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The Lee County Ledger, Thursday, July 5,2001 - Page 5A Thurman Serves As NeW LaWS Take President Of Georgia Council Of Magistrate Court Judges Effect July 1st Judge Jim Thurman assumed the office of President for the Georgia Council of Magistrate Court Judges on July 1, 2001. Judge Thurman has held the of fice of Chief Magistrate in Lee County since January 1,1997. He is married to Kathy Jo Thurman, a teacher at Lee County High School. They have four children: Sgt. Bo Thurman, Fort Rucker, Alabama; Jamie Self (who is the wife of the Reverend Dan Self,) Lawrenceville, Georgia; Josh and Davis Thurman of Leesburg, Georgia. The Georgia Council of Mag istrate Court Judges is composed of the chief magistrates, magis trates and senior magistrates of the magistrate courts of this state. The officers of the Council of Magistrate Court Judges consist of a president, president-elect, a first vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. The executive committee is composed of two representatives from each of the ten judicial administrative dis tricts. It is the purpose of the council to effectuate the constitutional and statutory responsibilities con ferred upon it by law, to further the improvement of the magis trate courts and the administration of justice, to assist the chief mag istrates. magistrates, and senior magistrates throughout the state in the execution of their duties and to promote and assist in the training of chief magistrates, magistrates and senior magis trates. Judge Thurman is very humbled by the trust that has been be stowed upon him by the magis trates of Georgia in electing him Judge Jim Thurman to serve as their president. He is very excited to be allowed to work with all of Georgia’s mag istrates and to better serve the citi zens of Lee County by bringing the best of other courts to Lee County. In the past several years, great gains have been made in training for Georgia's magis trates. Judge Thurman hopes to build on that success so that Geor gia will have the best-trained and most contentious magistrates in the country. He is anxious for the completion of a video publication that was begun by Judge Barrett Whittemore, the Past President of the Georgia Council of Magis trate Court Judges. This video will provide assistance to pro se litigants in preparing and present ing their cases in the magistrate courts. With the advancement of computer technology and the in ternet, Judge Thurman believes the magistrate court is easier to use today than ever before, but there is always room for improve ment. Several measures approved dur ing the 2001 Georgia General Assembly and signed by Gover nor Roy Barnes strengthen Geor gia traffic laws. The toughest changes will come from the Governor's legislative package of highway safety re forms. House Bill 385 *lowers the level of blood alcohol for an automatic DUI. * adds more li cense suspension time for repeat DUI offenders *expands the open container law and *creates a new crime called aggressive driving. Here are the details: Effective July 1st, 2001, Georgia's alcohol concentration limit becomes 0.08 grams for an automatic charge of DUI. This lowers the previously recognized limit of 0.10 grams for drivers 21 or older in non-commercial ve hicles. "This change in DUI law is long overdue in Georgia," says Commissioner Robert Hightower of the Department of Public Safety. "There is no doubt that a 0.08 blood alcohol concentration is proof of intoxication." says Hightower. "It's the DUI standard across the country now, and any one who's driving 0.08 is driving impaired." According to the DPS Commissioner, "Beginning July 1st, repeat DUI offenders will face longer mandatory jail time, driver license suspensions, and placement of ignition interlocks and surrender of license plates for their vehicles." Second DUI convictions within a five-year period will result in a three (3) year license suspension. Offenders must wait 18 months to apply for reinstatement. (Un der the old law, offenders could apply after ten months.) Under revisions to Georgia Code 40-6-253, passengers may Lee County participants of the Kingdom Visions Summer Reading Program take part in activities designed to develop academic, spiritual, recreational, and social skills. not possess an open container of alcohol in the passenger area of the vehicle. If the driver is the only occupant of the vehicle, the driver is presumed to be wrong fully in possession of any open container. Otherwise, the passen ger in possession of the open con tainer may be charged. EXEMP TION: (This section is NOT ap plicable to vehicles transporting passengers for compensation or passengers in living areas of mo tor homes or house trailers). Until recent years, "road rage" didn't have a name. Now, "Ag gressive Driving" is a new crimi nal offense in Georgia. Georgia law 40-6-397 makes operating a motor vehicle with intent to an noy, harass, molest, intimidate, injure or obstruct another person a "high and aggravated misde meanor." (An accompanying change in state driver licensing laws assesses six (6) points to ward a license suspension for Aggressive Driving. A driver's license is suspended when 15 points are assessed within a 24- month period.) Says Colonel George Ellis of the Georgia State Patrol, "We hope this new law will help make drivers more conscious of the kind of aggressive driving that creates "road rage" on Georgia highways. State Troopers will also continue to focus on offenses like speed, illegal lane changes and following-too-close that lead to aggressive driving." New Georgia law also includes mandatory lifesaving changes designed to better protect child passengers. Georgia's revised Child Safety Seat law raised the age for mandatory child safety seats. Children age four and un der must now be secured in an approved child safety seat or booster seat while riding in a pas senger car. van or truck. The new Child Safety Seat law applies to child care providers and schools which transport children age four and younger. (Public school buses are exempt unless equipped with seatbelts). (Existing law requires all chil dren, age five through seventeen, to use safety belts while riding in any passenger vehicle, including cars, pickups, S-U-V's and vans. Research shows most children, from four to eight, are safest when riding in a booster seat, properly secured with safety belts in the rear vehicle seat.) Another new traffic law pro vides that the State D.O. T. may designate specific interstate lanes for trucks. Under House Bill 345, the D.O. T. may prohibit trucks from driving in specific lanes on interstate highways with four or more lanes moving in the same direction. (On highways where D.O.T. has erected signs identi fying specific truck lanes, 40-6- 52 makes it unlawful to operate trucks anywhere but those desig nated lanes.) House Bill 678 allows cameras to be used at heavily traveled in tersections. Sponsors of HB 678 intended this legislation to set uniform statewide camera stan dards; (These new provisions add to existing laws permitting the use of cameras to record the tag num bers of violators.) Photographed violators will re ceive their ticket in the mail. Vio lations will be treated as a civil matter with no points against li censes and no reports to insurance companies. The measure also at tempts to standardize fines for speeders caught on cameras and sets a five-hundred-dollar cap for first-time offenders. The Kingdom Visions Summer Reading Program By Juilie Barnett The Kingdom Visions Sum mer Reading Program received FOCUS Funds from LeeFOCUS in support of their outreach efforts. The program serves over 60 children in the Lee County area. Students spend time focusing on reading, setting goals, and recreation. On June 28, the students re ceived a visit from Shalonda Water. Ms. Water stated she comes from “Katz Alley’" and has an understanding of some of the challenges faced by today’s students. She stressed the importance of realizing that reading skills are necessary for success in life. Andrea Adams, 9, hears about the importance of reading from Lee County Jail employee Shalonda Water. Pioneer Credit Company PHONE FOR FAST APPROVAL • Personal & Auto Loans CALL PAM OR SHANNON We Try To Understand 104 WALNUT AVE. LEESBURG 759-1200 The Canine Cottage Dog Grooming 1222 Lovers Lane Road, Leesburg (across from Canterbury Estates) 878-0860 Groomers: Sharon Hoffman & Teresa Giddens The Canine Cottage uses only top quality products and has shampoos designed for your dog's special coat and skin care needs. Reasonable prices, no hidden charges. Flexible scheduling to meet your busy life style. No sedation (just lots of love!) All Breeds, All Dogs Let us help you keep your dog clean and cool this summer! Old First State Bank Building For Sale or Leas u /14 Walnut St. - In the heart of Leesburg • Ideal Location For Professional Office • 3712 Square Feet, 2433 1 st Floor 1279 2nd Floor with separate entrances • Large 1.11 acre lot with frontage on three streets • 32 Marked Parking Spaces Priced To Sell ForAdditionallnformation, Call Henry Studdard (H) 759-6892 Walden and Kirkland, Inc. (0) 436-8811 Davis Auto Parts Used Auto Parts Minor Auto Repair Work — We Buy Junk Cars 434-1793 Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:30 209 E. Century Road - Leesburg WINGFIELD AG & LAWN 336 U.S. 19 South - Leesburg Check Out Our Line Of Tractor Implements! BOX BLADE FINISH MOWER ’ ■ 4'-$275 5 , -$285 6'-$300 4'-$795 5'-$875 6'-$925 HARROW ROTARY MOWER i % 4’-$400 5'-$475 6'-$550 4'-$460 5'-$550 6'-$650 (ttotito Rwim Sank} Local Resident Receives Degree From The University of Phoenix Online Robert J Arnold of Leesburg re ceived a BSB/M degree when the University of Phoenix Online held their graduation ceremony on June 30 at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix. The graduation was an opportunity for students who had been working together online - sometimes for as long as several years - to meet each other and faculty members for the first time. In front of the 1,200 friends, spouses, children and relatives looking on, more than 500 graduates from around the country and world received degrees in 16 graduate and under graduate areas, including Business Management and Administration, Computer Technology and Nurs ing. United States Secretary of Education Roderick R. Paige de livered the commencement ad dress via video, with Senator John McCain also making videotaped remarks. University of Phoenix Online is the nation's largest pri vate institution, with a student population of mostly working and professional adults. To submit articles and pictures to The Lee County Ledger, you may e-mail them to leeledger@aol.com or mail items of interest to P.O. 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