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The Lee County Ledger
your Hometown Source of Cocal flews
Hometown Newspaper of John and Michelle Scharnikow
Volume XXIII - Number 46
Leesburg, Georgia -- July 5,2001
Fifty Cents
Commissioners Amend Budget For Sheriff’s Department
Equipment, Part-Time Employee Salary Increase
During the Lee County Board
of Commissioners meeting
Monday, the commissioners
amended the 2001-2002 Budget
for the second time. At their
June meeting, the commission
ers amended the budget to fund
a part-time bailiffs’s position
for the magistrate court.
Monday night, the commission
ers amended the budget to fund
$10,000 for equipment for the
sheriff's department that was
approved by the budget
committee but due to a mistake.
the requested equipment was
not included the approved
budget. The commissioners
approved the reallocation of
$10,000 from the Criminal
Justice Center’s maintenance
account to the capital outlay
account to purchase the
equipment including a copier.
Commissioner Lewis Harris
pointed out that part-time
employees did not receive the
four percent cost of living
increase that full time county
employees received. Chairman
Sentences Issued In
Leesburg Municipal Court
The following people had
traffic citations heard in City of
Leesburg Municipal Court on
June 17,2001.
Tony Adam Brown pled nolo
to driving without a driver’s
license. He was fined $110.00
and given three months
probation to pay the fine.
Tracy Clark pled not guilty to
speeding 51 /25 in a school
zone. She was found guilty and
fined $200.00.
Angela Dettore pled nolo to
not complying with officer
directing traffic. She was fined
$110.00.
Derrick Faircloth pled guilty
to reckless driving and fined
$125.00.
Orland Harris pled guilty to
passing in a no passing zone.
He was fined $70.00 and three
months probation to pay off the
fine.
William Maxwell pled guilty
to parking in a handicap space.
He was fined $125.00.
Alan Thornton pled nolo to
speeding 41/25 in a school
zone. He was fined $120.00.
Windi Watzlowick pled nolo
to no insurance. She was fined
$250.00 and three months
probation to pay fine.
Jerald West pled not guilty to
speeding 60/35. He was found
guilty and fined $90.00.
Jay L. West pled guilty to
speeding 49/25 in a school
zone. He was fined $180.00 and
two months probation to pay
the fine.
The following people had
case files heard:
Belinda Clayton pled not
guilty to driving while license
suspended, disorderly conduct
and obstruction of an officer.
She was found guilty on all
three counts and fined a total of
$2125.00.
Danny Green pled guilty to
violating a city ordinance by
parking a semi in a residential
area. He was fined $70.00.
Victor Gonzales pled nolo to
disorderly conduct and fined
$70.00.
Jerry Kimble pled guilty to
second DUI. He was fined
$1022.00, 48 hours jail time, 80
hours community service and
12 months probation.
The following people did not
show for court or make
arrangement to pay their fines.
A $25.00 fee has been added. If
payment is not made in 20
days, a Department of Public
Safety (DPS) Form 912 will be
issued which will result in
suspension of their driver’s
license.
Curtwana Dawson - Seat belt
violation and no proof of
insurance.
Jack Fore - failure to maintain
lane.
Christopher Gordon - speed
ing 60/45.
McAuthur Heard - expired
tag.
Travis Jones - speeding 69/55.
Anita Maxfield - seat belt
violation.
Johnny McCall - speeding 79/
55.
Sean Mulkey - speeding 69/
55.
Jerry Owens - stop sign and
seat belt violation.
Lisa Tatum - improper
parking.
Billy Mathis informed the other
commissioners that the total
annual payroll for part-time
employees was less than
$100,000. Mathis indicated that
by taking approximately $4,000
from the commissioners
contingency funds, the budget
would still be balanced. The
motion to provide the part-time
employees the four percent cost
of living increase was approved.
Veronica Johnson, Supervisor
of Elections and Registration,
presented a new proposed
reapportionment map to the
commissioners. The sixth
proposed map was recom
mended by Commissioner
Harris. This map will increase
the minority representation in
the Smithville-Chokee Precinct
over Map Number Five. Like
MAP Number Five, this map
leaves Leesburg entirely in the
Leesburg District. The board of
Commissioners will approve
one of the reapportionment
maps at their July 16 meeting.
The commissioners heard a
request from Tom Heldenberg
regarding needed improvements
at the ball fields. Heldenberg,
pointing out that several
tournaments will be held in
Leesburg, requested funding for
batting cages. He highlighted
other areas of needed improve
ments. The commissioners will
use $2000 of SPLOST Recre
ation Funds to purchase the
batting cages.
Carol Emerson was appointed
by the commissioners to fill a
term expiring July 31, 2004 on
the Southwest Georgia Regional
Board.
Appointments will be made to
the Parks & Recreation Com
mittee at the July 16 meeting.
One person will be appointed
from each commission district.
A ceremony was last week to present a check to Lee County to reimburse the
county for purchasing of flood prone property in the flood zone. Pictured are
Jody Redding of Zell Miller’s office, Hanson Carter, of Max Cleland’s office, Bill
Blackwell, GEMA, and Lee County Commission Chairman Billy Mathis.
GEMA Presents Checks
For Flood Buy-out
The Georgia Emergency
Management Agency (GEMA)
presented County officials with
two reimbursement checks
through its Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program and the United
States Department of Housing
and Urban Developments
(HUD) Disaster Recovery
Initiative. Each program
contributed reimbursement
funds toward the expenses
associated with the buyout of
flood-prone properties located
within the 100 year floodplain.
These properties were damaged
during the 1994 and 1998
floods.
Georgia Emergency Manage
ment Agency representative Bill
Blackwell, acting on behalf of
Governor Roy E. Barnes and
GEMA Director Gary W.
McConnell, presented the
checks totaling $377,017.90 to
Lee County Commission
Leesburg Police Files Weekly Report
Leesburg Police Chief Charles
Moore reports that officers
worked several cases during the
past week including D.U.I..
vandalism and speeding.
Shannon Lee Newell, 32, of
Warwick, Georgia was charged
by Captain Chris Prokesh with
D.U.I. on June 3. Captain
Prokesh observed Newell
traveling west on Robert B.
Lee. Newell did not dim his
headlights. Prokesh turned
around and observed Newell’s
vehicle make a very obtruse,
improper turn into a driveway
of a restaurant while failing to
give a proper signal.
Prokesh initiated a traffic stop
and upon contacting the driver,
the officer attained the strong
odor of an alcoholic beverage
AGE Opened July 2 As
HeritageBank Of The South
After more than 45 years as a
Doherty
Duggan
zrRouse
Insurors
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (912)888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (912) 435-3036
www.ddrins.com
Smithville
City
Council
Meeting
Monday,
July 16
at 5:30 p.m.
credit union-one that has a high
community profile and a
regional reputation as the
principal financial institution
based in Southwest Georgia-
AGE opened for business
Monday, July 2, as
HeritageBank of the South.
The 166-person AGE
workforce celebrated a success
ful charter conversion and name
change Wednesday evening.
June 27. at Chehaw Parks'
Creekside Educational Facility.
The employees have known the
new name since April 27, when
an internal announcement was
made.
On Thursday, a multi-media
campaign was launched
throughout Southwest Georgia
that focuses on the new name,
pointing out that HeritageBank's
"roots run deep." The credit
union was chartered September
12, 1955.
The AGE board of directors
voted unanimously in late July,
2000, to change from a credit
union charter to a bank charter.
Applications for the charter
were filed in September with
the various regulatory agencies.
There are many reasons for
AGE's becoming a bank,
according to Lee H. Bettis,
president and CEO. The
primary reason has to do with
providing additional and
enhanced financial products
and services; also of prime
importance is access to ex
panded markets.
"HeritageBank will have the
ability to provide a greater
variety of financial products. In
fact, it is our intent to be the
provider of choice for residen
tial mortgage, consumer, and
commercial products and
services. With a credit union
charter. AGE was unable to
provide many of the small
business and commercial
services that were being
requested by customers," Bettis
said.
For a number of years now,
AGE has been the regional
leader in home mortgages. The
mortgage department also has
been named, for five consecu
tive years, "Best Mortgage
Lenders" by the readers of The
Albany Herald in the newspa
per' s annual "Best of the Best"
competition.
"We now intend and have
prepared ourselves to move
aggressively into the commer
cial market.” Bettis said. In
recent weeks, several high-
profile lenders have joined
AGE, all of them with signifi
cant commercial or small
business experience.
See Heritage,
Page 2B
about the driver’s breath.
Prokesh then requested the
driver to exit the vehicle to
conduct a series of field
sobriety test. Prokesh attained
that the driver was very
impaired and placed Newell
under arrest. Newell consented
to a breath test administered at
the Lee County Jail by Sgt.
Greg Wheeler. He was released
on bond by a local bonding
company.
Captain Monterey Moody
responded to a case of criminal
trespass and vandalism on Main
Street. Moody was informed by
an employee of the business
that the company van had been
damaged. Upon checking the
van, unknown(s) had busted the
driver’s side rear side window.
There was not any items
missing from the van. The case
is pending further investigation.
Josea Antonio Hernandez, of
Adel, Georgia, was charged
with speeding on June 26 by
Officer Gregory Barrett. While
on patrol on Walnut Street at the
intersection of Kinchafoonee
Street traveling north, Barrett
observed Hernandez traveling at
52 miles per hour. The speed
limit on Walnut is 35 m.p.h.
Chairman Billy Mathis and Lee
County Emergency Manage
ment Agency Director Charles
Hardison. Several other local,
state and federal officials also
attended the presentation at the
County Commission Office.
The purpose of GEMA's
Hazard Mitigation Grant
Program (HMGP) is to provide
funds to state agencies and local
governments for projects that
reduce or eliminate the long
term risk to human life and
property from the effects of
natural hazards by breaking the
repetitive cycle of destruction
and reconstruction. According
to program guidelines, after a
repetitive loss home has been
purchased, it is demolished and
the land is returned to open
space.
"In situations where repetitive
flooding occurs, mitigation just
makes good sense," says
McConnell. "It has been proven
time and time again that the
impact of natural hazards can be
minimized and avoided alto
gether if action is taken before a
hazardous event takes place."
For additional information,
contact GEMA toll-free at 1-
800- TRY -GEMA or visit the
GEMA website at
www.gema.state.ga.us.
It is Time To Stop !!!!!!!!!!
Burglaries - Thefts - Vandalisms - Drugs
Neighborhood Watch Meeting
Leesburg City Hall Council Chambers
July 16, 2001, Monday Night
7:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
The Leesburg Police Department will show a film on security
for our homes and will discuss how you can protect your homes
and your neighbor's homes as well.
"It takes all of us to work together on this project"
Please try to attend. For more information contact Charles
Moore, Chief of Police at 759-6464 or 759-6465.
BUFFALO ROCK
Lee County
Board Of
Education
Will Meet
July 16 at
6:00 p.m.