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■UNITED
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LOD*FAMILY~COUNTRS
NEWSPAPER,
A Textbook for the Times!
Issue 20 Thursday, May 14, 2020
The Voice of Crawford County Since 1921
also serving Byron and Peach County 2 Section 10 Pages One Dollar
City approves animal control
business license fees increase
Hwy 42 intersection now four-way stop
The intersection at Hwy. 42, Taylors Mill and Marshall Mill roads is now a four-way stop. That
went into effect yesterday, May 13th. There have been numerous accidents at that intersec
tion and it is hoped the four-way stop will help reduce accidents there. A blinking sign was
on both sides of Hwy. 42 for a couple of weeks announcing the change. Please be aware of
this change when traveling that way.
Recreation ball games to begin June 18
BY KRISTI WATKINS
The Georgia Post
Animal nuisance laws for
the City of Roberta has been
approved by city council as of
Tuesday, May 5th. Owners of
animals within the city limits
that are not leashed or fenced
will be fined.
Cruelty to domestic animals
including no shelter for hors
es, cattle or any other domes
tic animals where they are
exposed to inclement weath
er and extreme temperatures
will not be allowed in the city.
It is unlawful for any person
to put out, or cause to be put
out, any poison within the
city for killing of any domes
tic animal.
Rabies inoculation and tag
is required for any dog or cat.
Owner will be fined if not
inoculated and no tag present
on animal.
Dogs running at large is not
allowed to run the streets,
sidewalks, alleys, or other
public grounds in the city.
Any dog off the premises of
the owner and not confined in
a cage or in a vehicle will be
fined. Dogs must be leashed
with a leash of sufficient
strength to hold the dog.
While on the owner’s prop
erty, dogs shall be main
tained within proper enclo
sures that includes within
proper enclosures, inside
residence or in a securely
enclosed and locked pen,
fence or structure suitable to
prevent the entry of young
children and designed to
keep the dog from escaping
with secure sides and top. If
dog is to be secured within a
fence, it must be of sufficient
height and bottom of fence
shall be secured in a man-
Absentee
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Georgia Post
Due to COVID-19, the cry
has gone out pushing voting
by mail. One side will say
it is voter harvesting and a
way to manipulate elections
while the other side will say,
it’s safe and should be man
dated because of the virus.
One only has to do the
research and you may not
only become overwhelmed
at the amount of voter fraud
which goes on but also
disgusted with the various
ways that are used for voter
ner to prevent escape either
from over or under. Any
such enclosure must provide
protected from the elements.
Owners will be liable for any
damages done to livestock or
poultry by their dogs.
Livestock including horse,
mule, cow, hog, goat, sheep
or other animal used or fit
for either food or labor shall
not be allowed to run at large
upon streets, sidewalks, al
leys or public grounds within
the city.
It shall be unlawful for any
person to build or maintain
any pen, coop or enclosure
for animals or foul, or to
permit any animal or fowl to
be kept, maintained or grazed
within 300 feet of any build
ing where people reside or
work. This does not include
any building on the same
premises where animals or
foul is kept or maintained,
nor shall it apply to dogs
or cats kept as household
pets, but it shall apply to dog
kennels where more than one
dog is kept.
Current livestock within the
city limits are grandfathered
in but once they leave the
property for one full day, they
will not be able to return to
the current property in the
city limits.
Some business owners in
the city will see an increase
for business licenses begin
ning May 5th. New business
owners will pay the increase
when they apply for their
license this year. Current
businesses will pay the
increase for the 2021 busi
ness year. In this increase,
the city offers a bundle deal
for gas/convenience stores
with gas, general merchan
dise, propane, beer and wine
fraud. Absentee ballots are
the tools of choice of election
fraudsters because they are
voted outside the super
vision of election officials,
making it easier to steal,
forge or alter them, as well
as to intimidate voters. The
chances of fraud increases
when voter registration rolls
are not purged from time
to time of deceased, those
who have moved or have
become ineligible to vote.
When thousands of absentee
ballots arrive in the mail for
individuals who no longer
reside at a registered ad-
licenses although the bundle
deal does not include gaming
machine licenses. A more
detailed list is available at
City Hall.
Council also approved an
increase in police fines with a
more detailed list with fines
compared to other cities
in the area. The city also
approved a $30 technology
fee to be added to the fines.
The money from the technol
ogy fee will allow the police
department to purchase
technology items for the
police department such as
body cams, computers, and
another electronic device the
police department will need
for office or cars. Also added
to the fine is a $15 process
ing fee that is added to the
fine(s).
Violation fines will include
cutting locks off water meters
or any damage to city proper
ty. This will include the cost
of repair plus the violation
fine.
Other items discussed:
• Manholes are fixed and
cleaned. It is a long-term
repair that will pay for itself
and is beneficial since the
flow was slow said Mayor Jay
Andrews.
• Clear well at water plant
off Seigler needs the top
pressure washed because of
tree sap and concrete painted
and sealed. Council approved
for repair.
• Salaried employees will
receive compensation on
a 15-minute basis for time
worked in excess of normal
work week with 160 hour
cap. Compensation time
expires after 1 year from date
accrued.
• Budget workshop to be
announced at a later date.
dress, it risks those ballots
being stolen and voted.
Take for example, in 2008
Indiana’s voter ID law was
challenged and an inves
tigation found voter fraud
on many fronts. The U.S.
Supreme Court found that
flagrant examples of such
fraud have been documented
throughout this Nation’s his
tory by respected historians
and journalists, demonstrate
that not only is the rick of
voter fraud real, but that it
could affect the outcome of a
close election.
The Heritage Foundation
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Georgia Post
Commission Chairman
Paul Chapman asked the
county attorney, Joel
Sherlock, if there was any
thing they could do about
a contract if someone said
they wanted water. This
discussion ensued after the
county manager Fabian
Hollis informed them the
CDBG water grant only had
eight hookups. There were
42 potential water custom
ers but some had previously
said they wanted water but
changed their minds.
Sherlock told him they
could do a contract going
forward, though he thought
the response for water
hookups might be lower.
It’s good to lock people in,
has an Election Fraud Data
base. They have documented
over 1300 proven instances
of fraud, including numer
ous cases of absentee ballot
fraud. They say fraud often
targets the most vulnerable
voters, including the elderly
and the poor.
In California, Richard Davis
registered his four dogs to
vote as Democrats over a
four-year-period. He claimed
his intention was to draw
attention to the flawed voter
registration system in his
state. He did notify the local
See VOTING, Page 2B
he said, but it would be bad
for future projects if they
based it on number of water
requests. Chapman said that
the county spends citi
zens’ money to do its part
on getting water to areas
and then the citizens don’t
take advantage of it. “Our
projects usually make good
sense but this one didn ‘t,”
he said, adding it will take
about 10 years to recoup the
matching money they spent
on the project.
In announcements Hollis
noted that the library has
reopened and the county
received a workers compen
sation refund for $9,491.
Hollis gave an update on
COVID-19 suggesting that
for the month of May, the
county continue with the
current protocols in place.
Lesley McNary with the
Crawford Development
appeared before the board
concerning the Memoran
dum of Understanding for
Kruger Energies, which they
requested be extended for
two more years. The coun
ty attorney said he did not
see any problems with it.
Chapman noted that though
Kruger does get tax breaks
they do pay land taxes.
McNary said Kruger had
done a lot of work at the site
and made many improve
ments. It was approved
unanimously.
There was a lengthy discus
sion concerning purchasing
a cell tower and property
with Sheriff Lewis Walk
er leading the discussion.
The current cell tower is
antiquated and will be torn
down and will be torn down
as the company is no longer
functioning. Another option
was to move the equipment
to a Public Service tower for
the same current price. After
questions back and forth the
board decided they needed
more information before
proceeding and thought
there was not enough time
to purchase land and a tow
er at this time.
Hollis informed the board
of the Recreation Depart
ment’s plan to reopen for
practice and games. Hollis
said his recommendation
would be to cancel the
season completely, how
ever, the Recreation Board
was meeting to make a final
decision. The Board did
meet and will begin softball
practice on May 18; base
ball practice on May 26th;
games will begin June 18.
The park will reopen for
tournament leasing on May
16th.
According to Hollis, the
county has two tractors
in the shop, both needing
repairs. It was decided to
repair the Ford for a cost
of $9,300 and surplus the
Challenger at the end of the
year.
Auditors will be at next
meeting. Hollis said the
county closed out the year
in a positive by $14,000 and
has $1.6 million in general
fund unassigned.
voting less safe than using ID
Roberta Mural Project moving right along
The mural project on the side
of C&H Pipeline’s building is
taking shape. It was made
possible by a matching grant
from Flint Energies in the
amount of $12,000. The artist
is Chris Johnson who has
family ties here but is from
Columbus. The mural is to be
a pictorial of Crawford County
history and will be dedicated
in memory of Dr. Billy Basset,
who loved art and was an
artist himself and always
desired to have a mural in the
City of Roberta. Dickey Farms
and CC Farm Bureau are con-
tributina to the Droiect.