Newspaper Page Text
tarlu Cnuntn News
Volume 124-No. 12
€ Early County News, Inc.
Daylight Savings Time:
Set Clocks Back!
Taxes May Be Up...
But Savings Is There!
With the adoption of the local option
1 percent sales tax, a number of local
citizens were anticipating a bigger
tax break than they are now receiv
ing.
Yes, it may be difficult to believe
for some, but Early County's property
owners are receiving a tax savings.
The savings does not look signifi
cant for several reasons. First, while
the county is actually depending on
less property tax money, mainly due
to local option sales tax, the county's
school system has received no such
tax “windfall.”
As a matter of fact, while the county
school board is towing the line on this
budget, they are still having to levy
additional tax millage to help com
pensate for lost or reduced federal
funds.
Another increasing tax burden is
being bestowed upon property tax
payers each year when the state "fac
tors” the county tax digest.
While locally the millage rates are
readjusted to provide only the amount
of revenue needed, the state’s .25 mill
remains set, producing additional
revenue each time the digest is fac
tored.
Needless to say, there is slowly but
surely growing a state-wide
awareness that the state’s habit of
"factoring" county tax digests seems
to be having less and less to do with
actual property taxes and more to do
with needed state revenue.
Little Miss Peanut Pageant
The American Legion Auxiliary will
host tonight’s, “Little Miss Peanut
Pageant.” A special treat is in store
for all the little girls. "The Old
Woman In A Show” will be on stage to
direct and assist each participant as
they journey through a magic
fairyland.
Mr. Jimmy Everson. Assistant
Principal Early County Elementary
School and Commander of the
Hunter's
Safety Course
A Hunter's Safety Class will be held
Nov. 3rd and 4th at Rick's Restaurant
from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1,1961,
who has not been certified, are invited
to attend this meeting. All students
must attend both nights in order to be
certified.
Drug Problem Is Serious Problem
This is the third of a series of ar
ticles about drug awareness in Early
County, the purpose of a September
30th Town Hall meeting.
The following remarks were made
by Probation Officer Harris Hodges.
“Our drug problem is something
that I am concerned with. Mr.
Ferguson, the prosecution convicts
them and then I supervise them in
Early County. My people see that we
do have a serious problem.
Our judicial circuit is comprised of
7 counties, and out of those 7 counties,
60% of the people on probation for
drug offenses are in Early County.
Back to the local budget, the
county's property taxpayers are ac
tually bearing a smaller burden
percent-wise and dollar-wise of the
county government's budget.
The county budget has actually
decreased 11 percent the past two
years from $1,784,695.25 to
$1,763,000.00.
The amount of property tax needed
to meet the budget has actually
decreased from $1,418,455.25 to
$800,000.00, representing 79 percent of
the budget in 1980-81, to 45 percent of
the budget in 1982-83.
Last year property tax represented
51 percent of the county budget or
$912,560.55.
Looking back through the past five
years at the millage rates you will see
an actuaTdecrease, both on the part of
the county and the school board.
1978 - 8.25 county, 7.80 school;
1979 - 8.55 county, 6.78 school;
1980 - 8.60 county, 6.76 school;
1981 - 4.76 comity, 7.15 school;
1982 - 3.82 county, 6.64 school.
An interesting note is that while the
county and school were adjusting
their millage rates, depending on ac
tual revenue needed and fluctuation in
property values, the state keeps con
suming a growing .25 mill from local
property owners.
Yes, the Early County property tax
payer is receiving a savings in his,
just as local officials said they would.
True, the net decrease in taxes
American legion will serve as the
master of ceremonies. Mrs. Aileen
Starr, president of the Legion Aux
iliary and Misses Ellen and Kathleen
Smith have co-ordinated and arrang
ed the pageant.
Melynda Murkerson’s students
from her School of Gymnastics, will
perform several unique routines dur
ing the course of the pageant.
Twenty-one, first graders will be
presented at 7:30. These include:
Andrea Berry Anglin, Windy
Brewer, Valerie Bush, Angelia
Cochran, Carmen Dupree, Melanie
Lynn Enfinger, Tiffany Enfinger,
April Miranda Evans, Christy Griffin,
Amitra LaShawna Holley, Allison
Howard, Laura Lynn Love, Christie
Norris, Brandy Pierson, Kelly Ted
der, Kimberly Renee’ Thomas, Lori
Turner, Michelle Vickers, Heather
Lynn Wade, Shelby Warfield,
Tabaitha Dawn Wilson, Mary Beth
(Continued To Page 16)
Let me explain to you what proba
tion is. Probation is something that
can be used by the court to suspend
part of a prison sentence. This allows
the offender to return to his home, to
his family, to his job and be a produc
tive member of our society, instead of
being a tax burden to us.
Today it costs over seven thousand
dollars to house a prisoner; it costs
two-hundred and sixty-six dollars per
person per year on probation.
The conditions of probation are
designed to make the offender less
likely to end up in prison. The condi
tions of probation take away a lot of
everyone would like to see is not
there, but facing our economy today,
how many things around are the way
you would like to see them?
Future Citizens
Feature
The photo feature - Future Citizens,
will appear in the Early County News
and Calhoun Courier again this year.
Future Citizens features photos of
our community youth at no charge. It
has been one of the most popular
features to appear.
Three times before the series of
photos appeared featuring several
hundred future citizens.
(Continued To Page 14)
Halloween
Parade
The Blakely Jaycees are once again
sponsoring a Halloween Parade and
costume contest Saturday night, Oc
tober 30 at 7:30 p.m. in front of City
Hall.
The costume judging contest will
begin immediately following the
parade.
(Continued To Page 16)
Trick or Treat On
October 30
Chief Carl Gilbert from the Blakely
Police Department announced the
Halloween Trick or Treat night will be
Saturday, October 30, 1982 between
the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Mr. Gilbert states the following rules
should be observed that night:
1) Small children must be accom
panied by parents or responsible
adult.
2) Children participating should be
under 13 years of age.
3) Only those homes with porch
lights on will treat.
4) It is suggested that children wear
reflecting clothes.
Trick or Treat night is a special
time for boys and girls to enjoy. Let’s
keep it a safe one this year! A special
reminder to parents to be sure and
check your children’s candy before
letting them consume their treats.
■Drug Awareness: Third In A Series-
personal freedom, but they are
necessary. Somebody on probation
who abides by these conditions will
finish his probation, return to the
community and live a normal life. I
would like to go over the conditions of
probation with you. One condition of
probation is a fine, and in drug of
fenses, these fines are usually steep.
Failure to pay the fine will result in
the person going to prison.
Another condition of probation
prevents the use of alcoholic
beverages while on probation. They
are also to keep away from places
where alcoholic beverages are sold or
Thursday, Oct. 28, 1982
Early County - Blakely, Georgia 31723
Daylight-saving time ends next next
Sunday with most Americans getting
back the hour they lost last spring.
The official time change will come
at 2 a.m. local time Oct. 31st. Clocks
should be moved back an hour to 1
a.m.
Early County FFA Chapter
Fair Booth Wins First Place
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The Early County High FFA Chapter won first place in the Early County
Peanut Festival Fair Booths. More pictures of the other winners will be featured
in next week’s paper.
Third Annual
Dog Show
Our 3rd Annual Dog Show will be
held on October 30th on the Court
Square. This activity is for children
ages 5 and up, enter your dog in any of
the following events: Best Trick,
largest, Smallest, Best Behaved,
Best Looking, and Ugliest. You can
enter your dog in any of these events
or all of them. The only requirements
are that they be at least six months of
(Continued To Page 16)
Blood Mobile
The American Red Cross Blood
Mobile will be at Early Memorial
Nursing Home in Blakely, Georgia on
Wednesday, November 3, 1982 from
10:00a.m. until4:oop.m.
We encourage each of you to con
tinue your participation in order that
we may once again have a successful
drive. Our goal is to obtain 135 units of
blood from Early County. Please
donate.
used.
The probationer has to report to the
probation office on a periodic basis.
The frequency of this reporting
depends on the seriousness of the
crime. It can be as often as once a
week or as little as once a month.
I talk to these people who are on
probation, I talk to their families and
friends, employers, teachers, and try
to find out how they are doing. I try to
stop problems before they are serious
enough to effect the probation. A pro
bationer is expected to keep a job dur
ing the time he is on probation if at all
possible. We all know how our
"Spring forward - fall back,” is the
handy phrase most people try to
remember for changing the clock on
the last Sunday of April and the last
Sunday of October.
The fall time change will give early
risers a little more daylight, at least
for a while.
Unsung Heroes Honored
Early County’s unsung heroes were
honored with a luncheon at the Early
County Elementary School on October
27.
These thirty dedicated school bus
drivers travel our county five days a
week through rain, sunshine, sleet or
sometimes snow. They cope with slick
red clay hills, washed out bridges and
children late at the bus stop.
They are interested with the lives,
Beware Os Altered Money Orders
Early County Sheriff Oree Thomp
son is asking all area merchants to be
cautious of cashing Majik Market
money orders, because of a scheme
being used to alter the amount
payable to a larger sum.
A $3.00 Majik Market money order
was cashed in Dawson County after
being altered to read $125.00.
Money orders have been illegally
cashed in Georgia, Louisiana,
economy is today. We want the proba
tioner to be working.
Failure to support his legal depen
dants, someone on probation who does
not support his children, is a violation
of probation and can result in going to
prison. While a person is on probation,
he must submit to search of his person
and property by any law enforcement
officer, without a search warrant.
This means that any time a law en
forcement officer thinks or may have
an idea they may have drugs or any
other type of contrabond, they can be
searched without a search warrant.
And most importantly, a probationer
USPS 16406000 25$
'Agriculture'
safety and transportation of Early
County’s most valuable product, the
children. With patience and per
sistence they deliver their precious
cargoes to school on time and return
them safely to their homes each day.
Service records range from two
months to thirty-two years and seven
months, with a combined record of 336
(Continued To Page 16)
Alabama, North and South Carolina,
according to southeastern regional
Majik Market representatives in
response to the Dawson County case.
Sheriff Thompson urges all
businesses to be on the lookout for
fraudulent money orders. The sheriff
recommends that a drivers license
number and tag number be obtained
before cashing any money orders.
cannot violate any traffic laws and
must stay on good behavior. This is a
condition of probation that most pro
bationers violate and go back to
prison for.
Right now we are in the process of
working on several new conditions of
probation, and I have learned a lot
since I got started in working with the
drug problem here in Early County.
We hope that you will talk to our
judges and add what are the new con
ditions of probation to the more
serious charges, a short jail sentence
before the probation actually starts.
(Continued To Page 14)