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The Commerce News
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 $1.00 COPY
Arcade
Woman
receives life
sentence for
murdering
husband in
Arcade
A Jackson County
woman convicted of mur
dering her husband in Ar
cade in 2020 has received
a life sentence.
Karen Whisnant was
found guilty by jury in
January on charges of fel
ony murder, aggravated
assault, cruelty to chil
dren (second and third
degree) and possession of
a firearm during the com
mission of a crime. She
also pled guilty to one
charge of possession of
a firearm by a convicted
felon.
Whisnant was found
not-guilty on one charge
of malice murder.
Whisnant was sen
tenced to life with the
possibility of parole for
the charge of felony mur
der; 10 years confinement
concurrent with that life
sentence for the cruelty
to children charges; five
years probation consec
utive to the life sentence
for the possession of a
firearm during commis
sion of a crime charge;
and 10 years confinement
concurrent with the life
sentence for possession
of a firearm by a convict
ed felon.
The charge of aggra
vated assault was merged
with the charge of felony
minder, so there is no
sentencing listed for it.
ABOUT THE
SHOOTING
Whisnant shot her
husband, Michael Shane
Whisnant, 41, at their
Athens Street residence
in Arcade on Feb. 4,
2020. Michael was shot
in the chest and was pro
nounced dead at Pied
mont Athens Regional
Medical Center.
A number of agencies
were called to the resi
dence that night, includ
ing the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office and Jef
ferson and Arcade police
departments.
A Jefferson officer
reported seeing Kar-
See Whisnant, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
JCWS A
Water board approves l-year moratorium
The pause only
affects subdivisions
over 10 houses
The Jackson County Wa
ter and Sewerage Authority
put a 1-year moratorium on
providing services to new
subdivisions of more than
10 houses. The authority
took the action at its July
13 meeting.
The move comes amid
growth in the county that is
rapidly consuming the sys
tem’s ability to provide wa
ter and sewerage services,
especially to the north and
west areas of the county
where a lot of growth is
happening.
Authority manager Joey
Leslie told the board that
while the county has suf
ficient water in the short
term from Bear Creek
Reservoir, it doesn’t have
large enough pipes to move
the water to the fast-grow
ing areas as the west side
continues to see a housing
boom. Leslie said projec
tions indicate there are
about 5,000 building lots
not yet developed, but that
once those are built out, the
current system will be at its
distribution capacity in that
area.
During the moratorium,
the authority will get an up
dated rate study designed
to help it decide how to
shift the cost of upgrading
the system from current
ratepayers to developers of
new projects.
In addition, the author
ity is seeking to tap into
groundwater via wells in
the West Jackson area, a
move that could lessen the
need to build more pipes
to move water from Bear
Creek to those communi
ties.
Authority member Tom
my Benton questioned the
parameters of the morato
rium, suggesting that some
developers might attempt
to “game the system” by
getting approval of just 10
lots at a time.
The moratorium won’t
impact industrial or com
mercial developments,
Leslie said. Nor will the
moratorium impact the au
thority’s wholesale sales
to local towns which could
still use the water to ap
prove new houses in their
jurisdictions.
The moratorium comes a
year after the county board
of commissioners put a
See JCWSA, page 2A
Dog days of
summer reading
Attendees had a foam-tastic time during the Jeffer
son Public Library’s foam party.
This year’s sum
mer reading pro
grams are coming to
a close at library’s
across Jackson
County. Many librar
ies hosted summer
reading celebrations
over the past week.
Others hosted
special programs,
like story time with
a therapy dog and a
pet parade.
More library news
can be found on
pages 8Aand 8B.
A special Bouncing Babies story time was recently
held at the Jefferson Public Library featuring ther
apy dog, Lady.
The Commerce Public
Library recently hosted
its summer pet parade
in the library’s Memorial
Garden. Britney Blahnic
is shown with mother
and her husky, Nala, at
the parade.
The Harold S. Swindle Public Library in Nicholson
recently celebrated the end of this year’s Summer
Reading Program with a Foam and Water Party in
Nicholson City Park.
Alaina Tench receives
her door prize at the
Maysville Public Library.
Commerce council
Commerce rec
bond referendum
set to go to voters
By Alex Buffington The city has long been
alex@mainstreetnews. com
Commerce residents
will decide in Novem
ber whether they want to
fund a new double-gym
for the city’s recreation
department. The Com
merce City Council voted
on Monday (July 17) to
place a bond referendum
on the November ballot.
If approved by the public,
it could mean the city’s
millage rate will nearly
double.
The referendum would
allow the city to issue up
to $13 million in general
obligation bonds with a
maximum interest rate
of 6.5% to finance a new
multi-purpose gym at the
city’s Carson Street prop
erty.
looking at options for
improving the town’s rec
reation facilities. A com
plete overhaul with all
new facilities was initial
ly planned, but the price
tag came in at $20-$30
million. Unable to afford
that project, the city be
gan looking at an option
to partner with the county.
What resulted from
those discussions was a
proposal for the coun
ty to take over the city’s
recreation department,
including facilities, oper
ations, etc. That sparked
a public outcry, with res
idents packing the council
chambers to voice their
opposition to the turnover.
See Commerce, page 2A
Hoschton
CityofHoschton
announces
alifyin
special elections
The City of Hoschton has announced qualifying for
Nov. 7 special elections to fill its mayoral vacancy and
an empty council seat — both of which have terms that
won’t expire until 2026.
Special election qualifying will run from Aug. 7 at
8 a.m. to Aug. 9 at 4:30 p.m.
The qualifying fee for mayor is $360, and the council
seat is $180. Those interested in running for mayor or
the city council post can pick up a qualifying packet at
city hall during qualifying times.
Former Mayor Lauren O’Leary resigned on July 5
due to a family move away from Hoschton, while for
mer councilman Scott Mims stepped down in March,
See Hoschton, page 2A
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