Newspaper Page Text
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H Wednesday, August 2, 2017
ERALD
VOL. 143 NO. 9
32 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
13 i
es on Hoard murder Degins
A 5-part series about the
}sassmation of solicitor general
Floyd ‘Tuzzy” Hoard 50 years ago
begins this week starting on Page 4A.
Part 1: Bootleggers, car thieves
ninated the 1960s
Meeting set to
discuss power line
A public meeting will be held Tuesday. Aug. 8, in
Jefferson to discuss plans to build a 115kV power line
to Dry Pond. The meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m.
at the Jefferson Civic Center.
The Georgia Transmission Corporation is propos
ing to acquire rights-of-way from 25' to 125’ to build
the power line. The line would run north up Airport
Road, cut over to Hwy. 82 then north to Legg Road
where it will go to Jett Roberts Road, then turn north
to a new substation on Dry Pond Road.
Officials say electric circuits in the area will reach
capacity by the end of 2018. The line is being pro
posed for customers of Jackson Electric Membership
Corporation.
Commerce may
get new industry
By Ron Bridgeman
Jackson County is negotiating potential economic
incentives with an industry that would be at a site in
Commerce.
The Jackson County Industrial Development
Authority met in a closed session for about 50 min
utes Friday to discuss the potential industry.
Jim Shaw, the head of economic development for
Jackson County, reluctantly confirmed the subject of
the meeting.
Shaw declined to talk about number of employees,
capital investment or specific site for the company
because, he said, until leases are signed nothing is
final.
He did say he expects the negotiations to be a rel
atively quick process. Shaw said he would send the
company a letter offering the county’s position. The
company would have about 30 days to respond.
Shaw said the potential industry would be “a good
deal” for the county and a “major” development. Cap
ital investment is expected to be in the tens of millions
if the company locates in Commerce.
If the industry comes to Commerce, a new building
probably would be built for it. The company would
lease the property.
The county’s involvement with the project has been
sparse and the request for incentives was made only
in the past few weeks.
Any agreement with the company must be approved
in an open meeting of the IDA, he said.
Two dead in murder-suicide
Two men are dead and a woman is
injured after an incident at a Jefferson
residence on Sunday.
Jefferson police officers were called
to 105 Fairlane Drive around 10:30
p.m. on Sunday for a murder-suicide. A
46-year-old Jefferson man reportedly
shot his wife and shot and killed his son
before turning the gun on himself.
Thomas Phillip Powers, 46, reported
ly killed his son, Phillip Tyler Powers,
26. He also shot his wife, Donna Marie
Powers, 45.
She was transported to Piedmont
Athens Regional Medical Center with
non-life threatening injuries. According
to the JPD, she was shot on her hands.
Jefferson police chief Joe Wirthman
said the incident was domestic-related
but didn’t have any details on a motive
when contacted Tuesday.
Back to school time for local students
READY TO GO
Tristan Stone hops off the bus Friday morning as he starts into Commerce Primary School for the first
day of the school year. See more on page 5B. Photo by Ron Bridgeman
Qualifying nears for November election
Qualifying is approaching for the Nov. 7
election.
Most cities in Jackson County will have seats
on the November ballot, including three mayor
positions.
Qualifying details from cities in Jackson
County include:
BRASELTON
Qualifying for three Town of Braselton seats
will be on Monday, Aug. 21, through Wednes
day, Aug. 23, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Seats on the ballot this year include mayor,
council member district 2 and council member
district 4. Those are currendy held by Bill Orr,
Peggy Slappey and Rhonda Stites, respectively.
Qualifying will take place at Braselton Town
Hall.
Fees are $360 for mayor and $180 for council
member.
COMMERCE
Qualifying for three Commerce City Coun
cil seats will be on Monday, Aug. 21, through
Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
On the November ballot this year are mayor
pro tem, councilman ward 1 and councilman
ward 2 seats. Those are currently held by Keith
Burchett, Archie Chaney and Donald Wilson,
respectively.
Qualifying fees are: $90 for mayor pro tem
and $81 for the two councilman seats.
Two seats of the Commerce Board of Educa
tion will also be on the November ballot.
They include school board district I and school
board district II. Those seats are currently held
by Kyle Moore and Nathan Anderson.
The qualifying fee for the BOE seats is $72.
Those wanting to qualify may do so at Com
merce City Hall, located at 27 Sycamore Street,
Commerce.
Payment can be made with cash or check.
HOSCHTON
Qualifying for three City of Hoschton seats
will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, and
go through Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 4:30 p.m.
Seats on the ballot include mayor and two
council seats. Those seats are currently held by
Theresa Kenerly, Jim Cleveland and Tracy Jor
dan. respectively.
Qualifying fees are $18.
Those wanting to qualify may do so at city
hall, located at 79 City Square, Hoschton.
JEFFERSON
Qualifying for three Jefferson City Council
seats and three Jefferson Board of Education
Seats will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug.
21, and end at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
Seats on the ballot for the Jefferson City
Council include mayor, council member district
2 and council member district 4. Those seats are
currently held by Roy Plott, Malcolm Gramley
and Mark Mobley, respectively.
Qualifying fees are $217 for the mayor’s seat
and $75 for council person seats.
Also on the ballot are three Jefferson Board
of Education seats including chairman, school
board district 2 and school board district 4. Those
seats are currently held by Ronnie Hopkins,
Janice Wilbanks and Derrell Crowe, respectively.
Qualifying fees for the BOE are $54 for chair
man and $36 for school board district seats.
Those wanting to qualify may do so at City
Hall, located at 147 Athens Street. Jefferson.
MAYSYILLE
Qualifying for two Maysville City Council
seats will be on Monday, Aug. 21, through
Wednesday. Aug. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
On the November ballot this year are coun
cilman ward 1 and councilman ward 2 seats,
currently held by Kathy Bush and Junior Hardy,
respectively.
Those wanting to qualify may do so at the City
Clerk’s Office, located at 226 South Main Street.
Maysville. The fee is $72.
NICHOLSON
Qualifying for two Nicholson City Council
seats will be on Wednesday, Aug. 23, through
Friday, Aug. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On the November ballot this year are two
at-large seats currently held by Max Whitlock
and Judy Kesler.
Qualifying fees are $72.
Those wanting to qualify may do so at City
Hall, located at 175 Lakeview Drive, Nicholson.
KEY DATES FOR VOTERS
•Oct. 10 — last day to register
•Oct. 16 — first day to mail or issue absen
tee ballots
•Oct. 16 — advance in-person voting begins
•Nov. 3 — last day to mail/issue absentee
ballots
•Nov. 7 — election