Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, July 2, 2020
Volume 133 Number 11
Jasper, Georgia
Local News Published Weekly
Chief appraiser explains
tax assessment increases
“The market
dictates
everything,”
says Dobbs
By Mark Millican
Progress contributor
Known as the “Gateway
to the Mountains,” Pickens
County offers tourists and
other visitors their first
glimpse of scenic north
Georgia coming up Highway
515, also known as the Zell
Miller Parkway. It's certainly
not a news flash, but people
shopping for vacation cabins
and second homes are also
looking around at the
forested peaks, valleys and
streams.
The continuing influx of
buyers looking for stick-
built homes and cabins, plus
old houses being refurbished
and put back into the market,
have led to “very vibrant
changes” in the assessment
of properties, said Chief Ap
praiser Roy Dobbs.
Recently, Dobbs, who
oversees the tax assessor's
office, sat down to explain
the tax assessment process -
and why some homeowners,
and business owners of com
mercial properties, are see
ing an increase in their valu
ation. He began with the ba
sics.
“We're tasked here with
keeping up with ownership
and the value of property
owned within county bound
aries ... we also do the cities
of Jasper, Nelson and Talk
ing Rock,” Dobbs said. “If
you've got a deed where you
own one acre of land some
where, we're going to keep
up with it. You own it, it will
be on a map and we will
keep up with its value.”
With ownership of land,
building is often on the
horizon.
“If you happen to be real
productive and build an
1,800 square foot house on
that property, we're going to
go out and measure that and
we're going to list it,” said
Dobbs. “If you build a two-
See Assessment on 11A
Marble
Festival
cancelled
Chamber press release
The 2020 Marble Festival
planned for the first week
end in October has been can
celled, Pickens Chamber
President Amberle Godfrey
announced late Tuesday.
A Chamber of Commerce
press release, stated: “Pro
tecting the safety of our
community, our citizens, and
our families is paramount in
the minds of the Pickens
County Chamber of Com
merce Board of Directors.
While our community safety
measures have kept Covid-
19 numbers lower than those
of our neighboring commu
nities, we do not feel it
would be responsible to in
vite citizens from other com
munities into Pickens
County for such a large
event where social distanc
ing would be difficult.
With this safety in the
forefront, we have made the
incredibly difficult decision
to cancel the 2020 Marble
Festival.
We have begun planning
a huge celebration for the
40th annual Georgia Marble
Festival, themed “Throw
back to the Eighties” to be
held in October 2021. We
look forward to celebrating
with you then.”
Kemp
extends
COVTD-19
social
distancing
rules
By Beau Evans
Staff writer
Capitol Beat News Service
Gov. Brian Kemp moved
Monday to extend social dis
tancing rules for businesses
and stay-at-home orders for
the state’s most vulnerable
populations another two
weeks amid the ongoing
corona virus pandemic.
The governor also plans
to extend the state’s public
health emergency until Aug.
11, granting him more than
a month to continue tapping
into broad powers that allow
him to issue executive or
ders.
The extended orders an
nounced Monday ban gath
erings of more than 50
people unless there is at least
six feet of distance between
them and require restaurants,
bars and other businesses to
keep their establishments
routinely sanitized.
Georgians in long-term
elderly care facilities and
See Rules on 11A
Massive drug operation’s
money trail led to Pickens
Photo courtesy of GBI
A multi-agency operation which began with a citizen’s tip in Pickens County led to 47 arrests, the seizure of
$100,000 in cash and $1.76 million in meth, including the bags from a metro Atlanta stash house shown above.
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Law enforcement offi
cers from numerous agen
cies rounded up 47 people
suspected of drug charges,
seized $1 million in meth
and took $100,000 from
stash houses here and in the
metro area last Wednesday
in “Operation, The Real
McCoy.”
All of this resulted from
a citizen’s tip nine months
ago to the Cherokee Multi-
Agency Narcotics Squad
(CMANS) which partners
with the Pickens Sheriff’s
Office for drug enforce
ment. The initial investiga
tions led CMANS agents to
See Drugs on 8A
Over 200 turn out to Back The Blue
photo/Max Caylor
A big turnout - With hats off and hands on hearts during the national anthem, attendees came out to thank law
enforcement at a rally Sunday at the courthouse on Main Street. More photos on Page 3A
Max Caylor
Progress contributor
Social media posts
helped draw over 200 flag
waving and sign carrying
citizens to Sunday after
noon’s “Back the Blue”
event at the Courthouse.
Organizer Klayton Harris
said,“after seeing what has
happened in Atlanta I
wanted the community to
come together and support
our police.”
The gathering had the
feel of a southern revival
with a fervent prayer by
Ricky Dean, Bible quoting
and spirited singing of our
national anthem.
Former FBI Special
Agent Derek Somerville
was the first featured
speaker and somberly re
minded the gathering there
are 22,000 names on the
National Law Enforcement
Monument who have lost
their lives in the line of duty
protecting the community.
He called the gathering
to a greater understanding
of life by stating, “if you be
lieve in life, believe in those
who serve and protect it.”
Bill Craig, a 34 year po
lice veteran, spoke with a
voice of experience. In his
heartfelt call for supporting
officers he brought the real
ity of humanism to the rally
reminding them there is al
ways one percent that dis
honors the badge.
The last speaker enter
tained the crowd by asking
them to call out fake news if
he read something that was
not true in their minds. One
of the several lines he read
was, “rioting and destroying
public and private property
is a great way to get your
voice heard” and the crowd
loudly shouted “fake news.”
His point was for people “to
come together and not let
their voices go unheard.”
Kathy Cowan saw Klay
ton’s post and volunteered
to help organize the rally
because she is from a police
family. “We have been quiet
too long and our police need
our support.”
One overlapping theme
throughout the rally was
said by retired officer Bill
Craig, “The police are not
our enemy.”
Inside:
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See what stores
are offering in
our new
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Corner”
feature Page 7B
Mt. Zion
Baptist opens
for in-person
worship Page 2B
Editorial:
Wear a mask -
by choice
Page 4A
Obituaries - 10A
• John Miller
• John Ryal
• Rodney Roper
Index
Editorial 4A
Letters to the Editor . 5A
Church 2B
Kids 8B
People 3B
Classifieds 6-7B
Legals 4-5B
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