Newspaper Page Text
The Wiregrass Farmer. December 31. 2008 - Page 3
YEAR
(Continued from Page 2)
The Ashbum Fire & Rescue
department gets a grant and
buys an emergency response
trailer. This is directly related
to the December tornado which
hit the west side station.
Week 4
The big question - Are taxes
going up? The answer - No one
is sure. In late fall, however,
the answer was yes. Only the
City of Rebecca rolled the mil-
lage back enough to accept just
new growth in its taxes. All
other taxing authorities set mil-
lage over the rollback rate.
The summer 4-H program
put together emergency relief
kits aimed at people who might
come here to get out of the path
of a hurricane or other natural
disaster.
Superior Court Judge Gary
McCorvey announces he will
not seek re-election. The race
was eventually won, after a
run-off, by Tifton attorney
Melanie Cross.
JULY
Week 1
Tax notices, not bills but
property re-assessment notices,
go in the mail. Many are
shocked to see their property
values doubled or more.
Ashburn’s water bills are
going back up. Consumption
dropped, meaning revenue
from the bills dropped, said
City Manager Ben Taylor.
Homeowners Lowell and
Barbara Brock had high praise
for the Ashbum Fire & Rescue
as the department’s quick
action saved their home near
the High School.
Week 2
The results of the investiga
tion into Lillian Burgess’ com
plaints about the Ashburn
Police Department are
announced.
Tom Whitsett Jr. is caught.
The County is over budget
in 12 departments. The
Sheriff’s Department and Jail
are over budget the most.
The Eureka School
Reunion, complete with a
parade, is held this week.
Week 3
Appeals on property assess
ments are pouring into the Tax
Assessor’s office. It would be
late fall before nearly all of the
appeals were heard.
After much discussion over
several months, the County
Commission agrees to leave
County Road 185 open.
Sycamore passes an outdoor
burning ban.
The Thursday blood drive
will be held in honor of the late
Missy Sunday.
Week 4
The election from the week
earlier sees Mary Lee Green
defeat incumbent Linda House
for Clerk of Court. Sheriff
Randy Kendrick and challenger
Roy Wiley will meet in a run
off. Mr. Wiley would later win
in the general election against a
write-in candidate.
Ashburn makes some
changes to its vehicle fleet to
save money on fuel. Among
the changes, adding propane
some trucks and buying golf
carts for some employees.
Week 5
Turner County 4-H’ers
bring home several awards in a
photo contest.
Early voting for the primary
runoff begins.
The Ashburn Police
Department announces plans
for National Night Out.
Andre Brown works at
Moultrie Technical College and
is a student. Mr. Brown
received his GED by working
through the college’s adult lit
eracy program.
AUGUST
Week 1
School Superintendent Ray
Jordan said he’s proud of the
school systems’ accomplish
ments on Adequate Yearly
Progress.
Early voting increased this
year.
A new dress code at the
high and middle school is not a
problem, principals say.
Andy Hester officially
announces his campaign as a
write-in candidate for Sheriff.
Week 2
Roy Wiley wins the run-off
for Sheriff, but must go to the
general election to face write-in
opposition.
County shop foreman
Joseph Neese asks County
Commission Chairman Daryl
Hall for an apology for Mr.
Hall’s comments earlier in the
meeting. Mr. Hall declines.
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s plan
for the state budget has cuts
everywhere.
Martie Warren, an Atlanta
transplant, finds her job as a
guide at the Crime &
Punishment museum very
enjoyable.
Week 3
Morgan Newberry received
a gold medal at the national
Family, Career and Community
Leaders of America confer
ence.
Hunter Brock won the state
4-H workforce contest.
Sycamore Councilman
Scotty Wilkerson, giving voice
to what many are saying pri
vately, says the recent property
reassessment are very out of
line.
Amy Huff is Turner
County’s Teacher of the Year.
Week 4
In hopes of saving money,
the schools adjust thermostats.
The idea proves itself in the
coming months as the schools
pay out less for power than
year before, despite an increase
in the per kilowatt charge from
Georgia power.
A decision to buy a new
tractor for the County is split 3-
2 in favor.
Sandra Lumpkin is sworn in
for the Ashburn City Council.
Yet again the severe weath
er warning siren did not go off
when first triggered according
to reports.
SEPTEMBER
Week 1
TCHS Principal Chad Stone
notes the high school’s
Adequate Yearly Progress
included the highest graduation
rate in seven years.
National abstinence speaker
Jackie Brewton will come
speak to students here.
Longtime Superior Court
Judge John Crosby made it
through a crowded primary to a
runoff where he beat Leesburg
attorney Wally Roberts for the
Georgia state Senate seat for
this district.
Week 2
CentraPak announces plans
to shut down in February. The
repack facility for M&M Mars
will be consolidated into an
operation in Kennesaw.
With budget cuts eliminat
ing travel, except to competi
tions, cheerleaders and the
band find community support
to pay for their trips to away
football games for the remain
der of the year.
As tax bills will be going
out late and ad valorem rev
enue also coming in late, the
Board of Education approves a
$750,000 line of credit from
Colony Bank so the school sys
tem can meet expenses until
tax dollars come in. The loan is
at 3 percent.
Week 3
The theft of 2,900 gallons
of gas from G&S 66 is not an
isolated incident. Large scale
gas thefts are being reported
around the region.
A former Ashburn resident
in training to be a guard at the
Dooly state prison is charged
with armed robbery.
A feral emu captured by
Animal Control officer Albert
Shepherd may not be the only
one running loose in Turner
County. Wiregrass Farmer edi
tor Ben Baker took the bird and
ate it.
Week 4
The emergency weather
siren continues to be in the
news at the County
Commission and Ashburn City
Council debate who owns it,
who should own it and who is
responsible for it in the mean
time.
Austin Wiggins brings
home numerous trophies from
the Georgia State Federation
Horse show.
OCTOBER
Week 1
Warrants for the arrest of
Nathan Holley are taken. Mr.
Holley was wanted in connec
tion with the shooting of a Ty
Ty man. Mr. Holley’s body was
found a few months later in a
Crisp County cotton field. He
killed himself, according to
reports. This also closed the
murder investigation.
Ashburn considers an ordi
nance to allow private citizens
to drive golf carts on city
streets. The ordinance later
passes unanimously.
Week 2
The tax digest is officially
in. Property values here rose by
$44 million since the last re-
evaluation.
Ashburn sets the maximum
millage at 10 mils. The Board
of Education leaves the millage
where it was.
Jenna Kicklighter is
crowned Homecoming Queen.
Week 3
Yep. Taxes are going up.
CodeRED, the new emer
gency call system the County
Commission and Ashburn
Council have approved goes
off twice, sending alert mes
sages to all but a few of the
phone numbers on the list.
Citing problems with the
administrator, who was later
dismissed, the County
Commission seeks an exten
sion for spending Community
Housing Improvement Program
(CHIP) money.
Week 4
Monthly sales tax income
jumps $5,000. There is no
explanation for the increase.
Alex Guess is State
Champion in market hog at the
Georgia State Fair.
With the weather beginning
to turn, coats will be the next
dress code issue to be faced the
middle and high school.
Week 5
Voter turnout for the gener
al election is expected to be
high.
Night school at the alternate
school hopes to get more stu
dents graduating by offering
them classes in the evening,
thereby letting them work dur
ing the day.
A sliding economy spurs
break-ins and thefts, according
to the Sheriff’s Department.
NOVEMBER
Week 1
The County Commission
rolls taxes back some, but not
all the way.
The annual JROTC
Veterans Day Salute is next
week.
Trick or Treat in the Streets
has its second year and draws
even more kids out.
The Turner County Young
Farmers take top honors at the
Expo in barbecue cooking.
Week 2
Ashbum has gangs, official
ly, said a gangs investigator
from Tift County. The special
investigator urged the City
Council to invest in gang pre
vent programs.
In the general election, Roy
Wiley easily wins the Sheriff’s
race and Sam McCard takes a
large margin victory in the
County Commission race for
the post held by Deral Dukes.
Mr. Dukes declined to run
again.
Week 3
Property taxes will be due
in January. Homeowners are
warned if their mortgage com
panies do not pay the taxes
until January, this could affect
their income tax returns.
Looking for the origins of
tectites, a kind of glass, brings
a former NASA scientist to
Georgia and Turner County.
This is one of 200+ trips he’s
made to Georgia in two
decades of researching the mat
ter.
Week 4
Nathan Holley’s body is
found in Crisp County but
won’t be officially identified
until later in the week.
Reaction to tax bills has
been mild, according to those
in local government offices.
A west side retention pond
cleanup resumes, as much as
possible anyway.
The County Commission
announces plans to approve an
agenda policy at the coming
meeting.
DECEMBER
Week 1
Turner County Connection
marks 15 years of work in
Turner County.
Relay for Life sets $33K as
the goal for the coming year.
Week 2
Garbage rates are going up
again, marking the second
increase in a year. This is a
contractual increase linked to
economic indicators.
The alcohol sales license
for the BP/Quik Change was
suspended for a year after the
store’s employees were repeat
edly charged with sales to a
person under 21. Other busi
nesses which were also caught
in recent stings received warn-
... And You
Said You
Wouldn’t
rive.
1
Words deserve actions. Don’t just say you won’t drink
and drive this New Year’s Eve, take action to designate
a driver. Be responsible and act on what you say:
Don’t Drink and Drive.
Chief Byrant McCard
and the Ashburn Police Department
(See YEAR Page 4)
To My Fellow Citizens of Turner County
As a young girl, I helped my Father in a campaign to
elect one of his friends as Tax Commissioner of Crisp
County. The friend was elected by a large majority-
Little did I realize, that one day I would have the
opportunity to serve as Tax Commissioner in the great
county of Turner. The county of my home, my family,
and my heart - and - to follow a great Tax
Commissioner before me (Charles Evans), one who
was loved and respected. Mr. Evans had followed Mr.
Lewis Flake, who was responsible for the beginning of
my career in Taxes and who we also loved and respect
ed. "Thank You" Mr. Flake and may God bless your
wonderful family.
It is with great pleasure that I can say, in each
administration, we all were a team- working together for the benefit of the citizens of
Turner County. I, along with my teammates, have strived to be people of integrity
and to work with a servant's heart. In order to run an efficient office, it is very impor
tant to work well with the other county offices. This has been a joy for me and you
certainly are a part of my extended family.
It has been such a blessing to see the many people we have had the opportunity to
meet. There are so many people of Faith in this county and this is so encouraging.
As I retire, I leave you with one I have seen grow up and one who is very capable
of operating this important office. I admire her (Ranee Gregory) and also her great
Christian family.
Serving as your Tax Commissioner has truly been a blessing and a great honor-
these of which I have enjoyed so much.
All of Turner County is in my heart and prayers -1 Love You!
Sincerely,
LAST CHANfif Rooistratisn * January 7th
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