Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
H Wednesday, May 24, 2023
ERALD
VOL. 148 NO. 49
20 PACES 2 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
Merged in 2017 with
The Commerce News
A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA S0549 $1.00 COPY
South Jackson
Commerce
Rock
quarry
plans aim
at South
Jackson
A large rock quarry being
proposed for an 800-acre site
in the Center community of
South Jackson could come be
fore county leaders for action
by mid-summer.
Vulcan Materials Company
representatives have informally
met with members of the Jack-
son County Board of Com
missioners in recent weeks to
discuss the project. Earlier this
week, the firm met with county
planning department officials
to discuss its plans.
No formal rezoning or other
application has yet been filed
with the county, but Vulcan
representative Jimmy Flem
ing said Monday the company
hopes to have its county filings
done by mid-summer.
At minimum, the county
would have to approve a spe
cial use permit for the a quar
ry on the site. If a concrete or
asphalt plant were to co-locate
onsite, that property would
have to be rezoned for industri
al use, officials said.
In addition to those approv
als, the firm would also have
to get mining permits from the
state, a process Fleming said
would likely take a year to pro
cess.
Birmingham, Ala.-based
Vulcan also operates a quarry
in nearby Jefferson along 1-85.
That quarry got approval last
year from the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners to
expand its operations by 200
acres.
While the Jefferson quarry
services the 1-85 corridor area,
the one being proposed in Cen
ter would be designed to serve
the Hwy. 441, Hwy. 78 and
Hwy. 316 corridors, Fleming
said.
“We’ve been looking for
a site (in that area) for a long
time,’’ he said.
Fleming said that the site,
which is between Hwy. 441
and Chandler Bridge Rd., off
of Richmar Rd., has a high
quality of rock that would meet
the standards for DOT projects
and that its location would of
fer good access to Hwy. 441
for distribution.
The site would also likely
replace rock currently being
mined from a quarry in near
by Clarke County. That quar
ry site has been purchased by
Clarke County for a water res-
See Quarry, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
Well-known Commerce man shot and killed Sunday morning
A beloved Commerce
man was shot and killed
outside a downtown
restaurant on Sunday
morning. A suspect was
arrested Sunday night.
Calvin Varnum, 72.
was gunned down Sunday
morning outside of Hard
ee’s in downtown Com
merce on May 21, around
7:30 a.m.
Varnum could be seen
most days standing on the
sidewalk near Hardee’s
with his walking stick,
smiling and waving at
passersby. He was also a
regular at Huck’s restau
rant and could often be
seen walking up Homer
Road.
Social media has been
flooded with comments
from people about their
friendly encounters with
Varnum.
A vigil was held Sunday
night with hundreds of
people stopping to wave
at passing vehicles, just as
Varnum did on countless
mornings.
“I live on the next block
over and Mr. Calvin every
morning he was out here
waving and so we knew if
he was out waving, it was
going to be a good day,”
said vigil event organizer
Claire Kiltoyne.
Skate A-Rama in Com
merce announced that it
would offer a $500 reward
See Shooting, page 2A
A growing memorial with flowers, candles and a photo of murder victim
Calvin Varnum was placed on the sidewalk next the Hardee’s Restaurant
in downtown Commerce Sunday following Varnum’s murder earlier in the
day.
2023 Graduation
East Jackson Comprehensive, Jackson County and Jefferson high
schools hosted graduation over the weekend. Commerce High School
will host graduation this Wednesday, May 24, at 8 p.m. at Ray Lamb
Stadium. See next week’s issue of The Jackson Herald for the 2023
graduation section, which will feature all four high schools.
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
Jefferson High School graduates walked under the saber arch as they
entered Memorial Stadium during their commencement ceremony on
Friday, May 19.
Photo by Ben Munro
A large group gathers in to pose with Raven Cook for a photo following
Friday’s (May 19) graduation ceremony at Jackson County High School.
East Jackson Compre
hensive High School
graduating senior Lacey
Clayton shares a cele
bratory laugh with prin
cipal Matt Stratemeyer
during the school’s
graduation ceremony
May 20.
Jefferson
‘Monumental decision’ on
tap June 12 in Jefferson
By Mike Buffington
mike@mainstreetnews. com
In what leaders say will be a “monumental deci
sion,” the Jefferson City Council is scheduled to make
a final vote on June 12 on whether or not to build a
$12.2 million aquatics facility.
The vote comes after years of debate and discussion,
including additional debate during its meeting on May
22. That discussion included some councilmembers’
concerns about parking to serve the facility.
Councilmember Mark Mobley suggested that if the
city approves moving forward with the project, bonds
let to pay for it should include enough funding to build
additional parking.
The project’s capital cost would be paid for over
See Jefferson, page 2A
BOC
Bingham announces plans
to run for BOC chairman
Jackson County Dis
trict 3 commissioner
Chad Bingham has an
nounced his plans to
run for chairman of the
board of Commissioners
in 2024.
Bingham joins Dis
trict 5 commissioner
Marty Clark in announc
ing plans to seek the seat
next year. Current BOC
chairman Tom Crow has
announced that he will
retire at the end of his
term and won’t be seek
ing re-election.
Bingham has pre-
See Bingham, page 2A
Hoschton
Hoschton mayor
plans to move, resign
According to a Face- — due to an impending
book post from Lauren move.
O’Leary, the first-term O’Leary, who took of-
Hoschton mayor plans flee in January 2022, said
to resign from office —
though not immediately See O’Leary, page 2A
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