Newspaper Page Text
y CARROLL COUNTY, GE
StarNews
CARROLL COUNTY, GEORGIA'S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED LOCALLY OPERATED NEWSPAPER
NEWS REPORTING / NEWS RECAP / NEWS ANALYSIS
AUGUST 2020 • VOLUME 26 NUMBER 8
www.starnewsgaonline.com
StarNews monthly traditional print publication /StarNews Online daily local news
Runoff: Tues. Aug. 11
Three runoff elections in
Carroll: state court judge;
state representative District
28 Republican candidate;
state senator District 30
Democrat candidate
Carrollton Center for
the Arts to kick off
performance season
with cocktail party on
August 20 th
Runoff Candidates STATE COURT JUDGE
Erica Tisinger Met Lane
Runoff Candidates STATE SENATOR
DISTRICT 30 DEMOCRAT
Montenia
Edwards
James
Runoff Candidates STATE
REPRESENTATIJ E DISTRICT 18
Tyler Paul Smith Cason Hightower
by Prissi Sullivan
The Carroll County Primary Election
Runoff is Tuesday, August 11th (early vot
ing ended Friday, August 7th). This runoff
See RUNOFF AUGUST 11th page 4
from press release
The Carrollton Center for the Arts’ 2020-
2021 season will bring a broad spectrum of per-
fonnances, exhibits and special events to down
town Carrollton into the coming year. The cen
ter kicks off its performance season with a
cocktail party, Saturday, August 29, 2020, 6-
7:30 p.m. The gathering will feature food and
spirits and costs $20 to attend. An Evening with
Shawn Megorden, follows, featuring the vocal
See ARTS SEASON page 13
Mysterious/unknown
seed packages from
China being delivered
to U.S. residents
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary
Black warns residents to not touch seeds/
mail packages to state agri department
The Georgia Department of Agriculture has
been notified that several Georgia residents have
received unsolicited packages containing seeds
that appear to have originated from China.
Recipients are strongly advised not to open the
packages or plant the seeds.
“At this time, we are not sure what the seeds
are and therefore are urging everyone to be
exceedingly vigilant,” Georgia Agriculture
Commissioner Gary W. Black says. “If you have
received one of these packages in the mail, please
use extreme caution by not touching the contents
and securing the package in a plastic bag.”
Carroll County Extension Agent Paula Burke
said, “We got our first report/call in Carroll
County of unsolicited China origin seeds being
delivered to residents through the United States
See UNKNOWN SEEDS page 8
Area schools open for fall semester
under various CoVID-19 rules
by Sue Horn
Due to the continuation of the COVID-
19 pandemic, school year 2020-2021 will
be unlike any other in the nation’s history,
as school systems struggle to find a bal
ance between keeping students and staff
physically safe from the threat of the
potentially fatal illness and achieving
actual learning milestones.
As the school year progresses, infection
rates are expected to rise. This could force
school boards to reassess prior decisions.
This is a fluid situation that will be
affected by the speed (fast or slow) and
reach (few or many) of the infection rate.
A major factor in decisions was the
availability, or not, of internet access for
students, which, without, cannot utilize
the Virtual Learning option (learning from
home). Another major decision was
whether to mandate masks or not: each
school system has its own rules on health
safety.
At least one school system, Heard
County, is requiring assigned seating on
school buses. In the event a student tests
postive for CoVID, the school system will
be able to identify nearby students and
notify parents. Heard County School
See RETURN TO SCHOOL page 32
Villa Rica mayor issues executive order
requiring masks for city employees
and all visitors entering a city facility
by Prissi Sullivan
Villa Rica Mayor Gil McDougal has
issued an executive order requiring any
one working in or
entering a city
facility to wear a
mask covering
their nose and
mouth as protec
tion from COVID-
19 as per recom
mendations from
the CDC and
Tanner Health
System. There has
been some push-
Villa Rica Mayor back and disagree-
Gil McDougal ment, but
wears a “We Are McDougal is deter-
VR” protective mined to do any-
face mask thing in his power
to protect the citizens of Villa Rica.
Six city employees have had or have
Covid-19, including City attorney David
Mecklin. McDougal stated that even
See WE ARE MASKED page 31
Carroll County’s E-911
director and E-911
operations manager
exit their positions
The Carroll County public relations
department issued a statement that the
county’s E-911 Director Trisha Orr and
E-911 Operations Manager Tyler
Shadix have simultaneously “resigned”
their positions. No other information
was given, and the jobs have not been
posted as of press time.
Carroll County Prison Warden Jeff
Richards was appointed as interim E-
911 director until a new director is
hired. Richards will continue with his
duties as warden while interim director.
Paid for by Friends of Erica Tisinger
PO Box 2382
Carrollton. GA 30112
Please remember to VOTE in the Runoff Election on AUGUST 11th
Dear Voter,
and I am running for State Court Judge this May.
I know that you vote consistently and I want to thank
you for your civic participation.
It takes time and effort to vote. I want to express my
gratitude for your service. Without your commitment,
our local and state government doesn't work.
I am ERICA
TISINGER
© DON’T MISS AN ISSUE!
READ DIGITAL MONTHLY
1 SSU U PR / NT EDITIONS on
www.starnewsgaonline.com
n LIKE US at
facebook.com/
StarNewsGaOnline
PINTEREST
Sherryreynolds.StarNews
FOLLOW US on TWITTER
@starnewswga
contact us at:
suehorn.stamews@gmail.com
waynereynolds.starnews@ gmail. com
