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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017
BOE hires new teachers, special education director
The Jackson County Board of Edu
cation approved several new teachers
and two leadership positions for the
upcoming school year at its May
meeting.
Among those moves was the hire
of Jan NeSmith as director of special
education and Deborah Williamson
as school psychologist.
Teachers hired included:
•Joel Adair, agriculture teacher,
East Jackson Comprehensive High
School
•Nichole Bennett, fifth grade teach
er, Gum Springs Elementary School
•Wynonna Chandler, healthcare
science teacher. Jackson County
Comprehensive High School
•Wesley Diers, eighth grade teach
er, West Jackson Middle School
•Roger Edmonds, 49 percent social
studies teacher, EJCHS
•Linda Frederick, English teacher,
EJCHS
•Bralee Griffin, fifth grade teacher,
Maysville Elementary School
•Lisa Hickey, social studies teach
er, JCCHS
•Jenica Johnson, EIP teacher, East
Jackson Elementary School
•Melissa Krause, English teacher,
JCCHS
•Vincent Lehotsky, PE teacher,
JCCHS
teacher, West Jackson Middle School
•Monty McClure, special educa
tion teacher. JCCHS
•Phillip Morris, social studies
teacher, EJCHS
•Cameron O’Reilly, science teach
er, JCCHS
•Nancy Quinn, fifth grade teacher,
GSES
•Lori Reinhardt, special education
teacher, West Jackson Elementary
School
•Amanda Severt, fifth grade teach
er, GSES
•Cathryn Speyer, special education
teacher, North Jackson Elementary
School
•Courtney West, Pre-K teacher,
MES
Other approved personnel moves
included:
TRANSFERS
•Melanie Brittain, from 49 per
cent special education coordinator to
interim special education director
•Joseph Brubaker, from social
studies teacher at JCCHS to eighth
grade teacher at EJCHS
•Wade DeHart, special education
teacher, from JCCHS to East Jackson
Middle School
•Kim Fields, attendance registrar at
GSES, from 190 to 210 days
•Malissa Hill, from system to
teacher, to-be-determined
•Verdi Huffman, system technolo
gy to MES/NJES music teacher
RESIGNATIONS/
TERMINATIONS
•Jeremy Andrews, science teacher,
EJCHS
•Sylvia Bishop, South Jackson Ele
mentary School
•Ashley Hansford, special educa
tion teacher. NJES
•Betty Hayes, school nutrition
assistant, WJES
•Susan Minkiewicz. eighth grade
teacher, EJMS
•Erica Osley, special education
teacher, NJES
•Stephanie Seifert, art teacher,
SJES
•Brady Sigler. 49 percent health/
PE teacher, EJCHS
•Lisa Simmons, science teacher,
EJCHS
•Staci Smith, second grade teacher,
WJES
•Monica Whitesides, special edu
cation paraprofessional, GSES
•Sandra Whitlock, custodian, SJES
•Ginger Witt, fifth grade teacher,
WJES
RETIREMENT
•Pam Greene, attendance secretary,
JCCHS
•Shirley Satterfield, school nutri
tion assistant, WJES
•Carolina Luthi, special education
Board of Health approves $1.75 million budget
By Kyle Funderburk
The Jackson County Board of Health approved its budget
for the FY18 and a draft for updated county swimming pool
ordinances.
2018 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET
The proposed budget asked for an increase of $11,191
from $1.24 million in 2017 to $1.25 million in 2018. The
budget also calls for a $17,707 decrease in contracts because
the county hired a new worker for environmental health.
The personnel budget will increase by $35,999 for the new
worker.
Money from grants and the county remained the same.
Clinic fees fluctuated in the early 2010’s, but since 2014,
the Health Department has seen a steep rise in revenue from
clinic fees. It was just under $200,000 in fees last year.
Environmental health fees began the millennium on a
steep climb but took a large dip during the recession. Since
2013 however, revenue from environmental health has
climbed at a steady rate. The health department brought in
almost $200,000 from environmental health last year.
UPDATED SWIMMING POOL ORDINANCE
In January, Georgia updated state pool rules and regula
tions. Jackson County has been on its own regulations since
2000 but local rules almost match the state regulations.
Counties that have their own pool regulations are being
asked to update so that every county across the state will
match.
Some of the changes that the state passed in January
included new starting platforms at a depth of five feet;
changes to warning signs; and that operators must perform
two weekly visits to document conditions.
County Democrats
to meet Thursday
The Jackson County Democratic Party will meet at
6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, at the Jefferson Club
house, located at 302 Longview Drive.
Josh McCall, Gainesville, who has announced he will
seek the 9th District U.S. Representatives seat, will be
the guest speaker.
The meeting is open to the public.
JCWSA approves
office renovation
BY CINDY R. EDGE
The Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority
recently approved a project to renovate and expand its
building located at 117 MLK Avenue.
At its May 11 meeting, the authority voted unani
mously to accept a bid from United Wall Systems in
the amount of $421,800 for construction and renova
tion of the customer service facility. United Wall Sys
tems is headquartered out of Fitchburg, Massachu
setts, but recently opened a branch office in Buford.
Eight sets of plans for the project were requested
from bidders, with the authority receiving five bids
ranging from the accepted low bid of $421,800 to
$740,120.
The authority approved a complete project budget
of $530,000, which will include construction, con
tingency, construction management and architect and
design fees.
During construction, customer service will contin
ue to operate from the temporary Lee Street location.
With a notice to proceed within 60 days, the project
should be completed within 180 days from start of
construction.
In other business:
Customers in the Pleasant Acres community have
received notice to apply for service by May 15
in order to eliminate interruption of service. The
authority has mailed out numerous letters to property
owners encouraging them to make application before
the deadline. Of the 185 connections. 120 customers
have filed applications. The authority recently took
over the Pleasant Acres water system previously
owned by Piedmont Water Company.
The authority accepted a Hazard Mitigation Grant
administered by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency in the amount of $75,695. Funds are to be
used for purchase and installation of a 120 kw gen
erator.
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