Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017
Howard: ‘Time to get rolling’ on WJ school relief
By Alex Pace
West Jackson school enrollment continues to swell
and district leaders are moving forward to provide some
capacity relief.
The Jackson County Board of Education met with
Southern A&E's Steve McCune at a planning session
on Friday. The group discussed plans for a new West
Jackson facility and considered several designs for the
project.
An advisory council will discuss the project in Sep
tember.
The board previously approved moving forward with
a new West Jackson school when education local option
sales tax reserves reach $12 million. Superintendent
April Howard stressed that, although no ground has bro
ken yet, the board has been working on the project since it
was approved.
She said the district could begin construction in 2018.
“It's time to get rolling,” she said.
Meanwhile, West Jackson school enrollment continues
to grow. Over 250 more students have already enrolled on
the west side of the county (compared to the same time
last year).
Jackson County Comprehensive High School has added
63, and West Jackson Middle School has added 56.
West Jackson Elementary School has grown by 58, while
Gum Springs Elementary School has added 79 students
already.
Man dies during Russian Roulette game
A man died in Jefferson last week after apparently
playing a game of Russian Roulette.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies and the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation were called for the
incident, which occurred on Harold Phillips Road in
Jefferson on July 26.
When officers arrived, they found 19-year-old Bryant
Garner’s body with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS
confirmed he was deceased.
Garner’s girlfriend told officers she tried to do CPR on
him and raised his head by placing her purse underneath
him.
Two other people, who were reportedly there to buy a
vehicle, left the scene after the gunshot.
Two of Garner’s family members were also at the
residence, but only heard the gunshot. One of them said
Garner loved firearms and was always careful around
them.
Commerce has two new principals
By Ron Bridgeman
Several administrative
leaders at Commerce City
School System are new to
the job. All four principals
have started with the city
schools the past two years.
Two new principals,
Susan Tolbert at Com
merce Primary School and
William Smith at Com
merce High School, started
over the summer.
The district’s other two
principals, Cara Lindsey
at Commerce Elementary
School and Derrick Max
well at Commerce Middle
School, were new in their
school in 2016.
All four came to Com
merce from other systems.
Smith was the assistant
principal at the high school
for a year.
Tolbert, no relation to
Supt. Joy Tolbert, came
to Commerce from Whit
Davis Elementary School
in Clarke County.
She was assistant princi
pal, interim principal and
principal there during her
three years. Whit Davis is
a Title I school.
“These last three years
have given me a wealth of
experiences from which to
draw and a perspective that
only learning on the job
can provide.” Tolbert said.
She was a classroom
teacher for more than 20
years in Clarke and Oconee
counties.
She held a variety of
positions, including con
tent chairperson, SACS
chairperson, gifted team
leader, RTI grade-level
coordinator, mentor teach
er. and Superintendent’s
Advisory Council member.
Tolbert also taught gift
ed courses for more than
10 years.
Smith came here from
Kathleen Senior High
School in Lakeland. Fla.
In his new position,
Smith will be the princi
pal, athletic director and
director of Career, Techni
cal. Agricultural and Edu
cation programs. He will
have help with AD from
Donnie Drew, the former
principal at CHS.
While at the high school
in Lakeland, Smith was the
dean of students and ath
letic director from 2013 to
2016. He was the excep
tional student coordinator
and business and physical
science teacher from 2008
to 2013.
That high school had
2,400 students and six
assistant principals. Smith
said.
Before being at the Flor
ida high school, Smith was
in private business.
He worked for Florida
Dealers Finance for 10
years and was the finance
director.
He received a master’s
in educational leadership
in 2014 and earned a bach
elor of science in business
administration from Geor
gia College & State Uni
versity in 1994. He has an
associate of science degree
from Middle Georgia Col
lege.
Commerce to elect five to council, BOE
Commerce voters will elect three city council mem
bers and two school board members in the November
election.
Incumbents on council whose terms will be up Dec. 31
are mayor pro tem Keith Burchett, Ward 1 councilman
Archie Chaney and Ward 2 councilman Donald Wilson.
On the school board, Dist. 1 member Nathan Anderson
and Dist. 2 member Kyle Moore will face re-election.
The qualifying dates for the election will be from 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 21-23 at Commerce City Hall.
Residents may register to vote until Oct. 10.
The election date is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Voting hours are
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Early voting will be at the election office, 441 Gordon
St., Jefferson, from Oct. 16 to Nov. 3. Voting hours will
be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The qualifying fees are: mayor pro tem, $90; council
member, $81: and school board, $72.
Only one position left open at JCSS
Jackson County School System leaders have filled
nearly all of their open job vacancies for the 2017-18
school year.
The Jackson County Board of Education approved a
handful of hires at its Friday meeting.
A half-time counselor position is the only remaining
opening right now, but the district may need to add some
personnel later if it sees a huge jump in enrollment (which
is already up by 334 students).
Approved personnel moves included:
HIRES
•Dayna Drake, special education paraprofessional.
Gum Springs Elementary School
•William Ferguson, bus driver, system
•Allison Jones, special education paraprofessional.
West Jackson Middle School
•Mary Kelly, nutrition assistant, North Jackson Ele
mentary School
•Diana Mathis, nutrition assistant, East Jackson
THE SWAMP!
■■■■■
“5 ELECTED OFFICIALS GET THEIR
STREETS RESURFACED”*
COINCIDENCE OR BACK ROOM
COLLUSION?
ETHICAL INDEPENDENT
CANDIDATES NEEDED FOR
COMMERCE CITY COUNCIL
DRAIN THE COMMERCE
SWAMP NOV. 7, 2017
(*The Commerce News, Nov. 5, 2014)
Middle School
•Jenny Mealor, special education paraprofessional,
East Jackson Comprehensive High School
•Sara Mitchell, kindergarten paraprofessional, North
Jackson Elementary School
•Seth Thompson, social studies teacher, Jackson
County Comprehensive High School
•Rita Worley, special education paraprofessional, South
Jackson Elementary School
TRANSFERS
•Sharon Williamson, East Jackson Elementary School,
from EIP teacher (49%) to counselor (49%)
RESIGNATIONS/TERMINATIONS
•Tracey Carver, bus driver, system
•Shannon Comer, special education paraprofessional,
WJMS
•Jessica Jacobs, special education paraprofessional,
NJES
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
City of Nicholson
The City of Nicholson will hold a General
Election on Tuesday November 7, 2017 .
The offices to be filled are:
Two council seats (At Large)
The qualifying fee for each elected council po
sition is 3% of gross annual pay - ($72). Qual
ifying begins at Nicholson City Hall located
at 175 Lakeview Drive, Nicholson, Georgia
30565 on August 23, and the last day to qualify
is August 25, 2017 ending at 2:00PM. Hours of
qualifying are 8:30AM - 2:00PM.
The last day for voters to register for Novem
ber General Election is October 10, 2017. This
notice is given to satisfy the requirements of
O.C.G.A. § 21-2-9 (c).
Commerce
theft suspects
caught
Two suspects were recently arrested in connection
with car thefts and break-ins across the state. Many
of those incidents occurred in Commerce, with others
reported in Braselton and Jefferson.
The two suspects, Lajerius Tywon Shumpert, 18, and
Brandon Bundrage. 20, both of Atlanta, were arrested
in separate car chases.
According to Commerce Police Department inves
tigators. the duo abandoned a stolen 2013 Lincoln
in the middle of the road on Terrace Ridge Drive in
Commerce on July 7. The keys were left in the ignition.
Shumpert and Bundrage then reportedly stole two
other cars near Highland Estates and broke into four
vehicles in the area, stealing electronics, purses and
other items.
The next morning, CPD investigators got a call about
one of the stolen vehicles, a Chevy Cruze. The duo appar
ently abandoned the vehicle in the middle of the road near
Hillcrest Drive. Again, investigators found the keys in the
ignition.
Shortly after, the CPD got a call about a Tahoe that was
stolen from the Northwood Subdivision. Several entering
autos were also reported around Northwood and Hillcrest.
Later that week, investigators learned Walton County
authorities were involved in a car chase with a vehicle
stolen from Arlington Lane, Shumpert wrecked that vehi
cle and fled on foot. He eventually surrendered and was
booked into the Barrow County Jail.
Shumpert reportedly confessed to the thefts and gave
investigators Bundrage’s name. Bundrage was later arrest
ed by the Georgia State Patrol after a chase on 1-20.
The stolen Tahoe was later recovered at an apartment
complex in Atlanta.
The duo had apparently been involved in thefts through
out the state.
Inside the abandoned Lincoln and Chevy Cruze. CPD
investigators found identification cards and other items that
helped them solve two entering auto cases out of two area
departments. In the Lincoln, investigators found a Bra
selton man’s identification card, allowing them to solve
one case.
Among the items in the Chevy Cruze was a stolen
Wayne Poultry uniform, which helped the CPD solve
another entering auto case out of Jefferson.
According to investigators, Shumpert said the duo
chose to hit small towns because their police depart
ments are smaller than those in larger cities.
Ward memorial proposed
By Charles Phelps
The Nicholson City Council will vote Monday on a
city memorial dedicated to native son Mike Ward. Ward,
a Vietnam Veteran, was killed in a helicopter crash in
2004.
Randy Fleming, a friend of Ward’s, presented the
idea to the council last week. He said he would pay for
the memorial. It is expected to be 8-feet tall and weigh
14,000 pounds, he said.
If approved by the council, a dedication date is sched
uled for Oct. 28.
Business Opportunity
HOMETOWN STORE
Own your own Sears
Hometown Store in Commerce, GA
Sears Hometown Stores is seeking
a Creative Entrepreneur who can drive future
growth in the Commerce, GA market area.
By purchasing this existing Retail Business
located at 40099 Highway 441
you will Be Your Own Boss
and control Your Own Income.
Providing you with the Strength of Sears
• Complete inventory - no cost to Owner
• No fees or royalties
• Professional training and ongoing support
For more information contact
Jamey Jones, District Sales Manager
Phone: (678) 521-5191 E-mail: Jamey.Jones@shos.com
Take the first step today!
Visit our web site for more details
w w w.o wnasearsstore .com