Newspaper Page Text
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H Wednesday, April 26, 2017
ERALD
VOL. 142 NO. 46
36 PACES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
Merged in 2017 with
The Commerce News
A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549
75c COPY
Chamber: Warehouses help tax digest
By Ron Bridgeman
Economic development and elected
officials are talking about a way to count
er growing public opposition to the devel
opment of warehouse and distribution
projects along Interstate 85.
Recent votes on two projected ware
house developments, one narrowly
approved in Braselton and defeated by the
Jackson County Board of Commissioners,
has raised awareness of the level of oppo
sition. Most current businesses have been
between Braselton and Jefferson.
The Jackson County Board of Commis
sioners recently voted to deny a rezon
ing at Hog Mountain Road and Storey
Lane. That vote came over the developer’s
request to table the issue.
The Jackson County Chamber of Com
merce board of directors debated the issue
briefly at its meeting last week.
Jim Shaw, president and CEO of the
chamber and director of economic devel
opment, worried aloud about the “push-
back in the community about distribution
centers.”
“It is extremely important in Jackson
County that we keep a balanced tax
digest,” he said.
Shaw referred to the property taxes paid
by industrial and commercial businesses
versus those paid by residential property
owners.
Clark Hill, mayor of Commerce and a
chamber board member, declared it would
be “prudent” for the county to develop a
campaign that would explain the types of
property and the respective amounts of
tax each pay.
Hill and Shaw noted that county ser
vices, especially schools, almost always
cost more than most residential property
generates in taxes.
“That’s who’s going to be harmed by
it.” Hill said about local school systems.
He said the schools would be hurt the
most if the county’s tax structure were
affected.
For the fiscal year 2016, the Jack-
son County School System spent about
$8,971 per pupil, Commerce City Schools
spent about $8,270 and Jefferson City
Schools spent about $7,099.
The county’s tax digest for 2016 is
about $2.8 billion, according to county
figures.
Of that amount, not quite $1.2 billion is
residential value. That is the largest chunk
of the county taxes, about 40 percent.
Industrial property is valued at about
$695 million, about 25 percent. Commer
cial property is nearly $430,000 and utili
ty property is valued at about $80 million.
Those three together, which generally
are the business properties in the county,
are more than $1.2 billion.
Shaw said expanding the county’s
industrial and commercial tax base is the
only way to maintain residential taxes at
the current rates.
Shaw and Hill emphasized the difficulty
in combating any “perception” that is cre
ated about Jackson County not wanting a
particular kind of business or wanting to
stop or slow growth.
Hill said if the perception becomes
widespread that the county wants to slow
growth, “things like that are contagious.”
He said his “biggest fear” is that spill
over from the Jefferson project may affect
the Commerce area.
Hill urged the chamber to be active
continued on page 2A
Jefferson man arrested
after shooting, manhunt
A Jefferson man was arrested last week following a
shooting and manhunt in Nicholson.
Henry Earl Barnett. 36, 5174 Brockton Road. Jef
ferson, faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated
stalking-Family Violence Act, drugs not in original
container, possession of a Schedule II controlled sub
stance (Hydrocodone), possession of a Schedule IV
controlled substance (Diazapam) and possession of a
firearm or knife during the commission of a crime.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded
to an Old Athens Drive, Nicholson, residence after
Barnett allegedly shot a man in the leg.
A female witness reportedly called a male friend to
the house. When she showed her friend that she tracked
Barnett’s phone location at her house, the man went
outside to look for him.
He reportedly found Barnett and confronted him by a
window. According to the victim, the two fought on the
ground and he “bested” Barnett. When he went to let
him up, Barnett reportedly pulled out a gun, fired one
shot into the air and fired another at the ground. That
bullet apparently struck the man in the leg.
The victim fled but was later found at his house and
was transported to the hospital.
Barnett also fled and walked towards Hwy. 441, pos
sibly waving a pistol in the air.
Deputies called in a K-9 unit to track Barnett while
the woman tracked his cell phone. He was found and
arrested around 1 p.m. at a 7896 Brockton Road loca
tion.
Barnett has a record of criminal trespass warnings
from the woman’s residence. She said Barnett stalks
her and hides around the old chicken houses on the
property. She was advised to seek out a temporary
protection order.
The Department of Family and Children Services
was also contacted for a possible follow-up. The wom
an’s 11-year-old son was at the scene of the shooting
but said he didn’t see or hear anything.
Man killed in
motorcycle wreck
A Braselton man was killed in a wreck Friday after
noon in Jackson County.
According to authorities, the motorcycle versus truck
crash occured on Friday, April 21, near the Jefferson
Recreation Department on Old Pendergrass Road.
Georgia State Patrol is investigating the incident.
The accident report was not received by press time.
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OUT ON THE
TOWN FOR PROM
Commerce High School
and East Jackson
Comprehensive High
School hosted proms over
the weekend. Pictured
(ABOVE): Jessie Marvin
and Walker Brooks
danced in front of a mural
of people dancing in
downtown Commerce. The
couple is from EJCHS and
attended the EJCHS prom
at the Commerce Civic
Center. Pictured (LEFT):
Madison Rodriguez and
Ricki Orozco attended
Commerce High School’s
prom Friday evening
at the Commerce Civic
Center. See more on
pages 1C and 2C.
Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
Arcade’s Azalea Fest is Saturday
To celebrate its status as the Encore
Azalea City, the City of Arcade has slat
ed its Arcade Encore Azalea Festival for
Saturday, April 29.
The event will include a 5K run/walk
race, an arts and crafts festival, car show,
children’s activities, festival food and
live entertainment at Arcade City Park.
Admission to the festival is free; the fes
tival takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More than 25 arts and crafts ven
dors will gather at Arcade City Park,
Arcade Park Street, where the city’s
plantings of Encore Azaleas will be
showcased. Musical entertainment will
include well-known popular singer
Kristin Tinsley, plus Tre Powell (The
Big Smooth), and performances by stu
dents from West Jackson Middle School
and Jackson County Comprehensive
High School.
“The festival and celebration are
our gift to the people of Arcade, Jack-
son County and Georgia.” said Arcade
Mayor Doug Haynie. “The city council
is very pleased to present this event to
the community that will show our com
munity spirit and pride.”
The day begins with a 5K run/walk
race, “Pounding for Paws,” near Arcade
Park off Ga. 129. This event will benefit
the Humane Society of Jackson County.
Registration through the morning of the
race is $25 per person.
Registration starts at 7 a.m. on race
day; the race begins at 8 a.m. Down
loadable forms and online registration
are available at www.runnersfit.com/
poundingforpaws.
The arts and crafts vendors will open
their booths from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
selling jewelry, hand-made items, home
decor, arts and photography.
Children’s activities include a bounce
house and slide.
Festival food and live entertainment
will be available throughout the day.
The car show takes place from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Registration is $15 and begins
at 9:30 a.m. at the park entrance.
For more information about the
Arcade Encore Azalea Festival, call
770-965-3340 or visit the Arcade web
site at www.cityofarcade.org.
Planners deny
women’s home
in Commerce
By Ron Bridgeman
The Commerce Planning Commission unanimous
ly agreed Monday night to deny a conditional use for
a “personal care home” on Pine Street.
The request would have allowed a group home for
about 12 women at 120 Pine Street. Tanya Grizzle
made the request and said the women would be “in
transition” from such conditions as homeless, addic
tions and sex trafficking.
The request for the conditional approval was made
in February and tabled in March.
The request will now go to the city council.
Grizzle said the women would voluntarily use the
house. They would pay $250 per week, have classes
to take, be expected to work and have a curfew of
11 p.m.
She said no drugs, alcohol or weapons would be
allowed and violations would result in women being
continued on page 2A