Newspaper Page Text
Dumping crackdown
Page 8
the wireorass Farmer
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
ASHBURN,GA, 31714
VOL 109 - No. 49 • 750
www.thewiregrassfarmer.com
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Call 567-3655
Meetings
County Commission, last
and 1st Tuesday of the month.
Ashburn Council, 1st
Thursday of the month.
Sycamore Council, 2nd
Thursday of the month.
School Board, 1st and 2nd
Monday of the month.
All meetings are at 6 p.m.
Teddy bears
The Kiwanis Club is col
lecting teddy bears for public
safety to give to children. The
bears are to help frightened
kids. New bears may be
dropped off at The Wiregrass.
Stray dogs
Ashburn residents are re
minded that pets must have a
collar and current rabies tag.
Animals without tags will be
collected by Animal Control.
A copy of the City's animal
ordinance is available at City
Hall and the Police Depart
ment. Animal control number
is 567-0313.
Separate debris
If you pile leaves and
limbs at curbside, please sep
arate limbs from the leaves
and pine straw. The City's
street vac can pick up the
leaves and straw. The boom
truck can pick up limbs.
When you separate the leaves
and limbs, pick up goes faster
and takes fewer employees.
Siren Test
The Turner County
weather warning siren is
tested the first Wednesday of
the month, good weather per
mitting, at noon. If weather is
bad, the system will be tested
at noon on the next clear day.
County website
The County Commission
has a website, www.tumer-
countygeorgia.com .
Commission meeting
minutes and other items
about Turner County are
posted on the website.
Obituaries
Jessie Lee Youngblood, 96,
Ashburn
Complete obituary
information Page 5
V J
HOMETOWN NEWS SINCE 1902
No mixed drinks at Wanee
A request for a license to
serve mixed drinks at the
Wanee Lake golf course was
postponed.
Turner County does not allow liquor
by the drink, yet.
Ashburn has a liquor by the drink or
dinance. The County only allows pack
age store sales.
To allow liquor by the drink, some
one has to call for a referendum and
voters must then approve that ballot
item.
THE REQUEST
Ronnie Waters, representing the golf
course owners, attended the Nov. 28
County Commission meeting. He said
the country club was asking for a pour
license.
“We don’t have a pour ordinance,”
said Commissioner Nick Denham.”1
ain’t trying to keep you from getting it.”
Wanee could have a liquor store, as
the County does allow that.
“They ain’t been doing that out
there?” Commissioner Joe Burgess
asked.
Mr. Waters said mixed drinks were
probably served out there under previ
ous owners, but “I can assure you it
hasn’t happened in the past (few) years.
We want to be totally legal.”
REFERENDUM
Mr. Waters asked how the matter
could be put to voters. Georgia law says
it can be done through voter initiative.
Someone would have to start a petition
and get enough signatures up to get it
on the ballot.
The second is for the County Com
mission to call for such an election.
Elections Superintendent Jan Winter
said state law also says when such votes
may take place. She said she would
check and get back to the Commission
ers with available dates.
“You’ve got my vote to do it,” Com
missioner Burgess said. Commissioner
Allen Weaver said the same thing.
“I will probably vote against it, but I
still love you,” said Commissioner
Brad Calhoun.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
Last week’s food distribution at Shepherd’s Pantry was huge. Most people took home at least 2 boxes of food.
Shepherd’s Pantry does a free community food distribution on Thursdays starting at 10:30 a.m. at the old school
on Gilmore Street. No ID, income check nor paperwork is needed to get a box of food.
County agrees to Christmas bonuses for employees
It was not budgeted for
all departments, but
County employees are
getting a Christmas
bonus anyway.
At the Nov. 28 meeting,
the Commissioners
voted unanimously to
give full-time employ
ees $1,000 and part-
time employees $500.
At the same time, Sheriff
A decision to let bids
for mowing County prop
erty, with some exclu
sions, saw the original
mowing company drop
the price by $5,000.
Despite the price drop, that
bidder was not successful. The
original company bid $64,000
for the original scope of work.
The winning bidder, who
did not meet the specifications
in the contract bid $52,500 on
the redo.
Andy Hester said he would put
$50,000 toward the bonuses
from the Jail fund. The total
cost for the bonuses is around
$110K.
Commissioner Brad Cal
houn said he thought the jail
fund was used to operate the
jail. Commissioner Nick Den
ham said it can be used for
salaries.
Clerk of Court Mary Lee
Green said her budget, which
was approved by the Commis-
The bidder did not have
workman’s comp insurance,
which is a requirement under
the County contract. This was
pointed out to the Commis
sioners.
“I think he can get it,” said
County Clerk Lattice Wilson.
The vote was 3-2 to award
the contract. Commissioners
Allen Weaver, Brad Calhoun
and Joe Burgess voted yes.
Dana Whiddon and Nick Den
ham voted no.
“I’d rather go with someone
sioners, included a week’s pay
as a Christmas bonus for her
employees. The approved
bonus is more than Ms. Green
budgeted.
" 1,000 is a little bit more or
we are paying some people too
much,” Mr. Calhoun said.
The County is pulling $30K
of the money from the insur
ance premium tax collected in
the unincorporated County.
That leaves about another
$30K short.
we know we can get good
service from,” Ms. Whiddon
said.
Mr. Burgess said that is
what the Commisioners “al
ways do,” adding it is OK to
try other companies. He noted
in his construction business he
does work for people who have
never heard of him or his com
pany.
The bids were:
Bell Lawn Care $52,500
Chapman Lawn Care $59,814
Above & Beyond Lawn Car
“We will find it somewhere.
We always do,” said Commis
sioner Allen Weaver.
Commissioner Dana Whid
don said she supports the
bonus, and voted for it, but said
it should have been in the
budget approved over the sum
mer.
“I don’t agree with how we
go to the budget we have. I
don’t think our employees
should suffer for it,” she said.
$61,950
After checking the first
offer for the mowing work, the
Commission decided to put it
to bid.
The decision was 4-1 with
Commissioner Calhoun voting
no.
"I want to bid it out," said
Commissioner Burgess. "Bid it
out and be done with it. Y'all
are always coming up with lit
tle tricks."
He said run the request for
bids in the paper.
Parade &
Turkey
Shoot
ASHBURN CHRISTMAS PARADE
The annual Christmas
Parade is Saturday at
10 a.m. The entries will
line up at 9 am behind
the TCHS field house.
The parade will then make
its way to Washington and
come through downtown.
After the parade, children
can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus
in Elrod Park. Some down
town merchants will be open
with special sales as well.
For more information call
567-9696.
A turkey shoot is planned
Friday at 6 p.m. at the
Sycamore Municipal Shooting
range. The shoot will benefit
the Chamber of Commerce.
Ammo is provided. House
guns are available. Complete
rules are available at the shoot.
For more information call
445-0923.
Shooting
arrest
An Ashburn man was ar
rested over the weekend after a
report of shots being fired at
the Orchard Hill trailer park.
After the shots were fired, a
resident reported seeing a man
walking around ducking and
leaning to peer around comers.
Officers patrolled the area
looking for whoever fired the
shots.
The officers encountered a
man who somewhat matched
descriptions from witness.
They attempted to stop the
man, who resisted. Officers
called for backup.
During booking, officers
discovered the man had war
rants out of Sumter County and
Warner Robins with at least
one being obstmction of an of
ficer.
(See SHOOT Page 2)
Rebid cuts cost of County mowing contract by $10K
Wed Sunny
Thur Mostly Sunny Fri Partly Cloudy Sat Partly Cloudy
8 66670 00023
750 - tax included
Sun Cloudy
Rain
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Talk is cheap, voting is free; take it to the polls. - Nanette L. Avery
People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people. - Alan Moore
