Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by Georgia HomePLACE, a project of the Georgia Public Library Service.
About Jackson herald. (Jefferson, Jackson County, Ga.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 2024)
20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS The Commerce News JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 $1.00 COPY New Year’s program 98th annual New Year’s Day Program planned in Jackson County The 98th annual Jackson County New Year’s Day Program will be held at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, at the Historic Jackson County Courthouse in down town Jefferson. The first such New Year’s Day Pro gram was held in the Historic Courthouse in 1927, with Judge W.W. Dickson presiding. This year, Pastor Jeff Perkins of The Church on the Hill, Gum Springs Church Road, Jefferson, will be the featured speaker. Pastor Perkins has been in min istry for over 30 years and came to Jefferson from Mansfield Baptist Church in 2021. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum, who will retire as Sheriff at this year’s end, leaving behind a long legacy as the law enforcement leader of Jackson County, will preside at the program. Clerk of Court Cami Thomas will open the program and greet all who attend. Probate Judge Sherry Moore will intro duce county officials and guests. Tax Commissioner Candace Taylor-Heaton will introduce the speaker. TeenPact, an organization dedicated to preparing students for business and political leadership, which originated in Jackson County, will again host the event and provide coffee and doughnuts. The purpose of the program is to thank God for the blessings of the past year and to seek divine guid ance and blessing for the upcoming year. All those at tending will be invited to join in the singing of “God Bless America.” Everyone is invited to attend. City of Arcade Arcade plans sewerage system The City of Arcade has approved plans to move forward with its first public sewage system, marking a major mile stone in the city’s infrastructure development. The project, which includes the construction of a water reclamation facility, will be executed in partnership with the engineering firm of PeoplesQuigley|DCCM. This move reflects Arcade’s commitment to moderniz ing its infrastructure to meet the growing demands of its community and the environment, officials said. The facility will reportedly utilize advanced treatment methods, including extended aeration, biological nutrient removal, clarification, filtration, disinfection, and sludge dewatering. PeoplesQuigley|DCCM will oversee the engineering design for the project, with responsibilities including the selection of treatment equipment, design of biological and chemical systems, effluent discharge planning, and prepa ration of construction documents with detailed bidding and technical specifications. City officials emphasized the long-term benefits of the project, noting that the improved utility infrastructure will support future residential and commercial growth while ensuring environmental sustainability. “This project represents a critical step forward for Ar cade’s future, providing essential infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing community,” city leaders said. Construction planning for Phase 1 is underway, with completion expected in 2026. Jefferson City Council Jefferson approves contractor for new fire station Council also votes for pay hikes The Jefferson City Council recently gave fi nal approval for a new fire station in the city. The council approved Cooper & Company General Contractors for the $4.3 million project. The station will be lo cated on land donated by Patillo Construction in an industrial park at Dry Pond. The project will be funded through the city’s SPLOST account. Officials said the new station will improve fire response times to the Dry Pond area and could make a big difference in insur ance rates for industries located in the area. The Jefferson Fire Depart ment is currently a mix of full-time and volunteer staffing, but is moving toward becoming a full time staffed department, said fire chief Mark Duke. COUNCIL PAY RAISES In other business, the council approved raising the pay for council mem bers and the mayor start ing in 2026. Half of the council will have elec tions before that date. The pay will become $6,000 per year for coun cil members and $12,000 per year for the mayor. It’s the first time the pay has gone up in 24 years, said Mayor Jon Howell. “No one ever likes to do this,” Howell said. OTHER BUSINESS In other business, the council: • gave final approval to documents for an $8 mil lion GEFA loan to help fund the planned Parks Creek reservoir. • approved the 2025 council meeting dates and city holiday dates. • adopted the city’s stra tegic plan for 2025. This Commerce student gives Santa Clause a high-five at last week’s party held at Commerce High School. See more photos from the event on page 2A. Commerce schools host Christmas party for special needs students Over 30 special needs students in the Commerce City School System were honored with a Christmas party last week that featured an appearance by San ta Claus. Organized by Commerce High School special ed ucation teacher Wes Massey, the event was a long time in the making. Massey told a large crowd of parents and supporters that he had been dreaming of hosting such a party for the past 20 years. “It’s about community; it’s about acceptance,” Massey said of the event and the students it hosted. “Most importantly, it’s about being an advocate and serving those that I feel need it the most in the game of life.” Noting that many special needs students don’t get to experience some traditional school events, such See Commerce, page 2A This Commerce student spends a moment getting her photo made with Santa during last week’s party hosted by the Commerce School System. MAILING LABEL Hoschton City Council Hoschton leaders want to merge future city hall project with adjacent development By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Hoschton leaders look to tie the city’s future gov ernment complex into a planned residential-com mercial project adjacent to the site. Property owner Sri Ku mar’s proposed residen tial-commerce develop ment — The Enclave — on Hwy. 53 sits on 11.5 acres next to 11.25 acres on Peachtree Rd. the city has purchased for its next city hall, police station and mu nicipal court. The Hoschton City Council voted Tuesday (Dec. 17) to initiate a zon ing change for the adjacent development to meld the projects and create a “main street style” area. “There’s a lot of pow er in looking at these two projects as one or at least in coordination with one an other,” said City Planning Consultant Jerry Weitz, who recommended a de velopment agreement be tween the city and Kumar to develop these projects simultaneously. Kumar’s development calls for 225 apartments and 60,000 square feet of commercial and non-resi- dential building space. At the suggestion of Ku mar’s group, the develop ment’s commercial compo nents will be flipped to the south side of the property to abut the city property and align better with the city’s project. “They (Kumar’s group) saw the opportunity to re ally put two and two to gether and create a critical mass that could be a down town main street area with commercial buildings,” Weitz said. To do this, the council must pass a modification of the project’s zoning condi tions. “We want to express to the public that we are in a cooperative mode with this developer, that they’re right beside this property, and that we have mutual interest by working togeth er,” Weitz said. “We can save money, and we can get our project completed faster.” The public-private part nership would allow in ter-parcel access between the city development and Kumar’s development from Peachtree Rd. to In dustrial Blvd. The city also looks to extend its multi-use trail from Nunley Farms on Peachtree Rd. through city property assemblage and The Enclave property to White St. This partnership would include a shared parking lot between the develop ment and the city. Weitz pointed out that finalized zoning actions for this partnership would come later as Tuesday’s votes only start the process and do not bind the city into an agreement yet. In a related move, the council voted to initiate the zoning process to change the city-owned land from residential to institutional district. OTHER BUSINESS In other business, the council: •accepted the dedication of .235 acres from KH Twin Lakes, LLC, where a Twin Lakes subdivision lift station sits. •approved Lendgrin Maddox and Mitchell Clark as new downtown development authority (DDA) members. Mad dox is the five-decade- plus owner of Hoschton See Hoschton, page 2A o
