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EW5 PAP ER PROJ EOT
V. OF GA
GA 30602
Peach County's best news and advertising source... since 1888
Peach County, Georgia
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Photo by Stacey Shy
Bagging the big one!
Local angler Mike Simmons went to a favorite fishing spot in Unadilla in search of bass and for the kind of day
all fisherman enjoy outdoors. Fishing with heavy tackle and 30 lb. test, Simmons caught the 19+ pound striped
bass pictured! As if that weren't enough, he also caught a 12 pounder and a 13 pounder, both of which were in
the car while we were taking the picture of "the catch of the dayl"
Wednesday, October 14
Gov. Treutlen Chapter NSDAR
will meet at 3 p.m. at the Evans
Cantrell House. Mrs. C.W.
Peterston will present the pro¬
gram entitled "Preparedness,
Price of Peace."
Clean Community Commis¬
sion will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the
community room of Thomas
Public Library.
Thursday, October 15
Peach County Junior Live- -
stock Association will meet at
7 p.m. in the high school agricul¬
tural building.
Peach County Historical Soci¬
ety will meet at 7 p.m. in the
McArthur-Saxon house at the
corner of Miller St. and Central
Avenue in Fort Valley.
Saturday, October 24
Jallhouse Alley Art Associa¬
tion will present their Art Show
and Sale in the fellowship hall of
Fort Valley United Methodist
Church from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Thursday, October 29
Peach County Hospital Auth¬
ority will meet at 11 a.m. in the
conference room of the hospital.
Fort Valley Lions Club will pre¬
sent the annual Halloween Car¬
nival next to the county court¬
house between 6 and 9 p.m.
Catch Braves Fever!!!
Tomahawk Chop Them Into
The World Series-Again!
Oaklawn still not
what it should be
Rose Pearson of Fort Valley
wants to notify those who signed
the petition to get the attention of
the members of Fort Valley City
Council regarding the condition of
the Fort Valley cemeteries that the
monthly meeting of City Council
is Thursday, October 15 at 7:30
p.m.
"Those cemeteries aren't much
better than they were,” said Pear¬
son. "I hand delivered a request to
the mayor and council on Septem¬
ber 23rd asking that they advertise
for bids for the work in the legal
organ and that all applicants be
considered. We just can't let this is¬
sue die."
The council had asked for two
weeks to remedy the complaints in
the cemeteries at last month's meet¬
ing. More than two weeks have
passed and Pearson said that citizens
are still not satisfied.
"I just want to remind people that
the council is meeting again and
that we need to address them again
concerning the cemeteries and get
someone out there working on
them who can do it right," she said.
When You See News Happen. Call Z IK lUKv cv- Z rifctitu', Your Hometown Newspaper, at 825-2432
Wednesday, October 14, 1992
Bus drivers continue to
negotiate with Bd. of Ed.
Peach County school bus drivers
became a little upset when they re¬
ceived their checks from the Board
of Education and noticed an unex¬
plained cut in pay. The action
prompted a series of meetings be¬
tween a committee elected to repre¬
sent the drivers and School Supt.
Gene Sheets, as well as Board
Chairman Charles Vinson.
Some confusing and erroneous
statements were bantered about,
causing other meetings to take
place.
The county receives $5881 per
driver (Peach County has 32
drivers) per year from the state of
Georgia. That figure includes allo¬
cation for social security, sick leave
and a yearly physical. The money is
supplemented by local funds and the
total monies are paid to the drivers
over an entire calendar year. The
summer months have not been
supplemented by local funds.
There had been an error made in
the computer system in the board
office which caused the allocation
of the entire state sum to the
drivers, rather than the sum, less
the social security, sick leave and
physical allocation. This caused the
driver's to actually be overpaid last
year. —
The lower figure received this last
month was a correction on last
year's error.
Although Sheets wished to han¬
dle the matter internally, a story ran
in last week's Byron Gazette that
further upset the drivers.
Negotiations between the two
bodies have been harmonious and
the drivers want the parents of the
county to know that their children
will continue to be transported to
school in the usual manner without
interruption of a rumored, but un¬
planned, strike.
Budget requests are heard
By Hallie Rigdon
Ed Hamilton, president of Peach
County Clean Community Com¬
mission, and Wilton Walton,
chairman of the Peach County
Hospital Authority, were the only
two people to appear before the
Peach County Commission to re¬
quest further consideration of their
budget requests in last Wednesday
night's public budget hearing.
Hamilton asked that their organi¬
zation be put back into the budget
to continue the worthwhile work
that had been accomplished. Hamil¬
ton turned in a report which showed
the commission that over 1503
tons of recyclables had been kept
out of the landfill.
The Hospital Authority thanked
the commission for their indigent
School Board needs tax dollars
to avoid borrowing money
By Kevin Osborne
Mr. Sheets, school board Super¬
intendent, presented a letter to the
school board from Dwight Byrd,
Tax Assessor for Peach County,
regarding the tax digest for 1992.
The digest is almost three months
late. Byrd said the schedule is made
up by the Chief Tax Assessor, and
said it is scheduled to go out Octo¬
ber^
Sheets said, "We need those tax
dollars. If we don't get some money
before Christmas, we may even end
up having to borrow money."
The digest has a 30 day waiting
period after it is released. If there
are more than five percent appeals,
it could take even longer for the
Volume 103, Issue 42
TRO continued after first
hearing on the annex
By Hallie Rigdon
Peach County Superior Court
Judge Walker P. Johnson ended two
days of hearing testimony Friday af¬
ternoon and continued the tempo¬
rary restraining order issued to stop
the letting of bids for the construc¬
tion of the Byron Annex.
On Tuesday the court heard tes¬
timony from Commissioner Jack
Taylor who put on record those ac¬
tions of the County Commission
he felt violated Georgia Codes. He
cited the appearance of the drawings
for the Byron Annex by the Macon
architectural firm of Sides and Pope
which had never been brought up
for discussion or vote. Taylor went
on during questioning to cite in¬
stances when the other commis¬
sioners had had discussions to
which he was not privy where deci
sions had been made regarding the
annex.
Elected constitutional officers,
Judge Deborah Hunnicutt and Mag-
care support and asked that if there
were surplus funds available in the
county that the commission con¬
sider allocating $300,000 to the
hospital for purchase of new
equipment to upgrade bookkeeping
and services to the community.
The commission will meet again
to go over the budget and take a
look at the $1 million surplus of
funds.
County Clerk Tom Franklin said
that income exceeded budget in sev¬
eral areas, like the Probate Court;
some appropriated funds were not
spent, and some tax revenues were
collected that were not expected.
Franklin also clarified the actual
interest earned on the hospital bond
and said that it had been around
$98,962.
taxes to be paid.
They also discussed the lottery,
and voted unanimously to go on
record as opposing it. "I’m opposed
to schools being financed by
chance, said Sheets. "It gives
youngsters the wrong ideas and is
morally wrong."
It looks like Georgia High School
Association Championship football
games won't be played in the new
Georgia Dome. The Board agreed
to go ° on record opposing vT playing *’ l
Ute games in the dome, citing the
fact that the games should be
played where merchants of the
town who have supported the teams
have the opportunity to watch the
games.
14 pages, 5 inserts
istrate Judge Linda O'Neal were
asked if they needed facilities in By¬
ron. Neither felt it was necessary at
this time.
Defense attorney Ted Moore of
Moore and Moore in Perry made a
motion to throw the case out,
"They haven't proven that the
commission did anything wrong.
There is no evidence to support
their position."
Judge Johnson, however, chose
to hear further testimony.
Commission Chairman Glen
wood Hill testified during the after¬
noon and continued on Friday.
Hill was asked about alleged ille¬
galities in connection with the pur¬
chase of Commissioner Johnny
Smith's land in Byron.
Hill said that the commissioners
contacted the attorney for the
Georgia Association of County
Commissioners, their own attorney
an( l had spoken to Peach County
Assistant District Attorney Wayne
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Photo by Hallie Rigdon
It's time for the ghosts and goblins to haunt residents!
This lovely home on Forrest Drive is ready for the onslaught of Trick-Or-Treaters that come out each Octobeer to
check out the neighbor's to see what goodies lie in store. The Halloween Carnival will add to the fun!
Halloween Carnival coming Oct. 29
treating for the youngsters in the
community. Come in costume and
visit all the merchants in downtown
before walking over to the court¬
house for the carnival!
Houser & Lee Insurance will
sponsor a pumpkin carving contest.
Judging will be at 8 p.m. on the
wall in front of the courthouse.
The Fort Valley Woman's Club
is sponsoring a Halloween Cos¬
tume Contest. Judging will be on
the steps of the courthouse at 7:30
Fort Valley Lions Club will once
again present their holiday classic
Halloween Carnival on Thursday,
October 29 from 6-9 p.m. in the lot
adjacent to the Peach County
Courthouse in downtown Fort Val
ley.
Many fun activities have been
planned for this family-oriented fun
evening for all.
downtown merchants will be
open from 5:30-6 p.m. for trick-or-
Jailer lives in limbo after a
year of waiting for justice
By Hallie Rigdon
Former Peach County Sheriff’s
DepL jailer Willie Frank Brown, Jr.
has been on paid suspension from
the jail since October of last year.
His case remains unsettled, despite
his efforts to get into court and get
the matter settled once and for all.
In September of ’91, Brown en¬
tered the cell of Eugene Griggs to
remove pornographic pictures from
his cell wall. Griggs was accused,
and has since been convicted of,
rape and assault. Griggs resisted
Brown and the two scuffled,
Brown was suspended pending a
GBI investigation. The report from
the GBI found no fault on either
side and merely attested the testi¬
mony of both parties.
Brown was suspended, re-instated
^en re-suspended, sometimes
P a y anc ^ sometimes without
f.f y ' Unable to solve the matter
through normal course, Brown re
tained Warner Robins attorne
Ri charfs to represent him.
Richards sought a hearing before
the County Commission. The hear
ing was Finally held in the spring of
this year. The commission decided
to maintain the suspension but re¬
instated Brown's back pay and con¬
tinued to pay him while on suspen¬
sion.
In the interim, inmate Eugene
Griggs filed charges against Brown
for simple battery, a misdemeanor.
Griggs is serving time in the Jack
son Correctional Facility.
County Commission Chairman
Glenwood Hill said the night of the
decision that Brown deserved to
have a speedy trial to settle the mat¬
ter and said that he would urge As¬
sistant District Attorney Wayne
Tillis to expedite the matter.
Nothing has ever happened. There
has been no hearing. There is a case
backlog, according to Tillis.
Brown's life for the past year has
been in constant turmoil. When he
applies for other work, a back¬
ground check turns up the unheard
misdemeanor charge still pending
against him in Peach County.
Last week, Brown's father, Rev.
Willie Frank Brown, Sr., removed
himself from the bond he signed
when his son was charged with
simple battery by Griggs. Brown,
Jr. refused to sign a recognizance
rani i
Tillis. He felt the opinions indi¬
cated "we were not doing anything
illegal."
Plaintiffs attorney Garland Byrd
spent a great deal of time Friday
questioning what was and what was
not entered into the official minutes
of the county, after county commis¬
sion meetings. He also questioned
Hill regarding the Regional Devel¬
opment Commission Comprehen¬
sive Plan adopted for Peach
County. The latter, though signed
by the county in compliance with
state law, was never mentioned in
the minutes.
After both sides rested, Byrd
submitted a thick brief to Judge
Johnson rather than making a clos¬
ing argument. After discussion with
both attorneys, Johnson said he
would accept briefs and render a de¬
cision at a later date.
The temporary restraining order
was continued by Johnson pending
the outcome.
p.m.
There are three categories for en¬
trants to the contest: Age five and
under; ages six to 11 and the 12
years and over category. A prize
will be awarded in each group.
Any group or civic organization
who wish to have a table or booth
for the carnival should contact
Jimmy Jones at 825-8454 or 956-
4587 for information. More will
follow in next week’s newspaper.
bond. They thought it would pro¬
voke the sheriffs department to ar¬
rest Brown, Jr. and expedite a hear
mg.
Instead, Brown received a copy of
a letter from Sheriff Becham’s at¬
torney John Draughon, which had
been sent to his attorney, Pamela
Richards.
In the letter, Draughon states,
"We believe that this action by
your client is merely a ploy in order
to .enhance his claim for damages in
the pending lawsuit against Sheriff
Becham. For this reason, Sheriff
Becham does not intend to take Mr.
Brown into custody and place him
in detention."
Brown had filed a discrimination
suit with the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission for dis¬
crimination because he believed he
had been discriminated against when
passed over for his request for patrol
duty. All of this took place before
the incident with Eugene Griggs.
Brown remains in a state of!
limbo after more than a year's time
and Peach County taxpayers con¬
tinue to pay the salary of a jailer
who does not work in the Law En¬
forcement Center.