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SiarNem CARROLL COUNTY, GEORGIA'S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED / LOCALLY OPERATED NEWSPAPER | A FREE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IS VITAL TO A FREE COUNTRY StarNews monthly traditional print/ StarNews Online daily local news 1 JANUARY 14, 2024 • VOLUME 30 NUMBER 1 www.starnewsgaonline.com Qualifying for State Senate District 30 Qualifying for State Senate District 30 seat is Ashley Kecskes Godwin, one of four candidates. Godwin lives in Carrollton, was valedictorian of Mt. Zion High, earned a BA in political science University of Florida and an MBA from University of North Florida. Godwin qualified as a Democrat. Election is February 13th. Dugan resigns; Special Election for State Senate District 30 scheduled for Tuesday, February 13th Longtime well-liked and well-supported State Senator Mike Dugan resigned immediately following the December unveiling of the new redistricted maps, and announced he’s running for Congress District 3 from press release Longtime District 30 State Senator Mike Dugan resigned January 4th in the wake of the redistricting maps made known in early December. Senator Dugan issued a strong and lengthy statement (see StarNews December 10, 2023 edition, pages 16 and 30) expressing his disagreement and strong disappoint- See SPECIAL ELECTION page 14 CANDIDATES DISTRICT 30 STATE SENATE Democrat: ASHLEY KECSKES GODWIN Republicans: TIM BEARDEN ROBERT “BOB” SMITH RENAE BELL Election will use NEW District 30 MAP check website below after Jan 22. for your precinct location or if new boundary lines no longer include you in this district www.mvp.sos.ga.gov One week after decisive win as Villa Rica’s new mayor, Leslie McPherson is targeted by losing incumbent Gil McDougal and council with accusations of “malfeasance” McDougal bypasses City Attorney with Resolution to investigate McPherson City Manager Tom Barber publicly threatens to quit if McPherson is elected story by Sue Horn and Janice Daniel On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, after executive session, Mayor Gil McDougal and Council of the City of Villa Rica voted to re-convene their regular meeting for the purpose of consideration of a Resolution to use investigative powers to determine if former council member and mayor- elect, Leslie McPherson, was guilty act(s) of “malfeasance”. See MALFEASANCE page 14 Commissioners adopt new “rolling” procedure for electing board vice-chair Each commissioner already assigned a turn as vlce- chalr In the upcoming years beginning Jan. 2025 Vote was 4 to 3, with Commissioners Clint Chance, Tommy Lee and Ernie Reynolds opposing story by Janice Daniel The Carroll County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. fora regular (monthly) meeting, the first of the new year. In the annual election of commission board vice-chair, District 1 Commissioner Montrell McClendon made a motion that included two parts: 1: that District 4 Commissioner Steve Fuller serve as vice-chair for January-December 2024; and 2: instead of electing a vice-chair each year, that position would be rolled over automati cally to the next commissioner yearly by district number; that in January 2025 the District 5 Commissioner would be vice-chair, in January See COMMISSION page 9 State Ag Commissioner: protecting Georgia’s farmland through legislation to restrict/ban land purchases by foreign adversaries story by Wayne J. Reynolds Statewide, agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry. In a November 2023 article in James Magazine, State Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said, “Over the past few years, doz ens of states have passed legislation restricting or banning for eign adversaries from purchasing American farmland, and I believe it’s past time for Georgia to lead the charge by adding its name to the list. As Georgia’s 17th Agriculture Commissioner, I look forward to working with our Legislature to do just that dur ing the upcoming legislative session to protect our farmers, our farmland, and our state’s number one industry.” See AG COMMISSIONER HARPER page 4 State Senator Matt Brass gains two Carroll County precincts in redistricting Brass’ District 28 now includes half of Carroll County geographically with one-fifth of the population story by Wayne J. Reynolds Georgia State Senator Matt Brass repre sents Georgia District 28 which includes Coweta and Heard, as well as portions of | Troup, Carroll and Fulton Counties. Under the redistricting recently approved by a federal judge, Senator Brass gained new voters in two precincts in Carroll County. Senator Brass explained, “When I was elected back in 2016,1 had four precincts in Carroll, but two years ago in redistricting, I lost Carroll County. I now have two of those precincts back, including Whitesburg and the Kansas area. It is basically the area south of the City of Carrollton. This is about half the land mass of Carroll County, but a fifth of the population.” See BRASS page 20 Sec of State calls on General Assembly to pass bill to increase penalty for anyone transmitting false public alarm from press release In the wake of recent incidents across the country involv ing swatting and bomb threats, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Ralfensperger condemned all acts of political intimi dation, and called on the General Assembly to take up the original version of legislation he proposed in 2016. As a See FALSE PUBLIC ALARM page 7 Brass i Till INK i r 2— ■ 1 ^ M EMM 111 A mm _ 1 outsida tfia BottCe 1 If you live with pain, you have good days and bad days. But what if you felt good all the time? That's the life you deserve. And it begins with an appointment with Dr. Ralph Templeton DC, who is trained to treat chronic pain Sc chronic fatique acmm. wlthoat resortin 9 to « *>*,*. CmMMIie ifaih It's the natural way to stay healthy. 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