Newspaper Page Text
The Led County Ledger
Your Hometown Source Of Local News
Hometown newspaper of John and Vicky McClung
Volume XXX - Number 49
Leesburg, Georgia - - August 6, 2008
Fifty Cents
It’s Time for School to Start Back
Follow The Law When Following School Buses
Special to the Ledger
Bob Dallas, Director
Georgia Governor’s
Office of Highway
Safety
As summer ends and
the new school year
approaches, I’d like to re
mind motorists they will
soon be sharing the road
with precious cargo. And
carrying that precious
cargo will be convoys of
big, yellow school buses.
Students of all ages
should feel safe when
SCHOQLfl
SPEED
LIMIT
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Leesburg Chief Charles Moore reminds the citizens of Lee County to be cautious during
school drop off and pick up times as children head back to school Friday, August 8. Plan to
leave home early to accommodate the increase in traffic.
Lee County Run-off Election Results
Another run-off scheduled for September
getting on or off their
school bus. No matter
where we’re going or how
much of a hurry we’re in,
all motorists must obey
the law when it comes to
stopping for school buses.
Otherwise, the conse
quences are just too great.
Georgia law governs
how motorists should
proceed in the presence
of a school bus. Passing is
prohibited on either side
of a school bus during
passenger loading and
unloading. When a school
bus activates its swing-
arm stop sign and red
flashing lights, drivers on
both sides of the roadway
must stop. However, if a
concrete or grass me
dian strip separates the
opposing traffic lanes,
only vehicles following
or travelling alongside in
the same direction as the
school bus are required to
stop.
School
bus law
violators
face stiff
penalties
in Georgia.
Speeding
in school
zones
results
in double
the number of points on
driver’s licenses. Traf
fic enforcement officers
say this is one moving
violation where motorists
should not expect to re
ceive warning citations. If
you don’t slow down for
the flashing amber lights,
you should expect to see
flashing blue lights.
When a driver is tick
eted for the unlawful
passing of a school bus,
misdemeanor fines can
range up to $1,000 ac
companied by up to a year
in jail. Administrative
license penalties apply
statewide. A conviction
for unlawfully passing
a school bus carries six
(6) points on a driver’s
license for all offenders.
Penalties for drivers under
the age of 21 result in
automatic license suspen
sion for six months and
all subsequent repeat
offenses result in a 12-
month suspension.
The reason behind
Georgia’s tough penal
ties is clear. A 2006
study by the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA)
found that since 1996,
1,536 people have died
in school transportation-
related crashes. That’s an
average of 140 fatalities
per year. In the same time
period, 159 school-age
pedestrians died in school
transportation-related
crashes. Twenty eight
percent of those children
were killed by vehicles
other than the one trans
porting them to or from
school.
Motorists are always ad
vised to be aware of their
surroundings, but here are
lifesaving tips to keep in
mind when travelling near
a school bus:
TIP #1: When a school
bus prepares to stop to
load or unload children,
the driver activates flash
ing yellow lights. All
vehicles approaching the
bus should slow down and
be prepared to stop when
seeing these lights.
TIP #2: Pay close at
tention to children who
may be crossing the road
or walking or waiting
alongside it.
TIP #3: Once stopped,
remain stopped until the
bus resumes motion or
deactivates its warning
signal AND all pas
sengers have cleared the
roadway.
TIP #4: Be prepared to
react to unexpected move
ments of small children
waiting for their bus.
They don’t always follow
standard pedestrian safety
rules.
TIP #5: Resist distrac
tions in school zones and
near bus stops.
TIP #6: If approaching
railroad
tracks
behind
a school
bus, wait
until the
bus com
pletely
crosses
the
tracks
and
there’s room on the other
side for another vehicle
to safely clear the tracks
before proceeding.
Diligence is of utmost
importance when it comes
to protecting our children.
So as Georgia drivers
continue their morning
and afternoon commutes,
they need to be aware that
school buses and ener
getic children will soon
be an active part of those
commutes again. If noth
ing else, always remember
to Avoid Harm, Obey the
Stop Arm.
For more information
on traffic laws regarding
school bus safety, visit the
Georgia Department of
Driver Services website at
www.dds.ga.gov to access
the 2008 Driver’s Manu
al. For more information
on school bus safety, visit
www.nhtsa.dot.gov or the
American School Bus
Council at www.american
schoolbuscouncil.org.
^merts
Bank
2627 Dawson Rd.
229-888-5600
1607 Highway 19 S
229-434-4550
The
Lee County
Board of
Commissioners
meets Tuesday,
August 12 at
6:00 p.m. in the
Administration
Building
Doherty, Duggan
& Rouse Insurors
AN EMPLOYEE OWNED COMPANY
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
Kids Expo-
Soccer
Monday,
August 11
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 pm.
Soccer Drills
and Games
Fun for the
whole Family
Waiving Joining Fee
for YMCA
August 11 only Lee
County YMCA Rec
Soccer Fields
759-9770
Submitted Photo
Bethanie Kiger (left), 13 of Lee County, collected over $300 in school
supplies for the less fotunate students of Lee County. This is the third
time in the last year that she has found it within herself to help local
charities. She has collected bears for children who have lost loved
ones for Hospice, and for Chirstmas she collected toys for the children
associated with Open Arms. Pictured with Bethanie is Kalyn Warren
(center) and Kelly Lindquist (right) with the Lee Family Connection.
A run-off election was
held August 5 for Lee
County Tax Commissioner
because
none
of the
three
candi
dates
in the
July 15
election
re-
Smith ceived
fifty
percent of the vote. Susan
Smith is the Lee County
Tax Commissioner win
ning the election with 1278
votes to Tricia Quinn’s
843 votes.
The new tax commis
sioner will take office
January 1, 2009. Smith
replaces Betty Johnson
who is retiring.
Although Lee County
Of the Lee County
votes, Wally Roberts
voters heavily supported
Lee Countians Wally
Roberts and
Bob Usry in
the Georgia
State Senate
race, the winner
will have to be
decided in a
run-off election.
At press time,
it appeared that _ „ _
Roberts and RobertS Cr0Sb V
John Dickey Crosby of received 1026 votes while
Tift County would face Crosby received 174.
each other September 16.
Five candidates were on
the ballot for the special
election to fill the senate
seat held by Joseph Carter.
Rusty Simpson received
222 votes. Bob Usry of
received 447 votes and
Horace Hudgins of Irwin
County received 229
votes.
In the special election
for a Smithville City
Council seat, Willie M.
Davis won.
Lee County had a
15.29% voter turnout for
Tuesday’s election.
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