Newspaper Page Text
The tee County lector
your Hometown Source of Cocal flews
Hometown Newspaper of Claude and Pat Belcher
Volume XXIV - Number 40
Leesburg, Georgia -- May 16, 2002
Fifty Cents
Mathis Announces Candidacy For Reelection
Billy Mathis announced that he
will seek reelection to the Lee
County Board of Commissioners
from the Palmyra District.
Mr. Mathis is completing his
first four year term on the county
commission. He is currently serv
ing his second year as chairman
of the county commission. Mr.
Mathis, a former chairman of the
Lee County Republican party,
will seek reelection as a Republi
can.
Billy Mathis said he is proud
that the county commission has
been able to increase services to
the citizens of Lee Countians and
maintain a balanced budget. With
pride, Mathis noted that Lee
County will be able to lower the
millage rate again this year for the
second consecutive year. Mathis
pointed out that not many local
governing bodies can make that
statement.
Chairman Mathis said the
county commissioners have been
able to accomplish those things
by keeping the budget under con
trol. He said that maintaining fis
cal responsibility is the most im
portant issue that Lee County
faces.
Noting that he ran on the plat
form of building up the fire de
partment, Mathis pointed to the
accomplishment in three years of
providing manned fire protection
24 hours a day seven days a week.
This fire protection is provided at
the Century and Palmyra Fire Sta
tions. The new fire stations in
Leesburg and Redbone will also
have fire protection seven days a
week 24 hours a day.
Mathis noted that plans are un
der way to construct a new fire
station in the Smithville - Chokee
District. The fire station in the
Palmyra District will be refur
bished.
Billy Mathis said that he wants
to continue working with his fel
low commissioners to strengthen
the basic vital services provided
to the citizens of Lee County.
Mathis said the citizens deserve
these basic vital services includ
ing fire, EMS and law enforce
ment.
Mathis said he wants to con
tinue working with the economic
development authority to expand
the commercial tax base in Lee
County.
Billy Mathis is a life-long resi
dent of Lee County and a gradu
ate of Lee County High School.
He and his wife, Wendy, are the
parents of two children, Carly, 11,
and Tripp. 8.
Group To Push For Maine’s Reinstatement
And School Board Recall
Candace Macheers, Chet Maine, and Richard Pfeiffer held a press conference
following Monday night’s School Board meeting.
School Board Accepts Responsibility
In Maine’s Expulsion
Richard Pfeiffer, organizer for
the group to reinstate Chet Maine,
announced that the group will
meet Thursday, May 16 at 7:00
p.m. The group will meet in the
assembly room at the Governmen
tal Building which is located next
to the courthouse in Leesburg.
Pfeiffer along with several stu
dents and adults attended
Monday’s school board meeting
in an effort to seek reinstatement
of Chet Maine to school so that
he can graduate May 24. When
Pfeiffer, who was not on the
agenda, was not allowed to ad
dress the school board, he held a
press conference following the ad-
journment of the school board
meeting.
Responding to questions about
recalling the school board mem
bers, Pfeiffer said topics on the
agenda will include procedures for
recalling the school board mem
bers and security decisions made
by the school system.
Pfeiffer said that the school
board is walking on the constitu
tional rights of students and par
ents. He indicated that there ap
pears to be a lack of security at
the high school. Pfeiffer said that
everyone wants the school to be a
safe place but wants the laws ap
plied equally and fairly. He said
the state will be asked to
investiagte security at all the
schools.
In regards to Chet Maine’s ex
pulsion, it was stated that the hear
ing tribunal had to expel Maine
but the school board could take
into evidence all the facts before
making their decision.
Clay Announces Candidacy For
Lee County School Board Seat
Robert A. Clay, former Super
intendent of Lee County
Schools, has announced his in
tentions to run for the Lee
County Board of Education rep
resenting the Smithville/Chokee
District. Clay stated that encour
agement from many sources led
to his decision to become a can
didate for this important position.
Since retiring as Superintendent,
Clay has served as interim super
intendent in Lee and Sumter
counties. In addition he has
served as a consultant in two
school systems and worked on a
special project for Valdosta State
University.
Clay is married to the former
Betty Ann Pace. They have two
daughters, Carol Peak and
Melody Sheffield and two grand
sons, Zach Peak and Clay
Sheffield. Zach is currently a jun
ior at Lee County High School.
Clay stated that he will be run
ning on his record and looks for
ward to the possibility of again
serving the Lee County School
System.
Dr. Robert A. Clay
Sylvia Vann, Chairman of the
Lee County Board of Education,
in reading a prepared statement
Monday night at the close of the
board meeting, said the school
board accepted the responsibility
in their decision not to reinstate
Chet Maine. Chet was expelled
from school May 6 because he
violated the zero tolerance policy.
Two steak knives were found in
the back of his truck on the school
Doherty
Duggan
zrRouse
Insurors
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (229)888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (229) 435-3036
www.ddrins.com
Smithville
City
Council
will meet
Monday,
May 20 at
5:30 p.m.
campus following a weekend
camping trip.
Mrs. Vann said that Dr. Bill
Lewis, School Superintendent,
did not have a role in that deci
sion. She said a school hearing
tribunal made the decision on
Maine’s expulsion and the board
chose to uphold that decision.
Vann also said the school board
is aware of its authority to look at
each case on an individual basis.
Mrs. Vann read her statement
before the board denied Richard
Pfeiffer an opportunity to speak.
Pfeiffer and Chet’s mother along
with a large group of supporters
are trying to get the school board
to reinstate Maine so that he can
graduate May 24 with his class
mates.
Although Pfeiffer was not al
lowed to address the board, he
announced that Chet’s supporters
had obtained 1400 signatures re
questing that the school board re
instate Chet Maine. Pfeiffer
placed the folder with the signa
tures on the table as the board
members walked out.
The school board approved the
employment of Alan Long as as
sistant principal at Lee County
Elementary School. The board
approved the employment of sev
eral teachers including Kristina
Gordon as a third grade teacher
at Lee County Elementary
School, Tracy Stoize as a math
teacher at Lee County Middle,
Robert Smith as a CVAE/Busi-
ness teacher at Lee County
Middle, Cynthia Walker as a
LCMS science teacher and Tracy
Brockway as a Special Education
Interrelated (Vocational) teacher
at the high school. Michelle
Titorenko was employed as a part-
time system-wide speech-lan
guage pathologist. Approved for
summer employment were Rob
ert E. Jones, III, Bobby Guinn,
Andre Dismuke, Marcus D. Har
ris, Michael McCavitt and Joe
Scott Childs, Jr. The board ap
proved the resignation of two cus
todians, Beatrice Bullock and
Gayla Washington. Bullock was
a custodian at Lee County El
ementary School and Washington
was a custodian at Lee County
High School.
Wes Taylor, Lee County High
School Principal, recognized Jill
Lindsey. Mrs. Lindsey recently
received stateside honor by being
named the Number One Teacher
in the Hotel - Hospitality Instruc
tional Program.
The board approved a five per
cent increase in their funding to
the Lee County Library. This year,
the board funded $55,000 to the
library. In the budget for next year,
the school system will contribute
$60,000.
Dr. Lewis presented preliminary
budget figures to the school
board. He noted that this will be
the tightest budget in years. It ap
pears that the millage rate will
remain at the same level.
Sheriff’s Department Makes Arrests
Sheriff Harold Breeden released
the Lee County Sheriff’s
Department’s latest arrests report.
Russell Martin Melton, 40, of
828 US Highway 19 South Lot
B, Leesburg, was charged with
simple battery on May 7. He was
arrested after officers responded
to a suspicious vehicle in the 400
block of Creekside Drive.
Brenda Rogers Price, 47, of 137
Muckalee Creek Road, Leesburg,
and Diana Lynn Burrell, 32. of
503 Murphy Road, Leesburg,
were charged with simple battery
on May 8. Price and Burrell were
charged after officers responded
to a domestic disturbance in the
100 block of Crow Drive.
Norris Julius Henson, 37, of
101-A Augusta Court, Leesburg,
GA, was charged with aggravated
child molestation on May 9.
Henson was charged after an in
vestigation was conducted.
Marvin Marcine Bush, III, 20,
of 137-A Ravenwood Court,
Leesburg, was charged with false
imprisonment (felony ) on May 9.
Bush was charged after officers
responded to a 911 hang-up call
at above incident location.
Latoria Carter, 17. of 608 N.
Monroe. Albany, and Michael
Williams, 29. of 611-B First Av
enue, Albany, were charged with
theft by shoplifting on May 9.
They were charged after attempt
ing to exit Walmart with unpaid
items.
Gary Kevin Rogers, 35. of 110
Victorian Court, Leesburg, was
charged with simple battery on
May 10. He was charged after
officers responded to the incident
location in reference to a domes
tic disturbance.
Standley Nathan Ball, 39, 903
Hobson Street, Albany, was
charged with theft by taking on
May 10. He was charged after an
investigation revealed he had a
stolen a firearm from a business
in the 1300 block of US Highway
82. The firearm was recovered.
Russell Edward Morey. II, 24,
of 710 Pine Glen Drive, Albany,
was charged with possession of
MDMA (ecstasy) with intent to
distribute, possession of
Alprozolam (Xanax) possession
of marijuana less than one ounce,
DUI. and driving while license
revoked on May 11. He was
charged after a narcotics investi
gation.
Amy Pearl Wentworth. 29. of
131 Greenleaf Road. Sylvester,
was charged with theft by taking
on May 11. She was charged af
ter an investigation was con
ducted which revealed that she
had been taking items from her
employer.
Tawana Tymeshia Jones, 23, of
Dawson, was charged with theft
by shoplifting on May 11. She
was charged after attempting to
exit Walmart with unpaid items.
Thad Johnson, 49. of 307
Livingston Road, Smithville, was
charged with simple battery on
May 11. He was charged after
officers responded to a domestic
dispute at the above incident lo-
cation.
BUFFALO ROCK
Lee County
Retired
Educators
Association
Monday, May
20
10:00 a.m. at
Leesburg
First
Methodist
Church
