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IV pi* 55# m 9 r Peach IritK- County's £ 7 . § ♦ h
Vol. 126 Issue No. 28 10,8011
Legal Organ For Peach County, City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron
No
Answers
Yet in
Double
Death
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
Initial investigations did not reveal
the cause of death for two county
residents found dead last week.
According to Peach County
Sheriff Terry Deese. deputies found
Carolyn Fountain, 63, and her son
David Giddens dead on August
I. Fountain's daughter called the
Sheriffs Office after she couldn't get
in touch with her family members
and smelled a strong odor.
The two bodies were found on the
floor of the mobile home's kitchen/
living room area. Deese said. The
two might have been dead for up to
a week. Investigators found no sign
of forced entry or foul play.
Interviews with neighbors turned
up no suggestions either person had
any history that would have caused
any one to do them harm. Deese
said.
Deese said the state crime lab per¬
formed autopsies and found no gun¬
shot or stab wounds or any signs of
violence, Deese said. Investigators
are awaiting the results of toxicol¬
ogy reports, but those will not be
available for several months.
Local Weather Forecast
Wednesday, Aug. 10
High
96°F
Overnight
Low 71 °F Partly
Clouay
Thursday, Aug. 11
High
9 6°F
Overnight
Low 72 °F Partly
Clouay
Friday, Aug. 12
High
95°F
Overnight Mostly
Low 72 9 F Sunny
Saturday, Aug. 13
High
93*F
Overnight
Low 73 *F Scattered
Thunder Storms
Sunday, Aug. 14
High (A
93 *F
Overnight "F Stuttered
Low 72 Thunder
Storms
Monday, Aug. 15
High 92*F
■
Overnight Mostly
Low 72°F Sunny
Tuesday, Aug. 16
High G
92*F
Overnight 73*F Sonny
Low
H
B0E roves Voting Districts
County, D0J Approval Still Needed
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Democrats from Peach and Houston counties held a picnic at South Peach Park last Saturday. Participants said the event's purpose was to
show support for President Obama on the occasion of his 50th birthday earlier this week, as officials well as including increase the ability Commissioners of area Democrats. Melvin
Picnickers gathered around a cardboard likeness of the President ana First Lady. Elected County
Walker and Mike Dinkins, and former Byron City Councilman Jesse Hall were among those enjoying burgers, hot dogs, and Dot Crumbly's
Photo by Victor Kulkosky
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
Peach County's new voting districts
got their first stamp of approval last
week from the Peach County Board of
Education.
At their regular meeting on August
2, the BOE unanimously approved
the proposed redistricting map that
County Commissioners had presented
at a public hearing earlier that evening,
Schools Get Nod for Progress
With Low-Income Students
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
The Peach County Schools won
recognition and $50,000 from the
state for making academic progress
with low-income students.
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£ 5 ?
William Grace, right enlisted help qranddaughter/great-grand booth the Maya, Byron
left ond Miracle Brawn to out with a at
Community Yard Sale last Saturday. Miracle is so named because
she survived after birth at just 24 weeks. The Pulaski County n
moved to Byron recently after decades in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Grace said he's enjoying ti
after years of urban living
At the public hearing. Board of
Commissioners Chairmen Melvin
Walker said the revised district map
was put together during meetings
between himself. Vice Chairman
Martin Moseley, BOE Chairman
Jamie Johnson, BOE Vice Chairman
Ben McDaniel, County Manager
Marcia Johnson and County Attorney
Jeff Liipfert.
Walker said some changes were
necessary following the 2010 Census,
The Georgia Department of
Education annually honors four
School districts through its Title I
Distinguished Districts program. Title
I districts have high percentages of stu
dents eligible for free or reduced-price
lunch, an indication of low income.
which showed Districts 1 and 4 gain
ing population. District 2 losing and
District 3 staying roughly the same,
Districts I to 4 needed about 6,900
people each. Walker said.
Peach County has five voting dis
tricts, four with specific territory and
a fifth, at-large district that covers
the entire county. The districts are
the same for the BOE and Board of
Commissioners,
The map shows the most signifi-
Students from such backgrounds often
score lower on standardized tests.
A document from the DOE says
Title I Distinguished Districts “have
made the greatest gains in the percent
[sic] of economically disadvantage
students meeting or exceeding state
standards’’ on assessments from the
previous school year to the present
year. The awards were announced in
June, near the end of the 2010-2011
school year.
The DOE grants Title I Distinguished
status to four schools each year
according to four size categories:
Extra Small (enrollment under 2j000),
Small (2000-3,999). Medium (4000
-9099) and large (10000 and up).
Peach County won as a medium-size
district.
AYP Results for Peach and Similar School
Systems
Mow ore AYP resufes lor Peodt County and other counties with a population between 25,000 ond 35,000
ond enrollment between 3,000 ond 4,000, (Hong with neighboring counties. Enrollment as reported to Go.
00£ in March 2011.
Sc hods/AYP AYP Y/N Grad tote 1
Peach Co. 6/1 N • 2.7
Haralson Co 6.4 N 64.5
HortCo. 5/2 N 829
Lumpkin Co, 5/5 Y 90.2
Monroe Co. 6/5 N 83.1
Toma* Co 7/3 N 71.0
Toombs Co. S/2 N 72.1
White Co. 7/4 N 90.7
Bibb Co. 40/15 N 59 3 2
Houston Co. 37/30 N 83.1 2
Macon Co. 3/0 N 85.5
Taylor Co 4/1 N 68.5
Source Go. Dept, d Education: hlpv'/www doe 112,§aWindei ospt
1 - State minimum far AYP purposes - 85%
2 - Aneroge a< Iwgh schools reporting graduation role.
cant changes in Districts 1 and 2.
The existing District 2 includes a
large share of the City of Fort Valley
and extends east between Georgia 96
and Georgia 49, ending at a curving
line before 1-75. The new District 2
extends east all the way to the county
line as well as further north. District
I, which covers the northeast comer of
the county, including parts of Byron, is
now smaller after giving up some of
Continued to page 3_
The recognition comes with a
$50,000 award, a plaque, and a banner.
At last week's meeting. Superintendent
Joe Ann Denning posed with Board of
Education members in front of the
banner, holding the plaque along with
Board Chairman Jamie Johnson.
The $50000 may be used to pay
bonuses to staff and teachers or to buy
instructionally related supplies and
services.
In another recognition Gifted
Services Coordinator Mary Jean
Banter introduced some members of
Team IMPACT, the districts Future
Problem Solvers team, which fin¬
ished 4th in an international competi¬
tion earlier this year that was held in
Wisconsin. The team's complete
Continued to