Newspaper Page Text
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THURSDAY. APRIL 8. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 11A
Council
limits and won’t create an is
land of county-jurisdiction
inside the city’s area.
In other business:
• Discussion at the council
meeting indicated that clean
up/repair costs for the
stormwater damage last week
at Gennett Drive, where a
section of road was washed
away, and at the Cove Road
water intake area on Long
Swamp Creek could total
more than $540,000. City
Manager Douglas explained
that they are applying for
state funds which should
cover much of the costs. He
estimated that the Gennett
Drive work will cost
$240,000 and the Cove Road
work - replacing and stabiliz
ing water lines that feed the
water plant from the creek
and wells there - could cost
more than $300,000.
The council praised Dou
glas, city crews and an out
side contractor who worked
last weekend to maintain
water service and make
emergency repairs to ensure
that the system remained op
erational. Douglas said the
city crews worked 22 solid
hours after the overnight
storms on March 25th.
Mayor Lawrence said the
situation after the storm was
a true crisis and that Douglas
showed exceptional leader
ship with both city and out
side crews to manage the
work. “It could have been
critical with our supply,” he
said.
• The council is awaiting a
second bid before beginning
mold remediation work at the
city’s fire station. It was re
ported that the person who
conducted the tests for the
firefighters that raised the
issue said the mold is not “at
crisis level,” according to
Douglas.
The council approved up
to $20,000 from SPLOST
funds to be used on the mold
problem. Council member
Kirk Raffield noted they had
a plan to spend $50,000-
$60,0000 on that fire station
already in place, before fire
fighters publicly released
tests showing the mold prob
lem.
• Council members ap
proved discounted water and
sewer rates for low income
residents. Council member
Jim Looney said he was very
happy to be able to offer this
to help.
• Council gave the go-
ahead to start looking at
prices for replacing radios
and emergency communica
tion equipment. Douglas said
they may need as many as 40
new radios which are “vital.”
Douglas said at one point
they had thought this might
be a $40,000 project but it
may cost considerably more
and he wanted the council to
know they were working on
plans for this upgrade. Dou
glas said this is not cheap but
they must have the later tech
nology as some of their cur
rent equipment is badly out
of date.
• The city will look at out
sourcing some grass cutting
and landscape maintenance
work. Douglas said they have
about 47 acres they maintain
when grass is growing March
through October. He ex
plained that hiring two peo
ple to handle the routine
maintenance would cost
$80,000 a year when you in
clude benefits and other costs
of personnel, so it may make
more sense to outsource.
Douglas said they are “only
exploring possibilities” at
this point.
• The city approved the
purchase of some booster
pumps and generators which
will keep the water flowing
to the Hickory Cove and Hill
City areas when the electric
ity is out. There are 70-80
people in each of those areas
and when the power goes out
their water service is cut off.
• Police Chief Greg Lovell
said his officers are working
an increased number of vehi
cle accidents as the state pa
trol has seen many of their
officers re-directed to the
metro area to combat street
racing. Lovell said the state
patrol with their resources
still handle all fatal and seri
ous wrecks but he wanted the
council to know that his offi
cers are increasingly tied-up
handling the less serious
wrecks.
Council appro ves even ts for
Lee Newton Park
During the April meeting,
council members approved
several upcoming events for
Lee Newton Park:
CAR 57/0 IF Parking lot of
Lee Newton Park, second
Sunday of each month start
ing April 11th at 4 p.m.
Marine Corp Spring
Cookout Lee Newton Park,
May 1st 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
36th annual Farm Days of
Yesteryear Lee New Newton
Park, September 8-12.
Freedom Wheels Ride
Veterans Memorial parking
lot only for a Jeep and motor
cycle ride on September
18 th.
Masonic annual meeting -
The Cove Waterfall on June
5th.
PHS Band on May 7th 4 - 8
p.m.
A Boys & Girls and Clubs
event on May 14th.
Continued From 1A
Sheriff Donnie Craig, left, recognized Deputy Dalton Gasaway, center, as the February
employee of the month. Craig said Gasaway, of the Uniform Patrol Division, is a model
employee who works exceptionally well with the public and “sets the bar high” for others
coming up in the ranks. Sgt. Jody Weaver praised Gasaway, noting his professionalism,
demeanor, and “servant’s heart. ” Weaver said Gasaway is one of the best law officers the
agency will see. Charlie Vickers, right, president of the Sheriff’s Foundation, presents the
award.
Sheriff Donnie Craig, right, recognized Deputy Andrea Flagg, left, as the January em
ployee of the month. Flagg, who works with the Criminal Investigation Division, was ap
plauded for “hitting the ground running” after just a few months with the agency, and for
working well with the public. Capt. John Cagle commented on her work ethic and deter
mination, citing a case he assigned to her that he didn’t think was solvable but that she
was able to crack through hard work. “She turned chicken manure into chicken salad, ”
Cagle said.
County
In other news from the
meeting:
•Chief Finance Officer
Faye Harvey reported that
auditors will be at the county
building to begin field work
on April 19. She expects to
present the 2020 audit at the
June meeting. Harvey has an
nounced she will retire after
the audit process is com
pleted.
•While it’s a ways down
the road, Tax Commissioner
Daniel Reeves said there are
talks that some driver’s li
censes services could fall
under purview of the tax
commissioner’s office in the
future. An employee of the
tax office said it was a result
of a merger between the De
partment of Driver Services
and the Department of Motor
Vehicles, and that it could
mean basic services like re
newals and address changes
could be performed there.
Reeves said he would like to
see that happen in Pickens,
but that they are waiting on
the DDS for more informa
tion.
•Planning & Development
Director Jason Kilgore re
ported his department issued
25 building permits and 30
certificates of occupancy for
March. Total revenues were
$48,642 nearly $40,000 over
last March, which saw rev
enues of just $9,072. It was
noted that March 2020 was
also when the pandemic
began to ramp up.
•Rec Director Brian Jones
said opening day for t-
ball/baseball/softball went
very well, and estimated over
1,000 people were at the
park. He thanked the staff for
their hard work to pull off the
event.
•Jones also reported the
rec center stays busy during
the day as it serves as a
COVID-19 vaccination site
for the North Georgia Health
District. The day before the
commissioners’ meeting
there were 689 vaccinations
administered at that site,
which draws people from all
over not just from Pickens
County. Jones said he saw
one car tag from Ohio.
•E-911 Center Director
Kristi Easterwood said their
new phone system has been
installed, and that employees
are learning the ropes. She
thanked commissioners for
funding the improvements.
It's Vidalia onion time
Jasper Lions
The Jasper Lions Club an
nounces the opening of their
annual Vidalia onion sale.
The price is the same as it has
been for many years - $10 for
one 10 pound bag or three 10
pound bags for $25. The
onions will be arriving in
early May fresh from Bland
Farms. Orders will be taken
from now until April 30th,
The Community Thrift
Store, on Samaritan Drive,
has reopened and are seeking
new volunteers.
They could use people
with as little as four hours to
spare.
You’ll be blessed to be
part of something that has
Pickens Young Life will
hold a sporting clay shoot on
Friday, April 16, 2021 at Gar
land Mountain Sporting
Clays, 2618 Garland Moun
tain Trail, Waleska.
Registration fees are $600
for a 4 member team; $150
for an individual registration
(individual registrants will be
Small ads
produce
big results
Progress classifieds
706-253-2457
sale kicks off
and you may order in one of
three ways:
From any member of the
Lions Club; By calling 706-
253-LION (5466) (please
leave your full name and a
phone number at which you
can be reached when the
onions arrive; By emailing
georgialions@mac.com
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.
assigned to a team).
Amenities included: One
round of sporting clay: 100
targets over 12 different sta
tions. Ammunition included.
Breakfast biscuit with coffee,
BBQ lunch, entered to win
fabulous raffle prizes.
Please bring 12 or 20-
gauge shotgun, eye wear and
ear protection. Guns, eye-
wear and ear protection are
available for rent at Garland
Mountain Sporting Clays.
Register at:
tinyurl.com/PickensYL-
ClayShoot or contact Bonnie
Carlton at 678-451-2614;
bonnievcarlton@gmail.com
Free English
classes continue
on Zoom
The 2020-2021 school
year for English classes is
continuing to meet safely
during the Covid-19 pan
demic. 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 ac
commodate those who work
during the day. For a link,
please call 706-692-0707.
Weight Loss Group
Choose to Lose - Weight
loss group meets at the Pick
ens County Community Cen
ter Room #1 every Friday
morning. Weigh in time is be
tween 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
Meeting runs from 9:30 a.m.
to 10:30 a.m. No charge. Call
Pat Groves for more informa
tion 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 Cor
nerstone Church, 140 Cor
nerstone Dr., Jasper, Ga.
30143.
All ages welcome and you
don't have to be a member to
attend. For more information
contact Chris Paire, cptxag-
gie@yahoo.com, 678-770-
0118.
Volunteer at Thrift Store
Pickens County Young Life
Sporting Clay Shoot April 16
LIHEAP Cooling program
for Homebound & Elderly
households available
Continued From 1A
Collision
Homebound/Elderly
households can call the North
Georgia Community Action
office starting April 1, 2021
to get on the list for Cooling
Assistance. Our office is still
closed to the public due to
Covid-19 so applications will
be completed by phone inter
views. Clients will need to
email, fax, snail mail or
hand-deliver (there's a mail
slot in our front door now) re
quired documents. Call-ins
prior to April 1 to get on the
list will not be accepted.
In order to get an appoint
ment, clients must call in and
speak to a staff member. VM
messages will not be returned
due to the volume of calls re
ceived.
Old Tate Gym
There will be no rentals
until the pandemic is over at
the Old Tate Gym. If you
have already made a reserva
tion please call 706-253-
6245 to make other
arrangements.
The trooper said Lusk, the
driver of the Ford Ranger,
was “found to be under the
influence of drugs.” Both
drivers suffered serious in
juries and were lifeflighted to
Kennestone Hospital.
Warrants have been taken
out for Lusk who will be ar
rested when she leaves the
hospital. She is charged with
driving under the influence,
serious injury by vehicle, and
possession of marijuana less
than an ounce.
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