Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
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H Wednesday, April 22, 2009
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 133 NO. 36 48 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Seven new industries
looking at county
page 2A
•Stimulus funds could
aid in Jefferson parking
lot project.... page 2A
Op /Ed:
•'Too much local gov
ernment?' .... page 4A
Sports:
•JCCHS begins region
meets page 1B
Features:
•Chili cook-off win
ners named
page 1C
•JCCO honors local
essayists page 2C
Other News:
•School News
. . . . pages 5St 11-13B
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
. .pages 8-12C, 1-12D
•Church News
page 1 OB
•Obituaries
page 6-7B
Jefferson disputes issue
Questions point in city-county
service agreement proposal
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A DISPUTE over the renaming
of a road in Jefferson may stall the
county's plan for a state-required
agreement between Jackson
County and its cities.
The Georgia Department of
Community Affairs (DCA) recent
ly told Jackson County it will
need to revisit its Service Delivery
Strategy agreement with its nine
municipalities.
The document outlines which
government services are provided
by the cities and county — such as
water and sewer service — with
out duplication of services. The
agreement is also known as House
Bill 489.
The need to revisit Jackson
County's agreement stems from
several cities and the county updat
ing their 20-year comprehensive
plans by an October 2010 dead
line. Talmo recently approved
its updated comprehensive plan,
which triggered the requirement
for the county to update its service
delivery strategy.
On Thursday, representatives
from Jackson County and each
of its nine cities met to discuss
an option to extend the existing
agreement until all of the cities
adopt their comprehensive plans.
After that point in October 2010,
the county and its cities would
renegotiate the agreement.
But, Jefferson officials said they
won't sign an extension of the
continued on page 3A
LISTENING TO DISCUSSIONS
Jefferson council member C.D. Kidd III, mayor Jim Joiner and city attorney
Ronnie Hopkins listen to discussions on Thursday about Jackson County’s
Service Delivery Strategy agreement. Photo by Kerri Testement
-K = 1
‘OKLAHOMA!’ SHOWING THIS WEEK
The Jefferson High School Drama Dragons will perform the Rodgers and
Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!” Thursday through Saturday, with shows set for
7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for
students. Pictured with the cast of cowboys, cowgirls and farmers are Josh James
as Curly and Kali Speed as Laurey. See photos and the story on page 12A.
Photo by Jana Mitcham
Man charged in
murder of father
BYANGELA GARY
ROBERT ADAM JONES, 24, has been charged with involun
tary manslaughter and simple battery in the murder of his father.
At 3 a.m. Sunday morning, deputies
responded to 212 Sawdust Trail off of Kings
Bridge Road to a shooting. Deputies found
Leroy Jones, 47, dead in the basement of the
home with multiple gunshot wounds.
According to witnesses, the victim and his
son had been involved in a domestic dispute
inside the home. Both men were allegedly in
possession of firearms during the dispute and
the father was shot multiple times and died
on the scene.
The dispute reportedly arose after the son called home around
2 a.m. and asked his mother to come and pick him up. This
apparently angered the father and an argument occurred when
the son and mother returned to the home.
The son said the shooting was self defense and district attorney
Brad Smith met with Jackson County Sheriff's Office investiga
tors Monday to review the case before a decision was made on
whether charges would be filed.
State gives advice on school funds
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE JACKSON County
School System is slated to get
$2.2 million in federal stimulus
funds, according to state depart
ment of education officials.
Those federal funds — avail
able through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) — are earmarked for
special education and Title I,
which targets disadvantaged stu
dents.
District officials knew the
school system was set to receive
federal stimulus for special edu
cation and Title I programs, but
didn’t know how much or how
the money could be spent.
On Friday, district officials
participated in a conference call
with state department of edu
cation officials reviewing the
stimulus package and how local
school systems could use the
funds.
“This is by far, the most con
crete information we’ve had so
far,” Superintendent Shannon
Adams said after the meeting.
State School Superintendent
Kathy Cox established a team
of special education, Title I and
school improvement specialists
to look at the federal stimulus
funds and make recommenda
tions to each school system on
how to use the money.
For the Jackson County School
System, state officials presented
four recommendations on how
to use the ARRA funds.
The top recommendation was
funding graduation coaches at
both high schools and middle
schools, while providing profes
sional learning to ensure that
they are knowledgeable of the
state standards.
Another recommendation is
to hire a graduation coach to
target students with disabilities
and participate in a state grant
program that focuses on prevent
ing high school students from
dropping out.
The team further recommend
ed “transition related activities”
that will improve graduation
rates and working on the atten
dance rates of students with dis
abilities.
“These are strictly recommen
dations,” said Evelyn Maddox, a
specialist in the Title I program
for the state department of edu
cation. “You are not required to
do a single one of these because
we all know that the local school
system has the ultimate decision
on how they want to spend their
dollars.”
The Jackson County School
System recently laid off its mid
dle school graduation coaches
for the 2009-2010 school year,
as part of the district's Reduction
in Force (RIF) plan. Its two
high school graduation coaches
continued on page 3A
Neighbors, bar continue noise debate
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE JEFFERSON City Council is reviewing
proposed changes to its noise ordinance that could
affect a downtown bar and neighbors.
The proposed changes call for any sound-
amplified music to stop at 11 p.m., Sunday
through Thursday, and 12:30 a.m. on Friday and
Saturday, when the sound can be heard or audibly
perceived within 50 feet of the sound-producing
property line.
Jefferson’s noise ordinance debate has centered
on a downtown bar — Mike’s Down Under — but
would also affect special events at the city's civic
center and clubhouse, and other businesses.
Residential neighbors on Sycamore Street
around Mike's Grill have complained about exces
sive noise coming from the store's bar since it
opened several years ago.
Mike Carron, owner of Mike's Grill, said 12:30
a.m. is a reasonable time to end music on Fridays
and Saturdays, although he preferred 1 a.m.
“I don't like having to quit during the week
for a particular reason (because) sometimes there
are only bands that I can get on Thursday night,”
Carron told the council on Monday.
The bar has been keeping a close eye on moni
toring its sound decibel levels during performanc
es and adjusting the sound levels when required.
Carron said.
But the proposed changes to the noise ordi
nance will be too vague and a step backwards, he
added.
‘To say it’s ‘audible,’ then you throw that out of
continued on page 3A
Celebrates Centennial
Arcade festival planned Sat.
WITH MORE than 25
vendors, including arts and
crafts, food, entertainment
and kids’ activities, the inau
gural Arcade Encore Azalea
Festival takes place from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday,
April 25. Admission is free
to the event, which will be
held in Arcade City Park.
Vendors include a moon
walk, pony rides, dunking
booth, furniture and crafts,
plus festival food, hamburg
ers, chicken and sweets. The
Arcade City Council will be
giving away free popcorn
with the purchase of a soft
drink from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
“Our 100-year anniversary
is cause for celebration and
a way to involve our citi
zens in shaping the future of
Arcade,” said Mayor Doug
Haynie. “We are very excit
ed about this very first fes
tival. The weather forecast
looks good and we hope to
have a large turnout to cel
ebrate our 100th Birthday.”
As a rural cotton town
in the South, Arcade has
forged its own history over
the years. It was the site of
the first airport in Jackson
County, and one of the coun
ty's earliest schools was in
Arcade. But this Centennial
is to do more than look at
the past.
“Our future success lies
in the involvement and
commitment of our citizens
and elected officials,” said
Mayor Haynie. “The chance
to take a look back at our
history and create a vision
for our next 100 years is of
utmost importance. That's
why we’re having a series of
events to celebrate and bring
together all members of the
community.”
For more information or
to volunteer, contact Arcade
City Hall at 706-367-5500.
$40 million development
planned for Dry Pond
BYANGELA GARY
A $40 MILLION development will bring a grocery store
distribution center to the Dry Pond area.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners agreed
Monday night to assist with the realignment of Hwy. 82 for
ALDI to locate a 500,000 square building to house its regional
headquarters and distribution center. The business will be
located on an 87-acre site in the city limits of Jefferson.
The agreement approved Monday night does not call for
Jackson County to provide any tax abatement to the developer.
The business is expected to be in place by Dec. 2010.