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July 5, i unty's source of local news, advertising and sports for over 100 years
Board nears clashing views on hospital move
By Victor Kulkosky
L-T Staff Writer
The Peach County Hospital Authority
didn’t have a quorum at last Thursday’s
regular meeting, but got an earful about
its business from three community leaders
who offered opinions about the planned
new hospital.
The first speaker was Jim McClamon,
president of the local SunMark Community
Bank and former Chamber of Commerce
President. McClamon said the proposed
new hospital had been studied by many
people with more expertise than he has, but
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Miami Dolphin tight end Randy McMichael.
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Seepages
Classifieds... 17
Crossword... 2
Inside & Out 2
Legals ......... 14-16
Obits _______..... 9
Opinion ........ 4
Op-ed. .......... 5
Religion ........ x
Sports... ....... 11
Inserts:
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CVS
Food Depot
Harveys
Home Depot
Lamb's Well
Lowes
)l. No. 118 Issue 27 One Section. 18 Page
he brought “a layman’s prospective,” about
healthcare.
McClamon said the planned move is “a
mistake, quite possibly a fatal mistake. If I
did not come forward, I don’t think I could
live with myself.”
McClamon questioned whether manage
ment’s projected revenues for the new
hospital were realistic. He said projected
revenues for the years 2008 - 2010 were
higher than any the hospital has ever had.
He questioned whether the new facility
would actually take in the projected new
money from Byron, Centerville and Warner
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Jamie Johnson
Republican
State House of
Representatives
136th District
'The Power Of Change Is In
Your Hand'
I would like to take this oppor¬
tunity to inform you that I have
entered the Peach County Board
of Education’s, Fort Valley
School District Post 2 Election. I
believe that my opponent has
done a great job, but it’s time for
our Board of Education to soar
to a new level. In my efforts to
utilize the democratic system,
I am striving to make Peach
County School System a better
place to learn and work.
I believe that with energy, fresh
ideas, and open communication, I
am able to assist in improving our
student’s achievements and reach¬
ing our academic goals; creating a
new standard so that our School
System may serve as an exam¬
ple for others. With your help,
we can make a difference. Let’s
make it happen.
Robins. He also suggested the new hospital
could lose business PRMC now gets from
Macon, Taylor and Crawford counties and
even from Peach County,
The new location, is “too close to Houston
Medical Center,” McClamon said. “If I
have to drive from Taylor County, I’ll keep
on,” to Warner Robins,
He also asked whether PRMC could han
die the costs of the large amount of debt
it is taking on to build the new hospital,
Management has projected $1.4 million in
debt payment for 2008, McClamon said,
“If the projections aren’t right, we’re
WWIm3
By Russell Boone
Sunrise, Fla. - Miami
Dolphins and former
University of Georgia tight
end Randy McMichael is
returning to his Middle
Georgia roots, along with
many current and former
teammates, as the Randy
McMichael Foundation
hosts a charity celebrity
weekend in Fort Valley on
July 7-8.
The festivities will get
underway with a celebrity
basketball game at Peach
County High School in Fort
Valley, beginning at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
and admission is $5 for
adults and $3 for children
12 and under. Proceeds
benefit Peach County High
School and Fort Valley
Parks and Recreation.
Celebrities scheduled to
participate include Miami
Dolphins Pro Bowl wide
receiver Chris Chambers,
running back Ronnie
Brown of Cartersville,
Ga., wide receiver Kelly
Campbell, a former
Georgia Tech standout,
and linebacker Channing
Crowder of Atlanta. Former
University of Georgia
stars also scheduled to
be in attendance include
Primaries coming July 18
Anthoine is seeking the Democratic
nomination and the chance to
oppose incumbent Republican Jody
Usry. For at-large BOE Post 5,
Kay Y. Whitley, retired as school
system finance director, is seeking
the Democratic nomination and the
chance to run against incumbent
Bill Gresham, an executive with
Colony Bank.
In the other State House race,
incumbent Democrat Lynmore
James of Montezuma is running
unopposed for his party nomination
in the 135th District, which includes
southern Peach County. Tripp
Stephens is seeking the Republican
nomination.
In another significant shift, Peach
County has been moved from the
Third Congressional District to
the Second, losing the service of
two-term Democrat Jim Marshall.
Veteran Democrat Sanford Bishop
will likely win nomination to the
district, which stretches to the
Alabama and Florida borders in
the Southwest comer of the state.
Republican Bradley C. Hughes is
seeking the Republican nomination
for the Second District.
Every major statewide office is
also in play this year, including
Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
Secretary of State, Attorney General,
Commissioner of Agriculture,
Commissioner of Insurance, School
Superintendent, Commissioner
of Labor, and seats on the Public
Service Commission. Although news
of the Democratic Governor’s race
has focused on the very ugly fight
between Cathy Cox and Mark Taylor,
but Bill Bolton and Mac McCarley
are also in the race. Even Gov. Sonny
Perdue has a Republican opponent,
By Victor Kulkosky
L-T Staff Writer
Note: A statement from Tony Sellier
was published in the April 12, 2006
issue of this paper.
Topping the list of election prima¬
ries this year is the race to fill the
seat of retiring State Rep. Robert
Ray of the 136th House District. Ray
stepped down this year after nearly
a quarter century of service. Three
candidates are currently chasing
Ray’s seat, which includes northern
Peach County and several neighbor¬
ing counties. Centerville Democrat
Beth Perera is running unopposed
for the Democratic nomination. She
will likely face off against the win¬
ner of the Republican primary. In
that race, Dr. Meg Nichols, a Monroe
County resident and Macon family
physician, opposes Tony Sellier, a
Crawford County resident and Blue
Bird executive who is well known in
Peach County.
Some local races will be decided in
the primary. For Board of Education
Post 2, Jamie J. Johnson, General
Manager of radio station WXKO
in Fort Valley, is running against
incumbent Evangeline Van”
Carson. With no Republican run¬
ning, the primary winner is virtu¬
ally assured the seat. Two County
Commission seats will be all but
decided July 18. Democrat Walter
Smith, the incumbent, is running
for Post 2. Martin H. Moseley Jr.,
a Republican, is running for Post
4. Moseley is the incumbent, but
he faces the voters for the first time
after being appointed to the post two
years ago.
Two other Board of Education
seats will be decided in November.
For Post 4, in the Byron area, Jason
dead,” he said.
McClamon also criticized PRMC for
potentially taking on debt when its accounts
receivable are high and its pension is under
funded. He also suggested the projected
$25 million cost of the new hospital is too
low.
McClamon challenged newspaper reports
that quoted PRMC Administrator Nancy
Peed saying there has been no opposition to
the planned move.
“There is a great deal of concern about it
in Fort Valley,” McClamon said. Although
See HOSPITAL, page 18
New England Patriots
tight end Benjamin
Watson and fullback
Patrick Pass, Jacksonville
Jaguars Pro Bowl defen¬
sive tackle Marcus Stroud,
Atlanta Falcons quar¬
terback D.J. Shockley,
Arizona Cardinals tight
end Leonard Pope, New
Orleans Saints defensive
end Charles Grant and
Pittsburgh Steelers run¬
ning back Verron Haynes,
among others.
“I am excited to go back
home and help organize
a weekend like this for
the children and commu¬
nity of Middle Georgia,”
McMichael said. “I am
extremely thankful that
many of my current and
former teammates are
generously donating their
time to participate in these
events. We hope to see all
of Middle Georgia enjoying
the weekend’s festivities.”
The weekend will contin¬
ue on Saturday, July 8, with
a free youth camp at South
Peach Park in Fort Valley
for the first 150 children,
7-12 years old, who regis¬
ter. Registration begins at
9 a.m. The camp will be
conducted by McMichael
and his National Football
-
Meg Nichols
Republican
State House of
Representatives
136th District
Candidate Statement:
I would first like to answer the
most difficult question that can
be asked of a candidate: Why
are you running? I am run¬
ning because I have a passion for
people. I believe that one person
can make a difference. And, as
a leader, I believe that I have
the determination and tenacity
it takes to bring about positive
change. I believe in God. I
believe in family. I believe in
the sanctity of life. I believe in
America, and in the American
Dream. '
I was a single mother of four
on food stamps, and put myself
through medical school. I taught
my children that the way out
of poverty is through educa- *
tion. You see, I am the American
dream.
See NICHOLS, page 7
50#
League friends and is
scheduled to conclude at
approximately 1 p.m. The
NFL provided a grant for
the camp and Gatorade is
providing complimentary
refreshments.
A community festival,
free to the public, will
accompany the camp from
12 noon- 4 p.m., also at
South Peach Park. The
event will feature attrac¬
tions such as children’s
games, bounce houses,
a dunk tank, Bounce N’
Slide, Slip N’ Slide and
water slide and carni¬
val foods like Sno Cones
and cotton candy. Party
Playgrounds of Byron, Ga.
is supplying the festival
equipment and food and
the Days Inn-Fort Valley
is providing rooms, all at a
reduced cost.
The Randy McMichael
Foundation, a 501(c)3 orga¬
nization, was established
by Randy and Cawanna
McMichael in January
2006 to promote programs
that enhance the quality of
life for young people and
assist in the recreational
and educational develop¬
ment of youth in South
Florida and Middle Georgia
communities.