Newspaper Page Text
Issue 51 Thursday, DECEMBER 21,2017 The Voice of Crawford County Since 1921
also serving Byron and Peach County
2 Sections, 28 Pages One Dollar
County shows off new building
A grand opening was held at the old CGTC building which is now the Crawford County Gov
ernment Complex facility. On hand to see the new offices Friday was Judge David Mincey, III,
center. He is pictured with Joel Sherlock who took his place as county attorney and County
Manager Fabian Hollis, right. It is a building the county can be proud of and which saved
taxpayers lots of money since the county will not ever have to build a new county complex.
Nick Patton with the Crawford County Tax Assessor’s office greeting visitors to the building
and the office. A poster was also displayed explaining some facts about the tax assessor’s
office.
Judy Samuels and EMA Director Rick Sharon were really excited about their new space at
the government complex. There is a roll up door, loading dock for emergency equipment, and
lots of storage space for them for needed items as well as an observation room and much
more. Displayed in front of them are Red Cross items as Judy is a Red Cross volunteer. The
Crawford County Fire Department also has a room in the building where they can hold train
ings as well as meetings. Everyone is still working on getting settled in to their offices.
Council approves grant extension
to complete water improvements
BY KRISTI WATKINS
The Georgia Post
The Roberta City Coun
cil held a called meeting on
Friday, December 15th to
approve a $25,000 CBDG
Grant extension to continue
road and water improvements
at the Housing Authority and
water improvements on Sea-
gler Road. The extension is to
finish Phase 1 of the project.
According to Public Works
Supervisor, Jeff Harrison,
the project had to take cuts
due to the budget, but were
getting the extension to cover
the remaining water and road
improvements in those areas.
While council was an
swering Councilman Robert
Cody’s question of yellow
flags around town (which are
gas lines), Mayor Smith and
Patton stated the blue flags
and white circles were water
lines and were possibly the
old asbestos water lines that
needed to be replaced. Mayor
Smith stated the work on
Seagler Road and the Housing
project are to replace those
lines.
Councilman Dr. Billy Bas
sett motioned to approve the
grant extension with Council
man Erv Patton seconded the
motion.
Mayor Becky Smith
mentioned a meeting was to
be held with the RDC and
Public Works Supervisor Jeff
Harrison to discuss applying
for a CDBG grant for 2018 to
help with the sewer project.
Harrison stated he met with
GEMA and FEMA on grants
for the city. He stated that
since Governor Nathan Deal
declared the State of Emer
gency for Hurricane Irma,
the city would be eligible to
get litigation money from the
state level, but the city does
not qualify for federal funds.
The money from the state
would be used to upgrade
public works that would make
it better.
Harrison stated the city
is in need of a new genera
tor for the water plant. He
explained they had tried to get
a portable generator from the
Forestry Department, but to
no avail. Harrison stated he
is trying to get a grant to help
pay for a new generator for
the water plant since the gen
erator was cut from the orig
inal grant project budget on
Phase 1 because there weren’t
enough funds. He stated the
cost of a new generator runs
approximately $100-150,000.
Harrison stated if the city
can get assistance from the
state litigation, the city would
only have to pay 15% of the
amount.
Mayor Smith stated she
had a meeting with GDOT
on the 2018 grant for Agency
Street to include curbs, gut
ters, paving and the culvert at
the base of the hill between
the high school and Knoxville
Store. She stated it was a $1
million project. She also add
ed the county’s project will
be funded in 2020 which will
include two four-lane parts of
Hwy 80 and Matthews Road.
Dr. Bassett brought
before council the gutters on
Highway 80 are in need of
cleaning. He stated he would
hate to see the sewer drains
get clogged from the debris.
Mayor Smith explained work
ers have worked on cleaning
Highway 341 and would be
continuing to Highway 80
next.
Patton approached council
with a concern about the park
not having handicap access
on the west side of the park.
He stated a handicap person
would have to go to either
end of the park to get to the
other side. He stated there
was a curb from one end to
the other with no drop point
for a person in a wheelchair
to cross without having to go
to one end of the park. He
stated near the pavilion would
be ideal. Mayor Becky Smith
stated it would be something
for the new administration to
look into.
Petition calls for firing investigator
The story on the beheading
of a dog by his owner after
being told he had to by an
investigator, according to the
posted video, has not only
gone nationwide but interna
tional. Calls have been report
ed from Europe and Canada
as well as all across the United
States.
Deputies went to Joe Good
win’s house December 1st after
a dog bite report. The dog, Big
Boy, charged at the deputy and
was shot and killed. Goodwin
said he could not find his pa
perwork to prove the dog had
been rabies vaccinated, he was
told the dog’s head needed to
be cut off to be tested.
Goodwin said he was told to
cut the head off or be arrested
by Investigator James Hollis.
Crawford County Sheriff Lewis
Walker said Goodwin was
given options but that Hollis
should not have ordered him
to behead his own dog.
A petition was started on
line calling for Hollis to be
fired. Hollis was placed on ad
ministrative leave pending an
ongoing investigation which
was turned over to the District
Attorney’s office. The petition
garnered 170,000 signatures
in a two week time frame and
was growing.
In the meantime, Goodwin
is now being represented by
Macon attorneys Reza Sedghi
and Thomas Jarriel.
“Mr. Goodwin was forced
to decapitate his beloved dog
or go to jail after the dog was
shot and killed by a Craw
ford County sheriffs depu
ty,” Sedghi states in a news
release.
The attorneys will pursue any
and all legal remedies to hold
accountable the egregious con
duct of the investigator, who
under the threat of incarcera
tion, forced this barbaric and
unconscionable act.”
Combined edition
With this week’s Christmas
special we decided to combine
The Georgia Post & The Byron
Buzz. Things will be back to
normal next week. Thank you.
Santa s helper
CC Sheriff Lewis Walk
er and members of his
staff, along with volunteer
firefighters helped deliver
Kids Yule Love presents to
80 kids which were donated
by churches, community
organizations, businesses,
the high school and many
individuals too numerous
to name. Katie Jones, who
heads up the local Kids
Yule Love toy drive, says
Thank you to all. “This year
exceeded all expectations,”
Jones said. Sheriff Walker is
pictured at left. Santa, also
rode around with the group
delivering to talk with the
boys and girls around the
community.
