Newspaper Page Text
Page 6 - Wednesday, January 12, 2022
The Sylvania Times
thesylvaniatimes.com
City Council
Briefs
These are the approved minutes
from the December 14, 2021
meeting of the City of Sylvania
Council minutes held at 6 p.m.
in the Cail Building. Present
were Mayor Dees and Council
Members Bolton, Kirkland,
Lovett, Scott and Sheppard.
Council recognized Mayor
Pro Tern Sheppard and city
of Sylvania retirees Belinda
Mandelik, Sally Holloway, and
Zandra Perkins with a plaque.
Council approved the agenda
with the removal of discussion
on the preliminary plat on parcel
S06019A on Clark Avenue and
discussion of preliminary plat on
parcel 081103D on Friendship
Road.
Council approved the minutes
from the November 16, 2021
meeting. The first reading of the
Ordinance to extend downtown
incentives to all C-l and C-2
zones.
Under new business. Council
approved a resolution to adopt
fiscal year 2022 budgets.
Council also approved the 2022
City holidays as:
Jan. 17-MLK Holiday
May 30 - Memorial Day
Jul 4 - Independence Day
Sept. 5 - Labor Day
Oct. 10 - Columbus Day
Nov. 11 - Veteran’s Day
Nov. 24 - Thanksgiving
Nov. 25 - Day after
Thanksgiving
Dec. 23 - Christmas Eve holiday
Dec. 26 - Christmas Day holiday
Council approved the
third amendment to the
Intergovernmental Agreement-
Blockstream for the Adel
Premises and authorized the city
manager to execute the same.
City Council then approved
City Manager Mathis to sign an
agreement to sell excess reserve
capacity to the City of Adel.
Council then approved the
sale of Georgia Public Web. A
motion was made and approved
to execute the Resolution
Authorizing the Fourth
Amendment to the contract
with MEAG regarding Georgia
Public Web and authorizing the
city manager to sign and the city
clerk to attest the documents
giving consent to Georgia Public
Web Inc, to sign the purchase
agreement to consummate the
sale.
The Council decided to close
the Senior Center until a replace
ment for a director can be found.
The meeting was adjourned at
6:59 p.m.
2022 fishing regulations
now available
Start planning your fishing adventures for the new year and be
sure to review the updated 2022 Georgia Sport Fishing Regula
tions Guide, says the Georgia Department of Natural Resourc
es’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
“Whether you are brand new to fishing or an experienced
angler, you can always find something of interest in the Sport
Fishing Regulations Guide,” said Scott Robinson, Chief of the
WRD Fisheries Management Section. “This publication is de
veloped with the help of fisheries biologists and staff to ensure
it has the most current and accurate information on regulations
and new opportunities and anglers can access it in multiple
ways, including online, from our Outdoors GA app or in the
printed copy.”
Anglers should note there was delayed production of a printed
copy of the 2022 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations guide due
to paper accessibility and manufacturing issues. It is anticipated
the print version will be available by the end of January. The
guide can now be found online at http://www.eregulations.com/
georgia/fishing/, or through the Outdoors GA app. If you need
a printed copy sooner, a pdf of the publication will be available
online.
The 2022 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations Guide provides
information such as a color fish identification chart for both
freshwater and saltwater fish, license purchasing information,
contact information for Wildlife Resources Division and Coast
al Resources Division fisheries management offices and DNR
Law Enforcement offices, trout stream listings, public fishing
area information, state record fish listings, fishing regulations
for Georgia and much more, (photo contributed).
Georgia voting rights groups suing over
new congressional map
-Capitol Beat News
Voting rights organizations and a group of Georgia voters filed a federal lawsuit Friday challenging new congressional district lines
the Republican-controlled General Assembly drew during a special session last fall.
The suit claims the new boundaries for Georgia’s 6th, 13th and 14th congressional districts unlawfully diminish the voting strength of
voters of color.
“The Georgia legislature has ‘cracked’ and ‘packed’ communities of color in the congressional districts map, denying voters of color
an equal voice in elections,” said Jack Genberg, senior staff attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center. “This map must be rem
edied to prevent harm to Georgia’s communities of color for years to come.”
The legal challenge to the congressional map follows a lawsuit filed last month making similar arguments in opposition to new state
House and Senate maps Republican lawmakers drew over the objections of legislative Democrats.
The new lawsuit charges the newly drawn congressional map violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by inten
tionally denying Black communities in Georgia representation and, therefore, equal protection under the law.
Specifically, the plaintiffs accuse GOP legislative leaders of shifting voters of color out of Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s 6th
Congressional District in Atlanta’s northern suburbs and replacing them with white voters from suburban and rural counties further
north.
McBath, D-Marietta, responded to the changes by declaring her candidacy for the 7th Congressional District seat, pitting her against
incumbent Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, D-Lawrenceville, in May’s Democratic primary.
On the other hand, according to the suit. Republicans pieced together Black voters from six counties to pack the 13th Congressional
District served by Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, reducing Black voting strength in surrounding districts.
The suit also objects to a move late in the special redistricting session to draw voters from predominantly Black portions of Cobb
County into the 14th Congressional District of conservative Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome, made up primarily of
white mral voters.
“Georgia's political maps must reflect the interests of the people - not the politicians,” said Aunna Dennis, executive director of Com
mon Cause Georgia. “These maps intentionally discriminate against Georgians of color by silencing our voices at the ballot box.”
The League of Women Voters is also a plaintiff in the case.
During the special session. Republicans cited the need to balance the populations of each congressional district within a single voter
in drawing a new map that is expected to help the GOP build its majority in Georgia’s congressional delegation from 8-6 to 9-5.
State legislature across the country redraw legislative and congressional maps every 10 years to reflect changes in population reflect
ed in the decennial U.S. Census.
Screven Co. cancels MLK
-Joe Brady
Sylvania Times Editor
The Screven County Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee announced
last week the cancellation of all MLK, Jr. activities for the month
of January. The committee feels that the safety and health of the
community is more important. “Please know that we remain
committed to Martin Luther King’s philosophy in promoting
academic excellence, community service, and humanitarian ideals,”
a spokesperson for the committee explained.
celebration
Martin Luther King, Jr
1929 - 1968
Georgia’s Southern
District recovers over $36
million in bank and covid
fraud
The Southern District of
Georgia recovered more than
$36 million in criminal and civil
actions in Fiscal Year 2021,
including nearly $24 million in
civil actions and more than $4
million in restitution to crime
victims.
Additionally, the Southern
District of Georgia U.S.
Attorney’s Office worked with
other U.S. Attorney’s Office and
components of the Department
of Justice to collect an additional
$47,853 from criminal actions
and $23,000 from civil actions,
said David H. Estes, U.S.
Attorney for the Southern
District of Georgia.
The Southern District’s
recovery total in 2021 was $26
million higher than 2020’s
$10.7 million total, including
$20 million in the Argos USA
settlement coordinated with the
Department of Justice Antitrust
Division.
“Asset recovery is a vital part of
our office’s role in enforcing the
law and protecting citizens and
the public treasury,” said U.S.
Attorney Estes. “Identifying
and collecting these restitutions,
forfeitures and judgments and
initiating the actions to recover
these funds helps to ensure that
crime does not pay.”
Examples of major recoveries
in FY 2021 through the U.S.
Attorney’s Office Financial
Litigation Program include
nearly $1 million in restitution
in a Savannah bank fraud case;
more than $218,000 in restitution
to repay funds embezzled from
a Statesboro medical practice;
and more than $177,000 in
restitution of funds from an
Appling County phamiacist’s
healthcare fraud scheme.
Additionally, the U.S.
Attorney’s Office, working with
partner agencies and divisions,
recovered more than $8 million
in asset forfeiture actions in
FY 2021, ranking the Southern
District of Georgia U.S.
Attorney’s Office second in the
nation among Medium-sized
districts across the country.
The recovered funds included
those from money-laundering
investigations, proceeds
from fraud - including from
COVID-19 programs - and
proceeds from drug trafficking,
illegal gambling and animal
fighting. Forfeited assets
deposited into the Department
of Justice Assets Forfeiture
Fund are used to restore funds to
crime victims and for a variety
of law enforcement purposes.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices,
along with the Justice
Department’s litigating
divisions, are responsible for
enforcing and collecting civil
and criminal debts owed to
the U.S. and criminal debts
owed to federal crime victims.
The law requires defendants
to pay restitution to victims of
certain federal crimes who have
suffered a physical injury or
financial loss. While restitution
is paid to the victim, criminal
fines and felony assessments are
paid to the department’s Crime
Victims Fund, which distributes
the funds collected to federal
and state victim compensation
and victim assistance programs.
LEADERS continued from page 1
-Joe Brady
The Sylvania Times Editor
Screven County is mourning
the huge loss of two local leaders
of the community. Bobby Smith
and Dr. A.L. Freeland died
Saturday, leaving their family
and friends grief stricken.
Bobby Smith was the long-time
chairman of the Screven County
Development Authority. “For
12 years he led our organization
with vision, determination, and
wisdom,” explained Dorie Bacon
with the SCDA. In addition
to SCDA, Smith was also
director of the Planters Electric
Membership Corporation, a
director for Oglethorpe Power
Corporation and Georgia EMC
Board of Directors. “During
his tenure on the development
authority, Bobby helped create
over 500 new jobs including the
Claxton Poultry Sylvania Plant,
ELK Distribution Center, Omega
Piezo Technologies, JEI, New
Bay Technology, and several
existing industry expansions,”
Bacon concluded.
Bobby leaves behind his
wife of 46 years, Kaye Smith;
two sons, Jason and Justin; 5
grandchildren; 1 brother, Andy;
three sisters, Miriam Thompson,
Paula Raines, and Lydia Bragg.
Please see his full obituary
inside this edition.
Dr. Arthur Linton “A.L.”
Freeland was a long-time
educator. He started his career
as a history teacher at Claxton
High School where he was
named STAR Teacher twice.
He was principal of Annie
Daniels Elementary School on
Millhaven Plantation as well as
at the Effingham County High
School, and Jasper County
High School.
In 1985 Dr. Freeland accepted
the principal position of Central
Middle School and oversaw
the transition from CMS
to Screven County Middle
School. He created the “A Walk
Through Time” living history
project which earned accolades
from the National Middle
School Association. Dr. Jim
Thompson, superintendent of
Screven County Schools said,
“Dr. Freeland was a steady
presence of calm and wisdom.
I taught under him at the middle
school, and he showed respect
to everyone.”
After his retirement, A.L. was
honored with the A.L. Freeland
Chapter of the National Junior
Honor Society at SCMS.
He was a board member
and member of the Sylvania
Rotary Club. “Dr. A.L. lived
and breathed the rotary motto.
Service above self. We will
continue to look up to him.”
Andy Clifton, current president
of the Screven County Rotary
Club said.
A.L. is survived by his wife of
54 years, Jewelle; one son, John;
one daughter, Ann; and four
grandchildren. Dr. Freeland’s
service will be held Thursday,
Jan. 13 at the Screven County
Memorial Park Cemetery at 11
a.m. Please see his full obituary
inside this edition.
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