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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
Rep. Collins votes
against Harvey aid,
raising debt limit
Rep. Doug Collins, who represents most of Northeast
Georgia including Jackson County, voted two weeks ago
against legislation that gave a $15 billion disaster aid
package to Texas and also raised the federal government’s
borrowing limit until Dec. 8.
The legislation passed in the House 316-90 with Collins
being one of the 90 votes — all Republicans — opposed.
The legislation came from a deal cut by President Donald
Tramp with Democratic leaders earlier in the week.
The move infuriated many Republicans in Washington
who wanted to leverage the debt ceiling vote to cut federal
spending.
“Today’s bill yoked Harvey relief to fiscal irresponsibil
ity, attaching it to a debt ceiling raise that does not serve
America’s future or her people and a continuing resolu
tion that does not provide our military with much-needed
resources,” said Collins. “I am unable to support a deal that
pursues every fiscal policy that conservatives have tried to
move away from.”
Collins had earlier voted for relief aid for the hurricane
disasters, but opposed the final version that came back from
the Senate with the debt ceiling issue attached.
BOE applies for
WJMS capital funds
Some roofing, HVAC and other work on West Jackson
Middle School could be done next summer if an applica
tion for $1.5 million in state funds is approved. The Jackson
County Board of Education voted in a called meeting last
Friday morning to apply for the funding for projects at the
school.
The BOE also approved spending up to $400,000 from
its SPLOST funds to buy four additional buses this fall. The
system has been slammed this year with a huge increase in
students riding buses, making for lengthy travel times. The
new buses are expected to be delivered around the end of
the year. The system is also in the process of hiring addi
tional bus drivers.
FINANCIAL
The board also held its second of three public hearings
on the system’s proposed budget for FY2018 Friday morn
ing. The final hearing will be held Sept. 29 at 7:30 a.m. in
the central office.
The BOE is keeping its tax rate the same as last year at
19.131 mills, a move that will bring in $656,500 more than
last year in property tax revenues.
The system’s total budget for FY2018 is $70.3 million.
At its “work session” meeting two weeks ago, the BOE
reviewed its financial status. System officials said that for
the first time in decades, the system probably won’t have
to get a tax anticipation note this fall for cash flow while it
awaits property taxes to come in.
All school systems are on a fiscal year running July 1 -
June 30. but local property taxes are generally collected in
November or December each year, midway through a sys
tem’s fiscal cycle. That leaves many systems having to bor
row money to pay bills while they await the influx of taxes.
But over the last few years, the Jackson County BOE
has attempted to increase its reserves, a move that gives it
greater cash flow this fall.
The system has rebuilt its reserves to around $8.6 million
following what had been a steep decline during the reces
sion when reserves were used to help pay the system’s bills.
BENTON DEAL PENDING
In other items discussed two weeks ago, superintendent
April Howard said the system continues to negotiate with
the City of Nicholson for the town to purchase the former
Benton Elementary School building for a community cen
ter. She said she expects to close on the deal by the end of
October.
Deputies catch
would-be burglar
Authorities arrested a juvenile last week after they caught
him burglarizing a Commerce residence.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called
to a Hoods Mill Road residence on Sept. 8 after someone
saw a silver sports car and a male acting suspicious. The
resident was not home, but one of her family members was
reportedly driving from Savannah to temporarily stay at
the residence.
Officers found a silver Monte Carlo backed up to the
basement with items in the trank. One of the windows had
been broken and the basement door was tom off.
Drawers inside the residence had been ransacked and
belongings were strewn about. Windows on a shed had also
been broken.
Deputies heard someone inside the residence and called
for back-up.
The suspect eventually walked out of the house towards
his vehicle. The deputy drew his firearm and demanded the
suspect to get on the ground.
He was arrested and ultimately taken to Rutland Youth
Detention Center Gainesville.
The recovered stolen goods - which included chainsaws,
tools, a television and medications — were returned to the
complainant.
THE SWAMP!
“5 ELECTED OFFICIALS GET
THEIR STREETS RESURFACED”*
COINCIDENCE OR
ETHICS ISSUE?
* The Commerce News, Nov. 5,2014
10 fingers, 10 toes, 1 hurricane
Florida evacuees give birth in Braselton
By Alex Pace
As Emmalee and Bradley
Jones approached the
check-in desk at Northeast
Georgia Medical Center
Braselton on Sept. 11, the
electricity shut off in the
building. The Florida cou
ple arrived at the hospital’s
Labor and Delivery Unit
last Monday just as Tropical
Storm Irma was roaring
through the area.
“We stepped off the ele
vator and came to check-in
and all the power went out,”
Bradley said.
It had been a whirlwind
of a week already for the
Jones family, who fled from
St. Petersburg, Fla., on
Wednesday, Sept. 6, amid
threats of Hurricane Irma.
Emmalee was 39 weeks
pregnant with their son and
the couple saw the hurri
cane’s path was coming
close to them.
“I was not going to wait
around and go into labor
when the storm hit,” she
said.
Emmalee called her doc
tor in Florida for advice.
“They said it would prob
ably be a good idea to evac
uate,” she said.
The couple took off
from Florida around 1 a.m.
on Sept. 6. They got to
Emmalee’s parents’ house
in north Georgia that eve
ning.
“That was a tough ride
up,” said Emmalee. “I told
him, ‘I’m not going back
pregnant.’”
So the couple set out to
find a doctor who would
deliver their baby.
“We found this hospi
tal after a couple of plac
es turned us down,” said
Emmalee. “They’ve been
awesome here.”
Emmalee visited NGMC
Braselton several times in
pre-labor over the week
before returning on the
night of Sept. 11 amid the
storm’s strongest moments.
The hospital was running
on a generator for some of
the time, but its electrici
ty was restored before the
FLORIDA EVACUEES WELCOME BABY BOY IN BRASELTON
Florida evacuees, Emmalee and Bradley Jones, welcomed their son, Dawson
Glenn, last week at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton.
Photos by Alex Pace
Jones’ son was delivered.
“The hospital plans
for events and circum
stances like these,”
said Emmalee’s doctor,
Jeff Ward of Northeast
Georgia Physicians Group.
“Emmalee’s induction
started while we were on
generator and by the time
she delivered, we were
back to regular services.
Everything went as expect
ed.”
It was a stressful week
for the family, but the out
come was worth it when the
couple’s first child, Dawson
Glenn Jones, was bom. He
weighed eight pounds and
three ounces (the same birth
weight as Bradley).
Emmalee and Bradley
plan to return to St.
Petersburg soon. They’ve
been told their house
wasn’t hit too hard.
“They told us the storm
didn’t hit as hard as they
thought it was going to,”
said Bradley. “But we
have friends who are still
without power.”
For now, the couple and
HOLDS DAWSON
Emmalee Jones holds her newborn son, Dawson
Glenn, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Braselton.
baby Dawson plan to stay
with Emmalee’s parents.
Reflecting on the busy
week, the couple thinks
they were meant to wel
come Dawson to the
world in Braselton.
“They took us in,” said
Emmalee. “We had a real
ly good experience. It’s
almost like it was meant
to be.”
LANIER OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT HOSTS RIBBON CUTTING
Lanier Outdoor Equipment recently had a ribbon cutting at its site in Commerce. The facility is located
at 2034 N. Broad Street, Commerce. For more information, call 706-336-0017.
Notice of Availability of
Proposed FY18 Budget
and
Notice of Public Budget and
Millage Rate Hearings
The City of Jefferson does hereby an
nounce that a public budget hearing
on the FY18 City of Jefferson pro
posed budget and millage rate was
held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, 9-12-
2017 at Jefferson Station, 1000 Wash
ington Street and plans on adopting
the budget and millage rate on 09-
25-2017 at 6:00 PM at Jefferson Sta
tion. Millage Rate Hearings will be
held 09-25-2017 at 11:30 am and 6:30
pm. Copies of the proposed budget
are available for review at Jefferson
City Hall or online at www.city-
ofjeffersonga.com.
PUBLIC HEARING
The Jackson County Board of Adjustment will
hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, October 5,
2017 at 6:00 p.m., at the Jackson County Admin
istration Building Auditorium, 67 Athens Street,
Jefferson, Georgia, on the following matter:
New Business:
1. BOA-17-05 - Perry Wright, 267 River
Ridge Dr., Pendergrass, GA; 2.98 acres;
reduce the right side setback from 40 ft. to
24 ft. for addition to the detached garage.
(Map 089/Parcel 005A13)
Complete applications, plats, texts, maps, and
public healing procedures are available for re
view in the Planning Division Office, of the
Department of Public Development during
regular office hours Monday thru Friday 8:30
am to 4:30 pm or online at www.jacksoncoun-
tygov.com. All interested persons are invited
to attend.