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i 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.