Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 132 NO. 37 48 PAGES 5 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Arbor Day event held
page 3A
Op/Ed:
•'Are county leaders
getting too close to develop
ers?' page 4A
Sports:
•Dragons ready for state
page 1B
Features:
•Sadie Hawkins Day at the
senior center
page 1C
•Bruce Yates prepares for
national shag dance event
page 1C
Other News:
•School News
pages 8-12B
•Public Safety
pages 8-9A
•Legals
pages 7-18C
•Church News
pages 10-11A
•Obituaries
page 12 A
Fired development director blasts county
Claims some developers wanted special treatment
FORMER JACKSON County Public
Development Director Scott Carpenter alleged
in a scathing seven-page memo that key
Jackson County officials often curry favor
with developers and that he had been dis
missed for spurious reasons.
Carpenter was fired by county manag
er Darrell Hampton on Feb. 6. Although
Hampton has declined to discuss the matter, he
outlined four reasons for Carpenter’s dismissal
in a written “Notice of Dismissal” given to
Carpenter when he was fired. Hampton alleged
that Carpenter had been unprepared for a Nov.
19 board of commissioners meeting; that he
had fomented problems with county consul
tant Don Clerici, Carpenter’s predecessor in
the development department; that Carpenter
had presented unrealistic plans for a county
animal shelter; and that Carpenter had been
unprepared to answer questions raised by two
developers about their complaints concerning
the county planning office.
But Carpenter claimed in a Feb. 10 rebuttal
to Hampton’s dismissal memo that the county
manager had been doing the bidding of devel
opers.
continued on page 6A
County manager Darrell
Hampton fired devel
opment director Scott
Carpenter on Feb. 6, citing
lack of preparation and
unrealistic plans as among
the reasons for dismissal.
In turn, Carpenter says
he was fired because he
questioned Hampton’s
HAMPTON favoritism to developers.
Sen. Isakson
makes stop
in Jefferson
Talks on war in Iraq,
immigration, economy
BY ANGELA GARY
THE WAR on terrorism, immigra
tion and the economy were among the
issues Sen. Johnny Isakson touched
on when he made a stop in Jefferson
Monday to meet with his constituents.
More than 50 people were at Jackson
Electric Membership Corporation
Monday afternoon to meet with Sen.
Isakson. He opened his brief comments
with the current situation in Iraq.
“The word from Iraq is very good,”
he said. “I’ve gone to Iraq every
January since I’ve been in the Senate.
One month ago, when I went to Iraq,
amazing things happened. First thing, I
flew into Bagdad International Airport,
got into a Chevy Suburban and drove
into town. Before, I couldn’t have done
that. We were always in Blackhawks or
helicopters. It’s not the safest place in
the world, but compared to before, it is
unbelievable...There is a remarkable
continued on page 6A
GREETS FORMER TEACHER
United States Sen. Johnny Isakson greeted his former teacher, Jack Keen, at a stop in Jefferson
Monday. Isakson told the crowd that Keen was his math teacher and track coach 51 years ago at an
Atlanta area school. Keen has been teaching at Jefferson High School for 44 years. He was recog
nized by the Georgia House of Representatives this week. Photo by Angela Gary
Criswell gets
three-year
sentence
BY ANGELA GARY
ANDREW CRISWELL, 16, the
student who took a bomb to Jackson
County Comprehensive High School
in April 2007, was sentenced Thursday
to serve three years in confinement. He
will continue to be housed at the youth
detention center until he is 17-years-
old. After that, a hearing will be held
to determine whether he will be moved
to an adult prison to complete his
sentence.
Superior Court Judge Joe Booth
heard from witnesses and family mem
bers for three hours Thursday morn
ing before sentencing Criswell, who
did not testify. District attorney Rick
Bridgeman had asked that the teenager
serve seven years, and public defender
Barry King asked for a two-year sen
tence.
Criswell was charged with posses
sion of a destructive device, possession
of a destructive device with intent to
intimidate, false imprisonment and ter
roristic threats and acts.
Judge Booth said Criswell “made a
terrible decision” but then he made the
continued on page 6A
PLAYGROUND BEING DISMANTLED
This “castle” playground in Pendergrass is being dismantled after structural problems and “risque”
behavior have been reported.
Pendergrass ‘castle’ coming down
Structural problems, inappropriate use reported
County water authority eases
commercial water restrictions
BY ANGELA GARY
THE “CASTLE” IN
Pendergrass that has served as a
playground for the neighborhood
children is being torn down this
week due to structural problems
and reported inappropriate use.
Pendergrass city manager
Rob Russell said Tuesday that
the castle, which cost the city
$15,000 and has been in place
for one year, will be replaced by
a traditional playground.
Russell said the problems at
the castle include the structure
“sinking.”
“It was a learning experience,”
he said. “It is sinking because
we didn’t put a concrete slab
under it.”
Other problems include ter
mites in the bottom of the struc
ture and teenagers involved in
“risque behavior” at the cas
tle, according to Russell. He
said photographs of teenag
ers involved in “inappropriate
behavior” have been displayed
on myspace. Suspected mari
juana has also been found inside
the castle.
“It has become a nuisance,”
he said.
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE JACKSON County Water and
Sewerage Authority has lifted its ban
of some restricted outdoor water uses
— a move seen to help the construc
tion industry and other businesses.
The authority agreed last week to
reinstate the commercial exemptions
to the Level 4 drought restrictions —
which prohibited all outdoor watering,
except for some activities.
Those exemptions included car
washes, newly-installed landscapes
for 30 days after installation, retail
garden centers, power washing and
construction sites.
In October, the authority removed
the exemptions from the Level 4
drought restrictions, when Jackson
County’s main source of water — the
Bear Creek Reservoir — began to
dramatically dip.
And with recent rain making the
505-acre reservoir now full, the
authority said it’s time to remove
those exemptions.
Authority chairman Hunter Bicknell
said the move would help the agency
sell more water, but still keep a close
eye on the reservoir and change its
restrictions, if needed.
Without selling some water from
the full reservoir, the water would be
sent downstream — which authority
members said would be lost revenue.
“As long as we can keep the res
ervoir full, we should sell as much
as these folks need,” said authority
member Alex Bryan.
JCWSA manager Eric Klerk said
other governments using the Bear
Creek Reservoir have a similar senti
ment — sell water while it’s available,
but still keep a close eye on water
Exemptions
now allowed
THE JACKSON County
Water and Sewerage Authority
agreed to allow the follow
ing commercial uses under the
Level 4 drought restrictions:
•Professionally-certified or
licensed landscapers: During
installation and 30 days follow
ing installation only
•Irrigation contractors:
During installation and as need
ed for proper maintenance.
•Sod producers
•Ornamental growers
• Fruit and vegetable grow
ers
• Retail garden centers
• Hydro-seeding
•Power (pressure) washing
•Construction sites
•Producers of food and
fiber
• Car washes
•Other activities essential to
daily business
•Watering-in of pesticides
and herbicides on turf
levels. Barrow, Oconee and Athens-
Clarke counties also tap into the res
ervoir.
The authority may also follow a
plan recently announced by Gov.
Sonny Perdue to ease some residential
outdoor watering limitations.
continued on page 6A