Newspaper Page Text
. Wednesday . March 3 1999 Peach County's source of local news, advertising and sports for over 100 years,..
r r. nrr ‘akr-tribune
Vol. No. 110. Issue 9 2 Sections, 16 Pages
FVPD now has
Crime Stoppers
telephone line
Want to turn in a criminal or
give information about a
crime?
The Fort Valley Police
Department ha* established a
number which citizens can call
and leave information they
may have concerning criminal
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Peach' !
Inside&O IT
FREE 8HVDNAH
Two free car maintenance and
safety seminars tor women will
be held in Peach County One
will be held at the Fort Valley
City Hall on March 15th. from
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m The sec
ond class will be held at the
Byron Police Department on
Tuesday, March 16th, from 600
to 7:30 p.m It is perfect for any
woman who wants to know
more about car maintenance
and safety Encourage your dm
ing daughters to attend If inter
astad in attending, please call
HODAC’s victim resource at
912-953-5675 for reservations
Seating is limited
Prk-K application
Little Peopl< Pre-K w now tak
mg applications for the , 99’00
school year Children must be 4
years old cm or before Septem
bar 1,1989. This m a FREE pits
gram funded by the Georgia lot¬
tery. Call Kathy or Linda at
826-71221 between 8:00 a m
and 6:00 p.m , for details
Footer homes needed
The Peach County Depart¬
ment of Family and Children
Services need families who are
willing to provide stable and
loving homes for children
requiring temporary or perma
nent care. If you are interacted
in becoming a foster and/or
adoptive parent please call
(912)825-6438
Veterans Service
A r e p re s en tative of the Geor¬
gia Department of Veterans
Service will be in residence each
Wednesday afternoon from IKK)
pm. to 4:00 p m to assist you m
veteran related matters at the
Peach County Courthouse ->
across from voter registration
office
Festival sponnorhhip*
Anyone interested in being a
Georgia FWach Festival sponsor
please contact the festival office
at 825-4002
Senior cttgqenh ran .
On March 5, join the Senior
Citiaens an a trip to the GaUena
Mall in Centerville Mrs Irao
gene Mobley, Center-Director
Habitat auction
Auction Benefit Pfeach Habitat
for Humanity on March 6 at the
PACT Auditorium at 9:00 for
the Preview .-4 10 00 for the
Auction.
Refreshment*, Bargains. Fun,
And Community Spirit Guaran
toad. Call 825-2704 or 963-2488
activity in the city It is not
neceaaary to give your name or
phone number However, the
ability to contact you will
greatly assist the department
in solving the crime or resolv
ing the problem All informa
tion will be kept in the
strictest confidence
To give your report, DIAL
827-1899 This number can be
reached 24-hours a day.
Remember if vou have an
emergency can 911
Community
help sought
by police
The Fort Valley Police Depart¬
ment is asking for assistance
from the community with the
investigation of the murder of
James Taylor
To date the investigation has
revealed tiiat Mr Taylor was last
seen with a black male, approxi
mately 5*8" to 6' tall and medium
build, brown complexion, with
short haircut (See Photo)
Anyone having any information
Composite of suspect.
concerning this incident or the
identity of this individual is asked
to call the Fort Valley Police
Department CRIME STOPPERS
line at 827-1899 or Detective
Sergeant Spurgeon at 822-6981.
Byron
renews
agreement
Byron City Council’s regular
meeting, held in the wake of the
racetrack controversy, was short
and to the point
After the approval of the min
utes, council members took up
the question of renewing a solid
waste collection agreement with
Sullivan Environmental Ser¬
vices. The collection services
costs Byron residents $6.75 per
month
Members voted unanimously to
Members also voted unani
mously to appoint James
Richardson to fill the unexpired
term of recently deceased
Edward Richardson an the plan
rung and zoning board
Council members took up the
question of retaining the Geor¬
gia Municipal Association for the
purpose of handling telecom
franchise fees Members
expressed concern about fran¬
chise tax revenue from Altell
communications
Council woman Pat Joiner
spoke in support of retaining
GMA. Members voted unani
mously to retain GMA at an
annual cost of $2J276.
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Fort Valley Fire Chief Lewis Moye and Otis Daniel, assistant
tire chief, stand with the chief’s new car. This one. a 1999
Crown Victona. white with red lettering, replaces the 1988 red
Industry survey forthcoming
To help provide continuing improve
ment to the operating environment for
local industries in Peach County, the
Development Authority of Peach County
will soon be conducting a survey, using
local volunteers, with our area indua
tries
The effort is designed to provide local
governments am! our ongoing economii
development operations with data on the
wants, needs and perceptions of indus¬
tries in our community An analysis
this information will become the basis for
{ •- gam Special .11 . .1 . m i . ... . . . ■»■" I -. I » mm I ■ • ■ ■■■ — ■ IWg
report
Georgia 12th highest in AIDS
The
A 1999 report by the Geor¬
gia Department of Human
Resources calls it an epidem
tc
Published in January, the
AIDS backgrounder reports
says the “HIV/AIDS epidemic
continues to grow in Georgia ’
In September of 1998 there
were 19,645 cases of Aids
diagnosed in the state. The
report notes that “as many as
27,000 Georgians are estimat¬
ed to be infected with the HIV
virus, giving Georgia the
eighth highest number of Aids
cases in the United States and
the twelfth highest rate of
Aids per 100,000 persons ’
Aids is infecting more worn
en. with an increase from 4%
to 21% of aids cases since
1984 occurring among
females
DHR explains that “many
infected women are sex part
ners of men who have used
drugs or have had sex with
other men ’
“The fastest growing group
infected with AIDS are those
becoming infected through
heterosexual conduct.* the
car the chief drove tor many years His old car, along with
another fire department vehicle will be auctioned oft
PHOTO BY STACEY SHY
establishing action programs that will
improve the operating environment for
our local industries Most importantly,
however, these interviews foster continu¬
ing communication between local govern
ment and existing manufacturers This
enables local governments to focus its
resources and leverage assets toward
activities that will bring about job growth
and other positive results The survey
and the appropriate follow-up. demon
strates a commitment by local govern¬
ments to meet the needs of our business
report adds
As more women become
infected with HIV, more chil¬
dren may be born with HIV
infection
The report notes that “about
one in five babies born to HTV
infected women are infected
themselves"
Teenagers are becoming
infected Teenagers of both
sexes an* at nsk for infection
Many Georgians with AIDS
who were diagnosed in their
twenties were probably infect
ed as teenagers, because the
symptoms of full-blown AIDS
do not appear until an aver
age of ten years after infection
with HIV.
“Homosexual and bisexual
men are still the largest num
ber of people living with
AIDS. Despite strong commu¬
nity-based efforts, recent
studies suggest that young
gay men are engaging in
unsafe aex, so continued edu¬
cation and outreach to the gay
community are essentia!"
The report notes that drug
use is a major factor in the
transmission of HIV and pro
vides an extended explana
tion
“People who use injected
community
Since the majority of new jobs come
from the expansion of existing successful
businesses, an economic development
effort that does not unclude existing com
panics will fall short of its desired goals
It is easier to attract new businesses if
existing companies are successful and
expanding lacal companies who are con
vinced their community is a good place to
do business often become ambassadors to
their vendors and suppliers and other
prospective new firms
drugs often contract the virus
when they share needles with
an infected person
They may also become
infected through sexual activi¬
ty With infected partners who
have used injection drugs, or
by trading sex for drugs or
money to buy drugs
Even alcohol use may
increase high- risk behavior
because it reduce* inhibitions
and interferes with decision
making
Syphilis and HD’ continue to
be found frequently among
users of crack cocaine and
their sex partners
Many cocaine users trade
aex for drugs In addition, the
sores resulting from syphilis
and other common sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs)
like gonorrhea or chlamydia
make a person more suscepti
trie to becoming infected with
HIV Tlie rise in STDs assoc I
a ted with crack use may have
contributed to increases in
AIDS case reports in Georgia *
“More African Americans are
becoming infected." according
to the report.
"Early in the epidemic, moat
cases were reported among
white men However, though
50c Per Copy
African Americans an- 27*T of
the state’s population, 72*T of
new cases in 1997 were
among African Americans
AIDS continues to be the
leading cause of death among
African-American men and
women ages 20-44“
The epidemic is increasing
gradually in rural areas and
small towns
"About 26 percent of the men
who have been diagnosed with
AIDS, 42 percent of the worn
en, and 47 percent of children
with AIDS live outside
metropolitan Atlanta In rural
areas, resources are scarce
and people needing help are
more dispersed and therefore
harder to reach with treat¬
ment as well as prevention
efforts
The major impact of the
AIDS epidemic in Georgia is
felt among the rural and
urban poor Each year, more of
these cases are heterosexual
teenagers and young adults,
more are parents of young
children, more have histones
of substance abuse, more are
homeless
AIDS in the next millennium
will continue to be a disease of
families