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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