NEWSPAPER
A Textbook for the Times!
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Issue 52 Thursday, December 26, 2019 The Voice of Crawford County Since 1921
also serving Byron and Peach County
New fire station for Musella in 2020
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Georgia Post
Sometime next year, hope
fully by June, Musella will
have a spanking brand new
fire station.
You may remember that
the old one was falling down
and not really big enough
for anything so it was tom
down. Fire Chief Randy Pate
has been before the Crawford
County Board of Commis
sioners several times about
the station and earlier this
year work began on getting a
new one.
Buddy Hayes, Robert Dickey
and Brent Felts donated
land, a total of one acre to be
used for the new fire station.
Details are still being worked
on deeding the land over to
the county but county attor
ney Joel Sherlock is already
working on that aspect. For
donating the land the three
land owners get to pick the
colors of the building and any
windows. The station will be
paid for out of Special Pur
pose Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) monies and it is
anticipated to cost $82,000.
At this past week’s meeting
Chief Pate had a design sketch
and noted the station will in
clude three bays. Sherlock will
draw all the legal paperwork
for everyone to sign.
Pate also announced that the
county ISO rating was 06/6X
which should lower some in
surance premiums. He noted
when he took over the rating
was a 9. His goal is to get
down to 4. He said bringing
the rating down was owed to
the volunteered. “We have a
viable fire department,” he
stated.
Prior to the discussion about
the fire station, Doug Kelley,
Recreation Director, appeared
before the board about rec
reation board appointments,
giving a brief overview of
applicants. All of Kelley’s
recommendations were ac
cepted. They were: reappoint
Brandon Spillers; appoint
Charles Wright.
The Crawford County
Development Authority was
seeking a Text Amendment
to allow a medical facility in
the IG District. A tenant is
looking to operate in the De
velopment Authority Business
incubator while they seek a
permanent, long-term site.
Planning and Zoning board
members approved the text
amendment change. There
was some discussion about
the tenant being Care Connect
prior to the board approving
the change unanimously.
Lesley McNary, Development
Authority Director was in
attendance and thanked the
board. Board Chairman Paul
Chapman also thanked the
Development Authority for all
they do.
County Manager Fabian
Hollis told commissioners
there were seven grant they
would be applying four and
that a meeting had been held
with the Regional Commis
sion. He announced proceeds
from the E-911 collected
in November amounted to
$7,044 and that December
would be even higher. The
system he said, would pay
for the money spent, in a few
years.
Revisiting the Conference
Center kitchen bids, one
of the companies, Douglas
Equipment had only bid on
equipment and were not in
terested in the whole project.
Therefore, the bid was award
ed to Vernon Smith and Sons.
Commissioners set the 2020
qualifiying fees at the same as
in the past.
Four properties were pre
sented to the board to declare
as surplus and all were
approved. The list of roads for
radar was also approved.
2 Sections, 10 Pages One Dollar
Woman kidnapped in Alabama
ends up in Crawford County
A kidnapping call went
in to the Crawford County
Sheriffs Office around 5:21
a.m. Wednesday, December
18th. Deputies arrived in
the 7500 block of Highway
341 North and made contact
with a female whose name is
being withheld.
The woman told deputies
she was kidnapped at gun
point in Mobile, Alabama,
where she was employed as
a Taxi Cab driver. The wom
an exited her vehicle and
the passenger, identified as
Tony Levestear Scott Jr., 22
of Pensacola, Florida took
off in her vehicle.
A Crawford deputy on the
way home from his tour of
duty, located the vehicle
involved in the case in Mon
roe County. Deputies from
Monroe County arrested
Scott near Yatesville Road
and Highway 83 South.
Scott is in custody of the
Crawford County Sheriffs
Tony Levestear Scott Jr.
Office and has been charged
with one count of kidnap
ping and one count of theft
by taking motor vehicle.
This is still an ongoing in
vestigation by the Crawford
County Sheriffs Office and
Georgia Bureau of Investi
gation.
More information may be
provided later.
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the community
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Some people just give and give and it’s great when you live in a community like Crawford
County that continues to step up to the plate and give and give. The volunteer fire depart
ment delivers the Kids Yule Love presents every year and this year was no exception, even
in the pouring down rain. At left are Judy Samuels with Lisa and Randy Pate of the volunteer
fire department. Barnyard Auctions, right, held special events to raise money for the kids in
Crawford, along with donating toys.
Being prepared
for weather just makes good sense
Winter storms can be incon
venient and uncomfortable
but can also cause real dam
age. That makes it important
to be prepared.
Protecting your home is
vital. A frozen water pipe can
burst and flood your house or
basement. An ice dam in your
gutter can cause water to seep
into and saturate an interior
wall. And then there’s your
car. Making sure it’s prepped
to face winter’s worst is just as
critical. After all, what would
happen if a blizzard stranded
you in your car?
Some winter weather tips to
help you get through a severe
stretch of cold:
Stay indoors during the
storm.
Walk carefully on wet or
icy walkways.
Stay dry. Wet clothing
loses all of its insulating
value and transmits the cold
rapidly.
Prepare your home
Some tips to brace your
home for a winter storm:
Clean out the gutters, dis
connect and drain all outside
hoses. If possible, shut off
outside water valves.
Insulate walls and attics,
and caulk and weather-strip
doors and windows.
Repair roof leaks and
remove tree branches that
could get weighed down and
fall on our house - or your
neighbor’s. (Avoid liability for
the latter.)
Wrap water pipes in your
basement or crawl spaces
with insulation sleeves to slow
heat transfer.
Consider an insulated
blanket for your hot water
heater.
If you have a fireplace,
keep the flue closed when
you’re not using it.
Make sure your furniture
isn’t blocking your home’s
heating vents.
During cold spells, keep
cabinet doors open to allow
warn air to circulate around
pipes, particularly those in the
kitchen and bathrooms.
Keep a slow trickle of
water flowing through faucets
connected to pipes that run
through unheated or unpro
tected spaces.
If your house will be unat
tended during cold periods,
consider draining the water
system.
During a storm:
Drive only if it is absolutely
necessary. If you must drive,
travel during the day.
Don’t travel alone. Keep
others informed of your
schedule.
Stay on main roads and
avoid back road shortcuts.
Top off antifreeze, wind
shield wiper fluid, gas, oil and
other fluids.
Make sure your tires have
enough tread.
Save the numbers for your
auto club, insurance agent
and towing service into your
cell phone.
Keep a cold-weather kit in
your trunk. It should include
a blanket or sleeping bag,
gloves, hard candy, bottled
water, folding shovel, first aid
kit, flashlight and cell phone
charger.
Find out more on how to
prepare for extreme weather
conditions at our Catastrophe
resource center and stay pro
tected from the cold weather
and other natural disasters
that can affect you and your
home.
Learn what damages home-
owners insurance covers and
how flood insurance can pro
tect you in the case of a flood.
If you need to file a claim
with your insurance compa
ny, do so as soon as possible.
Being prepared is not just the
motto of the Scouts, it makes
good, common sense.
