About Fayette County news. (Fayetteville, GA) 2009-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2009)
WEDNESDAY January 7,200* Volume 133 • No 2 50 Cents www.fayettedailynews.com k i>!!<l!iiii!!n|f IIIII ||!j n,ll I..I!, mi i i n . :7*i *♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦++♦*♦*", i • 1 ' 11 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 1 * ■ 1 =■ * ■ ‘ i... i 27+1 ♦******m*m*** all for adc GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT main LIBRARY - UGA # ' ATHENS GA 30602-0001 SPORTS: Kyle Bowman is making noise at West Georgia See Page SA VIEWS: Rich Lowry: There’s been worse years See Page 4A fgrfilllTT I 16188 Don't Know Will Hurt Them School board considers furloughs, other options Board leadership By Cindy-Morley Fayette County’s school board leadership will remain the same for the next year. Members of the Board of Education re-elect- stays the same ed Terri Smith to serve another year as board chairman during Monday’s organizational meet ing. Lee Wright will again serve as vice chairman (See Page 2A) By Cindy Morley CINDY@FAYEnEDAILYNEWS.COM Fayette County school officials are looking for answers... Answers that they hope will have the least impact on employees while they attempt to over come an anticipated deficit of at least $1.8 million in the current budget year. Monday night, members of the Fayette County Board of Education began discussions on several possible cost-cutting measures, although they won’t take any action until the Jan. 27 meeting. “The Superintendent and members of the Board understand that employees have already made a lot of sacrifices this year, and they appreciate that,” said Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, spokesperson for Fayette County Schools. “However, they are looking at a deficit of at least $1.8 million in this current budget, and that must be addressed.” The school system is also at risk of losing at least $3.5 million next year if the state does away with the homeowners tax relief grant next year. Board members listened to several options for cutting costs during Monday’s meeting, including furloughs for some contracted 10, 11 and 12 month employees, the reduction of the salaries for pre kindergarten para-professional teachers, deferred (See Page 2A) Fayette County News is back Goes to three time a week You’re not seeing things. That’s right. We are now the Fayette County News and you’ll being seeing us each Tuesday, Thursday and on the weekends. We have been running a foot race with the unpredictable economy in Fayette County, for over a year and we have decided the best way to serve our readers, our advertisers and our community is to publish three times a week beginning this week. “It was a decision made to better serve our com munity,” said Chuck Morley, publisher of the new Fayette County News and Today in Peachtree City. “Our news will be more timely with the new schedule, plus our writers and editors will have more time to give our readers better in-depth coverage of the communi ty- “We remain the only subscription-based news paper in Fayette County and another plus for our readers is that subscrip tion rates will be going down and those readers who have subscribed to the Fayette Daily News or to Today in Peachtree City will be getting a three-month extension to their newspaper.” The Fayette County News is also the legal organ for Fayette County, Brooks, Tyrone and Today in Peachtree City is the legal organ .for PTC. Legals will be pub lished on Tuesdays. Like we said, our news paper has been running a foot race with the sodden economy, like many oth ers businesses in Fayette. “We are making these changes to make sure we don’t end up losing that race,” Morley said. Celebration... Fayette Dawgs get in on Citrus Bowl action It was a Dawgone big celebration for two Georgia Bulldogs from Fayette County New Year’s Day at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Former Fayette County Tiger Brandon Boykin and former Starr’s Mill Panther Chad Gloer saw a lot of action during the Georgia Bulldogs’ and had a lot to celebrate after the win over Michigan State. More on Page 5A. (Staff Photo by Cindy Morley) Fayette County foreclosures take 44 percent jump in January By Tom Kerlin T0M@FAYEnEDAILYNEWS.COM After falling below 100 three months in a row, fore closure notices on homes in Fayette County climbed almost 45 percent for January. The first month of 2009 sees 128 foreclosure notices published in The Fayette Daily News, the legal organ for Fayette County. That compares to just 89 notices in December. The January number represents a 44 percent increase from December. Foreclosure notices pub lished in the newspaper dropped below 100 in October and remained below that mark for the last two months of the year. October foreclosures totalled 94 and November’s number was 99. Even though the numbers are higher, they still haven’t reached the September high of 141. Karen Gibler, Associate Professor for the Department of Real Estate at Georgia State University, said the drop in foreclosure rates could have been caused by the “seasonal nature of real estate.” She also said “lenders could be dragging their feet to avoid creating more inven tory” in the foreclosure mar ket. State rep confident ot $1 pack smoke tax A budget deficit of more than $2.2 biiliort creates a lot of interest in a tax hike on a minority of the state, giv ing one legislator hope for passage of his bill to raise the cigarette tax by $1. Rep. Ron Stephens, R- Savannah, predicted the prospect of $350 million in additional revenue could be the leverage that prompts legislators to support his tax hike, House Bill 39. An identical bill never got out of the House Ways and Means Committee last year. His biggest challenge? "The leadership does n't want to put some of us elected people in a position that might cause them to get beat," he said. (See on Page 2 A) It. Gov. waiting tor consensus road plan from coalition Cagle also says he won’t stand in way of Sunday liquor sales when legislators convene By Dick Pettys With fresh pressure building from the business community to get some thing moving on new road taxes, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle says he still intends to push a bill through his Senate in the first week of the upcoming session - if the Get Georgia Moving Coalition, gives him a consensus plan it endorses. It hasn't yet, he said. Cagle also said Monday he won't stand in the way of Sunday liquor sales if the Senate wants to debate the issue but has "no appetite" for legislation expanding concealed weapons laws to allow weapons to be carried in more places. "We all know where we sit in terms of congestion in metro Atlanta," he told reporters during a 40-minute brief ing a week ahead of the session's open ing. "I have been very clear to the Get Georgia Moving Coalition that it's my desire to see a consensus plan come forward that they will endorse, that will allow an option for the region. “ It's an option that has worked over time." Asked if he would present his own measure if he doesn't receive what he perceives as a consensus bill from the interest group, he replied: "I have asked them to bring a bill which they endorse to the Senate, and we are still waiting on that." Efforts to pass a tax increase for roads were underway throughout last year's session but collapsed in the clos ing hours when Cagle's Senate twice rejected a measure to allow voters in regions to decide whether to impose a sales tax on themselves to fund trans portation improvements. An expected candidate for governor in 2010, Cagle has devoted consider able effort since then trying to repair damaged bridges with the business community over the issue. A potential roadblock to Cagle's new transportation effort in the upcoming session could be House Speaker Glenn (SeePage 2A) myyyi C A VETTED AII vklGUiC ffttl ICkmIL 1 lYfcffaiwlVI 04879 12633 8 1
