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GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT
i» UNIV OF GA
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These items were discovered in a county building last week in a hiding
place, apparently prepared for smuggling into the county jail. The con¬
traband includes tobacco products, cell phones and accessories, cash
and marijuana. Photo Contributed by Peach County Sheriff's Office
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Vol. 126 Issue No. 33 500
Legal Organ For Peach County ; City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron
Adorable Pet Salon
and Kare-N-Kanines
T
Presents Kanme Karnival
for Pets
October 29, 2011
from 9 am i p.m. at 200
Agin Street, Byron, GA
Activities include: nail clip¬
pings for a $1, Pet Microchips
$20, Pets for Adoption and
much, much, more!
Pet Costume Contest:
Categories: Spookiest, Most
Creative, and Best in Show.
Confesf to Benefit Peach
County Animal Rescue: Dog
Food, Blankets, Pet Supplies
or cash donations for register¬
ing you pet in the contest.
Development
Authority
Keen on
T-SPLOST
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
The buzz among business boost¬
ers across Georgia is all about the
Transportation Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax referendum sched¬
uled for next year, and that buzz was
also heard at last week's meeting of
the Development Authority of Peach
County.
Executive Director Charles Sims
told the authority board that for the
purpose of the T-SPLOST, the state
has been divided into regions,, with
Peach County in the 11-county Region
6. Each region will either pass or
reject the T-SPLOST as a whole.
Sims said officials from each region
and were asked to prioritize their proj¬
ects to be funded by the T-SPLOST.
Four projects are in or of interest to
Peach County. One is the widening
of Chatman Road. Another is the sec
second phase of the Russell Parkway
Extension, which will add about one
mile to the road to connect with John
E. Sullivan Road. Russell Parkway
currently ends at Houser's Mill Road.
The most economic impact would
come from further widening of
Georgia % up to Lake Joy Road in
Houston County. Sims said the %
widening would benefit Peach County
by increasing the appeal of the Sod
Farm site near 1-75. The City of Fort
Valley built water and sewer lines up
to the site in anticipation of the proper¬
ty becoming available for commercial
development.
The fourth local T-SPLOST project
would be the realignment of the White
Road/Georgia 49 intersection to
connect with Georgia 42.
Sims said the Georgia Chamber
of Commerce is leading efforts to
promote the T-SPLOST to the public.
“It's a fantastic opportunity if we
get our money back,” Sims said. He
said he would like to be more involved
in promoting the T-SPLOST and he
would like to see other development
authorities learn more about it.
Board Chairman William
Moorehead asked Sims to make
sure he communicates with County
Commissioners about the potential
benefits of the T-SPLOST.
In other business, Sims briefly
reported on what he called “Alice in
Wonderland" projects. He asked board
members to let him know if they hear
any news about TATS A S.A.’s plans
to move into the former Wanderfodge
Continued to page 3_
Serving Peach ( it unix / or Over 1.00 ) ears
Fall Festival
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Ihara't No Rushing Perfection. Budding artist Leah takes a moment
to assess her work. Photo by Victor Kulkosky
FVSU Homecoming
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Wkat’a Wltfc The Pink? The Peach County High School cheerleaders wave pink pom poms during last
Friday night's victory celebration. Throughout October, cheerleaders wore and waved pink and football
players wore pink gloves and accessories for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Photo bt Victor Kulkosky
Meet Candidate
My name is Beth Collins. I am a
candidate seeking re-election for the
At-Large post on the Fort Valley City
Council. It has been my pleasure
imate Stash Found in
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
Give inmates at the Peach County
Jail an A+ for ingenuity.
According to a statement from
Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese.
on October 19. Peach County Public
Works Director Paul Schwindler called
the Sheriffs Office to report discov¬
ering drugs hidden at the county's
workshop on Spruce Street. An inmate
work detail is based in that building.
The Sheriffs statement said
a sergeant from the Department of
Peach County's Newspaper
to represent the entire city on the
Council for the past twelve consecu¬
tive years and also four previous years.
During this time I have been fis¬
cally conservative as 1 feel we must
watch our city expenses carefully. For
the last year, the City has put S28OJ0OO
into the reserve fund which was nearly
depleted We budgeted to do so again
in 2012.
We are so proud of the many
improvements around our town
that have been accomplished by the
Department of Public Works. I worked
very hard for a positive change in this
department.
An issue considered extremely
important is work on our stormwa-
Corrections was showing Public
Works staff some places in the shop
where contraband could be hidden for
inmates to pick up and bring into a
jail. It was during that visit that Public
Works discovered two large trash bags
containing tobacco, cell phones and
marijuana (see photo).
The discovery followed several
recent break-ins in which nothing was
stolen.
According to the Sheriffs statement.
Sgt. Miller said cell phones would sell
for $250 in prisons, while cigarettes
Lane's
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Artist at Work. Eddie Booth of
the Centerville carves Festival. a pumpkin Photos by at
Lane's Fall
Victor Kulkosky
T~' rfse
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Unforgettable Eddie Booffi's Fata. The One of
creations. Lane
Southern Orchards Fall Festival
was a benefit for the Children's
Hospital at the Medical Center of
Central Georgia.
The FVSU Danc¬
ing Dolls and Blue
Machine Marching show
Band put on a
during the annual
Parade Homecoming last
Satur
day. with hosts The day march- began
of
ing bands and floats
decorated in the
theme "Valleywood" and
contin¬
ued with a 52-3
Wildcats football
win. Photo by Victor
Kulkosky
ter system. At my personal request
to our city engineer, he developed a
comprehensive report on costs and
ways of getting started on this difficult
situation. 1 believe it is because of this
report that the Council put on the top
of the Splost list funds for stormwater
needs. Three million seven hundred
fifty thousand dollars ($3,750 000) of
Splost funds have or already are com¬
ing to our city and work is progressing
on this problem.
In the future. 1 would like to see
the City consider changing the retire¬
ment system from a deferred benefit to
a deferred contribution plan as many
Continued to page 3.
I Peach Puhlishifft* Co. Newspaper
could fetch up to $100 a pack One
smart phone recovered at the county
building could bring up to $1,000.
The corrections officer also reported
that inmates smuggle some items into
jails by hiding them in body cavities.
Some of the tobacco products recov
ered last week appeared to be packaged
for that purpose, the Sheriffs statement
said.
The Sheriff said there are no sus¬
pects so far and the crew working on
that day was on its first day there after
transferring from a different location.
OCTOBER 26,8011
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Heads Up on
Camellia Blvd.
Project
By Victor Kulkosky
News Editor
Fort Valley residents should expect
disniption and traffic problems start
ing next spring, but for a good cause
At last Thursday's monthly meet
ing of the Fort Valley City Council.
Mayor John Stumbo announced the
upcoming project to renovate storm
water pipes on Camellia Boulevard
through the heart of town. The proj¬
ect will stretch from Five Points to the
far side of the Kell Building.
Stumbo said contracts for the $11
million project would be let in March
2012, with work to begin 30 to f>0
days after that. He said the project
could take up to two years.
The aging storm water system in
that area has suffered several major
water main breaks in recent years.
Mayor Stumbo said the project would
be “inconvenient and a mess" but
would result in two new Mi storm
water lines to replace the inadequate
12" and 24” lines now in place. The
project will also include improve¬
ments to the streetscape above the
storm water lines
Stumbo announced another
major project: improvement of the
State University Drive streetscape
from the Wildcat monument to the
main entrance of Fort Valley State
University. The county contributed
$250,000 to the $1.2 million project.
Stumbo said contracts would be
let in January 2012 and is expected
to take six to eight months, with the
intention of being ready by next year’s
FVSU Homecoming.
“The project will change consider¬
ably the entrance to the university,"
Stumbo said. "When visitors come to
town, we want them to sense they're
in a university town."
In other economic news. Stumbo
said the city had heard encouraging
words from a company that plans to
bring a 10,000-square-foot store to
the comer of Camellia Boulevard and
Church Street.
The agenda was light on action
items, with the council taking only
three votes. By unanimous votes, the
council:
• Approved renewing alcoholic
beverage licenses for 28 business¬
es, following review by the police
and fire departments and the City
Marshall;
• Approved appointing Jane
Mathews as Chief Poll Manager,
with Barbara Washington and Sylvia
Malone as assistants and Shirley
Wright as alternate, for the city vot
ing precinct at the e-911 Center on
Persons Street;
• Approved a resolution authorizing
city employees to make a voluntary
payroll reduction in support of the
United Way Campaign.
In Police
Committee Chairman John Ezell gave
the September report for the police
division of the Fort Valley Department
of Public Safety. Incidents for the
month included. 4 aggravated assault,
17 burglary, 75 thefts/lareeny and
1 arson. Other numbers include:
8,249 calls for service. 2,216 reactive
calls for service. 430 incident reports
filed. 33 warrants served. 206 tickets
issued. 29 traffic accidents, I drug
arrest. 67 custodial arrests, 41 aid to
motorists, 104 alarm calls, 30 escorts,
35 prison escorts. 5 funeral scats.
121 suspicious persons, 255 training
hours, 326 traffic stops. 15 juvenile
problems. 13 house watch requests.
Continued to page 10
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