Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
Jefferson man charged
after allegedly robbing
convenience store
A Jefferson man has been
arrested in connection with a re
cent store robbery.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Of
fice deputies arrested Luke Av
ery Brookshire, 30, of Jefferson,
on Feb. 20, in connection with a
robbery at the Shop n Save on
Commerce Rd., Jefferson.
An employee at the store call
911 and said a man had robbed
the store and taken cash from the
register before fleeing the scene
in a Jeep.
Brookshire was later locat
ed and has been booked in the
Jackson County Jail on charges
of robbery.
RIBBON CUTTING IN MAYSVILLE
A ribbon cutting was held recently at Bryson’s
Barbecue, located at 9155 Gillsville Road, Mays-
ville. Justin and Meredith Bryson and their sons
are shown cutting the ribbon. Justin, an Air Force
veteran, is also vice president of the Maysville
Downtown Development Authority. The Maysville
DDA plans to host an official “Grand Opening” for
Bryson’s Barbecue March 4 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tags continued from 1A
being used to run camera
tolls,” she said.
A number of police re
ports have been filed re
cently after county residents
received the citations in the
mail. The tax commission
ers’ office also filed a report
with the Jackson County
Sheriff's Office, which is
assisting in marking the tags
as “stolen” during the time
the violations were commit
ted.
Those impacted do have
a remedy to have the fines
and citations removed, but
it’s still a headache. Tay-
lor-Heaton said those im
pacted can come to the tax
commissioner’s office to get
official documentation and
a copy of the motor vehicle
report to dispute the cita
tion.
“We are successful in
getting these dismissed, it’s
just a hassle and takes time
to do it,” she said.
Taylor-Heaton added the
issue is affecting other areas
of the state as well.
“This is a real problem
in counties throughout the
state of Georgia, not just
ours,” she said. “Not only
were my tags stolen from
the salvage yard (which
we no longer take turned-
in plates to the office), but
they’re also being stolen
through the mail system.
When someone runs a toll,
regardless if the tag is can
celled in our system, the
violation notice is mailed
directly to the last owner of
that tag.”
While approximately 15
people reported the issue
so far, Taylor-Heaton said
there’s no way to know how
many people have been im
pacted at this point.
“Unfortunately, we don’t
have any clue how many got
out and who the person at
the salvage yard took them,
so far it’s been about 15 who
have had citations. The only
way to know is when the ci
tation shows up in the mail,”
she said.
Taylor-Heaton has also
reached out to the Georgia
Association of Tax Offi
cials, urging the group to
contact the state about po
tential legislation that could
prevent similar issues in the
future.
“I asked to put something
in place that will stop ven
dors from being able to sell
government issued Georgia
plates that are still in condi
tion that can be used on ve
hicles,” she said. “...I can’t
sell you my driver’s license,
so why should someone be
able to sell a license plate?
I have also recommended to
him that once someone turns
in a plate, that their record
of owning this tag is deleted
so their information can not
show up in case someone
does steal their tag to violate
street laws it will not pop up
their information.
“Thieves are ruthless and
they’re everywhere, but I
am trying everything in my
power to help our taxpayers
prevent this from happening
to them,” she added.
Recreation continued from 1A
services in Commerce, City
taxpayers already help sup
port the county’s recreation
programs and infrastructure
via their county taxes.
“I think it’s time we take
a serious look at that as an
option of partnering with the
county, or us really going and
looking to provide that $20-
$30 million that we’re going
to need just to build the facili
ties,” Wascher said.
Mayor Clark Hill noted “no
decisions have been made”
and it’s not yet clear how the
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners might vote
on such a joint venture. The
BOC discussed the propos
al at a meeting on Tuesday
and seemed amenable to the
idea (see coverage of that dis
cussion and meeting in next
week’s paper).
There are also some other
details the city needs to iron
out if it’s going to pursue
that route. Mayor Pro Tem
Keith Burchett noted the
importance of keeping the
Commerce ‘Tiger” name and
maintaining that community
connection in any restructur
ing of the city’s programs.
Hill noted the city will also
need to protect the city school
system, which currently uti
lizes some of the city’s rec
reation facilities. (The Com
merce Board of Education
is planning to construct new
athletics facilities, but there’s
no set timetable for the proj
ects.)
“[The school system is] go
ing to need to use those fields
for some period of time until
they finish their construction.”
Hill said.
The city has also looked
at partnering with the BOE
and had a joint discussion
with the school board late last
year. But as the school sys
tem grows, the needs of the
city recreation programs and
school programs will likely
not be compatible.
“Ultimately, our needs
are going to be different,”
Wascher said of the city and
the school system, adding that
field sizes are the main issue.
THE PROPOSAL
Wascher said a framework
has been developed for how
the change with the county
might work. That plan is set to
be presented during the public
input meetings.
In the proposal, the county
would essentially take over
the city’s parks and recreation
department. If approved, the
change would go into effect
July 1.
The major takeaways from
the proposal include:
•Jackson County would
take ownership of Veterans
Park and Ridling Field for
recreational uses. Equip
ment (including youth sports
equipment and rec mainte
nance equipment) would be
transferred to the county.
•The county parks and
rec department would of
fer youth sports programs
to Commerce residents in
cluding soccer, volleyball,
softball, baseball, basketball
and track. The county would
handle the details (rules, sea
son times, team names and
coaches, etc.). The county
would also ran youth foot
ball and football cheerlead
ing. but the teams would
retain the name and colors of
the Commerce Tigers (due
to league rales). Any other
teams that require names that
coincide with schools would
also have the name Com
merce Tigers. The county
department would continue
offering a swim team (for all
county residents ) and would
keep the name Tiger Sharks.
•The Commerce City
School System will be able
to continue using the base
ball and softball fields for
two years. After that, a new
agreement can be negotiat
ed.
•Commerce Rec depart
ment staff would be able to
apply for jobs with the coun
ty rec department and given
“every opportunity” to fill
openings created by the tran
sition.
•The city would pay the
county $300,000 in 2023
and $250,000 in 2024 to
help with the transition.
•The county would be re
sponsible for future facility
upgrades and expansions
and would have access to
the city’s SPLOST revenues
allocated for recreation. The
city has also asked that a rec
center/gym be constructed,
when funding is available.
According to the county pro
posal, “every effort will be
made by Jackson County to
locate new parks and future
facilities as close to the City
of Commerce as possible.”
Principals continued from 1A
2011 through 2018, while
Adams is a 1994 graduate
of Jackson County High
School. She returned to
JCSS in 2015 as an edu
cator.
The two hirings mark the
third principal hire since
October for the Jackson
County School System.
Mrs. Miriam Ledford-Lyle
was hired as the principal
of Legacy Knoll Middle
School, which is currently
under construction and set
to open in August of this
year.
“I am excited to partner
with Mr. Harris as he pre
pares to lead East Jackson
Middle School into the fu
ture. He will bring a sense
of community and high
expectations for all stu
dents,” JCSS superinten
dent Philip Brown said. “I
am equally excited to have
Mrs. Adams at South Jack-
son. I am looking forward
to the energy and enthusi
asm she will bring into our
school building.”
OTHER NEW HIRES
In other recent leader
ship moves, the JCSS has
moved David Farmer from
transportation director to
the director of facilities
and maintenance. Duane
Peterson has been hired as
director of transportation
for the system.
The system has also
named Rebecca Grogan
as assistant principal at
Maysville Elementary
School starting June 9. Re
becca Thorpe as director
of school nutrition starting
Feb. 24. and Donna Raney
as assistant principal at
SJES starting June 9.
Hoschton continued from 1A
(Feb. 20) voting meeting
that the council had not
decided on its recommen
dation for legislation.
“We’re still in the works
on the recommendation for
districting,” he said. “We
are still talking that out ...
What the final recommen
dation to our state is going
to be, we still have not de
cided whether there will be
a recommendation or actu
ally just not do it at all.”
The council’s recom
mendation, if it makes one,
will not require a vote. Sen.
Frank Ginn would sponsor
the legislation on the city’s
behalf should it move for
ward.
The state’s general as
sembly executive office
drew the proposed city
council districts based on
population density using
data from the 2020 census.
It submitted both two-dis
trict and three-district op
tions to the city.
At the work session,
Carswell said the potential
change would ensure all
parts of town have repre
sentation on the council.
He said the council has
discussed districting pub
licly since 2021. Carswell
noted that at one time, four
Hoschton council mem
bers lived in the same four-
block area of town.
“If without a district, ev
erybody’s on one street,”
Carswell said. “What about
everybody on the other
side of town? They have no
representation whatsoev
er. I don’t think that’s fair.
I know it’s not fair, quite
honestly.”
The consideration of
council districts comes as
the southern portion of the
city, with the large Cress-
wind and Twin Lakes sub
divisions. is projected to
grow by 7,000 residents
before 2030.
The proposed council
districts proved unpopular
with residents who attend
ed the Feb. 16 meeting,
particularly those who live
in the Cresswind neighbor
hood. Six residents, four
living in Cresswind, spoke
against the proposed legis
lation at the council meet
ing.
The Cresswind-Twin
Lakes segment of town,
located in proposed Dis
trict 3 in the three-district
model, would represent a
large majority of the city’s
population in a few years.
But it would only have two
council members under the
proposed format.
“It really doesn’t seem
like you’re getting the
equal representation that is
the goal of drawing the dis
tricts,” said resident Chris
tina Brown, who resides on
Quail Run, which would be
assigned to District 3 in the
three-model system.
Cresswind resident Mike
Cope offered a similar
opinion.
“Those 7,000 people are
going to be underrepre
sented with only two rep
resentatives,” he said, sug
gesting District 3 should
have at least three repre
sentatives.
Other complaints of dis
tricting included a need for
more public opinion in the
process.
“Have you asked the
citizens via poll that you
represent?” Cresswind res
ident Scott Quarter asked.
Quarter favored the at-
large system, arguing that
the most qualified candi
dates should serve on the
council regardless of loca
tion.
“Does it really matter
where you live, or is it the
best person for that seat?
That’s the question I have
for all of you,” Quarter
said.
If Hoschton's coun
cil districts are approved,
they’ll be subject to change
in seven years. Under
Georgia law, council dis
tricts must be updated af
ter each census. The next
census count will be held
in 2030.
Commerce City Schools
Pre-K Registration 23-24
❖ Online application will be open February 1-28 at www.commercecitvschoolls.oirR - Student
Registration.
❖ Child must be 4 by September 1, 2023.
❖ Only completed applications will be considered for the March 8 lottery.
❖ Letters will be emailed to all applicants on March 8 regarding acceptance.
❖ Contact Mandy Lund @ 706-335-5587 or maridy.lund(Scornmercec.ityschools.orR with questions.