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StarNews
CARROLL COUNTY, GEORGIA'S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED / LOCALLY OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Carroll Tomorrow /chamber: new faces, some familiar faces - see page 5
Mental Health Advocates: “a whole different approach here” - see page 6 \
Restaurant/Hotel Inspections - page 16 Marriage Licenses - page 26
1/4 FREE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IS VITAL TO A FREE COUNTRY StarNews monthly traditional print/StarNews Online daily local news I
NOVEMBER 12, 2023 • VOLUME 29 NUMBER 11
www.starnewsgaonline.com
Search has begun to
replace retiring county
elections supervisor
Greg Rigby to retire before end of year
Carroll County
government has
posted a job
“Vacancy” for a
county elections
supervisor. Greg
Rigby announced
his retirement in
September.
See SUPERVISOR page 14
Rigby
County school board
names interim member
Lawana Knight to fill vacancy
left by death of Clayton Kierbow
Whitesburg
resident Lawana
Knight was named
interim District 4
board member by
the Carroll County
Board of Educa
tion during its
Knight October 20, 2023,
See KNIGHT page 7
Right to Life’s 19 th “Stand for Life”
West Georgia’s Chapter of Georgia Right to Life held their
19th “Stand for Life” annual event October 21st in Carrollton
along Highway 27 south from Stripling Chapel Road to the
Verizon store. The roadside was lined with “Pro Lifers” - those
who want to give a voice for preborn and aged. For more
information: Duane.hack46@gmail.com Duane Hack, 470-
370-2452. Photo and information submitted by Duane Hack
State EPD to provide oversight on plan of action
by nursing home to finally halt raw sewage spill
According to Brian Boutelle, EPD, over Stormwater and Drinking Water, a plan of action has been submitted
Yet to be determined whether nursing home owner will be held liable for damages to “waters of state”
Current owner purchased Carrollton Nursing and Rehab 2 years ago from Great Oaks, owner/operator for 26 years
story by Sue Horn
In the October 15, 2023 edition of StarNews, a front
page story related the long time and ongoing sewage spill
from an area nursing home into Buck Creek which flows
into the Little Tallapoosa River. Five videos documenting
the sewage spill are posted online at
www.stamewsgaonline.com. A large sewage pond has
grown (estimated 13,000 gallons a day for years) to an esti
mated 1/4 acre. And, according to the Carroll County
See SEWAGE SPILL UPDATE page 10
See November 7th ELECTION
RESULTS page 14
Carroll EMC Board
contributes $50,000 to
Tanner Cancer Care
from press release
Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative
(EMC) Board of Directors announced a
$50,000 contribution to Tanner Medical
Foundation to benefit the Roy Richards, Sr.
Cancer Center at Tanner Health System.
“Carroll EMC is thankful to be able to sup
port Tanner’s Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center
with this donation on behalf of our members
and employees who have fought and are fight
ing this horrible disease,” said Carroll EMC
Chief Executive Officer Tim Martin.
See $50,000 page 17
UWG’s “A Day to Give
West” raises S2.09M
$2,094,075 is a record amount in the 41
years of the university’s annual fundraiser
from press release
University of West Georgia hosted its 41st
annual “A Day to Give West” raising
$2,094,075, a record amount for this annual
longtime fundraiser. Included in the funds
raised, were contributions made to homecom
ing student royalty and supporters of UWG
Athletics through crowdfunding campaigns
See UWG RECORD AMOUNT page 17
Two female county employees file
EEOC Charge of Discrimination
against board of commissioners
based on “gender” and “retaliation”
Communications Director Ashley Hulsey and Solid Waste Director
Jacqueline Dost filed against board specifically citing Commissioner
Ernie Reynolds for most of the complaints, Commissioner Tommy
Lee for at least one, and “other male commissioners” for subjecting
the two females employees to a hostile work environment
story by Sue Horn
Two female Carroll County employees each have filed a complaint
with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on the
“Charge of Discrimination” based on gender and retaliation, October 4,
2023, against the Carroll County Board of Commissioners. Each com-
See GENDER/RETALIATION DISCRIMINATION page 9
Circles of West Georgia: 20,000families
living in poverty in Carroll County
8 year old chapter of a community-driven program that “inspires”
and “equips” families and communities to get out of cycle of poverty
story by Wayne J. Reynolds
“There are 20,000 families living in poverty in Carroll County. This
means one in four children here is living in poverty. That number is one
in three children in Haralson and Heard,” said Michael Berg, director of
Circles of West Georgia. “Circles of West Georgia is an innovative,
community-driven way to affect poverty. It is different from simply
providing assistance to people in poverty. Circles’ mission is to inspire
and equip families and communities to thrive, ending poverty.”
Berg said Circles’ program participants see life-changing results.
Families who stay in Circles 18 months drastically increase their assets
and earnings. Initial research showed that for every one dollar ($1)
invested in Circles, two dollars ($2) in welfare and food stamp subsi
dies was returned to the state and four dollars ($4) to the community as
new earned income.
See CIRCLES OF WEST GEORGIA page 13
Celebrating my 37th year in Practice £r Going Strong!
507 Alabama Ave S, Bremen
www.drtempleton.com
Family Health and Wellness Center
"Now accepting new
patients specializing in auto
injuries and chronic illness. We
honor all available health plans.
Serving two locations:
Villa Rica and Bremen."
C/i/y?op/t/7f//fr Cafte,
Accepts over 80 different health plans including Medicare, Aetna, Cigna, BCBS, and United Healthcare
921 S. Carroll Road, Villa Rica
770-459-8782
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