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The Commerce News
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 $1.00 COPY
Commerce
SK reports
some
layoffs
SK Battery has had
some layoffs from its mas
sive workforce in Jackson
County.
The EV battery factory
spearheaded the develop
ment of electric vehicles
and components in Geor
gia, which has become a
southern hub of the new
technology.
While the firm continues
to employ over 3,000 em
ployees, the firm confirmed
that it had laid off some
workers.
“We understand this situ
ation is difficult for our val
ued employees,” the firm
said in a news release. “SK
Battery America is opti
mistic about the long-term
growth of the U.S. EV mar
ket and remains committed
to the Commerce site.”
See SK, page 2A
Commerce
council
ponders
future gas
needs
Usage by SK
Battery impacts
city gas usage
By Alex Buffington
alex@mainstreetnews. com
SK Battery America’s
facility in Commerce has
had a large impact on the
city and the surrounding
area. The announcement
that the company was
coming to Commerce
made big headlines. The
firm created jobs in the
county and has driven ad
ditional businesses to the
city and surrounding ar
eas. It’s also changed how
the local school system re
ceives some of its funding.
But one impact the com
pany has in the community
may get overlooked by the
public: Its use of utilities.
That was part of the dis
cussion at the Commerce
City Council on Monday,
See Commerce, page 1A
MAILING LABEL
Public safety
33-year old murder cold case linked to Jackson County
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Any
family, friends or acquain
tances of Lisa Coburn Kes-
ler are asked to contact
alex@mainstreetnews.com
■)
Human remains found 33
years ago in North Carolina
have been identified as those
of a Jackson County woman.
The Orange County Sher
iff’s Office in North Caroli
na confirmed the victim was
20-year-old Lisa Cobum
Kesler, of Jackson County.
Kesler had been strangled
and her body was dumped
along the side of 1-40 over
30 years ago. Her body was
found by road crews about a
week after her murder.
Orange County Sheriff
Charles Blackwood noted
that investigators are still
working on determining
who killed Kesler.
Kesler was a 1989 gradu
ate of Jackson County High
School, where she was a
member of Future Business
Leaders of America, Future
Homemakers of America
and Students Against Drunk
Driving. She was murdered
a little more than a year after
she graduated from JCHS.
According to her engage
ment announcement in 1989,
Kesler was from Center. She
was the daughter of Mr. and
Lisa Coburn Kesler in her senior picture in 1989.
She was a graduate of Jackson County High
School.
Lisa Coburn Kesler from her engagement an
nouncement in the June 7, 1989, issue of The
Jackson Herald.
Mrs. Michael Clobum and
the granddaughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Jack Formaz, Mel
bourne, Fla., and the late Mr.
and Mrs. Oliver Cobum, of
Anderson, Ind. She married
Danny Kesler on Friday,
June 23, 1989, at the home
of Kesler’s parents.
“We have spoken to the
husband and, at this point,
he is not a person of inter
est,” Sheriff Blackwood said
in an email.
IMPROVEMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY
Improvements in technol
ogy and forensic genealogy
were key in helping identify
Kesler’s remains three de
cades after they were dis
covered. At the time of her
disappearance, DNA science
was still in its infancy.
The sheriff’s office noted
that “although able to con
firm someone’s identity or
prove someone’s involve
ment in a crime, DNA could
not be used to identify an un
known person.”
“Therefore, investigators
used traditional methods
such as interviewing po
tential witnesses, pursuing
more hundreds of leads,
searching missing persons
reports, and creating a bust
of the victim by applying fo
rensic facial reconstruction
techniques to a model of her
skull,” according to the Or
ange County Sheriff’s Of
fice news release.
“As the years went by,
investigators and skilled
See Murder, page 2A
Historic courthouse
Nov. 7 Election
Mealor honored for
historical preservation work
CHARLOTTE MEALOR HONORED
Charlotte Mealor was honored this week by Jackson County officials for
her long commitment to preserving historical records and artifacts from
the county. October is American Archives Month and the county honored
Mealor by naming the county’s archive room at the Historic Courthouse
the “Charlotte Mealor Center For Archives.” Mealor is shown with assis
tant county manager Gina Roy (L) as Al Westmoreland (R), the former His
toric Courthouse restoration committee chairman, looks on.
PREVIEW:
Election Day a little
over a month away
Voter registration
deadline coming up
Election Day is a little
over a month away. Seven
out of nine municipalities
will hold elections during
the Nov. 7 Municipal
General Election. Arcade
and Talmo are the only
two municipalities with
out contested elections.
There are 28 candidates
in total for 11 seats across
Jackson County’s munici
palities.
Here are important
dates and information
regarding the upcoming
election:
•Last day to register
to vote: Oct. 10
• Early voting dates
and times: October 16-
21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
October 23-28, from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Oct.
30-Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. All early voting
will be held at the Jackson
County Elections Office,
See Election, page 2A
Nicholson
Durst withdraws from
Nicholson council race
Dusty Durst has withdrawn as a candidate for the
Nicholson City Council race.
Three people previously qualified for two Nicholson
council seats, including: Mike Barfield (incumbent),
Dusty Durst and Lamar Watkins (incumbent). Durst has
withdrawn his candidacy, but due to the late notice, his
name will still be on the ballot.
The city will need to post signs outside the voting pre
cinct indicating Durst’s withdrawal from the race.
Nicholson will still have a municipal election due to a
contested mayoral race. Incumbent Mayor Jan Webster
will face challenger Steve Nichols in that race.
piggly wiggly
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