About The Georgia post. (Knoxville, Crawford County, Ga.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2014)
GOLF TOURNAMENT Thursday, April 24th, 2014 Time: Box Lunch ready at 12:00 noon, Thursday, April 24th, 2014 Where: Brickyard Golf Club 6000 Wesleyan Dr. North, Macon, GA 31210. BAKE SALE & HOT DOG SALE! For America helping Wounded Veterans to purchase wheelchairs and other equipment - Saturday, April 26,2014,11a.m. to 2 p.m. Freewill Donations Accepted! Where: Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Worid. Y Y CANCER SURVIVOR AND CAREGIVERS, you and your guest are invited to attend a Celebration Luncheon at the Crawford County High School cafeteria on Sunday, April 27 at 12:30 PM. The event is host essed by the Crawford County Retired Educators. Please join us. Issue 17 Thursday, April 24, 2014 The Voice of Crawford County Since 1921 also serving Byron and Peach County 2 Sections, 16 Pages One Dollar Carter is Golden Eagle honoree Well wishers at the Crawford County Golden Eagle Dinner included Sheriff Lewis Walker, Joanne Hamlin, Cynde and Robert Dickey, Roy Turner and more. Martha Carter, center with Golden Eagle, was honored by the Roberta-Crawford County Chamber of Commerce as Indi vidual of the Year in February of this year. BY BOBBIE EVANS The Georgia Post A celebration honoring Martha Carter and the Boy Scouts of America was held Thursday, April 17 at CCMS. The Golden Eagle Award presentation is an annual event which serves as an opportunity for friends of scouting to lend their sup port to the ideals of scouting programs. Over 5,000 young people participate in the Central Georgia Council, Boy Scouts of America. As the Golden Eagle honoree, Carter received an eagle statue. A life-long res ident of Crawford County, Carter believes in doing for others is a way of life. She volunteers for the Crawford County Historical Society, makes and donates items to the Older American Council and Baskets of Joy. She is also a supporter and volun teer for Relay for Life and she prepares the Sheriffs employee Christmas party. Carter also prepares baked goods for the Department of Family and Children Ser vices. At the event, Joanne Ham lin and Roy Turner shared many heart warming stories of Carter’s acts of kindness. Carter and her husband, Robert, have been married for 48 years and have two daughters, Sherrie and Brenda; four grandchildren and two great-grandchil dren. Senior Eagles recognized It was senior night at the high school baseball field Monday night. Graduating seniors in clude Caleb Upchurch, Hunter Walton, Josh Reynolds and Dino Watson Jr. PHOTO BY CAREY LEE Superintendent clarifies board of ed story Crawford County Superinten dent of Schools wanted to clarify a couple of things in last week’s story by Bobbie Evans on the school system. Though the system is being cut by the state, it is not as much as in the past. Douglas said the sytem will receive about $325,000 more dollars from the state for the operation of schools next year than this year. Last year school funding from the state was $1,200,000 less than the QBE for mula amount. This year it is only $875,000 less than the formula amount. The Crawford County School System appreciates the efforts of the folks in the General Assembly and state government for their support of public educa tion and looks forward to that on going effort as our state economy continues to recover. Students are receiving the equivalent of a Georgia standard 180 days instruction model. Hours for the 160-day schedule are adjusted for that purpose and however many days the students come to school the amount of instruction hours will continue to be the same. Warrant hearing cancelled, rescheduled BY VICTORIA SIMMONS The Georgia Post There were no witnesses to an altercation which took place at Roberta City Hall on Friday, April 11th between the city clerk, Vicky Grant and Wincel Thaxton, a former member of city council. According to Police Chief Benny Thomas, statements from Grant and Thaxton do not match. Grant went to the magistrate judge to get a hearing and a pre-warrant one was scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 but Thaxton said he could not attend and therefore the hearing has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 2014. Thaxton frequents city hall and he and Grant got into an argument and things reportedly got physical. Thomas said apparently Grant said something Thaxton did not like and things got ugly. In her statement, Grant said Thaxton grabbed her by the throat, hit her and sent her eyeglass es flying. She fought back which sent Thaxton into the rose bushes at the front of the city hall building, according to Chief Thomas. Thaxton sustained scratches on his arm and Grant had marks on her face. Officer Wesley Griffits heard the arguing and when he arrived he saw Grant’s glasses on the ground. Chief Thomas said neither one suffered any serious injuries. The Roberta Police Department has been inves tigating the incident but without any witnesses, it becomes a “he said, she said” case. The two involved will go before the Magistrate Judge on May 13 to discuss what happened and to determine if any charges will be filed in the incident. Though Thomas did contact the Georgia Bu reau of Investigation (GBI), they are not going to investigate this case. Grant has been Roberta City Clerk for many years. Assistant Clerk Gail Thaxton, was not working when the incident occurred. County audit is ‘clean’ Request to eliminate Board of Appeals tabled BY VICTORIA SIMMONS The Georgia Post Crawford County received a “Clean Opinion” from the auditors (Clipfton, Lipford, Hardison & Parker) on the FY 2013 annual audit. Mark Hardison made a presentation to the board of commissioners at last week’s meeting. According to Hardison, the General Fund of the County, had grown for the fifth consecutive year and increased $70,161 in 2013. Commissioners tabled a request from Coun ty Manager Pat Kelly to amend the Crawford County Land Development Regulations. Kelly told the board the joint Roberta/Crawford County Board of Appeals met to hear and decide appeals where errors are alleged in requirement, decision or determination by the Zoning Administrator of other official, in enforcement of Land Development Regula tions. Upon appeal the Board of Appeals also authorizes specific cases such as variance from the terns of the resolution as not contrary to public interest where, owing to special con ditions, a literal enforcement of the provision will result in unnecessary hardship. According to Kelly the Board of Appeals had not met in over two years and requested the board consider allowing the joint Roberta/ Crawford Planning and Zoning Board be re sponsible for those duties and powers. Com missioners entered into a discussion and then asked the County Attorney, David Mincey, III, to determine if the county could eliminate the Board of Appeals prior to starting the amend ment process. The board tabled the request and will discuss it again at the next meeting. Cost estimates to repair portions of Reeves Road were presented to the board by Kelly. Two options were presented and the board voted to go with digging out the damaged areas and replacing with 450 tons of crush and run. Cost for this option will be $3,125 and the county will do the repairs and haul the crush and run. The second option of overlaying the crush and run with one and a half inches of asphalt would cost $22,000. Commission Chairman Dean Fripp told the board he would like for them to recon sider the paving project for Billy White Road because he was afaid the road would fall into disrepair from the amount of potential logging activity. He asked the board to con sider rocking the road. Commissioner John Thomas agreed saying it did not make sense to spend money on the project if the logging harvesters were going to damage it. Fripp then asked for a motion to cancel the paving contract. Commissioner Frank Hollis asked the board to table the discussion until Com missioner Bobby Blassingame was in atten dance since the road was in his district. The matter was tabled and the board will discuss at the next meeting. Kelly presented the board with the second quarter administrative briefing. Kelly also reminded the board county offices would be closed for Good Friday (April 15). The logging ordinance which was presented at the previous meeting of the board but tabled was brought up again for consideration. Com missioner Paul Chapman made the motion to adopt the resolution and it passed 4-0. County Attorney, David Mincey, III, had re searched the Community Center Building after a request from the Roberta-Crawford County Chamber of Commerce to possibly list it for rent. Mincey stated the building was owned by the Health Department and as such, the coun ty could not sell, rent or lease the building. Fripp addressed a recent story in The Georgia Post where Development Authority members expressed the opinion in their meet ing that the commissioners did not support them or their decisions. Fripp took exception saying the commissioners recentlly approved the use of the revolving loan in order to build a spec building based on the Development Authority’s recommendation. He also said the county supplements the Development Author ity budget annually and in the last four years that amount was over $85,000. In addition. Fripp said the county assists with landscaping requests and mowing of the industrial park. Chapman, who regularly attends the Devel opment Authority meetings, stated that the disconnect maybe because commissioners do not attend the meetings of the Authority very often. According to Chapman, members of the Development Authority would like for the commissioners to hear their conversations and concerns and how they reach decisions which are made. Fripp went on to say that the only issue denied the Development Authority by the commission, was the purchase of property for a new industrial park. Fripp said he was not of the opinion to put the taxpayers of the county into further debt without assurances the debt could be serviced by other means than general fund monies. Mincey told the board that the Develop ment Authority did not need approval from the county to borrow money. He said if the Authority could find financing they could purchase any property they thought would aid in the growth of industry in the county. “Like any business or person, if they were to default it would seriously harm their credit and borrowing power but the County would not be liable for such a default,” he said. Continuing, he said the Development Authority had needed the County to co-sign on the proposed industrial park and after the County considered all the facts, made the decision to not bind the County. Fripp said he agreed the two boards should try to communicate with each other more effectively. Before adjourning for the night, the board went into a closed executive session to dis cuss pending litigation by the coroner. Business of first quarter 2014 Subway of Roberta is the first business of the quarter for 2014. Manager Kim Rhoton, has always been active in community events and loves Roberta and Crawford County. She takes on the challenge of the Christmas parade very year. All nominees for the Roberta-Crawford County Chamber of Commerce business of the quarter are members and work toward a better Crawford County and are involved in the community and chamber events. Pictured are employees at Subway. Karla Hortman, far right, represented the Chamber.
