Newspaper Page Text
— www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com —
VOL. 133 NO. 17 30 PACES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•EJCHS band to march
in televised parade
page 2A
•New hospital pro
posed for Maysville
Road complex
page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'A logo fiasco'
page 4A
Sports:
•Lady Panthers win tip-
off classic page 1B
Features:
•Hoard inventsaward-
winning toy .. page 1C
•Church coffee shop
to benefit charities
page4C
Other News:
•School News
.pages 1OA, 8B, 5,6,11C
•Public Safety
pages 6-8A
•Legals
pages 7-9C
•Church News
page 7B
•Obituaries
page 9A
Pendergrass youth minister murdered
BY SHARON HOGAN
TWO WHITE COUNTY
residents have been charged
with Sunday's murder of the
youth minister of Pendergrass
Baptist Church.
The body of Edward Frank
Harris, Jr., 44, Clermont, was
found off the roadway near
a vacant house in Cleveland
n around 4 a.m. Monday morning.
William Joseph Dyer, 21, and
Jennifer Dawn Lineberger, 29,
both of Cleveland have been
arrested in the killing. Both sus
pects have been charged with one
count of felony murder. Dyer has
also been charged with armed rob
bery.
HARRIS According to published reports,
Harris called his family Sunday night
around 7 p.m. from the church to say he
was giving “some stranded people” a ride
to Cleveland.
Officers of the Cleveland Police
Department are being assisted by the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation's
Cleveland Office, the Office of the District
Attorney for the Enotah Judicial Circuit,
the White County Sheriff's Office and
the White County Coroner’s Office.
Harris' body has been transported to
the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur for an
autopsy. The investigation continues.
Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 4, at the First Baptist
Church of Gainesville on Green Street.
Dr. Bill Coates and the Rev. Kevin
Burgess will officiate. See the obituary
page for the full obituary notice.
CHECKING IT TWICE
Randy Hurley checks the bulbs on one of the Christmas decorations he, Jerald
Lingl and Chris Charter put up in downtown Jefferson Tuesday morning in prepa
ration for Saturday’s parade. Photo by Jana Mitcham
Christmas parades, events ahead
SANTA WILL make his first
appearance in this area Friday
night at the Nicholson library
and also at the Pendergrass
depot.
He's scheduled to visit with
children and to have his photo
taken by parents from 6 to 7:30
p.m. at the Harold S. Swindle
Library off Hwy. 441 next to
Benton Elementary School.
Santa will also be in town
Saturday evening at the
Nicholson Christmas tree light
ing planned for 6:30 p.m. at the
amphitheater located behind city
hall. The evening will include
music and hot chocolate will be
served.
Pendergrass will host a photo
session with Santa at the town
depot 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec.
5.
Families, children and pets are
welcome. There is no sitting fee,
and each participant will receive
one free photo.
JEFFERSON
The City of Jefferson will host
its downtown Christmas parade
Saturday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m.
Local musician Corey Smith
will serve as grand marshal of
the parade, and then will hold a
concert at 8 p.m. at the Jefferson
High School performing arts
center with proceeds to benefit
JHS, the Jefferson police depart
ment and Better Hometown
Jefferson. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tickets are still available for $20
reserved seating at the Coffee
Philter, downtown Jefferson,
from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through
Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday.
The annual Better Hometown
Tour of Homes will be held
on historic Martin Street from
2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7.
The tour begins at the Jefferson
Civic Center and will include
Jefferson First United Methodist
Church, the Niblack House,
Davis House, Stanton House
and Bertran House.
Tickets are $15 before the
tour and $20 the day of and are
available at city hall. Downtown
Interiors, Coffee Philter,
Genuine Jefferson and the Better
Hometown office.
COMMERCE
A day of activities downtown
on Saturday and a parade on
Sunday will usher the Christmas
season into Commerce.
Hometown Holidays will
comprise Breakfast with Santa,
the Secret Santa Workshop and
the Hometown Holidays Hot
Rod and Antique Car Show on
Saturday.
The event leads with Breakfast
With Santa from 9 to 11 a.m. at
Stonewall's BBQ, South Broad
continued on page 10A
Deadline set Fri. for Christmas kids photos
THE DEADLINE for accepting
photosforMainStreetNewspapers’
annual children's Christmas sec
tion has been extended to Friday,
Dec. 5, at 5 p.m. No photos will
be accepted or published after that
time.
The special section will be in
the news stands of The Jackson
Herald, The Commerce News and
The Banks County News on Wednesday, Dec.
24.
The newspapers will be accepting photographs
A
No photos will be taken
after 5 p.m. Friday
of children age 8 years and younger.
The child must live in Jackson or Banks
counties. Photos of grandchildren will
be taken only if the child resides with
the grandparents (which must be stated
when submitting the photo).
Please submit the following informa
tion along with the child’s photo: The
first and last name and age of each child
shown, as well as the parents’ names,
their city of residence and phone number. Photos
continued on page 10A
BOC approves $4,000 logo
To be used in ‘marketing county ’
BYANGELA GARY
JACKSON COUNTY paid $4,000 for the creation of a logo to be
used in marketing the county.
Board of commission
ers chairman Pat Bell
■ i w*-, spoke out against the
J3C kson 'LOUnty acti on Monday night and
Lifestyle. ■ pointed out the county
Opportunity, already has two logos.
Commissioners Bruce
Yates, Jody Thompson
and Dwain Smith voted in favor of the new logo, developed by
Living Media Group. Tom Crow wasn't present at the meeting.
“We have a county seal and a lot of work went into it,” Bell said.
“I don’t see Coca Cola changing its logo. Now we have three. How
many do we need.. .1 don't see the need for it.”
County manager Darrell Hampton said the new logo will not
continued on page 10A
Osborne indicted Mon.
Two counts given on baby's death
WENDY Osborne,
29, Nicholson, was
indicted last week by a
Jackson County Grand
Jury on two counts
related to the Sept. 2
death of 9-month-old
Jessica Scovil. She
turned herself into the
Jackson County Jail
Monday afternoon and
was released on a $7,000 bond.
Osborne was indicted for
involuntary manslaughter and
reckless conduct in the death of
Scovil, who was in foster care at
the Osborne home at the time of
the incident. Scovil died of heat
stroke after having been left in
Osborne’s van at their home on
Hwy. 334 in Nicholson.
Osborne had returned home
around 2 p.m. on Sept. 2 and
taken two 3-year-
old children into
the house, leaving
Scovil in the closed
van. Around 5 p.m.,
Osborne awoke from
a nap and realized the
baby was still in the
vehicle. She found
the baby unrespon
sive and called 911,
according to authorities.
The child’s body temperature
was above 108 degrees when
tested at BJC Medical Center
later that day. Two other foster
children in the home, both teen
agers, were taken by DFACS to
another location after the inci
dent.
Osborne had been active in
continued on page 10A
OSBORNE
Chambliss wins runoff
McDonald, Doyle also elected
SAXBY CHAMBLISS was
re-elected to the United States
Senate in a runoff election
Tuesday.
State-wide, incumbent
Chambliss (R) had 1.2 mil
lion, or 57 percent of the votes.
Challenger Jim Martin (D) had
905,637 votes.
In Jackson County, Chambliss
was also the winner with 10,538
votes, while Martin had 2,396
voters.
Voter turnout for Jackson
County was 44 percent with
12,968 registered voters casting
a ballot.
In the Public Service
Commission, Lauren “Bubba”
McDonald (R) won state-wide
with 1.1 million, or 56 percent
of the vote. Jim Powell had
870,195 votes.
In Jackson County, McDonald
had 10,148 votes, while Powell
had 2,308.
In the Court of Appeals Judge
race, Sara Doyle was the state
wide winner with 883,707, or
52 percent of the votes. Mike
Sheffield had 823,462 votes.
In Jackson County, Doyle
had 5,183 votes and Sheffield
had 5,883 votes.
Unemployment numbers continue to climb in NEGA
Jackson County’s rate up to 7%
BARROW COUNTY had
the highest unemployment
rate in the heart of Northeast
Georgia in October with a rate
of 7.4 percent. That was higher
than the state average of 7 per
cent and higher than all of
the Northeastern Georgia area
which was at 7.3 percent.
In addition, Barrow saw
its unemployment insurance
claims jump in October from
230 in 2007 to 526 in October
2008, a 129 percent increase.
Jackson County was also
hard hit in October’s employ
ment rates with an unem
ployment rate of 7 percent
compared to 4.1 percent the
year before. While lower in
raw numbers, Jackson’s ini
tial unemployment insur
ance claims rose faster than
Barrow's in October with
a 131 percent climb over
October 2007.
Banks County had the low
est unemployment in the area
Unemployment Rates
Area
Oct. 2008
Oct. 2007
State
7.0%
4.5%
NEGa.
7.3
4.4
Barrow County
7.4
4.2
Jackson County
7.0
4.1
Madison County
5.9
3.7
Banks County
5.1
3.0
Clarke County
6.7
3.6
Hall County
6.3
3.5
Gwinnett County
6.3
3.9
Unemployment Insurance Claims
Area
Oct. 2008
Oct. 2007
Change%
State
72,627
41,506
75%
Barrow County
526
230
129%
Jackson County
382
165
131%
Madison County
227
132
72%
Banks County
81
46
76%
Clarke County
680
282
141%
Hall County
1,141
550
107%
Gwinnett County
3,639
1,994
82%
at 5.1 percent, although that percent in October 2007. higher at 5.9 percent compared
was higher than the county's 3 Madison County was a little to 3.7 percent the year before.