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The Commerce News
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 $1.00 COPY
Jefferson BOE
Jefferson superintendent to retire
By Cheyenne Tolleson
cheyenne@mainstreetnews.com
Jefferson School System superin
tendent Donna McMullan is retiring
at the end of the current school year.
Her plans were announced dining
last week’s meeting of the Jefferson
Board of Education.
“This school system has been an
important part of my life for over
40 years,” she said in a letter to the
system’s employees. “I started Jef
ferson Elementary School as a first
grade student at age six and then
left for college for four years before
beginning my career as a language
arts teacher at Jefferson Middle
School. I am humbled to have had
the opportunity to serve our school
system and community.”
McMullan became superinten
dent in 2020 following the retire
ment of longtime superintendent
John Jackson.
McMullan, a 1989 graduate of
Jefferson High School, worked in
the Jefferson City School System
for her entire career, beginning in
1993 as a middle school teacher.
She also served as assistant prin
cipal at Jefferson Middle School
and then the director of middle and
secondary education. McMullan
served as assistant superintendent
in 2009-2020.
McMullan is the second super
intendent in Jackson County to an
nounce their retirement at the end of
the year. Commerce School System
superintendent Joy Tolbert earlier
announced her plans to retire this
year as well.
Also leaving at the end of the year
is Jefferson High School principal
Rob McFerrin. McFerrin took the
helm at JHSin2021.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at last week’s
Jefferson BOE meeting, the board
swore in three members.
Ashley Smith was sworn in as
the board’s newest member while
See BOE,page 2A
MLK Jr. Day
Jackson Countians give back
during MLK Day of Service
Photos by Laurie J. Anderson
Former Jefferson city council member Clint Roberts removes privet roots with Jeremy Sanders at the
historic Jackson County Pauper Farm Cemetery. The work was one of several volunteer service proj
ects that took place on January 15, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Steve and Vivian An
derson share stories
with interviewer Ebony
Shaw at the Jim Moran
Boys & Girls Club of
Jefferson. The interview
was part of the Jackson
County Oral History
Project, one of several
service projects that
took place on January
15, Martin Luther King
Jr. Day. See more pho
tos on page 2A.
MAILING LABEL
Jefferson BOE
Jefferson BOE calls for higher
senior homestead exemptions
The Jefferson Board of
Education has joined in
the call for higher home
stead exemptions for se
nior citizens.
At its meeting last
week, the board approved
a resolution calling for
legislation that would up
the exemptions for se
niors who pay city school
system taxes.
The Jefferson BOE is
the third political agency
in the county to call for
higher senior exemptions,
joining the Jackson Coun
ty Board of Education and
the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners.
Each political entity
sets its own exemption
amounts and rules, which
vary from jurisdiction to
jurisdiction.
The move will require
state legislation and then
a vote in November to ap
prove.
The move is in response
to a call in recent years by
many seniors to up the
exemptions to help offset
the impact of dramatical
ly higher property valua
tions across the county.
In the past, local school
leaders have been reluc
tant to endorse higher
exemptions, fearing the
financial impact it might
have on revenues.
In addition, higher ex
emptions for senior cit
izens would, in effect,
shift the property tax bur
den to younger homeown
ers and businesses who
would have to make up
the difference in revenues
lost due to the higher se
nior exemptions.
Homestead exemptions
don’t apply to commer
cial or rental properties
See Homestead, page 2A
Nicholson
Photos from Nicholson Area Fire Rescue Facebook
Fire crews work to put out the residential fire on
Nowhere Road.
One killed
in Nicholson
area house fire
One person was killed
and two people were taken
to the hospital after a resi
dential fire in the Nicholson
area on Jan. 13.
The fire destroyed a home
on Nowhere Road.
One person was found
dead in the fire. Two other
people were rescued by a
passerby and transported
to the hospital by Madison
County EMS. According to
a Nicholson Area Fire Res
cue post, the two people are
in stable condition.
The Nicholson, South
Jackson, Jackson Coun
ty Correctional Institute,
Hull, Neese-Sanford and
Athens-Clarke County fire
departments responded to
the fire, along with Jackson
County and Madison Coun
ty EMS.
One person was killed
and two people were
taken to the hospital af
ter a residential fire in
the Nicholson area on
Jan. 13.
“Cause of death and cause
of fire is under investigation
by the State Fire Marshall
and (Jackson County) Coro
ner’s Office,” the Nicholson
fire Facebook post added.
Commerce
Men found guilty on all
counts in Banks Crossing
robbery shooting
Two Macon men have
been found guilty in a 2022
robbery shooting in Com
merce.
The Superior Court of
Jackson County jury found
Dailan Makkari Alston
and Jaiquan Tymere Chase
guilty on two counts of
armed robbery; two counts
of aggravated assault; ag
gravated battery; and two
counts of possession of a
firearm during commission
of a felony.
Chase also pleaded guilty
to a charge of possession of
a firearm by a first offender
probationer.
Both Alston and Chase
See Shooting, page 2A
Judicial circuit
House committee
approves moving Banks
from Piedmont Circuit
The state House Judicia
ry Committee voted last
week to approve proposed
legislation that would
move Banks County out of
the Piedmont Judicial Cir
cuit. The vote came after
a hearing on the issue last
Thursday.
The move, if approved
by the full legislature,
would leave Jackson
County and Barrow Coun
ty as the only two counties
in the Piedmont Circuit.
The move could also open
the way for other circuit
changes as Oconee Coun
ty is seeking to leave the
Western Circuit with
See Piedmont, page 2A
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