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THURSDAY. MARCH 25. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
Bill to block local governments from
limiting fuel sources nears passage
By Beau Evans
Staff Writer
Capitol Beat News Service
Legislation to block local
governments in Georgia from
limiting what fuel sources of
fices, houses and other build
ings can use is poised to clear
the General Assembly after a
key vote on Monday.
A bill sponsored by Rep.
Bruce Williamson, R-Mon-
roe, that aims to restrict local
‘In addition to the above ac
tivity from the Uniform Pa
trol Division, Court Service
Deputies reported the fol
lowing statistics for the past
week:
Persons Scanned at
Front Door: 736
Weapons Found: 5
Courts Field: 8
Arrest Made in
the Courthouse: 2
Civil Papers Received : 68
bans on fuel choices passed
out of the state Senate by a
34-15 vote, irking environ
mental advocates who say the
limits could hinder Georgia
in the push to reduce climate
warming carbon emissions.
Supporters say
Williamson’s bill would pre
vent city and county govern
ments from crippling
businesses and households
that rely on more cost-effec
tive fuels like natural gas,
Civil Papers Served: 34
In the Adult Detention
Center:
Total Jail population: 76
Total male inmates: 56
Total female inmates: 20
Sex Offenders:
There are currently 76 sex of
fenders registered with the
Pickens Sheriff’s Office.
while still allowing local of
ficials to incentivize other
sources like solar power.
The bill faces a good
chance of gaining final pas
sage in the state House of
Representatives after the
same chamber approved it
last month by a 103-62 vote
largely along party lines, with
some Democrats voting in
favor.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-
Macon, who carried the bill
in the Senate, said its intent is
to stave off future efforts in
Georgia to abolish the use of
fossil fuels like coal and nat
ural gas going forward, simi
lar to moves being made in
cities in other states such as
in California and Washing
ton.
“Local officials will still
have lots of tools available to
them to reduce their emis
sions and respond to their
constituents’ priorities,”
Kennedy said on the Senate
floor Monday.
“What this is really about
is the preservation of the con
sumers’ choice to make smart
decisions on what’s best for
them and their family and, ul
timately, their home.”
Opponents have slammed
the bill as an attempt by state
officials to impose their will
on local governments on the
one hand and a short-sighted
boon for power companies
on the other.
Sen. Elena Parent, D-At-
lanta, who pitched a failed
amendment Monday to sun
set the local limits in mid-
2026, said Georgia would be
better served to allow local
elected officials to set their
own energy policy rather
than potentially handcuffing
them from prioritizing alter
native fuels.
She added a handful of
Georgia cities have set long
term goals to convert their
buildings to 100% clean en
ergy, but none have moved to
require that change in fuel
consumption.
“There’s not really a good
reason to do something that
seems like maybe a good
idea now, but ties our hands
later,” Parent said. “By tying
the hands of local govern
ments, we basically ensure
that 50 or 60 years from now,
we’ve prevented any sort of
ability of local governments
in Georgia to keep up with
the times.”
Some Democrats joined
Republican senators on Mon
day to vote in favor of the bill
including Sens. David Lucas
of Macon, Valencia Seay of
Riverdale and Freddie Pow
ell Sims of Dawson.
Along with Williamson,
the bill was co-sponsored in
the House by Reps. Matt
Hatchett of Dublin, Trey Kel
ley of Cedartown, Don Par
sons of Marietta and Lynn
Smith of Newnan. Demo
cratic Rep. Gloria Frazier of
Hephzibah also co-sponsored
the bill.
During this past week, the Pickens Sheriff’s Office responded
to or initiated 1,127 calls for service.
These numbers are taken
from the report provided directly from the 911 Center where all
calls are logged as they are perfonned. Below is a breakdown
of all dispatched calls by the call type for each incident.
Accidents
14
Suicide Threats / Attempts
4
Domestics
3
Theft / Burglary Related
10
Forgery / Fraud
3
Traffic Stops
40
Citations Issued
6
Animal Investigations
17
Suspicious Persons/Activity
16
Alarm Calls
11
Stranded Motorists
6
Street Hazards
7
Vandalism
0
Abandoned Vehicles
1
Extra Patrol - neighborhoods, businesses, residences 833. In
addition to these, other calls include search warrants, civil serv
ice, 911 hang-up calls, assaults, disorderly persons, missing per
sons, assistance with medical calls, natural death investigations,
demented persons, funeral escorts, harassment, trespassing, and
many more.
Breakdown of Charges for those Arrested:
11 individuals were booked into the Adult Detention Center on charges
from the Pickens Sheriff’s Office. Out of these, the following charges
were taken by PSO deputies (note: some
individuals have multiple
charges):
Bond Violation
i
Failure to Register as Sex Offender
i
Probation Violation
3
Violation of RICO Act
1
Battery
1
Failure to Appear
2
Disorderly Conduct
1
Obstruction of Officer
1
Criminal Trespass
1
Aggravated Assault
1
Battery- Family Violence
1
Cruelty to Children
1
PICKENS COUNTY DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
EDUCATIONAL SEWER SEMINAR
TUESDAY - MARCH 30, 2021 9 am -11 am
The Pickens County Development Authority will
host an Educational Sewer Seminar for stakeholders
for the City of Jasper and Pickens County Govern
ment from 9:00 am to 11:00 am on Tuesday, March
30, 2021 in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the
Administrative Office Building located at 1266 East
Church Street, Jasper, GA.
You may also join the meeting via Zoom:
Educational Sewer Seminar - Zoom Meeting
https ://zoom.us/j/21059790017pwd=cStJRjRvSIY0e
HMyUVNENVVPdWdDZz09
Meeting ID: 210 597 9001
Passcode: AQD1CW
The Sheriff’s
Beat
From the Pickens
Sheriff’s Office
GRISHAM, POOLE
& CARLILE, PC
Criminal Defense I Family Law
"You can't go back and change the beginning,
but you can start where you are and change
the ending." ~ C.S. Lewis
21 COURT STREET
JASPER, GEORGIA
678.880.9360
Experienced. Established. Effective.
Obituaries
Barbara Darby
Barbara A. Darby, 78, of Talking
Rock, passed away on Saturday, March
20, 2021 at Pruitt Health in Jasper.
Funeral services are scheduled for 1
p.m. Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at the
Sosebee Memorial Chapel. Interment
will follow in the Cherokee Memorial
Park Cemetery. The family will receive
friends on Wednesday prior to the service
from 11 a.m. until the funeral hour.
Barbara was a member of Chalcedonia
Baptist Church. She enjoyed painting and
crocheting.
She was preceded in death by her hus
band, Lanier Darby; daughter, Taryn
Darby; stepdaughter, Anita Anderson;
siblings, Hazel Price, Kermit Mills and
James Mills; survivors include her chil
dren, Kenneth Darby (Brenda) and Traci
Darby; stepchildren, Randy Darby (Na
talie) and Linda Martin (Robert); sib
lings, Donna Stanfield, Cheryl
Sherrington (Dave) and Bruce Mills; sev
eral grandchildren, great-grandchildren
and great-great grandchildren; nieces,
nephews, cousins and friends.
Serving as pallbearers will be David
Pruitt, Phil Collett, Mike Price, Robert
Poole, Rocky Hendrix and Kevin Cuma-
lia.
In lieu of flowers memorial contribu
tions may be made to Chalcedonia Bap
tist Church.
Due to COVID-19 facial coverings are
required, no food is permitted and the
Chapel seating is limited to 50 people.
Sosebee Funeral Home, Canton, GAis
honored to serve the family. Sosebeefu-
neralhome.com 770-479-2131.
Vincent Handy
Vincent
Gene Handy,
84, of Jasper,
passed away
Monday,
March 22,
2021 at his
home.
He was
born Febru
ary 21, 1937
to the late
John and
Ava Handy
in Danville, Virginia.
Vincent is survived by his wife, Dar
lene Lathem Handy of Jasper; son and
daughter-in-law, Wade and Heather
Handy of Marietta; son, Mark Handy of
Macon; son and daughter-in-law, Bran
don and Jessica Lathem of Jasper; daugh
ter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Erik
Lentz of Atlanta; grandchildren, Janey,
Christian, Hillary, Gage, Madison, Layla-
Grace, Skyler, and Allie.
He was preceded in death by son,
David Handy.
A memorial service will be held 11
a.m., Saturday, March 27, 2021 in the
Chapel of Roper Funeral Home with
Reverend Max Caylor officiating.
In lieu of flowers, make memorial do
nations in honor of Mr. Handy to Pickens
Sheriffs Foundation or to CARES.
Arrangements are entrusted to the staff
of Roper Funeral Home and Crematory.
Online condolences may be made at
www.roperfuneralhome. com
Community Groups Meet
Weight Loss Group
Choose to Lose - Weight loss group meets at the Pickens County Community Center
Room #1 every Friday morning. Weigh in time is between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Meeting mns
from 9:30 a.m. to f 0:30 a.m. No charge. Call Pat Groves for more information at 1-417-413-
8025.
Coin Club Group
The Pickens County Coin Club meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:30
p.m. with an auction starting at 6:30 p.m. at Cornerstone Church, 140 Cornerstone Dr., Jasper,
Ga. 30143.
All ages welcome and you don't have to be a member to attend. For more information
contact Chris Paire, cptxaggie@yahoo.com, 678-770-0118.
Families Anonymous
Does someone in your family have a drug/ alcohol/ behavioral problem? Can you see
what this is doing to you?
Families Anonymous offers free help.
Weekly meetings on Wednesdays at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 45 Appalachian Cir
cle, Talking Rock (1 mile north of Jasper Walmart) from 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Bring a
lunch. For more information call 706-276-1850 (after 5 p.m.) or mkc@etcmail.com
Learning English online, the classes log in on Zoom
Free English classes continue on Zoom
The 2020-2021 school year for English classes is continuing to meet safely during the
Covid-19 pandemic. We will not returned to the recreation center until all are vaccinated,
wearing masks, and distancing. When the risk lowers and it is deemed safe, we will return
to in person classes.
We have a time change. Monday Zoom class meets from 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. each week.
The Thursday class continues to meet from 8 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. This is to accommodate those
who work during the day.
For a link, please call 706-692-0707.
Thrift Store needs volunteers
The Community Thrift Store, on Samaritan Drive, has reopened and are seeking new vol
unteers.
They could use people with as little as four hours to spare.
You’ll be blessed to be part of something that has given millions of dollars back to the
Pickens community. For more information call 706-253-7770 or just come by and ask for
Sarge. New hours at the store, 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
READY TO BUY YOUR DREAM HOME?
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Renee Burgess
VICE PRESIDENT, MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR, NMLS# 501421
118 Whitfield Drive, Jasper, GA 30143
P 706-253-9393 | D 706-299-5711
renee_burgess@ucbi.com
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