Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017
JHS student warned friend
•do not come to school ’
Additional details have been released after a Jef
ferson High School student was arrested for making
threats against the school on social media.
Jorge Angel Hernandez was arrested two weeks
ago after he sent a SnapChat to a friend, saying, “Do
not come to school tomorrow. You have been a good
friend.”
The friend reported the message and said Hernan
dez" personality has changed and noted he has “started
listening to violent rap music.”
Hernandez’ mother told officers he was just joking
with his friend and said the message stemmed from a
meme on the internet.
Water leak fixed
BY CHARLES PHELPS
A vault where water had been leaking at the Cabin
Creek well in Nicholson is fixed, system operator
Doug Kesler announced at last Tuesday's Nicholson
Water Authority meeting.
Walter Barnett, chairman of the authority, said more
work will be done to the Cabin Creek well to make
sure no water can get into the vault. Part of the work
includes adding more dirt around the vault.
The authority’s next meeting is Tuesday. June 13.
Seminar set for
first-time homebuyers
A first-time homebuyer seminar is set for Saturday,
May 20, from 10 a.m. to noon at Cream & Shuga.
Attendees will learn about loan options, get prequali
fied and hear about several topics (benefits of owning vs.
renting, how much you can afford, understanding credit
reports and more).
Register online at SouthernHomeMortgage.eventbrite.
com or by contacting Shandra Smith at 706-202-9902 or
ShandraSmith@openmtg.org.
Cream & Shuga is located at 140 Mahafey Street,
Jefferson.
Arrest continued from 1A
and asked if the employee was going to call the police.
Wright then hung up the phone and didn’t call back.
Officers tracked the couple down after seeing their
vehicle on the surveillance video.
BOE continued from 1A
OTHER
RESIGNATIONS
Other resignations
approved Thursday were:
•Debbie Williamson,
psychologist
•Brandy Corbett, JHS
counselor
•Tim Corbett, JHS
teacher/coach
•Bob Gurley, JHS teach
er (retirement)
•Melissa Mullis. JHS
teacher
•Timberlie McEver.
JMS teacher
•Walt Temple, bus
mechanic
•Monica Lord, Jefferson
Academy paraprofession-
al
•Yoldie Charles, Jeffer
son Elementary School
paraprofessional
•Gayle Whitfield, JES
nutrition cashier (retire
ment)
•John Carpenter, bus
driver (retirement)
•Kathi Bray, JCSS
Foundation secretary
OTHER TRANSFER
The BOE approved
another transfer including:
•Tammy Simpson-Shir-
ley, from Academy special
education teacher to spe
cial education coordinator
OTHER
HIRES
Other approved hires
included:
•Brady Harold Sigler,
JHS teacher/coach (see
more in this week’s sports
section)
•Seajae Hartness, psy
chologist
•Jacklyn Hatcher, JHS
counselor
•Amberly Roberts, JHS
teacher
•Dawson Bryan, JHS
teacher
•Teresa Bishop, JES
counselor
•Holly Phelps, Acade
my teacher
•Ashely Drake, Acade
my teacher
•Amber Hicks, Acade
my teacher
•Erin Davanzo. JHS
paraprofessional
FAMILY/MEDICAL
LEAVE
The BOE also approved
family/medical leave for
Megan Cason.
SUBTITUTE
TEACHERS
The BOE also approved
two substitute teach
ers including Madison
Wright and Rachel Gober.
County approves industry road work
Improving a part of Toy Wright
Road to lure a multi-million-dollar
warehouse got approval in a 3-2 vote
Monday night by the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners.
The board agreed to add part of
the road to the county's economic
development projects list, but only if
the developer of the proposed projects
builds the first of of two planned ware
houses and has the roadwork done. If
the developer follows through, the
county agreed to reimburse the firm
for up to $640,000 for the roadwork.
Core 5 Industrial Partners is consid
ering buying the undeveloped prop
erty, which three other developers
have walked away from doing, county
officials said. A previous owner of the
property had planned to pay for the
road upgrade, but has since decided
not to pursue developing the property.
BOC chairman Tom Crow said if
the first warehouse is built, it would
add $59 million to the county’s tax
digest and generate $755,000 in addi
tional property taxes. The undevel
oped property currently generates
only $9,000 in property taxes.
County officials said the road
would have to be upgraded in order
for any construction to take place on
the property.
Commissioners Chas Hardy and
Marty Seagraves voted against the
motion while Jim Hix, Ralph Rich
ardson and Tom Crow voted in favor.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the BOC:
• heard a report about the new Jack-
son County Animal Shelter. Since it
opened three months ago, the shelter
has taken in 219 animals, adopted
out 119 animals and euthanized 43.
In its first three months, the shelter
has taken in $20,150 in boarding and
adoption fees.
• approved Christopher Nichol
son to serve on the Jackson County
Water & Sewerage Authority to fill
the unexpired term of Ronnie Norris.
• named Jennifer Kidd-Harrison
to the Gainesville-Hall Metropoli
tan Planning Organization Advisory
Committee.
• accepted the right-of-way for
Ridge Mill Manor Phase 2 Subdivi
sion.
• approved the FY2018 capacity
agreement of 150 inmates per day
with the state for inmates housed
at the Jackson County Correctional
Institute.
• approved modifying the contract
with Sentinel Offender Services for
the Magistrate Court,
• approved creating a special tax
district for Grandview Subdivision.
• tabled action on rejecting a quit
claim deed with the GDOT.
• approved the sale of 3.467 acres
at the comer of Hwy. 53 and Hwy.
124 to George Flanigan of Auburn for
$1.03 million.
• approved matching funds of
$15,000 for projects at the county
airport. Federal dollars will fund
$192,200 and state funds will add
another $10,700 for the projects.
• agreed to purchase a crack seal
melter for the county road department
for $63,000.
• approved rezoning 5 acres on
Yarbrough-Ridgeway Road from A-R
to M-H.
• approved a special use permit for
an event venue bar on 21 acres at 700
Blacks Creek Chruch Road.
• denied a rezoning of 5 acres from
A-2 to M-H at 401 Skelton Road.
Jefferson BOE approves tuition increase
By Alex Pace
Out-of-district students will soon
pay more to attend the Jefferson
City School System.
The Jefferson Board of Education
approved a tuition increase for its
non-district students on Thursday.
Tuition will increase $100 per
student, bringing the total to $900
for one child in a family and $800
for each additional sibling.
The new totals closer align with
the average taxes Jefferson property
owners pay to the school system.
Approximately 25 percent of Jef
ferson’s enrollment is out-of-dis-
trict.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its meeting, the BOE:
•approved a 60-month bus lease
resolution with De Lage Landen
Public Financing, LLC. for
five school buses not to exceed
$482,500. The new buses are
expected to arrive mid-July.
•approved a request from the City
of Jefferson for a sewer line ease
ment on Washington Street.
•approved increasing lunch prices
by 10 cents next year. Lunch prices
will be $2.05 for Jefferson Elemen
tary School and $2.50 for Jefferson
Academy, Jefferson Middle School
and Jefferson High School. The
increase is required by the federal
government to make up the differ
ent between free/reduced meal and
paid meal reimbursements.
•approved a contract with Geor
gia Power for an audit of the dis
trict's energy consumption.
Commerce council OKs utility projects
By Ron Bridgeman
The Commerce City Council
approved a series of utility projects
Monday night that include the gas,
water, sewer and electric departments.
The largest project is the pre-treat
ment sewage plant for the Diana Nat
urals food plant at Banks Crossing,
but others include completing a water
project on the south side of Com
merce and two gas lines installations
on Wheeler Road and at Carrington
Place.
The council, and the city's Public
Facility Authority, approved interim
financing for the Diana pre-treatment
plant with South State Bank.
City Manager James Wascher said
the financing would be for two sep
arate loans.
The largest and first loan is for the
pre-treatment plant. It would be for
$5.5 million over 15 years at an inter
est rate of 3.204 percent.
The council also approved an inter
governmental agreement with Banks
County for that government to be
responsible for the $5.5 million debt
if the company were to default on
it. Banks County also will contrib
ute $350,000 toward the cost of the
pre-treatment plant as part of the
agreement.
The second loan, if needed, would
be for installation of the pipe and
force main to reach the Diana foods
plant. Wascher pointed out the city
would be responsible for the debt ser
vice on that loan, if it is needed.
The city manager said the city is
seeking a loan through the Georgia
Environmental Finance Authority for
the $5.5 million. The decision on that
loan is not expected for two or three
months. If it were approved, the city
probably would have a better interest
rate with GEFA and would pay off the
South State loan.
Wascher and Mayor Clark Hill
emphasized the Diana Naturals proj
ect is “moving so fast” that the city
needs financing in place so work can
begin soon.
The southside “pressure project” is
the next largest. The council awarded
a contract for $883,413 to UWS Inc.
The company was the lowest of six
bidders.
The project will be paid for with a
combination of SPLOST money and
GEFA grant.
Keith Burchett, mayor pro tem,
asked if the project included raising
the water tank for that area. Wascher
said the city would use booster pumps
instead. Eventually, it will require a
new water tank in that area.
Clark said the gas line projects
should have a return on investment of
five to six years.
Harrison & Harrison were awarded
contracts to install gas lines for a total
of about $147,000.
The contracts are for gas lines on
Highway 98 to the poultry houses and
to Carrington Place, the 55-and over
development just off Hospital Road.
The developers agreed to include
gas appliances in the homes if the city
would run gas lines to the subdivision.
The council also agreed to buy a
fire track for up to $469,306 from
Pierce Manufacturing.
Hill said the fire track would not be
available from Pierce for about nine
months. The city will buy a “stock”
track from the company with similar
specifications.
The mayor said buying the track
more quickly will maintain the city’s
60 percent grant from the Federal
Emergency Management Administra
tion.
In other business, the council:
•denied a proposal for a duck feeder
program proposed by Vaulting Vend
ing. The company proposed installing
feeding units for individuals to buy
food for the ducks. Wascher said the
state agriculture department said if
the city did not start the program
until temperatures were 65 or higher
around the clock, the question of
avian flu would not be an issue. Coun
cil members were unanimous in deny
ing it.
•denied a request for a conditional
use that would have been a “boarding
house” for women at 120 Pine Street.
The planning commission recom
mended denying the request.
•approved beginning the process for
the police department to be state cer
tified. The first step is a contract with
the Georgia Association of Chiefs of
Police.
•recognized Southeastern Toyota
for its help with downtown beauti
fication and development. Hill said
the company provided $2,500 and 38
people for work on the recent beauti
fication day. The city had another 27
volunteers.
He said Southeastern Toyota “has
taken ownership over the last 10
years, not only the park, but our
whole downtown.”
The company received a piece of
artwork from a local store.
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