Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
M
H Wednesday, May 20, 2009
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 133 NO. 40 56 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Agri-Cycle cleanup
still not done . page 2A
•Bio-tech company
looks at county site
page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'Maybe fussing over
music will stop
' page 4A
Sports:
•Dragons fall to Titans
page 1B
Features:
•Jefferson Community
Theatre ready for 'Steel
Magnolia' auditions
page 1C
Other News:
•School News
pages 12-16A
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 6-28C
•Church News
page 7B
•Obituaries
pages 8-9B
Graduation ceremonies ahead
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
GRADUATION ceremonies
are planned this week at area high
schools. Jefferson, Jackson County
Comprehensive and East Jackson
Comprehensive high schools will all
hold their annual graduation ceremonies
this week.
East Jackson Comprehensive High
School will hold its graduation cer
emony on Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m.,
at Eagle Stadium.
In the event of rain, EJCHS will move
its graduation ceremony to the gymna
sium. Seniors will receive their tickets
for the indoor ceremony at graduation
practice.
EJCHS will hand out diplomas to 164
graduates.
Erika Deshon is the EJCHS valedic
torian, while Andy Van Deventer is the
salutatorian.
Jefferson High School will hand out
diplomas to 136 seniors during its grad
uation ceremony on Friday, May 22, at 8
p.m„ at Memorial Stadium.
In the event of rain, JHS will move its
graduation ceremony to the gymnasium
that same night and time.
JHS will feature valedictorians
— Daniel Miller and Kyle Roberds
— and two salutatorians — Ashley
Etchison and Colby Fowler.
Also during the ceremony, the school
will honor seniors who completed the
Total Person Program.
Jackson County Comprehensive High
School will hold its graduation cer
emony on Friday, May 22, at 8 p.m., at
Panther Stadium.
In the event of rain, the school plans to
make every attempt possible to hold the
ceremony as originally planned.
However, in the event of rain, JCCHS
will hold its graduation on Saturday,
May 23, at 10 a.m. Should rain still
delay the ceremony, it will be held at 8
p.m. that evening.
JCCHS will hand out diplomas to
166 graduates. Brandon Smith is the
valedictorian and Allie Elrod is the salu
tatorian.
Guests who may have special needs
for access to JCCHS "s Panther Stadium
are asked to call Joe Lancaster at 706-
367-5003 prior the ceremony.
HONORING THEIR FELLOW OFFICERS
Three local law enforcement agencies honored their fallen officers at a
service held on Wednesday, May 13, in Jefferson. Shown (L to R) are:
Pendergrass Police Chief Rob Russell, honoring officer Chris Ruse;
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Chris Poe, honoring officer Eddie Roe
Evans, Jefferson Police Chief Joe Wirthman; and Braselton Police Chief
Terry Esco, honoring officer Todd Pelcher. A candle was lit in memory of
each officer. The annual event was held at Living Word Worship Center.
See more photos on page 3A. Photo by Sharon Hogan
BOC tables BJC bailout vote
BY ANGELA GARY
BJC MEDICAL Center’s request
for a financial bailout from the Jackson
County Board of Commissioners was
tabled Monday night. The BOC post
poned taking action at its meeting and
didn’t give a date as to when the matter
might again be on the agenda.
At a BOC meeting three weeks ago,
Rick Massey, a member of the BJC
Medical Center Authority, asked the
county to guarantee — and also repay
— 75 percent of a $5.2 million loan,
as well as guarantee 75 percent of a $1
million line of credit.
At Monday’s BOC meeting, one
citizen spoke on his concerns about the
hospital.
“I went to the hospital two and a half
years ago and almost ended up in the
grave because of problems there,” Jeff
Sheffield, Maysville, said.
He added that there is litigation
going on because of care received at
the hospital.
“Our community needs a hospital,
but we need to figure out what the
vision is and what the plan is and
whether we can afford it,” he said.
Sheffield asked for a citizens com
mittee to be formed to look at the
service of the hospital and the proce
dures.
“They are coming to you for a loan
guarantee that affects all of our wallets
out here,” he said. “Why should we
be throwing good money after bad
money?”
THE REQUEST
The request by BJC is to consoli
date approximately $1.5 million in debt
on hospital bonds with $2.5 million
in short-term debt and $1.2 million
of accounts payable. The requested
amounts calls for an additional $3.7
million in support from both Jackson
and Banks counties.
The authority made a similar request
— for the other 25 percent of support
— from the Banks County Board of
Commissioners. The Banks BOC did
not take action on the request. Financial
obligations related to the medical center
have always been split on a 75:25 per
cent ratio between Jackson and Banks
counties.
“We have a significant need at the
current time for Jackson County and
Banks County to guarantee a $5.2 mil
lion long-term debt, as well as a $1
million line of credit,” Massey told the
Jackson County BOC.
Currently, Jackson County makes
the $153,655 annual payment for hos
pital bonds. If the BOC grants the
authority’s request, its payment would
go to $382,395. The duration of the
agreement is for 15 years.
Jefferson OK’s noise
ordinance changes
Jackson unemployment
claims up 205 percent
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A MONTHS-LONG debate
on updating Jefferson’s noise
ordinance ended Monday with
little discussion.
The Jefferson City Council
approved a revamped noise
ordinance that calls for any
amplified sound or music to
stop at 11 p.m. Sundays through
Thursdays, and 12:30 a.m. on
Fridays and Saturdays.
That requirement applies to
any amplified sound or music
that can be audibly perceived
within 50 feet of the sound-
producing property line.
Residential neighbors on
Sycamore Street around a down
town Jefferson bar — Mike’s
Down Under — have com
plained about noise coming
from the establishment since it
opened several years ago.
The council has also heard
those complainants and took a
second look at the city’s noise
ordinance. The council reviewed
the latest proposed changes dur
ing its work session last week.
Mayor Jim Joiner expressed
his hope on Monday that the
changes will settle the long
standing dispute between resi
dential neighbors and the bar.
“We’ve been kicking this tin
down the road for months,” he
said. “I hope were ready to kick
it in the ditch.”
The revised noise ordinance
doesn’t include any changes to
the maximum decibel levels for
sound — only the times when
sound-amplified devices can be
used and a new special exemp
tion.
That special exemption would
require applicants to submit a
written request to the city man
ager asking for an exemption to
the ordinance on holidays that
continued on page 5A
County to
expand JCC1
BYANGELA GARY
THE Jackson County
Correctional Institute will be
expanded by housing inmates
in the former state I.W. Davis
Detention Center.
The Jackson County Board of
Commissioners agreed Monday
night to lease the facility for 20
years at a cost of $33,440 annu
ally. The Georgia Department of
Corrections earlier shut down the
state detention center, which is
across the road from JCCI.
In other business, the BOC:
•agreed to create a spe
cial tax district for street lights
for Meadows Subdivision and
Riverbend Subdivision.
•agreed to reduce New Liberty
Church Road speed limit from 55
to 45 miles per hour.
•agreed to place a digital sign
at the courthouse, administrative
building and jail.
•accepted a $149,725 grant to
renovate a Lanier Tech training lab.
•agreed to remove power lines
at the airport’s runway approach.
•approved an intergovernmental
agreement with the county water
and sewer authority to use its engi
neer as needed.
•agreed to provide assistance
to the City of Commerce for an
expansion project at Roper.
•held the first reading on the
rules and regulations for recre
ational use of the Bear Creek
Reservoir.
UNEMPLOYMENT in
surance claims were up in
Jackson County in April 205
percent over the same month
last year. Some 521 Jackson
Countians filed for first time
unemployment benefits in
April, up from 171 in April
2008.
While that number was up
significantly, it did mark a
small drop of 7 percent from
March when nearly 560 peo
ple in Jackson County filed
for unemployment benefits.
Jackson County
Unemployment
Insurance Claims
April April March
2009 2008 2009
521 171 559
Unemployment insurance
filings often reflect changes in
the unemployment rate. The
April rates won’t be released
until later this month.
Deadlines moved forward
THE NEWSPAPER office will be closed for Memorial Day.
The Jackson Herald office in Jefferson will be closed Monday,
May 25, in observance of the holiday.
The news deadlines have been moved forward to noon on
Friday, May 22.
The office will open on the regular schedule at 8:30 a.m. on
Tuesday, May 26.
Foreclosures up 39 percent
FORECLOSURES IN Jackson County were up for the first six
months of2009 by 39 percent.
Some 638 foreclosure actions have been taken for the first two quar
ters in Jackson County compared to 460 the same period last year.
Forallof2008, Jackson County saw 1,051 foreclosures. Last year, the
local foreclosures only twice went above 100 in any single month, but
has so far topped 100 four out of the last six months.
For the upcoming June foreclosure sales, Jackson County has 104
compared to 77 in June 2008.
Jackson County Foreclosures
Month
2009
2008
January
66
82
February
145
93
March
108
84
April
97
45
May
118
79
June
104
77
Total
638
460
+39+
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