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PAGE 2A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021
Qualifying continued from 1A
Also as of Tuesday afternoon, Danny
Darby had qualified to run for the Ward 3
seat currently held by councilman Jimmy
Terrell. Terrell has been noncommittal re
cently about whether he would seek a sec
ond term but said Tuesday he was leaning
toward another run.
Ward 1 incumbent councilman Sonny
Morris, who has been on the council since
1987, filed to seek another term and didn’t
have any opposition as of late Tuesday af
ternoon.
“It’s been a privilege to serve the people
of the city,” Morris said recently.
“I’ve seen a lot of the progress the city
has made and I want to continue participat
ing in that progress. I look forward to serv
ing again for another four years.”
Qualifying for the Ward 1, Ward 3 and at-
large seats in Winder wraps up at 12:30 p.m.
Friday at the Barrow County elections of
fice.
OTHER MUNICIPALITIES
In other municipalities in Barrow County
as of late Tuesday afternoon:
•incumbent Auburn councilman Bill Ack-
worth had qualified to run for another term.
Robert Vogel III is also up for re-election.
No challengers had filed. Qualifying ends
at 12:30 p.m. Friday at city hall.
•Parker Elrod had qualified to run for a
city council seat in Statham, where Tammy
Crawley, Betty Lyle and Dwight McCor-
mic are all up for re-election. None of the
incumbents had qualified yet for the elec
tion where the top three vote-getters will be
awarded seats on the council. Debi Krause,
a former Barrow County Board of Educa
tion member, resigned her board seat in
June to run for a spot on the city council.
Qualifying ends at 12:30 p.m. Friday at city
hall.
•Bethlehem council incumbents Bryan
Bell (Post 1) and Tommy Buchanan (Post
5) had qualified for re-election. Post 3
councilman Joe Price is moving out of the
town limits and won’t be seeking re-elec
tion. Qualifying was scheduled to end at
4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19.
Seat
continued from 1A
to fill the remainder of Sheats’
term, which expires at the
end of 2023. Sheats resigned
last month due largely to her
opposition to the council’s
approval of a fiscal year 2022
budget — which eventually
led to a subsequent council
vote to double the city’s mill-
age rate — and frustrations
with top city officials.
The 10 candidates will
now be interviewed likely by
Mayor David Maynard and
councilman Sonny Morris,
who serves as mayor pro tem,
Maynard said. It’s the same
process the city used in 2013,
when Brown was appointed
to replace the late Charlie
Eberhart, who died while in
office.
Maynard said other council
members would also be free
to have their own conversa
tions with the candidates,
but no formal interviews be
fore the entire council are
planned.
Maynard and Morris are
expected to make a recom
mendation to the council at
its Sept. 2 meeting with a vote
to follow and a swearing-in
ceremony to take place at the
council’s Sept. 7 meeting.
Surg
0 continued from 1A
SCHOOLS UPDATE
The Barrow County School
System saw a little bit of an up
tick in positive cases last week,
though case numbers remained
low at most of its campuses.
According to the latest data
released by the district Tuesday
morning, 86 students tested pos
itive for the week of Aug. 9-13,
with 30 of those cases coming
at Apalachee High School and
another 11 at Barrow Arts and
Sciences Academy. Twenty-two
district employees had test pos
itive since July 31, according to
the data. The district is providing
weekly updates every Tuesday
morning.
STATE UPDATE
Gov. Brian Kemp announced
Monday, Aug. 16, that the state
was committing more money
to more than double the num
ber of temporary hospital staff
to cope with the current surge
in COVID-19 cases and related
hospitalizations.
The governor also announced
Monday that state offices will
be closed on Friday, Sept. 3, in
advance of Labor Day to encour
age state employees who have
not been vaccinated to schedule
a shot on or before that day.
Kemp also doubled down on
his previous declaration that
the state will remain “open for
business” despite a recent rise
in COVID-19 cases, hospitaliza
tions and deaths driven by the
highly contagious delta variant.
“We will not shut businesses
down,” Kemp said. “We will not
prevent families from earning a
paycheck.”
The governor also defend
ed his decision not to impose a
mask mandate on teachers and
students in Georgia schools.
However, he said he would
support any choice individual
schools or school districts might
make to switch to online classes
for a short period of time due to
a rise in COVID-19 cases.
While some school districts
in the area have started off the
school year with mask mandates,
Barrow County schools have not
yet moved to mandates.
“Let the schools deal with the
individual situations they have,”
Kemp said. "That’s better than
one size fits all.”
Overall, over 1 million Geor
gians have contracted COVID-19
since the pandemic began. About
90% of the current cases involve
the delta variant, DPH Commis
sioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said
Monday.
The virus has resulted in
22,060 confirmed or probable
deaths in Georgia as of Tuesday
afternoon, according to DPH
data.
Dave Williams of the Capitol
Beat News Service contributed
reporting to this story.
Award
continued from 1A
David has that very rare
calming nature that got
Nixon through a tru
ly challenging time and
gave my mama heart total
peace.”
MAKING
A DIFFERENCE
With COVID-19 raging
at the time of Nixon’s ad
mission, all visitation at
St. Mary's was shut down
to protect patients and
staff against the then-un-
treatable virus.
Meanwhile, Nixon
was trying to cope with
the severity of his own
illness - his Duchene’s
had progressed to the
point that he had to have
a breathing tube inserted.
He felt very alone.
As he went through
his many tests and treat
ments, the separation
from Deirdre weighed
on him. Gladys not only
provided nursing care; he
listened, making himself
a link between mother
and son.
As Nixon warmed up
to him, he confided that
he felt he could cope with
being in the hospital if he
could just get his Playsta
tion.
Understand, with the
breathing tube in place,
Nixon struggled to talk.
But with his Playstation,
he could communicate
with his mom through
text messages.
Gladys made it happen.
“That really put my
mind at ease, and it put
Nixon at ease, too,” Deir
dre said. “I just can’t say
enough.”
A LIGHT
IN DARK TIMES
Toward the end of Nix
on’s two-week stay, the
St. Mary’s nursing lead
ership agreed that Nix
on and Deirdre needed
a compassionate exemp
tion from the visitation
policy. Deirdre credits
Gladys with advocating
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for their need to be to
gether.
“I was there to witness
what a truly amazing
nurse he is,” she said in
Gladys’ DAISY Award
nomination. “He was
patient and kind. He en
couraged Nixon through
learning his new trach
tube and was so attentive
of Nixon’s needs. David
also listened to my con
cerns and advocated with
us to make sure our con
cerns and wishes were
heard. All Nixon’s nurses
at St. Mary’s were excel
lent, but David was ex
traordinary.”
The memory of that
compassion stayed with
Deirdre and Nixon after
his discharge. It provided
comfort as his condition
continued to worsen.
There is no cure for
Duchene’s, and nearly
everyone diagnosed with
it dies in their 20s. Nixon
fought to live life to the
fullest.
His fight ended on July
20, 2020.
‘I JUST WANT TO DO
THE BEST I CAN’
In accepting the award,
Gladys echoed what
many DAISY Award re
cipients say. They are all
smiles, often in tears, but
they are often also a little
confused. It’s common to
hear them say, “I’m hon
ored, but why me?”
“I just did what I al
ways do,” Gladys said. “I
just want to do the best I
can to help my patients
recover and have a good
outcome.”
“David is a stellar
member of our Neuro
Critical Care team,” said
Barbara Kelly, St. Mary’s
director of critical care
services.
“He effortlessly deliv
ers compassionate, qual
ity care to each and every
one of his patients. Da
vid not only impacts his
patients but, as a charge
nurse and preceptor for
the unit, he instills this
same attitude and expec
tation unto others. We are
delighted to celebrate this
recognition with David.
Although not surprising
as this is his everyday
attitude, it is very much
appreciated.”
Gladys began his ca
reer at St. Mary’s as a
new graduate nurse on
the neuroscience floor
six years ago and has
been a member of the
critical care team for
the last three and a half
years. Glady lives in Ath-
ens-Clarke County as a
newlywed with his wife,
Emily, who is also a
member of the St. Mary’s
family.
JOINING THE TEAM
Deirdre Gusek is proud
to talk about her son and
his life. He is, and always
will be, a huge part of
who she is.
Her experience with
his hospitalization at St.
Mary’s — and her previ
ous work with Titus at an
other hospital — brought
her back to St. Mary’s
not long ago. Not as the
mother of a patient, but
as a nurse on St. Mary’s
intermediate care unit.
“I love being here, the
Mission, the Core Values,
the ability to pray,” she
said. “The support I have
received is phenomenal.
I will always remember
what St. Mary’s and Da
vid did for Nixon and
me.”
CITY OF AUBURN
AD VALOREM TAX RATE
FOR THE PORTION OF THE CITY WITHIN GWINNETT COUNTY
Auburn-The City of Auburn anticipates that Property tax levies for the Gwinnett County portion of the City
for the 2021 tax year will be set at 4.951 mills. The City of Auburn, per O.C.G.A. § 48-5-32, will hold a
Public Hearing on September 2, 2021 at 5:00PM. The meeting will be held at the Auburn Council
Chambers located at 1361 Fourth Avenue, Auburn, Georgia. The City will set the millage rate on
September 2, 2021 at 5:00PM at the Auburn Council Chambers located at 1361 Fourth Avenue, Auburn,
GA. The five-year tax and levy history will be published no less than 14 days prior to the adoption.
** Due to recommendations by the CDC during the Coronavirus crisis, this meeting may be conducted via
teleconference. This is allowed by O.C.G.A. §50-14-l(g) as the public is provided simultaneous access to
the teleconference meeting. The City of Auburn may utilize the Zoom meeting app to conduct this public
hearing teleconference meeting, more information can be found on the City's website www.cityofauburn-
Ra.org.
NOTICE
The City of Auburn City Council does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be held at the Auburn Courthouse/ Council
Chambers located at 1361 Fourth Avenue, Auburn, Georgia on September 2, 2021 at 5:00 PM 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 levy, along with the history of the tax digest and levy for the past five
years. ** Due to recommendations by the CDC during the Coronavirus crisis, this meeting may be conducted via teleconference. This is allowed by
O.C.G.A. §50-14-1 (g) as the public is provided simultaneous access to the teleconference meeting. The City of Auburn may utilize the Zoom meeting
app to conduct this public hearing teleconference meeting, more information can be found on the City’s website www.cityofauburn-ga.org .
CURRENT 2021 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEA
R HISTORY OF LEVY
City of Auburn
Gwinnett District
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Real & Personal
$4,495,710
$5,436,510
$5,856,190
$5,891,870
$6,785,280
$6,890,160
Motor Vehicles
$220,720
$125,150
$81,58C
$78,15C
$88,08C
$87,61 C
Mobile Homes
$2,000
$2,000
$1,880
$1,800
$1,800
$1,800
Gross Digest
$4,718,430
$5,563,660
$5,939,650
$5,971,820
$6,875,160
$6,979,570
Less M& O Exemptions
$268,000
$270,000
$248,000
$134,190
$128,190
$124,000
Net M & O Digest
$4,450,430
$5,293,660
$5,691,650
$5,837,630
$6,746,970
$6,855,570
Gross M&O Millage
4.951
4.951
4.951
4.951
4.951
4.951
Less Rollbacks
Net M&O Millage
4.951
4.951
4.951
4.951
4.951
4.951
Net Taxes Levied
$22,034.08
$26,208.91
$28,179.36
$28,902.11
$33,404.25
$33,941.93
Net Tax $ Increase
$6,294
$4,175
$1,970
$723
$4,502
$538
Net Tax % Increase
39.99%
18.95%
7.52%
2.56%
15.58%
1.61%