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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010
State files contempt suit against Agri-Cycle
THE GEORGIA Environmental Protection
Division has filed a contempt suit against
Agri-Cycle and contend that the facility has
not been shut down as ordered in earlier court
proceedings.
The lawsuit, filed in Jackson County
Superior Court, states that Agri-Cycle owners
have not implemented a stream-monitoring
program and have failed to submit to EPD a
closure plan for the facility.
“The respondent’s past and continuing
failure and refusal to comply with the permit,
the act, the rules, the director’s order and this
court order evidences a blatant disregard for
the order and the law and clearly merits a
citation of contempt,” the lawsuit states.
The Talmo plant has been involved in
numerous court proceedings due to alleged
violations at the waste recycling business.
It was shut down in 2007 after a fire on the
site.
Census: Jackson County 22nd fastest growing in nation
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE REAL estate market in Jackson
County isn’t booming like it did several
years ago — but the Census Bureau still says
Jackson County is one of the fastest-growing
counties in the nation.
In its annual report of population chang
es, Jackson County is ranked 22nd on the
national list of fastest-growing counties, as of
July 1, 2009. That’s up from the number 23
slot for 2008 population estimates.
The Census estimates that Jackson County
had 63,544 residents, as of 2009 — com
pared to 61,620 in 2008.
Compared to the 2000 Census — when
Jackson County had 41,589 residents — the
52.8 percent population growth rate for the
nine-year period makes Jackson County one
of the fastest-growing in the nation.
The latest estimates are not 2010 Census
population counts, the agency warned, but
they are the last estimates to the use the 2000
Census results as a base.
The 2011 population estimates will be the
first in the estimates series to be based on the
2010 Census population counts.
Overall, 17 counties in Georgia were
named to the list of 100 fastest-growing
counties in the nation. The top county in the
state was Forsyth County, which ranked sixth
in the U.S. Neighboring Barrow County
ranked 19th with an estimated population of
72,158 residents.
Census Bureau assistance centers now open in county
THE CENSUS Bureau
has opened three Authorized
Assistance Centers in Jackson
County. These centers will be
open until April 19.
The purpose of these centers
is to provide support for citizens
who need census forms in other
languages, has lost or damaged
census forms, did not receive a
form for whatever reason, or just
need help filling the 2010 census
form out.
The three centers are:
•The Jackson County
Administrative Building (in the
tag office) - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
•Maysville Public Library - 9
a.m. to 12 p.m.
•Commerce City Hall - 10
a.m. to 1 p.m.
In addition to these three cen
ters there are also unmanned
locations citizens can go to
just receive forms. These loca
tions are the Jackson County
Courthouse, Nicholson City
Hall, Maysville City Hall, the
Braselton library, and just over
the Jackson/Banks County fine
the Denny’s restaurant that is
located on Highway 441.
House to vote on ‘bare bones’ budget Thurs.
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
THE HIGHLIGHT (or low-
light) of the legislative ses
sion for the Georgia House of
Representatives is expected
Thursday.
That’s when the House will
vote on the fiscal year 2011
budget, according to Rep.
Tommy Benton.
And, he says, don’t look for
much old-fashioned pork.
“I hear it will be pretty bare
bones,” said Benton. “I don’t
know of any extra spending that
will be in it as far as any pet
projects are concerned.”
Referred to as “pork barrel
spending,” or “pork,” those are
usually projects aimed at a spe
cific district and are typically
doled out by the leadership.
“As far as I know, there are
none there,” said Benton, who
added that under the ongoing
funding crisis, the “pork” prac
tice has “dried up to nothing.”
Benton said he’s heard very
little about the specifics of the
budget, which was crafted by a
joint appropriations committee
made up of House and Senate
delegates. That unique approach
is designed to eliminate the need
for a conference committee to
reconcile differences between
House and Senate versions of
the spending plan.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s hospi
tals have reached an agreement
to pay a 1.45 percent “fee” to
the state, which will use the
money to leverage more federal
Medicaid dollars to help close
the budget gap.
It was either pay the fee or
lose their tax-exempt status,
Benton said of the proposal.
The House schedule calls for
the budget to be “placed on
the desks” in the House on
Wednesday evening. The bill
must be “on the desk” for 24
hours before it can be voted,
and Thursday will be spent dis
cussing the budget prior to a
late vote.
At one point, Benton had
speculated that once the budget
was approved, the legislature
might be adjourned.
Now, that does not seem
likely.
“There are too many things
out there that need to be passed,”
Benton conceded, “whether we
get to them this week or in two
weeks.”
Last Friday was “crossover
day,” when bills passed in one
chamber went into the other.
“We were here until mid
night,” Benton said. “The
Senate left at about 5:30 or
6. Of course, we’ve got three
times the number of people.
We might have worked later,
but we got the word that they
(the Senate) would not accept
anything we did after 12, so
we quit.”
Everything on the House cal
endar, Benton said, relates to
Senate bills. The House was
scheduled to meet Thursday,
take the week off after Easter
and reconvene on Monday,
April 12.
BOE approves personnel list
THE JACKSON County
Board of Education approved
several personnel changes dur
ing its brief, called meeting on
Monday.
Superintendent Shannon
Adams said he expects the
board to address more person
nel changes during its regular
meeting on Monday, April 12,
at 6 p.m.
On Monday, the board
approved the employment of
Dan Morris as school nutri
tion manager at South Jackson
Elementary School.
The board also approved the
following resignations/termi
nations: Terre Behlog, special
education paraprofessional,
WJMS; Tammy Dealing, school
nutrition training manager, sys
temwide; and Cherie Morrison,
sixth grade teacher, EJMS.
Special election set May 11
A SPECIAL election to fill
the unexpired term of State Sen.
Lee Hawkins will be held on
Tuesday, May 11.
Hawkins resigned from his
state senate seat last week to
ran for the special election to fill
the unexpired term of U.S. Rep.
Nathan Deal — who resigned
from his 9th Congressional
District seat to ran for governor.
Hawkins represented the 49th
District, which includes Hall
County and a portion of Jackson
County.
A special election to fill
Hawkins’ seat in the state senate
will be held on Tuesday, May
11, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Hall
County and a portion of Jackson
County.
A special election to fill Deal’s
Congressional seat will also be
held on Tuesday, May 11, in
Hall County and counties in
north Georgia.
Both elections are non-par
tisan and a runoff election, if
needed, will be held on Tuesday,
June 8.
Road closures set for RR work
THE GEORGIA Department
of Transportation has announced
changes to the planned April road
closures to upgrade two railroad
crossings in Jackson County.
The State Route 11 Business/
Lee Street railroad crossing in
downtown Jefferson that was
scheduled for work Monday,
April 5, through Wednesday,
April 7, has been delayed.
Needed materials will not arrive
and the work will be rescheduled
later this year, likely in summer.
The railroad crossing at SR 15
alt/82 near Galilee Church Road
is still scheduled to be closed for
upgrades Monday, April 12, at 8
a.m. to Wednesday, April 14, at
6 p.m. if weather permits and if
the needed materials arrive. This
crossing will be upgraded from
timbers to concrete panels.
The signed detour route is
SR 15 altemate/SR 82 to SR
11/Jefferson Bypass to SR 11
Business to SR 15 altemate/SR
82.
“These upgrades will improve
the ride for vehicles as they cross
the railroad tracks,” said Todd
McDuffie, district maintenance
engineer. “The old timbers will
be removed and replaced with
concrete panels, which will be
more stable and smoother. ”
Georgia DOT urges travelers
to call 511 for updated informa
tion about this or any other con
struction project on interstates
and state routes. Georgia 511 is a
free phone service that provides
real-time traffic and travel infor
mation statewide, such as traffic
conditions, incidents, lane clo
sures and delays due to inclem
ent weather. Callers also can
transfer to operators to request
assistance or report incidents 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
More information is available at
www.511ga.org.
Airport authority seeks overlay district design
BY KATIE HUSTON
THE APPROVAL from the
county planning commission
will help the Jackson County
Airport Authority get a design
overlay district similar to the
one on Hwy. 53 and Hwy. 124.
The plan only addresses
county-owned property that is
managed and overseen by the
authority.
“It’s very appropriate that
we have a very detailed doc
ument that will guide us to
(our desired) point,” Airport
Manager Bob Stapleton said.
With the help of the coun
ty, the authority is looking to
acquire 62 additional acres of
property adding to its current
180 acres.
In addition, the authority
recendy finalized plans for 27
commercial and corporate han
gar sites to be located on the
west side of the runway.
On the east side of the run
way will soon be an additional
29 private hangars sites that will
be 60 feet by 60 feet.
There’s also an additional 53
acres of land that the authority
is acquiring along Hwy 82.
Final approval of all business
discussed at the meeting will
come before the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
on April 19, at 6 p.m. in the
Jackson County Courthouse.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the March
25 meeting of the county plan
ning board:
•a request was denied from
Jacquot Corporation to amend
the Future Land Use map from
Commercial Activity Center to
Gateway Corridor on 7.53 acres
on Highway 441 South and
720 Davis Road. The request
was denied because intensi
fied development could have a
negative impact on surrounding
natural resources.
•a de-annexation was
approved on 3.36 acres on
Whitfield Road in Arcade and
the property was also rezoned
A-2 to R-l.
•text amendments to the
Jackson County Unified
Development Code were
approved for areas regarding
Subdivision and Development
Regulations; Flood Damage
Prevention; Soil Erosion;
Sedimentation and Pollution
Control.
City of Nicholson Sunrise Service
will be at the pavilion behind city hall
at 6:00 a.m., Sunday, April 4.
Area churches will be participating.
Coffee and donuts will be served.
Happy 30 th Birthday
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