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THE LEADER-TRIBUNE Rebuilding Together Fort Valley Needs Volunteers Rebuilding Together Fort Valley is seeking skilled vol¬ unteers. painters, carpenters, electricians, roofers, anyone wanting to make a difference in the Fort Valley community. The organization is currently prepar¬ ing for their 9th annual workday scheduled for Saturday. April 21, 2012. and is actively recruiting individuals to assist in making critical repairs to deserving low income homeowners in the Fort Valley community. Rebuilding Together is the nation’s leading nonprofit orga¬ nization working to preserve affordable home ownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing extensive rehabilita¬ tion and modification services 150th Anniversary of the Morrill Act Wi 1-1. j ? S' m > Lf 1 } ) * L-R: Representative Robert Dickey, FVSU President Larry Rivers and his wife, Betty Rivers and State Lynmore James. >» M I U The Georgia House of Representatives had one of our busiest weeks of the 2012 Session. As the end of session draws near, we worked long hours this week to ensure the passage of two vital pieces of legislation that will reform both our state's tax cod{ and criminal justice system, v House Bill 386, also known as the Georgia Jobs and Family Tax Reform Plan, was pAssed by the House and Senate, last week. This bill implements a variety of tax reform measures that were recommended by the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians. This reform will change the way Georgia collects revenue, making our state friendlier to businesses and helping fami¬ lies as they recover from the economic downturn. Among its many family friendly tax reform com¬ ponents, HB 386 includes a measure that would eliminate the “birthday tax,” an annual vehicle property tax on cars, trucks and vans that is due on auto owners’ birthdays each year. All vehicles purchased after March 1, 2013 would use the new title fee system. HB 386 will also reduce the marriage penalty in the current Georgia income tax code, which will eliminate an imbalance in the tax system that inadvertently punishes married couples with a higher tax rate, fit t !»f1 -.fit This bill will end treatment that unfairly burdens in-state retailers by requiring out-of state sellers to collect and pay the Georgia state sales tax if they have certain relationships with affiliates in Georgia, just like their in-state counterparts. Not only will this end an unfair tax policy that puts small busi¬ nesses in Georgia at a disadvan¬ tage. but it will also stop incen tivizing out-of-state retailers to keep their facilities and jobs out of Georgia. Good news - HB 386 will reinstate the sales tax holidays on school supplies and energy efficient items for the next two years. These sales tax holi days would be nearly identi¬ cal to tax holidays in previous years, which allowed Georgia shoppers to forgo paying sales tax on school supplies for a specified time in August and energy and water efficient prod¬ ucts in October. This measure will help struggling families and keep Georgia businesses compete with their counterparts in neighboring states. Peach Regional Medical Center Health Fair 2012 * FREE SCREENINGS INCLUDE: • Blood Pressure 71 inity ealth Partnership Screenings! • • Weight Glucose ■ 8f J • Cholesterol lay, March 29th • HIV • Strength measurement 5pm • Depression • Oxygen Saturation Measurement is invited the Health Fair 2012 • PSA Blood Test r to come to • Pulse n Center in Fort Valley! • Body Fat Estimate refreshments. ♦•FREE AngioScreens: 1pm 5pm only - Please call 1-800-627-2393 to reserve your place. ntral. HURRY/ Space is limited to 251 “Screenings are subject to change th Enter drawing for our a Si 00 Wat mart Gift Card! to those in need at no cost to those served. This year the Fort Valley affiliate has accepted the challenge of securing monetary donations and materials, along with a skilled volunteer pool to make the needed repairs to improve the living conditions for five deserving homeown ers. with repairs ranging from roof and window replacement to electrical repair. “Last year I was so pleased with the support we got from the City of Fort Valley, the Fort Valley Utilities Commission. and the University. 1 am hoping that this year we can draw a larger crowd and exceed the number of volunteers we had in 2011.” said Joy Moten-Thomas.” While these measures will make a positive impact on the lives of Georgians across the state, they are not the only tax reform measures implemented in HB 386. Other policies, such as eliminating energy sales tax on manufacturers, will make Georgia a more attractive envi¬ ronment for businesses, which ultimately provides more jobs for Georgians. The legislation also revises Georgia's patch work of agricultural tax exemp¬ tions into three broad input exemptions that would ensure fairness and consistency within Georgia’s number one indus¬ try. Together, these tax reforms create a comprehensive shift in Georgia’s tax policy, which will create a modern tax code that benefits families and levels the playing field for businesses that create jobs for Georgians. I am pleased that my colleagues showed overwhelming support for this measure, and hope that Governor Deal will approve these measures soon. In addition to passing tax reform legislation, we also made a great milestone in criminal justice reform by passing House Bill 1176 this week. Since 1990. Georgia’s prison popula¬ tion has more than doubled to nearly 56,000 inmates, costing the state over $1 billion annu¬ ally. Aware of the problems in Georgia’s criminal justice system, the Georgia Supreme Court, Governor Deal, and the Continued to page 10 The organization is looking for volunteers and participants. who are at least 16 years old, from the local churches, corn munity organizations, frater nities. and sororities who are willing to give their time and energy to this exciting event, Each year the organization provides their volunteers with a complimentary breakfast, t-shirt, and lunch. If you are interested in participating, please bring your tools and report to the Kay Center at 213 Allen Street on Saturday, April 21 at 7:30 a.m. Both skilled and unskilled labor is needed, For additional information call 825-8261. LICE U IT CR Police Beat The information below is provided by local law enforce¬ ment agencies, who are, solely responsible for the accuracy of the information. These reports are published for information purposes only. Publication of an arrest or citation report is not evidence of a crime. All persons named in the reports are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Some minor violations that do not threaten public safety are not included. These reports are for the week of March 12, 2012 to March 19. 2012. Byron Arrests Copeland, Justin Roland, N. Pierce Ave., Byron: Marijuana Possession, Controlled Substance Possession, Obstructing/Hindering Officers; Craighton, Garrett iee, Elko, Ga.: Convicted Felon Firearm Violation; Garner, David Lowe. Birmingham, Ala.: Tim’s Total Fitness 10 Years of Service ■ mm JO FT A i w.. i K ...> I S3 - Tim Reynolds, owner of Tim’s Total Fitness in Byron, with Assistant Manager Karen Self. They clearly practice what they preach. Well... It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since I opened! First, I’ve got to thank every¬ one in this community for their support. I can’t forget to thank Karen, Anna and Diane for their help and hard work, and all my instructors - these ladies work really hard in these aerobics classes and I really appreciate all they do. This is a really good group of people that comes here: all different ages, men and women, and everybody gets along so well. I couldn’t ask for a better group of members. I still have members that have been with me since the day I opened. I started out small, with only a few pieces of equipment, but as the years went by and because of the support of my members, I’ve been able to add on to the building, add more equip¬ ment and enlarge the parking lot. I feel like it’s comfortable here, with plenty of room for people to work out. I strive to keep it clean and I try to keep the equipment in good working order. If something breaks, I Failure to Appear for Trial/Court - Misdemeanor: Morgan, Misty Marie. Smith Station, Ala.: Probation Violation - Felony; Richards. Michael Patrick, Chapman Rd., Byron: Open Alcohol Container; Waters, Geotge, Taylor’s Mill Rd., Ft. Valley: Failure to Appear for Trial/Court; Fort Valley Arrests Maddox, Lester Carl, Brooks Blvd., Ft. Valley: Theft by Taking - Felony, Aggravated Stalking, Contempt of State Court; SherlfTs Office Arrests Bryant Lashae Mischantea, Ridgeland Dr., Decatur, Ga.: Probation Violation - Felony; Buttrom, Donal Eric, Silvers Rd.,Ft. Valley; Battery.Criminal Trespass; Carr. Ronald, Warner Robins: Limited Driving Permit Violation, Improper Passing of Emergency Vehicle; Fortner, try to fix it as quickly as 1 can. 1 spend a lot of time working here at the gym - so that you can work out! - 1 try to do as much as 1 can myself to keep my overhead down. So far, so good. I do enjoy my job; its gives me great satisfaction to see people come in and get on an exercise program and lose weight and feel good about themselves. Elating right and exercising is hard work, but the results are worth every bit it. I hope that everyone is happy about the gym and how it’s kept up. I’m going to do my best to keep things clean and safe, with good equipment for your workouts. Tim's Total Fitness is for the people of this community to come exercise and do aerobics classes. I hope the next 10 years are gratify¬ ing as these have been. I truly do appreciate everyone’s support, kindness and friend¬ ships. Thanks, Byron! Misty Carnell Joins SunMark Bank Mortgage & ® Bobby Taylor, head of SunMark Community Bank’s Mortgage division, has announced that Misty Carnell has joined the bank's mortgage banking team as a mortgage loan originator in Houston County. Ms. Carnell will be responsible for assisting mort¬ gage applicants in determining the type of mortgage loan that best suits their needs, apply¬ ing for the mortgage loan and assisting customers through the mortgage process. Ms. Carnell. originally from Talladega, Alabama, has been in the mortgage loan business for ten years in the Warner Robins area. She is a gradu¬ ate of the Xinnix Mortgage Academy and has attend¬ ed the U. S. Department of Community Affairs seminars for first lime homebuyers. She has also worked with the Warner Robins Home Builders Association during yearly home show events in Pferry. Ms. Camell’s office will located at the SunMark Bank Mortgage offices on Independence Drive in Warner Robins. For further information on this {Hess release, please contact: Bobby Taylor SunMark Community Bank Mortgage Division 478-953-4490 MARCH 28, 2012 • Laure Renee. Walden St., Ft. Valley: Failure to Appear for Trial/Court, Probation Violation Misdemeanor, Criminal Trespass; Glover. Chella Antoinette. McDonough. Ga.: DUI-Blood/Urine Test, Griggers, Jeremy Scott, Collins Ave., Centerville. Ga.: Criminal Trespass; Harris, Darrell, Peachtree St., Ft. Valley: Criminal Trespass. Shoplifting - Felony; Langston, Bruce Edward, 247 Conn., Byron: Obstructing/Hindering Officers. Probation Violatiion - Felony; Lumpkin, Kelvin Bernardo, Musella, Ga.: Probation Violation Felony; Poole, Bryant A., Poole St., Byron: Theft by Taking - Felony; Georgia State Patrol - Perry: Ginez, Antonio, Rolling Hill Rd.. Ft. Valley: Hit & Run, Following Too Closely; 3A