Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023
BOC
continued from 1A
$5,250.00 per Equivalent Residential Unit
(ERU).
The amendment increased this rate to
$25.50 per gallon, equivalent to $6,375.00
per ERU.
The new rate will boost revenue for the
water and sewer fund, according to the
county’s finance officer.
SPECIAL PROGRAM FUND UPDATE
Also during its Oct. 24 meeting, the board
approved a request to expand its joint de
velopment initiatives. Back in 2021, the
board formed the Barrow-Braselton Joint
Economic Development Authority (BBJE-
DA) to further drive economic growth in
the region. To accommodate these expand
ed activities, the board agreed to update the
description of the Economic Development
Special Program Fund to include the ac
tivities of the Joint Development Authority
(JDA), Industrial Building Authority (IBA)
and the newly introduced BBJEDA.
The revised description clarifies that reve
nues from these joint development activities
will be placed in a special program fund.
These funds will be dedicated to covering
the operation of the economic development
department, essential infrastructure, site
development and debt service on coun
ty-owned properties.
OTHER BUSINESS
The BOC also made the following deci
sions on Oct. 24:
• Approved the award for the design-build
phase one contract of the Barber Creek
Wastewater Treatment Facility expansion to
Reeves-Young. The project aims to expand
the facility’s capacity to 1.5 million gallons
per day (MGD). Funding for this project will
be allocated from the American Rescue Plan
(ARP) Funds, with a budget of $475,000 for
this specific phase.
• Approved revisions to the Barrow Coun
ty employee handbook that abolish the
COVID contagious illness policy, eliminate
remote work and only allow remote work
in extenuating circumstances. The county
office will remain open to the public and
staffed from at least 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon
day through Friday.
• Tabled indefinitely the purchase of 20
vehicles for the Barrow County SherifFs
Office from Akins Ford for FY2025.
• Approved lighting assistance agreements
with the Georgia Department of Transporta
tion (GDOT) pertaining to SR 316 at Kil-
crease Road and SR 316 at Carl — Bethle
hem Road. The county is set to manage the
energy, operation and maintenance of these
lighting systems once GDOT installs them.
Georgia, 32 other states
going after Meta in federal court
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia has joined a bipar
tisan coalition of 33 states in
filing a federal lawsuit accus
ing social media giant Meta
of knowingly designing and
deploying harmful features
on its platforms that addict
children and teens.
The suit, filed in U.S. Dis
trict Court for the Northern
District of California, claims
Meta knew of the harmful
impact of platforms includ
ing Facebook and Instagram
on young people and falsely
assured the public these fea
tures were safe and suitable
for young users.
“We have become increas
ingly concerned with Meta
possibly marketing to chil
dren despite knowing the
risks posed to their mental
health and wellbeing,” Geor
gia Attorney General Chris
Carr said Tuesday. “We will
not allow our state’s young
est children to be the targets
of deceptive social media
tactics, and we’re working
diligently to address this dan
gerous and alarming trend.”
The lawsuit alleges that
Meta’s business practices
violate state consumer pro
tection laws and the federal
Children’s Online Privacy
Protection Act.
The attorneys general
claim these practices have
fueled what U.S. Surgeon
General Vivek Murthy has
called a “youth mental health
crisis” that has ended lives
and damaged families.
Based on testimony from
former Meta employees, the
complaint claims the plat
forms’ algorithms push us
ers into going down “rabbit
holes” to maximize engage
ment to the point they don’t
get enough sleep.
The lawsuit seeks injunc
tive and monetary relief to
rectify the harms done by the
platforms.
Meta released a statement
Tuesday expressing disap
pointment in the states for
taking them to court.
“We share the attorneys
generals’ commitment to
providing teens with safe,
positive experiences online,
and have already introduced
over 30 tools to support
teens and their families,”
the company wrote. “We’re
disappointed that instead of
working productively with
companies across the indus
try to create clear, age-appro
priate standards for the many
apps teens use, the attorneys
general have chosen this
path.”
Nearly all the attorneys
general joining in the suit
have worked together since
2021 to investigate Meta.
The group also is looking
into conduct by social media
platform TikTok based on
similar concerns.
Eight states that did not
sign onto the federal law
suit have filed parallel com
plaints listing similar allega
tions.
State, region see
drop in unemployment
Georgia Labor Com
missioner Bruce Thomp
son said Thursday that
all of Georgia’s Regional
Commissions reported a
drop in September unem
ployment rates.
The labor force rose
in all areas, except the
Coastal Georgia Region
al Commission.
Highlights from the
Northeast Regional Com
mission include:
•The unemployment
rate was down five-tenths
to 3.2% over-the-month,
the rate was 2.6% one
year ago.
•The labor force was
up 3,426 over-the-month
and up 10,554 over-the-
year, to 331,799, an all-
time high.
•The number of em
ployed was up 4,972
over-the-month and up
8,322 over-the-year, to
321,199, an all-time high.
•Initial claims were
down 262 (-22%) over-
the-month and down 24
(-3%) over-the-year, to
923.
The Northeast Region
al Commission includes
Barrow, Clarke, Elbert,
Greene, Jackson, Jas
per, Madison, Morgan,
Newton, Oconee,
Oglethorpe and Walton
counties.
U.S. Senate panel hears
tragic stories from
Georgia’s foster care system
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
The mother of a mur
dered two-year-old girl and
a young woman neglected
and abused in Georgia’s fos
ter-care system described
their tragic experiences
Wednesday to a U.S. Senate
subcommittee.
The Senate’s Human
Rights Subcommittee,
chaired by Sen. Jon Ossoff,
D-Ga., launched a bipartisan
investigation eight months
ago into the treatment of
foster children in the United
States. The probe included a
review of audits conducted
by the Georgia Division of
Family & Children Services
(DFCS).
Among its findings was
a previously undisclosed
internal audit this year that
revealed DFCS failed in
84% of cases brought to the
agency’s attention to address
risks and safety concerns.
“What we have learned is
happening to children in the
state’s care and in the care
of state agencies across the
country is heartbreaking,”
Ossoff said. “Instead of
safety, too many children
have experienced neglect,
abuse, apathy, humiliation.”
Rachel Aldridge of Geor
gia told the subcommit
tee about the death of her
two-year-old daughter,
Brooklyn, after DFCS had
placed her in the care of her
father’s live-in girlfriend
against Aldridge’s wishes.
She suspected the girlfriend
of using methamphetamine
and believed she was dan
gerous.
Brooklyn subsequently
died of blunt trauma to the
head, and the girlfriend was
convicted of minder.
“The system designed
to protect children failed
Brooklyn at every level,”
Aldridge said. “Brooklyn
would still be alive today if
anyone at DFCS had been
willing to listen to me, her
mother.”
Mon’a Houston of Sa
vannah testified about the
five years she spent in fos
ter care, which included 18
placements, only two of
which were in foster homes.
She said she was overmed
icated because DFCS case
workers believed she was
a behavior problem, put in
restraints, and placed in iso
lation three times.
“I felt alone,” she said.
“I was overmedicated to
the point of feeling over
tired and sluggish. It hurt to
walk.”
Two expert witnesses
told the subcommittee the
failures at DFCS are not
the fault of individual case
workers but rather are sys
temic.
“We don’t give case man
agers the tools they need
and don’t listen enough to
children and their families,”
said Melissa Carter, director
of the Barton Child Law and
Policy Center at the Emory
University School of Law.
“I have witnessed a sys
tem that fails on a daily
basis to protect the wellbe
ing, health, and safety of
children and instead vio
lates their civil and human
rights,” added Emma Het-
herington, director of the
Wilbanks Child Endanger-
ment and Sexual Exploita
tion (CEASE) Clinic at the
University of Georgia law
school.
“DFCS’ overarching
structure, internal policies,
and administrative barriers
obstruct {caseworkers’}
good work, and when that
happens, our clients experi
ence extreme harm.”
Ossoff said the subcom
mittee’s investigation re
mains ongoing.
“It is imperative that this
work spur the long-overdue
reform necessary both at the
state level and in federal
policy to protect America’s
most vulnerable children,”
he said.
Recent Chateau Elan car event raises
over $90,000 to help military veterans
The recent fourth-an
nual Chateau Elan Mili
tary Support Foundation
(CEMSF) in partnership
with Chateau Elan Win
ery & Resort showcased
190 classic, exotic, muscle
and race cars from every
era, drawing in over 1,000
attendees. The gathering
of automotive enthusiasts
and supporters, held last
month, saw over $90,000
raised, with proceeds di
rectly benefiting North
Georgia military veterans
and their families in need.
Since its inception in
2019, the Chateau Elan
Military Support Foun
dation, a nonprofit orga
nization, has raised over
$300,000 to provide es
sential support to local
veterans. These contribu
tions have played a role
in addressing basic needs,
such as food, clothing, fi
nancial assistance, hous
ing support and mental
health services. In addi
tion, CEMSF has collab
orated with local veteran
support organizations,
including the Barrow
County Veterans Resource
Center, PTSD Foundation,
Habitat of Gwinnett Coun
ty, Gwinnett County One
Stop for Help...Veterans
and Family Services and
the Gary Sinise Founda
tion, to amplify its impact
within the community.
The event featured an
air show by Full Throt
tle Formation Team and
Malachi Mills, a standout
from Season 19 of Amer
ican Idol, who performed
live throughout the day.
Jay Weitzel returned as
the Master of Ceremonies
for the event. Food trucks,
a silent auction, and a new
kid zone were included.
The highlight of the
event was the presentation
of over 18 awards, cele
brating the outstanding
vehicles on display. Win
ners include:
•Best of Show: Ray
mond Jeslenski — 1957
Chevy Bel Air
•Founder’s Trophy:
Adam Faust - 2019
GT3RS
•Chateau Elan Choice:
Alan Boe - 1959 Austin
Healey
•Veteran’s Choice: Pete
Kaufman - 1967 Chevy
Chevelle SS
Class Wards:
•Foreign Cars built af
ter 2010: 1st Place: Gary
Sekulow — 2015 Ferrari
Speciale and 2nd Place
— Peter Rudnick — 2017
Porsche Turbo S
•Foreign Cars built after
1979: 1st Place — Adam
Sekulow — 1985 Porsche
911 and 2nd Place — Da
vid Levine — 2006 Lotus
Elise
•Vintage Foreign Cars
built before 1979: 1st
Place — Paul Beggs —
1963 Porsche 356 B and
2nd Place — Joseph Gar
cia — 1960 Triumph
TR3A
•Domestic Cars built
after 2010: 1st Place —
Les Cantrell — 2015 Jeep
Wrangler and 2nd Place
— Michelle Eckenroth —
2019 Corvette ZR1
•Domestic Cars built
after 1979: 1st Place —
Mitchell Amisano — 2007
Cadillac XLR and 2nd
Place — Larry Algood —
2008 Ford Shelby
•Vintage Domestic Cars
Built before 1979: 1st
Place — Dwayne Nicolous
— 1964 Ford Mustang and
2nd Place — Roger Mc
Queen — 1967 Chevy Ch
evelle
•Cruise-In Hot Rods and
Trucks: 1st Place — Reg
inald Williams — 1970
Chevy Nova and 2nd place
Marshall Ivey — 1966
Chevy Imp ala SS
The Chateau Elan Mil
itary Support Foundation
recognized the event’s
sponsors:
United Logistics, North
east Georgia Medical Cen
ter, Flatrock Motorclub,
Northeast Georgia Motor-
sports, Porsche — Atlanta
Perimeter, Stroll Chateau
Elan, Caffein & Octane
— Lanier Raceway, Co
lonial Pipeline Company,
Chateau Elan, Motorcars
of Atlanta, Cork It, Bra-
selton Brewery, Carroll
Daniel Construction, Fu-
nari Realty, The Driving
Club, State Farm — Layna
Weldon, Top-End Motors,
Jackson Electric, Town
of Braselton, Colorworks
by Duff, Issachar Capital
Group, Braselton Rotary
Club, Am Vet, Supershine
Express Carwash & Lube,
Coke — Gainesville,
Farmers Insurance, Carts-
Max, The Telford Family,
and Memorial Park Funer
al Homes & Cemeteries.
“The 4th Annual Charity
Cars of Chateau event was
a testament to the commu
nity’s unwavering support
for our military heroes,”
organizers said. “The Cha
teau Elan Military Support
Foundation extends its
heartfelt thanks to all at
tendees, sponsors, volun
teers, and participants who
contributed to the event’s
success.”
For more information
about the Chateau Elan
Military Support Founda
tion and its mission, visit
cemilitarysupportfounda-
tion.org.
Considering
((TM*R) )) buying or
selling?
770-867-9026
www.maynardrealty.com
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CITY OF STATHAM, GEORGIA
Please take notice of the following:
0-23-06 Ordinance to Amend the Charter- Sidewalks
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 1.04 OF THE CITY OF STATHAM
CHARTER TO REMOVE FROM THE CORPORATE POWERS THE
AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE PROPERTY OWNERS TO MAINTAIN
SIDEWAUKS
At the City Council meetings scheduled for November 21, 2023, and December 19, 2023,
the Mayor and City Council of the City of Statham shall consider an ordinance amending
the Charter of the City of Statham to delete Section 1.04(k) relating to the authority of the
City to require property owners to maintain in a safe condition the sidewalks adjacent to or
adjoining private property.
The meetings will be held at 7:00pm at City Hall, 327 Jefferson Street, Statham, Georgia
30666. The City Clerk shall have copies of the proposed Ordinance amending the Charter
available for public inspection any time during normal business hours at City Hall.
This 25 th day of October 2023.
This 1st day of November 2023.
This 8 th day of November 2023.