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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010
Manufacturer looking at Jackson as possible site
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
A POTENTIAL heavy manu
facturer seeking to locate a plant
that would employ 100 people
“looks pretty good for Jackson
County” says the president of the
Jackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce.
Reporting last Friday to the
county's Industrial Development
Authority, Shane Short gave
scant details on five new “proj
ects” considering Jackson
County among the possible sites
for new facilities.
“We've had good activity for
the past two weeks,” Short said,
after noting that the summer
months had produced very little.
The manufacturer, about
whom Short offered few details,
would have a payroll equal to
that of Systemax, which will
have 400 employees, he said.
“Those are people that can
buy houses,” he observed.
“That's what we need in Jackson
County.
Another of the projects. Short
said, is a “food-related” firm
that he suggested might “not be
a good fit” because of its utility
requirements.
The company needs an eight-
inch high-pressure natural gas
line and a “high water discharge
with pretty serious pre-treatment
issues,” Short said. He added
that the company is looking for
a community that won’t require
waste pre-treatment.
Other projects arising recently
include:
•a distribution project needing
about 600,000 square feet. It has
a freezer component and would
generate about 270 jobs.
•a modular home manufac
turer, which needs a building
with a 50-foot clearance. “I don't
know if that exists (in Jackson
County)” Short observed.
•a retail project requiring
13,000 square feet, possibly a
drug store. “We don’t know who
that is,” Short commented.
All told, the chamber and IDA
are dealing with 23 unresolved
projects.
Thus far in 2010, Short said
the county has added $42.5 mil
lion in new investment from
industries, generating 670 jobs.
The county also has five mil
lion square feet of space avail
able, but Short said most of that
is in buildings of 300.000 square
feet or more, which is creating a
challenge.
“Most companies do not want
to be in multi-tenant buildings.”
he said.
Aside from a 120,000-square-
foot building and a
150,000-square-foot building,
Jackson County is “out of small
er buildings right now,” Short
reported. “.. .There's just no spec
building going on right now.”
Short also reported that
the chamber's Alliance for
Economic Development plans
a reception in Atlanta Oct. 19
targeting 150 commercial real
estate professionals. He pointed
out that more and more projects
are coming from those kind of
people directly to the county,
rather than going through the
state
IDA chairman Scott Martin
concurred.
“Fifty percent of the projects
come to us through the real
estate community, so it’s good
for us to educate them about
Jackson County,” he said.
“The Internet has made it a lot
easier for those people to find
what they're looking for.” Short
said, adding that the Alliance is
providing that information on its
new website.
On the negative side, the IDA
noted that both Spectrum Brands
and Progressive Lighting have
ceased their Jackson County
operations due to the recession.
BJC Medical
Authority to
address lawsuit
THE BJC Medical Center
Authority, former owner of BJC
Hospital and Nursing Home, will
try to settle a lawsuit filed by a
former employee Monday.
The 6:30 p.m. meeting, which
was announced in an advertise
ment placed in this week’s edi
tions of The Commerce News,
The Jackson Herald and The
Banks County News, will be
held at Northeast Georgia Bank,
Banks Crossing.
Details of the suit, including
the name of the plaintiff remain
largely confidential.
“The lawsuit continues ‘under
seal’ and public discussion of the
particulars of the lawsuit includ
ing the identity of (the plaintiff)
are stricdy prohibited,” the adver
tisement reads.
“They (BJC Medical Center
Authority) are trying to include
the public as much as they are
permitted,” explained Jennifer E.
Tyler, an attorney with Balch &
Bingham, who represents BJC.
“They are trying to be as open as
possible.”
According to the advertise
ment, the plaintiff, referred to as
“Relator,” filed suit on behalf of
the U.S. Department of Justice. A
“Relator” is commonly a whistle
blower who files suit alleging that
someone wronged the federal
government. If the government
thinks the suit has merit and the
suit is successful, the Relator then
gets a piece of the settlement.
The proposed resolution for the
suit will be presented in public
session, and the “general param
eters” of the settlement will be
made public at the meeting, said
Philip Sprinkle, also with Balch
& Bingham.
The authority completed the
sale of BJC Medical Center
to Restoration Healthcare last
March. Settlement of the lawsuit
is one of the issues to be resolved
before the authority, which com
prises three representatives each
of Banks and Jackson counties
and the city of Commerce, can
fully disburse proceeds of the
$7.1 million sale.
lor Humanity
HABITAT CELEBRATES STORE OPENING
The Jackson County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity held a ribbon-cutting ceremony
Sept. 13 to celebrate the opening of its Restore thrift store at 208 Homer Road —
the former Bi Lo location. Habitat board members and supporters, members of the
Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce and public officials participated. The
store seeks donations of new or used items and proceeds will go to help fund the
construction of more houses.
Early voting under way for Nov. election
EARLY VOTING for the November 2 General
Election began Monday and ends on Friday.
October 29, in all Georgia counties.
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Friday,
October 29. Mail-in ballots must be received by the
voter’s county elections office by the close of polls
on Election Day.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp reminds voters
to utilize the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page
(MVP) voter education website before participating
in the General Election. The MVP website allows
voters to view their sample ballot, find the early
voting locations in their county and their Election
Day polling location, check their registration status,
track the status of their absentee ballot, and more.
The MVP website can be accessed at: http://www.
sos.ga.gov/mvp.
“The MVP e-govemment solution provides an
invaluable educational resource for voters,” said
Secretary Kemp. “We want to put as much infor
mation in the hands of the voter as we can, in an
easy-to-use format. The goal is for every voter in
the State of Georgia to have the information he or
she needs to be able to make the voting process
work for them.”
Secretary Kemp also encouraged Georgians to
assist his agency with preventing election fraud.
The Stop Voter Fraud website allows Georgians
to report questionable election activity online or
via the Stop Voter Fraud hotline. Citizens who
witness questionable election-related activity can
submit a Stop Voter Fraud form at: www.sos.
ga.gov/Stop VoterFraud<http://www.sos.ga.gov/
StopVoterFraud> or call the Secretary of State's
Voter Fraud Hotline at 877-725-9797.
Voters who cast their ballot in-person or on
Election Day will be required to show one of the
following forms of photo ID:
•a Georgia driver’s license, even if expired.
•any valid state or federal government issued
photo ID. including a free Voter ID Card issued
by your county registrar or Georgia Department of
Driver Services (DDS).
•valid U.S. passport.
•valid employee photo ID fromany branch, depart
ment, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government,
Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, author
ity, or other entity of this state.
•valid U.S. military photo ID.
•valid tribal photo ID.
If a voter does not have one of these forms of
photo identification, they can obtain a free voter ID
card at their county registrar’s office or the Georgia
Department of Driver Services. Photo identification
is not required when voting by mail.
For additional information about Georgia's photo
ID requirement please visit www.GAPhotoID.
com<http://www.gaphotoid.com/>.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
Tuesday, November 2.
CHECKING OUT NEW MAP
Mark Puckett (left) and Chris Hensley (right) are shown
checking out one of the new maps that provide a list of
streets and subdivisions and their location.
County gets new map books
Public safety workers get copies
BYANGELA GARY
JACKSON County’s public
safety workers now have a map
book with a list of all county
roads and subdivisions, as well
as other public buildings, and
their location. The new map
book is also available for pur
chase by the general public for
$20.
“In today's modem age, a
paper map book may seem very
low tech, but it is still critical
to first responders and anyone
who deals with the physical
location of roads and subdivi
sions,” GIS manager Joel Logan
said. “Though they are low tech,
paper map books never lose their
Internet connection or have their
battery go dead. It is for these
reasons that the Jackson County
GIS department has just released
a new map book containing all
of the roads, subdivisions, fire
hydrants, and various locations
of interest throughout Jackson
County.”
First responders began receiv
ing these new books this week.
“What is so great about this
new map book, is that it contains
a brand new indexed road layer
of Jackson County that was cre
ated from scratch,” Logan said.
“It is extremely accurate com
pared to the older books we had
before we had GIS technology.
The new book contains both a
road and subdivision index with
both page and grid references.”
This new map book will be
available to the general pub
lic for $20. Due to budget
ary constraints, the books are
being printed in limited runs as
requested. If anyone wishes to
see one of the new books, they
can visit the Jackson County
Public Development office at 67
Athens St in Jefferson. A limited
amount of books will also be on
hand at Gainesville Whiteprint at
312 Bradford St. in Gainesville.
Any orders for these books will
need to be prepaid.
For more information, call
Logan at 706-367-1877.
BOC approves zoning for
outdoor recreation center
BYANGELA GARY
PLANS TO operate an out
door recreation center near
Commerce with putt putt, go
carts and laser tag got the green
light from the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
Monday night.
The BOC approved the
request Monday night from
Bingo Properties Inc. to rezone
13.13 acres at 26 Allen Road
and Hwy. 441 to operate Pro
Swing Golf. The BOC also
approved a special use permit
for the project.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other zoning business
Monday night, the BOC:
•approved a request from
Elaine Brown Code for a land
use map amendment to change
10.02 acres at 179 LBJ Road,
Nicholson, from agricultural
preservation to rural places.
Code spoke on the request and
said the change is needed in
order to divide the property
among family members.
•approved a request from
Smith Auto Parts for a land use
map amendment to change 12
acres on Hwy. 441 South from
gateway corridor to industrial
workplace in order to operate
a salvage business. Plans also
may include a towing business.
•tabled a request from
Gary Harvin for a land use
map amendment to change
three acres at 50 Ward Road.
Hoschton, from residential
growth to industrial workplace.
•tabled a request from Rusty
David, for a land use map
amendment to change .80 acres
at 3115 Hwy. 15. Jefferson,
from residential growth to gate
way corridor to operate a busi
ness.
•approved a request from
Donald Wilson for a land use
map amendment to change
1.47 acres at 7163 Hwy. 441,
Nicholson, from rural places to
gateway corridor.
•approved a request from Joel
Banks Jr. and David Banks to
change 17.352 acres at 1108
Bill Watkins Road, Hoschton.
from A-2 to R-l to divide a
family estate.
•approved a request from
Angela Salter for a land use map
amendment to change 64.47
acres at 604 Price Mountain
Road, Pendergrass, to operate a
special occasion/meeting busi
ness.
•approved a request from
Tina Tinsley for a special use
permit to operate a retreat and
learning center on 78 acres at
255 Chulitna Way, Bogart.
BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONE
REPLACEMENT SEMINAR
At Tiger Town Pharmacy
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
@ 7:00 PM
Kim Bost. Pharm. D. Will Discuss:
• What is Hormone Replacement Therapy/Bioidentical Hormone
Replacement Therapy?
• Explanation of the menstrual cycle and female anatomy
• Hormones - what they are and how they work
• How Stress, diet and thyroid dysfunction fit into the hormone
picture
• Importance of hormone balance and Goals of BHRT
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