Newspaper Page Text
The Led County Ledger
Your Hometown Source Of Local News
Hometown Newspaper of Ken and Ginger Garder
Volume XLIII- Number 48
Leesburg, Georgia - - August 4, 2021
Fifty Cents
Vaccinations Encouraged In Light Of Rise In Cases
Special to the Ledger
As the number of
Covid cases continues
to rise in Southwest
Georgia and across the
country, public health
officials at Southwest
Health District 8-2
strongly urge those who
are unvaccinated to
make plans to get their
shot(s) now.
The CDC this week
released its latest
recommendations,
including having fully
vaccinated people wear
masks while indoors in
public places in areas of
substantial or high trans
mission of Covid. Fully
vaccinated people who
are exposed to Covid are
recommended to test in
3-5 days. The CDC also
recommends universal
masking at schools.
“It is believed that the
Delta variant is highly
prevalent throughout
Georgia,” says Charles
Ruis, MD, District
Health Director, South
west Health District.
“The best way to prevent
a Covid-related death is
to get vaccinated, and
vaccines are widely
available in our region.”
Ruis also notes that,
compared to unvacci
nated people, those fully
vaccinated:
- Experience fewer
Covid infections
- Experience less se
vere Covid infections
- Are less likely to die
from a Covid infection
- May be less likely to
spread Covid infections
to others
Southwest Public
Health District has free
Covid 19 vaccines for
those 12 and older. Ages
18 and older can choose
between the two dose
Moderna and Pfizer
vaccines or the one
dose Johnson & John
son vaccine. Children
12 to 17 will receive
Pfizer. Schedule your
vaccine online today at
southwestgeorgiapubli-
chealth.org or by calling
your local public health
clinic. Also available on
our website is a list that
shows the new COVID
case rate category for all
14 counties in the South
west Georgia Health
District.
GBI Arrests Former Lee County
Sheriff’s Office Investigator
Special to the Ledger
On Monday, July 26,
2021, the GBI arrest
ed Christopher Troy
Harnage, age 46, of
Leesburg. Harnage is a
former Investigator with
the Lee County Sher
iff’s Office. Harnage
is charged with three
counts of Violation of
Oath of Office, three
counts of Solicitation
of Sodomy, and three
counts of Sodomy and
was booked into the Lee
County Jail.
On Thursday, July
9, 2020, the GBI was
requested by the Lee
Tax Assessment
Mailed, No Tax
Increase Proposed
While Notices of As
sessment, were mailed
to property owners in
Lee County last Friday,
Lee County Commission
Chairman Billy Mathis
is reassuring property
owners that they are not
facing a property tax
increase because of the
revaluation which is a
state requirement. While
the Notices of Assess
ment is based on the cur
rent millage rate for Lee
County and does include
a tax estimate, it is not an
official tax notice.
With the increase in
Lee County property
value, most Notices of
Assessment will show an
estimate that’s going to
be an increase based on
the current millage rate.
Some property owners
will think their assess
ment is in error and will
have 45 days to appeal
their property assess
ment. Once all challeng
es have been processed,
the actual tax bills will
be prepared after the
commissioners sets the
millage rate.
An assessment of all
property, including agri
culture, commercial and
residential, must be reval-
uated to stay in compli
ance with a state-man-
dated ratio based on
40% of the fair market
value of each parcel. The
assessment be within a
range of 36 to 44 percent
of that value or it is out
of compliance.
County Sheriff’s Office
to investigate allegations
of Investigator Harnage
interfering with an on
going child molestation
investigation. Harnage
was refusing to provide
information to other
investigators vital to
the investigation. This
investigation led to the
discovery of evidence of
Harnage soliciting and
performing sex acts on
and off duty in uniform
dating back to 2013.
Harnage was terminat
ed from Lee County
Sheriff’s Office on July
16, 2020.
This investigation
is active and ongoing.
Anyone with information
is encouraged to contact
the GBI Americus Field
Office at 229-931-2439.
Tips can also be submit
ted by calling 1-800-597-
TIPS(8477), online at
https://gbi.georgia.gov/
submit-tips-online, or
by downloading the See
Something, Send Some
thing mobile app.
(Photo courtesy of Georgia Farm Bureau)
Willie Sizemore, far left, of Lee County, was a top four finalist in the
Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R)
Discussion Meet held July 15-17 during the GFB YF&R Leadership
Conference on Jekyll Island. Competing against Sizemore in the last
round of competition were: second from left to right, event winner
Cleve Jackson of Floyd County; Emily Leonard of Echols County and
Will Cabe of Franklin County.
Sizemore Finishes In Top
4 Of GFB Discussion Meet
Special to the Ledger
Lee County Farm
Bureau (LCFB) member
Willie Sizemore recently
placed in the Final Four
of the Georgia Farm
Bureau (GFB) Young
Farmers & Ranchers
(YF&R) Discussion Meet
held July 15-17 during the
GFB YF&R Leadership
Conference on Jekyll
Island. As one of the
top finalists, Sizemore
received a $350 prize.
Sizemore competed
against 16 other compet
itors from 16 counties to
place in the Final Four of
the GFB YF&R Discus
sion Meet. This event
is designed to mimic a
committee meeting in
which individuals seek
Seven Permits Issued
For New Homes In July
DOHERTY, DUGGAN,
HART&TlERNAN
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.ddhtins.com
50 Years of Lee
County High
School Football
1971 Football
Players, Coaches and
Cheerleaders
You are invited to
a reception in your
honor.
August 27, 2021
7:00 PM - Pre-game
fellowship
Lee County High
School Lecture Hall
Half-Time recognition
For more information
contact Donna Jones -
jonesdo@lee.k12.ga.us
During the month of
July 2021, the Lee Coun
ty Building Permit Office
issued seven permits for
single family dwellings.
The seven permits were
issued in the unincorpo
rated area of Lee County.
The estimated cost of
the seven homes were
$883,405.00.
During July, two
permits were issued for
mobile homes in the un
incorporated area of Lee
County. The estimated
cost of the two mobile
homes were $159,200.00.
One accessory build
ing permit, five pools
& signs permits, 13
residential addition & al
teration permits and four
residential garage/car
port permits were issued
in the unincorporated
area of Lee County.
Two permits for bank,
office professional were
issued in the unincorpo
rated area of Lee County
in July. The estimat
ed construction cost
was $481,000.00. One
permit for restaurant
remodeling was issued
Medical Walkout/Rollout
Garbage Service Provided
Senior citizens with
disabilities who reside
within the city limits of
Leesburg or Smithville
or in the unincorporated
area of Lee County may
be eligible for walkout/
rollout services for their
weekly garbage pickup.
Senior citizens with
disabilities must have a
letter from their med
ical provider stating
this assistance with
their garbage service
would benefit the senior
citizen.
Once the senior citizen
has obtained that letter
from their medical pro
vider, the senior citizen
will provide the letter to
the appropriate govern
ment agency.
Senior citizens that
reside in Leesburg
would take the letter
to the Leesburg City
Hall. Senior citizens
that reside in Smithville
would take the letter
to the Smithville City
Hall and senior citizens
that reside in the county
would deliver the letter
to the county adminis
tration building located
on Starksville Ave. in
Leesburg.
Garbage containers,
from senior citizens
receiving this service,
must be placed in a visi
ble area that can be seen
from the road. Once
the garbage container
is emptied, it will be re
turned to the same area.
in July. The estimated
construction cost was
$250,000.00. One permit
for stores & customer
service was issued in
July. The estimated
construction cost was
$20,400.00.
During July, one demo
lition permit was issued.
25 electrical permits, 11
plumbing permits, 43
heating, air permits and
two gas permits were
issued in the unincorpo
rated area of Lee County.
In Leesburg, one resi
dential addition & alter
ation permit was issued
in July. During July, one
demolition permit was
issued. Three electrical
permits, two plumbing
permits and one heating
and air permits were is
sued in Leesburg during
July. During July, one
renewal and re-inspec-
tion permit was issued in
Leesburg.
In Smithville, one
residential addition &
alteration permit was
issued in July.
solutions to ag issues.
In the Final Four round
of the discussion meet,
Sizemore faced the other
finalists: Will Cabe of
Franklin County; Em
ily Leonard of Echols
County; and event winner
Cleve Jackson of Floyd
County. The topic of dis
cussion for the last round
of competition was how
Farm Bureau can improve
its effectiveness at re
cruiting YF&R members
and increasing participat
ing in YF&R programs.
Sizemore is a recent
graduate of the UGA
CAES where he majored
in agricultural communi
cations.
10499
02456
1
^20%-Bewrr-
-€o3tly Mortgage
To Subscribe Call 229-759-2413
Homeownership
is within your reach,
even if you don't have
much to put toward a
down payment.
GCB has you covered
with low mortgage
insurance premiums.
Contact us to
get a quote today!
Georgia Community Bank
3000 N. Slappey Blvd.
(229) 446-0102
Online @ GCB.bank
NMLS # 648124
Subject to
credit approval.
Member
FDIC
