Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Volume 133 Number 14
Jasper, Georgia
Local News Published Weekly
Opening school on Aug. 3rd
is goal, plan says board chair
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
With so much uncertainty and
speculation on what will happen
with schools this year, we talked
with Tucker Green, chairman of
the school board, Monday after
noon to get the latest and for in
sight into their decision making
process.
What is the latest on school open
ing for this academic year?
Green: August 3rd. It is the goal
of the system and the plan of the
system to open school on August
3rd.
It is a very fluid situation and as
the superintendent has said,
‘Everything is on the table.’
There is not some secret plan or
some master plan where we aren’t
saying what we really want. I am
telling you what I know. It may
change in 10 days, but I don’t
know that as of now.
Is there anything that would
definitely signal a move that dis
tance learning with closed cam
puses is coming?
Green: No. There is nothing
concrete or anything set, such as if
we reach this number or this
threshold.
There are three levels of as
sessed risk we released earlier and
we were at low at that time and
now we have moved up to moder
ate. We haven’t made a decision
about what threshold would lead to
schools being closed.
How is the administration,
staff and board keeping in
formed?
Green: Our superintendent and
administration are meeting with
public health officials on a regular
See School on 10A
‘14 SPLOST
collections
wrap up
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
With just one month of collec
tions left to be received for the
2014 Special Purpose Local Op
tion Sales Tax, (SPLOST) revenue
to-date is $27,887,930. That’s
about 7 percent lower than the $30
million the county projected to col
lect from the one-cent sales tax.
That collection figure does not
include revenue for the month of
June 2020. Those funds will be re
ceived sometime in July and will
finish out the 2014 SPLOST.
“Projects for road, water, and
public safety will be funded by the
remaining 2014 SPLOST rev
enues,” Pickens CFO Faye Harvey
told the Progress via email. “When
those funds are depleted, projects
will continue to be funded with the
continuation of the 2020 SPLOST
based on the 2020 referendum. The
projects remaining are road paving
projects for this year, fire, water,
and Sheriff capital outlay projects
that were included in the SPLOST
referendum but have not yet been
funded.”
The county has 2014 SPLOST
collections in separate accounts
See SPLOST on 10A
Library’s
expansion
clears
funding
hurdle
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
After six years in the planning
and funding phase, the Pickens
County Library expansion project
is an official “go.” The state legis
lature approved matching $2 mil
lion funding during their most
recent session. This state funding
will allow the project to move into
the construction phase.
“We are very excited that the
legislature approved a $2 million
capital outlay grant for this proj
ect,” said Sequoyah Regional Li
brary System Executive Director
Anita Summers. “We appreciate
the efforts of our legislative dele
gation, led by Rep. [Rick] Jasperse,
in advocating for this funding, and
the Pickens County Commission
ers and voters for approving
SPLOST funds.”
The expansion will expand the
11,000-square-foot building,
which was constructed in 1996, an
additional 8,000 square feet and in
clude a complete renovation of the
existing space. There will be more
space for books and technology,
computer training/library pro
grams/meeting spaces, a children’s
room and teen room, an expanded
genealogy and local history room,
a snack area, “flexible” spaces for
collaboration, larger browsing
areas, and more space for study
See Library on 11A
Big load of free stuff
Rotary supplies non-profits
i?
PIECES
Max Caylor / Photo
Kayla Kinser, Jacque Elwarner and Whitney Carnes of Pickens Family Connection help sort through 26
pallets of free goods for the community.
By Max Caylor
Pickens contributor
It was an amazing scene. Vol
unteers sorting boxes and boxes
and boxes of warehouse goods
from 26 pallets in a covered truck
Amicalola EMC. More than 116
volunteer hours were needed to un
load and distribute the merchan
dise.
The trailer truck load was over
stocked merchandise from the Dol
lar General Store warehouse and
part of a Rotary project from the
Covington Club.
Rotarian Terrance Houston,
owner of his own trucking com
pany, provided the trailer and de
livered the merchandise to Jasper
as a service for free. Asked why he
did the project, Houston re
sponded, “It is what Rotarians do.”
Amicalola CEO Todd Payne,
along with other employees, really
stepped up to make the project a
reality. In order to unload and dis
tribute the free goods Rotary had to
have a forklift, unloading dock and
a place to sort the massive amount
of goods. “We can do that,” Payne
said.
Not only did the warehouse
crew unload the pallets but they set
up a covered area with four large
See Rotary on 10A
Community responds to stores
mandating masks
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
This week’s Progress Facebook
Question of the Week produced
more responses than any question
we’ve had. With Kroger, Walmart,
and numerous other businesses
now mandating customers wear
masks, we asked our Facebook fol
lowers if they thought that was a
good move for health and safety, or
a step too far? We also asked if
they would shop at stores that man
date mask wearing. Here are some
of the nearly 600 responses we’ve
received at press time.
Elizabeth Ann Whitehead - If
people want to wear a mask that
should be their decision if it makes
them feel safe. The same goes for
those who choose not to wear a
mask it should be their decision.
Masks do little to protect anyone
See Masks on 10A
firi!
Walmart requires
face coverings
for all customers,
associates, and others
while visiting our stores.
Nose and mouth must be covered with mask
doth (e.g. bandana, scarf, homemade mask).
Exceptions apply for infants and young
children, and those with certain health issues
Angela Reinhardt / Photo
Customers at Walmart in Jasper on Monday, July 20, the first day
the retail chain made masks mandatory to shop.
Inside:
Laugh out loud at
latest from Tater
Patch Players
Page 12A
Politics
Sample ballots for
Aug. 11th runoff
election Page 7A
Religion
Bible Reading
Marathon unites
Christians
from different
churches and
towns Page 2B
Fun
Rotary Club’s
music park is a
hidden gem in
Jasper Page3A
Sports
High School
football delayed
for two weeks
Page 1B
Obituaries - 9A
• Bill Fitzsimmons
• Bill Fraker
• Carol Moore
• Danny O’Shields
• Glenn Taylor Jr.
• Judy Cloyes
• Patsy Hefner
• Rex Mull
• Tina Sutton
• Virgil Wilson
Contact Us
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Jasper, Ga. 30143
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