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SrarNewl "Faithfully Reporting on What Matters" ^tate of Carroll 2019 OCTOBER 2019 • VOLUME 25 NUMBER 10 www.starnewsgaonline.com The Annual State of Carroll County Edition AGRICULTURE • INDUSTRY- GOVERNMENT • LEGISLATIVE HOSPITALS • LABOR • ELECTRICAL SUPPLY • WATER SUPPLY FINANCIAL - EDUCATION • RECREATION • CHAMBER See Governor Brian Kemp page 9 See Labor Commissioner Mark Butler page 10 CARROLL COUNTY, GEORGIA'S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED LOCALLY OPERATED NEWSPAPER Star News monthly traditional print publication /StarN ews Online daily local news Southwire hosts annual “Business Update” luncheon for area leaders Early voting begins Oct. 14th for Nov. 5th Elections Two square off for Carrollton mayor: Incumbent Walt Hollingsworth and former probate judge Betty Cason Three in the race for Villa Rica mayor: Dominique Conteh, Michael Day, and past councilman Gil McDougal Carrollton-based company: $6 billion in sales last year by Sam Gentry The Carrollton-based Southwire Company held its annual ‘Business Update’ luncheon Thursday, October 3, 2019 at ‘The Depot on Bradley’, (renovated historic train depot) Bradley Street, Carrollton. Rich Stinson, Southwire president and CEO, spoke of the company’s growth, community impact, and innovations to a hill house of area leaders. See SOUTHWIRE page 4 Carroll County in drought level D0-D2 D0-D2: “Abnormally Dry” to “Severe” by Sam Gentry Carroll County has experienced intense heat and dry conditions this summer. With record setting temperatures showing promi nence and below average rainfall as the new normal, drought conditions now exist. As of late September, the entire state of Georgia, with the exceptions of small parts of Seminole and Early counties, was in a drought at some level. In Carroll County, drought levels currently range from Abnormally Dry (DO) to Severe (D2), according to the precise location. See GEORGIA DROUGHT page 3 Burn permits now allowed, but extreme caution advised High fire danger impacts outdoor burning from press release Georgia’s current drought is impacting decisions to burn outdoors. The Georgia Forestry Commission is urging everyone to follow established procedures and exercise See BURN BAN LIFTED page 3 by Prissi Sullivan Carrollton mayoral candidates, Betty Cason and incumbent Walt Hollingsworth, presented their views in a public forum hosted by the Carrollton-Carroll League of Women Voters, Wednesday, September 25, 2019 in the municipal chambers, Carrollton City Hall. In addition to questions formulated by the League, queries were taken from the audience and live streamed from Facebook. by Prissi Sullivan Three candidates are competing for the position of mayor of Villa Rica: fomier council member Gil McDougal, Dominique Conteh, and Michael Day. Generally summing up the candidates, McDougal and Conteh are for good growth in the city, and candidate Day is opposed to growth in the city stating, “Growing is unacceptable. . . if you want a ‘big’ little city, Douglasville is over there.” New voting machines include paper and photograph trails Shown above is one of the new Dominion Voting touch screen machines that Carroll County voters will use for the November 5th Municipal Elections (see stories above). Carroll County is one of a few counties in Georgia to test the new paper trail voting machines. For the past 17 years, Georgia vote counters relied on an electronic count only. The new touch screens have a printer attached that will produce a paper confirmation which the voter will have the option to accept or reject. The accepted confirmation will then be inserted into a scanning tabulator. The new system also allows for a photographic record of each ballot. Photo and information by Sue Horn See CARROLLTON MAYORAL RACE page 40 See VILLA RICA MAYORAL RACE page 6 City of Bow don mayor seat: Incumbent Jim Chaffin and newcomer Logan Jackson by Prissi Sullivan Two candidates, Incumbent Jim Chaffin and newcomer Logan Jackson, are vying for the mayor’s seat in Bowdon. The election will be held See BOWDON MAYORAL RACE page 48 2015 SPLOST collections until March 2021: $14-$15M more projected to be collected County’s portion of 2015 SPLOST is $59.8M: $45M has already been collected, $40M has been spent Chairman Michelle Morgan hires analyst to determine “needs” of 2015 voter-approved SPLOST project ad-min building/parking by Sue Horn In November 2013, Carroll County voters approved a $96M SPLOST that included “acqui ring, constructing, and equipping a County Administration Building and parking associated therewith”. Collections began April 1, 2015 -with a stop collection date of March 31, 2021- for the county’s portion of that SPLOST of $59,894,400. Four years since collections began, and six years after voters approved, the ad-min building project See $$ AD-MIN BUILDING page 43 Restaurant inspections Who passed? Who failed? Where are you eating this week? Page 49 Obituary Listing Page 42 Marriage Licenses / Pistol Permits / Births / Cattle Page 49 LIKE US at facebook.com/ StarNewsGaOnline Walt Hollingsworth Mayor of Carrollton CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY CITY CONCERNS: WALT HOLLINGSWORTH CELL: 770-328-7118 • OFFICE 770-832-2371 HOLLINGSWORTHWA@AOL.COM