Newspaper Page Text
Missing man’s body found
By Julie Arrington
Staff Writer
Authorities have identified a
body found Thursday as that of a
31-year-old Forsyth County man
who had been missing for about two
weeks.
The body was identified Friday
as Michael Brian Benson, who was
last seen May 2 when he left for
work. The truck Benson was driving
turned up May 3 on Hog Farm
Circle, a remote area of Cherokee
County.
A resident discovered Benson's
badly decomposed body on Avery
Estates Drive in Cherokee County,
reviews with commission
Plan calls for county to extend Ronald Reagan, buy green space
By Juiie Arrington
Staff Writer
The developer of a proposed
massive mixed-use development
and Forsyth County are nearing
an agreement on infrastructure
improvements associated with
the project.
Mark Putney, vice president
of development for Taubman
Centers Inc., gave a brief pres¬
entation on the deal to the board
Thursday during a work session.
Taubman wants to build an
upscale mixed-use development
on 164 acres along Ga. 400
between Union Hill and
McFarland roads near the Fulton
County line. The project calls for
retail and office space, as well as
hotels and residential units.
According to the draft,
Taubman is asking that the
bests state on school exit exams
By Lara Moore
Staff Writer
Forsyth County students
outpaced the state in every
subject area of the Georgia
High School Graduation
Test.
The state released the
results of the annual test,
which is administered to jun¬
iors across the state, last week.
Of particular note, 93 per¬
cent of local students passed
the social studies and science
portion, compared to 86 per¬
cent statewide.
That pleased Lissa
Pijanowski, who said the
social studies section became
more difficult this year after
the Georgia Performance
Standards were implemented.
“Georgia Performance
Standards are the new stan¬
dards that have just been
adopted and they are more
performance-based,” said
Pijanowski, the system’s
director of improvement,
assessment and accountabili
ty
In English, state figures
show, 94 percent of local stu¬
dents passed, and in math, 98
percent. By comparison, 89
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Cause of 31-year-old’s death still undetermined
about a half mile from where his
truck was found, authorities said.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s
Office released a statement late
Friday saying preliminary results do
not show what caused Benson’s
death.
Forsyth County Sheriff Ted
Paxton said authorities are not sure
if Benson fell victim to foul play, as
they had originally suspected.
“I don’t think there was any kind
of trauma obvious to the body that
would jump out and suggest (foul
county invest about $15 million
in infrastructure, reduce the
development’s sewer tap fees
from $19 to $15 per gallon and
buy about 23.3 acres of green
space that connects the Big
Creek Greenway to Ronald
Reagan Boulevard.
The infrastructure improve¬
ments would require the county
pay Taubman for the right of
way on Ronald Reagan
Boulevard and cover all costs to
build the road extension.
Those improvements are
identified as projects to be paid
for with funding from the coun¬
ty’s 1-cent sales tax.
County Attorney Ken Jarrard
said making those improve¬
ments to accommodate the
Taubman project would make
them a priority.
The green space will cost the
percent of Georgia students
passed the English section
and 93 percent passed math.
Moreover, these are scores
from first-time test takers.
The test is a graduation
requirement, so students can
retake it if they do not pass
the first time.
Superintendent Buster
Evans was pleased with the
initiative of Forsyth’s students
and teachers.
“We are proud of our stu¬
dent performance and recog¬
nize that their achievements
relate back to a high quality
teaching staff focused on
standards,” he said.
On a local scale, Forsyth
County Academy outpaced
the rest of the high schools in
math, science and social stud¬
ies, with 100 percent passing
on each section.
The school system estab¬
lished the academy two years
ago for “at-risk” teens, who
may learn better in a nontradi
tional setting. The academy is
housed in several portable
buildings in the parking lot of
Lanier Technical College’s
Forsyth campus.
a The Forsyth Academy
continues to post stellar per¬
play),” he said. “Obviously, it’s a
mysterious circumstance, there’s no
doubt about that.”
Benson’s fiancee, Natasha
Lohman, said that when she learned
Thursday a body had been found,
she couldn’t accept that it was
Benson.
As mid-afternoon Friday, she
was still clinging to the possibility
that it wasn’t him.
“It’s hard site to tell and it’s just
upsetting,” said.
Forsyth County Sheriff’s investi¬
county about $3 million, Putney
said.
Tim Perkins, director of the
Forsyth County water and
sewer department, said the
county does have sewer capaci¬
ty for the project.
Putney said if Taubman
doesn’t deliver, the county
won’t make the investment.
"We’re not asking the coun¬
ty to roll the dice and bet this
project will happen,” Putney
said.
Taubman is expected to
open its retail center in 2012, he
said. But if it doesn’t meet its
deadline, the county “will not
be required to go forward with
additional funding.”
He said that any money the
county has spent in incentives
for the project would also be
refunded.
formance for their students,”
Pijanowski said. “It proves
that a nontraditional high
school model is the right
thing for certain learners.
“We’re very proud of what
the Forsyth Academy has
accomplished in their short
time.”
On the English section,
South Forsyth High School
ranked the highest locally,
with 97 percent of students
passing.
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I
gators have said Benson was en
route from his north Forsyth home
to a job site in Cherokee County
when he disappeared.
Earlier this month, authorities
spent several days searching the
area of Hog Farm Circle.
Baker said dogs from the Forsyth
and Cherokee sheriff’s departments
were used in the search. Cadaver
dogs and a Georgia State Patrol hel
icopter also took part.
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliear
rington@forsythnews.com.
“That refund would be guar¬
anteed by posting a letter of
credit,” he said.
The sales tax could be a
snag.
The city of Cumming and
the county have until May 30 to
work out an intergovernmental
agreement on the tax.
The current tax expires June
30. If the two entities can’t
compromise, the tax extension
would have to be approved
again by voters in November.
Collections could then be
stalled until April 2009, which
would be too late to start the
project to meet Taubman’s
deadline.
Commissioners did not take
action Thursday, but Putney
asked that they vote on the draft
June 19.
A fiscal impact study pro-
tests are phased in, the grad
ing scale has changed. The
scale, designed to indicate
performance, has the follow
ing levels: basic proficiency,
advanced proficiency and
honors,
Evans seeks high percent¬
ages, not just of passing stu
dents, but those scoring
beyond,
Where we have room to
grow is in moving more stu¬
dents to the advanced and
honors levels of perform-
Dawson County
Driver Improvement
Clinic (0690)
DUI SCHOOL
Next Class
iune 7th, 8th & 14th
Weekend Classes Only
Assessments Anytime
Call 706-265-8696
for more information
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Sunday. May 18. 2008
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Authorities say a body found in
Cherokee County is Michael
Brian Benson, who was last
seen May 2.
jected the development could
bring some $61 million to $109
million into the local economy
over the next 10 to 20 years.
Earlier this spring, commis¬
sioners approved the develop¬
er’s request for an overlay dis¬
Other business
Most of the agenda items
for Thursday's Forsyth
County commission meeting
were postponed.
The meeting followed the
board's work session, which
was held earlier Thursday
afternoon. On the few mat¬
ters that did garner consider¬
ation, commissioners:
• Recognized Matthew
Michael Gary for achieving
the rank of Eagle Scout.
• Approved a request by
Atlanta Certified
Transmission for an automo¬
ance,” he said. “We want all
of our students performing at
high levels and ready to pur-
“I’m
Certified
to hit the ground running. jj
CERTIFIED X
WORK
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Hire Work Ready People . *
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With Work Ready, Georgia
companies are enjoying a
competitive edge they’ve never
had before. To learn how to hire
Work Ready people, visit
www.gaworkready.org or the
economic development office
at your local technical college.
—
4
PAGE 3A
trict, an amendment to county
code,that will allow Taubman to
erect buildings as tall as 12 sto¬
ries on the site.
E-mail Julie Arrington at
juliearrington@forsythnews.
com.
bile service establishment.
Approved variances to the
setback, buffer and land¬
scaping requirements.
• Reappointed Peter
Bond, Brian Cole and Doug
Patillo to the Forsyth County
Tree Protection
Commission.
• Approved a request by
Eastern Development Group
to amend zoning conditions
on zoning applications 1992
and 1980.
Note: All votes were 5-0,
unless otherwise noted. .
— Frank Reddy
sue post-secondary options.”
E-mail Lara Moore at
laramoore@forsythnews.com.