Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
ASHBURN,GA, 31714
VOL 109 - No. 52 • 500
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Coat Drive
As colder weather ap
proaches, many in our local
areas do not have adequate
fall/winter coats. Many
children are put into foster
care with only the clothes
on their backs. Even some
adults and children don't
have access to warm cloth
ing or a warm home. YOU
can help! Please consider
donating new or gently
used, good condition coats
and jackets for children and
adults. They can be dropped
off at Pylant Insurance and
will be donated to local
charities that can put them
to use right here at home!
Firefighter class
Ashburn Fire & Emer
gency Services will offer
the Basic Firefighter: Mod
ule One Course as part of its
in-service training program.
The course is a very fast
paced course, which is the
mandated training course
required by Georgia Law to
become a firefighter. The
class will begin on Monday,
January 8, 2018 at 6 PM at
Ashburn Fire & Emergency
Services Station #2 located
at 1070 Bridges Road in
Ashburn. The course is 68
hours in length and will be
held on consecutive Mon
day and Thursday nights.
Therefore, the course will
take approximately 8 weeks
to complete. If you are in
terested in attending the
class please call 567-4952
to register. There is no
charge for this class and
after successful completion
participants may pursue a
career in the Fire Service.
Shotgun team
starts
4-H Project S.A.F.E.
(Shooting Awareness, Fun
and Education) promotes
the highest standards of
safety, sportsmanship and
ethical behavior. The pro
gram complements hunter
education programs and
teaches the safe and respon
sible use of firearms includ-
(See BRIEFLY Page 2)
Obituaries
Celia Lavender
Hammock, 60, Ashburn
Complete obituary
information Page 5
Serving Turner County Since 1902
Father & son win top award at AFD
From left Darren Gipson, Jonathan Wise, James Wise and Interim Fire Chief Jamie Turner. Jonathan and James,
a father and son duo, are the Ashburn Fire Department Firefighters of the Year.
Turner moved to a new category
Turner County is now in an
other economic development
category according to state fig
ures released last week.
This means that people who
bring new jobs into Turner
County can get tax credits
from the state. A credit of
$3,500 per job is available,
provided at least two jobs are
created.
These must be new jobs.
Existing jobs, or retaining an
existing job, does not count.
“This is a state incentive to
create jobs in rural counties
like Turner County. The state
realizes we need more jobs and
this is a way to encourage job
growth,” said Ashley Miller,
from the Chamber of Com
merce.
“Additionally, Tier 1 desig
nation qualifies for the Joint
Development Authority $500
bonus credit,” said Tricia De-
Padro, a DCA employee in
volved with the tax credits
program.
The Turner County Devel
opment Authority and the Ash
burn Development Authority
are on the Joint Development
(See TIER Page 2)
>-
Tier 1 counties (require) at least 2 net new jobs to be eligible for a credit of $3,500 per job.
Tier 2 counties (require) at least 10 net new jobs to be eligible for a credit of $2,500 per job.
Tier 3 counties (require) at least 15 net new jobs to be eligible for a credit of $1,250 per job.
Tier 4 counties (require) at least 25 net new jobs to be eligible for a credit of $750 per job.
Census Tracts Benefited by NOIs for 2017
Charlton County -101
Fannin County - 502
Pulaski County - 9502
Charlton County - 102
Fulton County - 77.03
Thomas County - 9610
Columbia County - 305.06
Haralson County - 101
Tumer County - 9702
DeKalb County - 234.22
Jackson County -102
Walker County - 209.01
Douglas County - 805.05
Pulaski County - 9501
This is a list of communities that went to Tier 1. The number is a “census tract num
ber.” It is an identification number and has nothing to do with economic development.
Every county has a number. Neighborhoods within each county are further identified
by the fractional numbers, like 77.03 for Fulton County.
Debris fee hike likely in Sycamore next year
Hauling yard trash to an
inert landfill is shredding
Sycamore’s line item budget
for that service.
The Council voted this
month to hike the debris fee by
$2 starting July 1. The Council
reasoned it can watch that line
item and how much yard trash
is hauled off over the next six
months to see if the hike is
enough, too much or too little.
Voting so far ahead also
gives the Council time to tell
people about the hike.
Council member Fred Eister
said he hopes for a “slow” win
ter of yard trash pickup.
Figuring 250 residential
customers in Sycamore, a $2
hike per month generates an
other $500 a month. So far this
year, the tipping fee is running
between $350 and $650 per
month.
Councilman Jim Galt-
Brown said the hike might re-
cially open. It is being used
and the new runway has lights.
The latest issue is $600K
worth of fence. The entire air
port needs to be behind fenc
ing.
When school resumes after
the summer break, the Middle
School will be housed at what
is now the Alternate School
and the Pre-K campus. Pre-K
is moving to the elementary
school. The High School will
spread across the current cam
pus. That’s the proposal before
the Board of Education. It’s not
a done deal yet; the board must
approve it.
Week 2
An 1-75 high speed chase
and suicide situation Sunday
evening that started in Turner
County ended in Cook County
Sunday night ended without
anyone harmed. The suspect,
Erin Sean Hogue, 26 of Jack
sonville, FL, threatened to kill
suit in more stuff being piled
for pick up.
“People think they are pay
ing for a service and they will
take advantage of that,” he
said.
“We are already suffering
with that,” Mr. Eister said.
himself, but after tear gas and
a negotiator he was taken into
custody without incident. He is
in the Turner County jail
awaiting charges.
One man was killed in last
week’s storm that ripped
across the north part of Turner
County. William Major, 73,
was killed when the place he
was living in was flattened by
the storm.
The damage across the
county was more extensive
than first reported. Reports of
damage continue to come in
according to Mark Robinson,
the county fire chief and Emer
gency Management Agency
Director. So far 8 homes de
stroyed and 57 homes dam
aged.
The Board of Education
voted 3-2 on Monday night to
renovate the old Ashburn Ele
mentary School which now
houses the Pre-K program.
(See YEAR Page 2)
January
Week 1
Monday night’s storm
pounded the Southeast and
Turner County. Straight line
wind or tornado, the winds hit
the north end of the county
hardest. Trees were down and
power lines were taken down
by falling trees. Some parts of
the County were still without
power at press time.
The Turner County Fire De
partment is probably taking
over the Rebecca Fire Depart
ment. To be official, the
County Commission and the
Rebecca City Council must
vote to approve an agreement
allowing the takeover. Rebecca
Mayor Mike Hasty brought the
idea to the County Commis
sioners a workshop session.
Over budget and long past
due, the expanded Turner
County Airport is still not offi-
The Ashburn Fire & Emer
gency Services department
held its annual awards banquet
last week.
Jonathan Wise, volunteer,
and his dad James Wise, full
time, were named Firefighters
of the Year.
The firefighters vote on
these awards.
For the first time, the volun
teer and paid firefighter awards
were split. Interim Fire Chief
Jamie Turner said it is more
appropriate to have the two
awards because the department
has two classes of firefighters.
Firefighter Steve House
also had some pointed words
for the Ashburn City Council.
The Council has deadlocked
several times on hiring a per-
mament fire chief.
Mr. House first said the de
cision to not put the interim
chief into the post as perma
nent chief was racist. Then he
said it was not racist, because
Ashburn does not have people
with racist views.
He also said if the interim
chief is good enough for the
job for a year, and good
enough to spend another year
as interim, he should be good
enough for the permanent post.
Interim Chief Turner has
held the post for a year. The
Council has postponed a deci
sion until January 2019, at the
earliest. The Council did vote
to give the interim chief a raise
commensurate with the post he
holds.
Awards for 2017
1) Special Service Medal
James Turner, Darren Gip
son, James Wise, Grayson
Watson, Charles Jordan, Billy
James, Terry Peavy, Matt
Perry, Billy Caton, Kenny Guy,
and Bruce Burgess
2) Community Service
Medal
James Turner, Darren Gip
son, James Wise, Grayson
Watson, Charles Jordan, Billy
James, Johnny Brown, and
Charles Fortson
3) Fire Department Re
sponse Medal
James Turner, Darren Gip
son, James Wise, Grayson
Watson, Charles Jordan, Billy
James, Matt Perry, Michael
Wiggins, and Chris Ward
4) Fire Department Com
mendation Medal
James Turner, James Wise,
Michael Wiggins, Johnny
Brown, Chris Ward, Brad Cal
houn, and Juretha McMillian
5) Medal of Achievement
James Turner, Darren Gip
son, James Wise, and Keaun-
drae Tye
6) Meritorious Medal
James Turner, Darren Gip
son, James Wise, Grayson
Watson, Charles Jordan, and
Billy James
Service Award
James Wise - 25 yrs, Chris
Ward - 25 yrs, Hank Pate - 15
yrs, Bobby Caton - 10 yrs,
Walt Whitehead - 10 yrs, Ju
retha McMillian - 10 yrs, and
Jim Lumpkin - 5 yrs
You can see a short video
and pictures of ah the award
winners on our Facebook page.
8
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Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin