Newspaper Page Text
I got this powdered water - now I don't know what to add.
Steven Wright
Ashburn Police Chief resigns
letter Page 3
™ E Wiregrass Farmer
Serving Turner County Since 1902
Wednesday, January 7,2015
ASHBURN, GA, 31714
VOL 109 - No. 1 • 500
www.thewiregrassfarmer.com
{Around Town\
Subscribe to
The Wiregrass
Farmer
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mail every week
Call 567-3655 for
information.
Chamber
Banquet
Tickets are now avail
able for the 59th Annual
Chamber of Commerce
Banquet. Call 567-9696 for
ticket information.
School’s
Open House
Turner County Elemen
tary School and
Middle/High School will be
having Open House Thurs
day, Jan. 8, 2015 from 4-6
p.m
Ribbon cutting
Walmart ribbon cutting
7:30 Wednesday.
Test assistance
Turner County Special
Services is assisting anyone
that needs a diploma that
has not passed the GHSGT,
or if you passed all portions
of the test, but lack at least
two classes. Please come
Mon-Thurs 4-6pm at Spe
cial Services School and let
us help you. The time is
now!
Volunteer
Opportunity
Looking for a unique
volunteer opportunity? Do
you have a passion for
Turner County history and
people?
The Historic Crime and
Punishment Museum is
where you need to be! Vol
unteers to lead tours
throughout the jail and
share it’s rich history are
needed. Training will be
provided by the Historical
Preservation Society. Con
tact the Chamber of Com
merce for more
information.
Obituaries
Mr. Joe Perry Tison, 93,
Ashburn
Sandra Deborah Cole
Middleton, Ashburn
Janies Staley, 88,
Sycamore
Complete obituary
information is on Page 5
v y
Shop local
Put local people
to work and keep
your tax dollars
at work at home.
NATIONAL CHAMP!
Coley takes wrestling title
by Jason Minshew
Junior is a national cham
pion. Mark Coley, Jr that is.
Mark Jr., the son of Mark
Coley Sr., has steadily been
racking up the awards for USA
wrestling over the last two
years and added couple more
to finish 2014 on a high note.
He traveled with his team,
the Georgia Minions, to At
lanta on Sunday, Dec. 28 and
Monday Dec. 29 at the World
Congress Center.
On Sunday, the team he is
on was defending their na
tional championship in duals
matches. They faced teams all
across the state. Mark Jr.
helped his team remain Na
tional Champs.
On Monday, Mark com
peted in the 12 & Under 125 lb
division. Let's just say, he did
very well as he won his bracket
and became a Dixie National
individual champion to com
plement his team national
championship.
Not only did he become a
national champion, but also an
All-American. Way to not
only make Mom and Dad
proud, but also Turner County.
Congratulations!
C i E C) K Ci I A
W O R I U
Congress
Cent e r
New well at Eureka; first
well to be capped & left
by Ben Baker
Editor
Ashburn will be getting a
new well at the Eureka prop
erty.
The first well dug at the
property will be capped and
abandoned. The new well will
be dug a short distance away.
The first well had a number
of problems because of how
the shaft liner was installed.
Attempts to correct the prob
lems did not work.
City Manager Dan
Bollinger said when the con
tractor came to the table to dis
cuss a resolution, they brought
several options. The first three
were to do work on the exist
ing well.
The well is the only
delay in getting this online.
Photo Jim Hedges
Two of these proposals
meant reducing the diameter of
the well. Mr. Bollinger said
that meant the well would not
produce as much water as
called for, unless the city dou
bled the size of the water
pump.
“That would have increased
the cost to us,” he said. A big
ger pump means more electric
ity to run it.
The third option was to put
a nitrogen-filled “balloon” in
the well. The balloon would
have to be replaced periodi
cally, another expense on the
City.
All three options also meant
Ashburn would have a well
(See WELL Page 2)
Mark Coley Jr. outside the World Congress Center
with a wrestling trophy.
County lets bids for
rec concession stand
Bids for running the conces
sion stand at the Recreation
Department are being accepted
by the County Commission.
An ad discussing the bid in
more detail is in this week’s
edition.
Raymond Poore and com
pany have run the stand for
several years. In a letter to the
Commission, Mr. Poore said
he was giving the franchise up
because increase cost of food
means he’d have to raise
prices. He feared people would
no longer eat at the concession
stand.
The concessions were due
to be rebid anyway.
At the workshop meeting in
December, the Commissioners
discussed what to do.
Since the County took over
(See REC Page 2)
2014 .
fort*
JUNE
Week 4
In the Ashburn
City Council meeting the
Street fee hike gets rejected but
agrees to add an officer to the
APD for gang-related work,
keep the economic developer
position in the budget and cut
contributions to the Chamber.
In Sycamore the City Coun
cil gives the attorney three
items to look into, two being
ordinances.
The DAR has a flag burning
ceremony at the Sycamore
Park.
Rebecca gets a new weather
warning siren. It’s located next
to the Community Center park.
4-H’ers have fun at Stone
Mountain while attending
Camp Lorston.
Demarcus Bateman, a 2012
graduate of TCHS, was one of
seven ABAC students selected
to participate in the nationwide
“Carry The Load” relay.
JULY
Week 1
Even with the extreme heat
Rebecca’s Independence Day
celebration proved to be a suc
cess.
A proposal to give County
Commissioners a flat $200 a
month
expense account
instead of filing for expense re
imbursement is sidelined for
now.
The City of Sycamore ex
pects to save $30K over 10
years due to a change in mu
nicipal tank inspections.
Suncrest Stone Inc. receives
the 2014 Manufacturer of the
Year award.
Week 2
The Ashburn City Council
didn’t vote on a rezoning on
MLK. Lines levied by the Ash
burn Municipal Court will
have a 10% add on jail fee.
Ervin McPherson retires
from the County Road Dept.
With Ray Jordan retiring the
Board of Education unani
mously named Joy Gentry be
comes the Interim
Superintendent.
Week 3
The Board of Education
plans to raise taxes by 2 mils.
The Chamber Board of Di
rectors hires Stephanie (Stevi)
Thompson as the new presi
dent. The Turner County De
velopment Authority voted
earlier to hire the same person.
Week 4
Electrical systems up
grades, mainly lighting and
HVAC units, are under con
sideration for the elementary
school. These upgrades could
possibly save around $100K a
year. The BOE approved
$70K for 140 new computers
for teachers.
The County Commission
submitted some of the worst
roads to the DOT for the local
road paving assistance pro
gram. When ask why the Road
Dept, can’t do the work JB
Newell says that it is major
work and his department is just
not capable of handling it.
Turner County Connections
celebrates 20 years.
Week 5
City Manager Ben Taylor is
leaving the City. He has ac
cepted a position as County
KUBOP*
• BARTERED v
Manager in Bryan County
which is just south of Savan
nah.
Nick Denham wins in the
runoff election for the County
Commission seat against Will
Williford. Chief Brian Mead
ows is honored for achieving
25 consecutive years as a Na
tional Registered Paramedic.
The Turner County Arts
Council Summer Children’s
Theatre performs Beauty IS a
Beast and Hayseed & the
Princess.
AUGUST
Week 1
The Turner County Arts
Council is seeking bids to paint
a full color mural on the sec
ond floor side of The Wire-
grass Farmer building which
overlooks Elrod Park. More re
pair work is on the way for the
courthouse.
Volunteers are needed to
help with the Traveling Wall
that is coming in September.
Week 2
A ceremonial groundbreak
ing is held for Eureka Heights
Apartments.
The City Council hires Dan
Bollinger as the interim City
Manager. He will coordinate
the search for a new permanent
City Manager which is ex
pected to be Jan. 1. In Decem
ber, the Council extended Mr.
Bollinger’s contract for a year.
A back to school bash at the
Youth Resource Center and the
annual Prayer Breakfast kicks
off the school year.
(See YEAR Page 2)
After winning a national championship barbeque cookoff, Rescue Smokers
were honored by the Ashburn City Council in July.
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