Newspaper Page Text
1
www.starnewsga.com StarNews monthly traditional print publication Sttll'NewS Online daily local news
Oak Mountain Academy
Head of School
Paula Gillispie to retire
Page 14
FARM)
- —
BLUEBERRY
LOVERS PARADISE
see Farm & Commerce pages
Pages 27-31
Columnist Jim Wyson:
“Shouldn’t civil
disobedience be more
spontaneous?”
Page 22
City of Villa Rica’s plans for
downtown hotel, museum,
and conference center
Page 7
Restaurant inspections
Marriage licenses
Cattle / Pistol Permits
Page 24
> w j) s
C _£ > ij
J>
- (/»i-n53
i|
ES ^
► v u)
-
■o>
m
X)
"O
X)
m
o
A
Legal responsibility and the
Georgia public school systems
Public schools are a “subdivision of the state”
and therefore have right of “sovereign immunity”
by Prissi Sullivan
and Sue Horn Chappell
Public school attendance is mandatory, and school age
children spend most of the school year’s time in the cus
tody of the school system. What recourse do parents have
if their child’s safety and/or well-being was compromised
while in the care of Georgia public school officials/
employees? If a child is injured physically (from neg
ligence or accident) or bullied (emotionally or physically),
a logical assumption may be that the rights of that child,
and perhaps the parents’ rights, too, would be protected by
the court system. This is an incorrect assumption.
Georgia law is squarely on the side of public schools as
they are a “subdivision of the state”, and, as such, enjoy
the right of “sovereign immunity”. The purpose of this
immunity is to protect public funds: the taxpayer money
that school systems collect (under penalty of law). Public
tax funds levied by a local board of education may be
used only for educational purposes. To use tax funds to
settle a claim amounts to a “gratuity”, which is prohibited
by the Constitution. The law protects the rights of the tax
payers so that their funds will not be used for anything
other than educational purposes. Georgia Constitution
1983 Art. I, Sect. 2, Par. 9(e) states “Except as specifically
provided in this paragraph, sovereign immunity extends to
See SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY page 12
City of Carrollton hires
new Main Street director
from press release
The City of Carrollton and the
Main Street Board of Directors has
named Mrs. Aundi Lesley as the new
Main Street Director. A native of
Dallas, Georgia, Lesley lived in
Carrollton while attending the
University of West Georgia After she
obtained a Business Management
Degree, she worked six years in a
corporate setting as an event man
ager.
“We are excited that Aundi has
accepted the Main Street Director position,” states Main
See MAIN STREET DIRECTOR page 8
Aundi
Lesley
Judge rules sufficient evidence
to proceed with case of simple
battery by Temple councilman
against citizen videographer
Case now moves from magistrate court to state court
by Prissi Sullivan
On Wednesday, June 14, 2017,
Carroll County Magistrate Judge Alton
P. Johnson ruled that there was suf
ficient evidence of probable cause to
move forward with the issuance of a
warrant for Temple Council member
Richard Bracknell for the charge of
Simple Battery against citizen/video-
grapher Dawn Adkins. This case now
moves from magistrate court to state
court.
In addition to that ruling, Judge
Johnson took to task Temple City
Mayor Lester Hannon and council
members, admonishing them for both a
lack of safety at and control of their
public meetings.
Johnson said, “Temple is too good of
a community to let this happen. Temple
is just not run well.”
He continued, “This all could have
been avoided if there had been proper
rules and if an officer had been
present.”
This case of simple battery began at
the Temple City Special Called
Meeting of Mayor and Council held
Tuesday evening, March 28, 2017.
See BRACKNELL page 3
Villa Rica hires Tom Barber of
Fayetteville as interim city manager
while working out details for full time
position: starting pay is $115,000
by Prissi Sullivan
After an executive session during a
special called meeting Thursday, July
6, 2017, Villa Rica Council members
voted unanimously to hire Tom Barber
Thomas Wallace elected to
Temple City Council seat:
total of 293 citizens voted
by Sam Gentry
In the June 20, 2017 Special
Election to fill the Temple City
Council Ward 4 seat, a clear winner
was selected.
See THOMAS WALLACE page 5
as interim city manager for two weeks
while complete terms of a permanent
contract are considered. According to
See $115,000 page 5
Railroad crossing to be
closed for 24 hours on
Wednesday, July 19th
Norfolk Southern Railroad has
announced that the railroad
crossing at Bradley Street,
Carrollton, will be closed for up to
one full business day while the
railroad makes necessary repairs
on Wednesday, July 19,2017.
The spot for your
local Italian food
120 Alabama Street Carrollton GA 30117
678-890-1030
latrattoriaclassicitalian.com
404.538.7732 • 77o!s37.FORD
claytonj128@yahoo.com
We now have wine flights!
METALPROS
■ INCORPORATED*
Specializing in Metal Buildings
Call the
needs!
