi
nating greenhouse gas emis
sions and the use of fossil
fuels
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•Using LED lighting and
Energy Star rated applianc
es and equipment to reduce
energy consumption
•Repurposing rainwater
for landscape irrigation and
to replenish the water table
•Utilizing non-drinkable
water for additional land
scape irrigation needs
•Recycling 92 percent of
the waste during construc
tion, diverting more than
6.5 million pounds of waste
from landfills
•Avoiding the use of prod
ucts that contain toxic chem
icals on the EPA’s “red list”
•Choosing furniture, floor
ing. and other products with
recycled content that comply
with strict air quality stan
dards.
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