About The wiregrass farmer. (Ashburn, Ga.) 1984-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2014)
Page 2 - The Wiregrass Farmer, January 1,2014 YEAR (Continued from Page 1) Residents of Golden South celebrated Christmas. In sports action The Turner County Wrestling Team took 1st place in the Region and are considered one of the top 8 wrestling teams in single-A. They qualified for the State Duals Wrestling Tournament held in Macon. The Turner County Rebels and Lady Rebels were 9-3 overall. The Lady Rebels were 5-0 in region and the Rebels were 4-1 in region play. Week 3 As Sycamore Police Chief Justin Rutherford is still in the hospital recovering from an auto accident, the Sycamore City Council appointed officer Joe Tucker to serve as the SPD supervisor. Sam McCard was elected chairman of the Turner County Commission at the organiza tional meeting Jan. 8. Greg Hudgins was elected vice chairman. The board selects the chairman and vice chair from the 5 seated members. In a related matter, the Commission unanimously reappointed Lattice Wilson as County Clerk and John Hol land as County Attorney. Mr. Holland also serves as the Board of Education attorney and the State Court Judge. In an effort to make the The Ashburn City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public. Agenda items are: • City Manager’s Report - Ben Taylor Regular Session: • Approval of the December 5th, 2013 Council Meeting Minutes • Ordinance - Publication of Qualification Fees for Offices Subject to Election 2014 • Appointment of the Mu nicipal Court Judge schools more secure on duty Ashburn police officers and Turner County deputies have an invitation to free breakfast and lunch every school day at one of the three lunchrooms. This comes in light of recent school shootings in other areas of the country. The new fountain at Elrod Park gets a stamped concrete walkway and molded brick work. The Middle School wrestlers took second place at the Rebel Invitational. In society news the Keenagers installed new offi cers. The UDC held a Christ mas luncheon in Fitzgerald. Week 4 A survey could determine if there will be changes made at the Sycamore Post Office. A meeting was held to gather di rect community input regard ing possible closure of the Post Office, scaling back the hours of service and delivery. Re gardless changes will happen but a final decision was to be in a February hearing. The Turner County Quiz Bowl Team took second place in a recent competition. Team members are Laurel Bell, Tavis Tukes, Jacora Smart, Clara Grace Coker, Zachary Howard and Marty Rose Hobbs. A new state system for tax ing cars and trucks leaves a lot of people confused, according • Appointment of the Mu nicipal Court Prosecutor • Appointment of the Mu nicipal Court Indigent Defense Attorney • Appointment of City At torney • Appointment of Down town Development Authority Board • Appointment of Ashburn Downtown Development Au thority Board • Appointment of Mayor Pro-tem • Eureka Heights to the Association for County Commissions of Georgia (ACCG). The change will af fect car buyers differently de pending on whom they buy from. For practical purposes, the new law and title ad valorem tax (TAVT) takes place March 1. In Festival news, the Fire- Ant committee are seeking contestants. The theme for this year's festival is Fire Ant Thriller. Colonial Dames met in Tifton to plan for officer instal lation. On the court the Lady Rebels were in 3rd place going into the South Middle School Athletic Conference (SMAC) tournament. The Rebels were in 1st place. Week 5 Local attorney Cheryle Bryan was honored with the annual Citizen of the Year award. Thursday night at the Chamber Banquet. SOS Farms were voted Farm Family of the year. Universal Forest Products received Industry of the Year, Mike Geoghagan received Vol unteer of the Year and The Wiregrass Farmer was awarded Small Business of the Year. Former NFL player and Ashburn native, Ben Thomas, spoke at the banquet. Former Mayor Bob Hunni- cutt voices his opinion in a let ter regarding the LOST situation. More questions and answers with the new tag system which has left some people confused. Local authors, Charles Perry, Ben Baker, Janis Lane Hess, Tracey Laster, Devine Terrell and Nancy Stevenson will be at the Literary Fair hosted by The Turner County Arts Council. The Middle School Rebels wins SMAC championship. The Turner County Rebels and Lady Rebels sweep Telfairia, putting them well inside the Top 10 in GHSA Power Rank ings. Lydia Kingry made the team with the ABAC Fillies as a relief pitcher and back up shortstop. She says to never let anyone stop your dream from coming true. February Week 1 The house and vehicles of Ben Baker, editor of The Wire- grass Farmer, were damaged in an early morning attack. A criminal incident included at tempted arson of vehicles. In a second incident 13 to 14 hours later a gun was fired into the residence while the house was occupied, no one was injured. In what officers consider a re lated incident, the electricity meter at The Wiregrass Farmer was damaged and was discov ered Monday morning as the business was opening. The Ashburn Fire Depart ment announces awards at the Annual Awards Banquet. A 2-2 vote by the County Commission has left the con cession contract at the recre ation department an unsettled matter. The vote came at a called meeting last week. Alice Temple has held the contract for a while. The next regular meeting will bring the matter up again. In Ashburn City Council news two alcoholic beverage licenses are on the agenda. Sumner Farms earns The Middle South Soil and Water Conservation District Turner County Conservationist of the Year. The fountain at Elrod Park was soaped twice over the weekend. The Daughters of 1812 met to hear a report on rural life back in the 1800s. The Rebel Wrestlers took second place in the Area Sec tionals over the weekend. Sev eral grapplers also brought home medals for their per formance. Meanwhile, The Lady Rebels and Rebels both are 17- 4 overall and 11-1 in region play and are setting themselves up to be in excellent position for the state playoffs. Week 2 Sometime soon the 911 dis patchers will be able to offer emergency medical advice to callers. Right now, the dis patchers cannot offer advice or help to someone calling the 911 center. 911 Director Jason Lawhorne and EMS Director Robby Royal pitched a plan to the County Commission which would let dispatchers give some help over the phone. Christopher Floyd, of Ash burn, has been named Darton State College's Academic Recognition Student for 2013. Each college in the University System of Georgia annually selects one student to honor for their academic achievements. Ashburn is looking at bor rowing $750,000 and applying for $1 million or more in grants for sewer system and stormwa ter system work. For years As- bum’s sewer system has suffered from “infiltration” of rainwater. An alcohol license for two new stores on S. Gordon Street were approved by the Council last week. Donald McGriff, new owner of what was Cal houn Grocery and another was given for a long abandoned store at 818 S. Gordon, the li cense was for beer only. In other Ashburn news, The Ash burn City Council gave ap proval to a mural project at Tom Whitsett Park as spear headed by Councilman James Hall. Mr. Hall said the mural project will feature 14 local leaders and national leaders. Funding for the project is com ing from community dona tions. The Courthouse is more se cure. Everyone entering the Courthouse now passes through the metal detectors. The Courthouse personnel have requested such security for a while. Dr. Amy Williamson, Assis tant Professor at Angelo State University, has been selected to join an elite network of more than 5,000 women as a mem ber of the Leadership Texas Class of 2013. In sports, Brooke Keen and Lakyn Souter signed with ABAC'S Fillies. Brooke will be on the pitching staff and Lakyn will play infield. Gavin Town- son gets job experience work ing at the Road Department while in school with the Youth Apprenticeship program. Meanwhile, The Turner County Rebels and Lady Rebels had two games last week as the regular season winds down in preparation for the state playoffs. The teams close out the regular season with a big game against Wilcox County on Friday. The boys game is the de facto re gion championship. Week 3 The hours at the Sycamore Post Office will be cut back within the next 30 days to a re duced schedule. The decision comes as the Post Office strug gles nationally to cope with a budget deficit and new rules from Congress. The Post Of fice will now be open 6 hours, Mon-Fri 9a.m. - 4 p.m. A new industry is coming to Ashburn but won’t be hiring for several more months. The new plant must first build a facility in the new In dustrial Park. The new plant will equip fire trucks with fire fighting equipment. The plant will have five jobs to start with then expand to 20 some months down the road. The lawsuit over Local Op tion Sales Tax (LOST) filed by the County Commission against the City of Ashburn has hit the Georgia Supreme Court. Brooke Hulsey is the 2013 Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) teacher and Laurel Bell is the STAR student. Jamika Hobbs-Harbuck was crowned Queen Spelling Bee at TCES. Trib Publications an nounced longtime Wiregrass Farmer Editor Ben Baker is now the newspaper’s general manager. Ben Shivers and Gary Oliver of Ashburn have been selected as a winner in Amer ica's Farmers Grow Communi ties, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. Grow Com munities gives farmers the op portunity to win a $2,500 donation to direct to their fa vorite local nonprofit organiza tions. To further support counties that have been de clared disaster areas due to drought by the U.S.D.A. win ning farmers in these counties were able to direct double the donation, a total of $5,000 to further support the community. Turner County was declared a disaster area by the USDA, giving Ben Shivers, the oppor tunity to place two $2,500 do nations. Ben Shivers selected Turner County Elementary School and Turner County FFA Chapter. Turner Sweeps Wilcox, head to State. The Turner County Rebels (20-4 overall, 13-1 in region) and Lady Rebels (19-5 overall, 13-1 in region) are region champs for Region 2-A for the 2012-2013 season. Week 4 The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) recently completed its investigation sur rounding the recruiting allega tions involving Turner County and Tift County. The investigation took months to complete with the allegations involving events that took place over an ex tended period of time. After re view no concrete evidence found to prove that personnel from Tift County High School was involved in any "undue in fluence" regarding student-ath letes. Sycamore gets new house number signs. The reflective |Your | Tax BelunflChecK BGoes Further ■Here THIS COULD BE YOU! You could take home this Flat Screen TV and a bag of money! Sycamore Auto Sales • 567-2005 Everything costs less in the country! TAX PREPARATION • Walk out with a CHECK and a new car OR • Walk out with a CHECK and lower payments YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH REFUND TO KEEP! • Use PART of your refund to help with your car loan • Lower your current payments or pay your vehicle off • Your return enters you in the TV & Cash drawing! Sycamore Auto Sales • 567-2005 WE DON’T AND WON’T TAKE YOUR REFUND CHECK! If you pay over book value, you’re not far enough in the country. If you are not getting service after the sale, you’re not far Fnr: . pTsoLlriat enough in the country. $6995 ‘99 Land Rover Discovery $5995 If you are not getting a hometown “THANK YOU!,” you’re not far enough in the country. Thank you for coming out in the woods to see us at Sycamore Sales. ‘04 Chevy Impala $5995 ‘01 Honda Accord $5995 Our full inventory with complete description and 32 pictures at www.sycamoreautosales.org ‘96 BMW 740 Series $6995 HI ALBANY VASCULAR SPECIALIST CENTER VARICOSE VEINS? Call TODAY and schedule your Free No Obligation Screening At Southwest Georgia’s Premier Outpatient Vascular Center Dr. Tripp Morgan, MD www.albanyvsc.com 2300 Dawson Rd • Albany, GA 229.436.8535 (See YEAR Page 3) Ashburn Council agenda
