Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. AUGUST 11.2022
County hopeful repairs on Cove, Grandview will begin soon
Right-of-way clearing in west end, other updates from commissioners meeting
Pickens Tax Commissioner Daniel Reeves recognized
Kelly Wells as their employee of the quarter. Employees are
selected based on productivity, customer service, etc. “We’ve
done all of that to ensure good customer sendee, ” Reeves
said. “She takes initiative do things that are not part of the
normal job description. ” Wells, who has worked in the office
around a year, has won the last two quarters.
Pickens Commissioners recognized Jacob Edwards for 10 years of service. “Jacob, following in the footsteps of his
father, has been in fire service most his life. ” (l-r) Commissioner Josh Tippetts, Public Safety Director Sloan Elrod,
Jacob Edwards, Fire Chief Tim Prather, Commissioners Kris Stancil and Josh Tatum.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
The county is hopeful that
paving and repairs on Cove
Road will begin between Au
gust 16 and August 20.
“The bids were put out a
long time ago and because of
supply with all the other is
sues that’s been going on
[Pickens Road Department
Director Kirk Anderson] has
been going back and forth
with our contractors,” said
Pickens Commission Chair
Kris Stancil.
Anderson told the board
that he has been in close con
tact with the contractors and
“I talked very plainly with
them and that I’m tired of it
getting pushed back and
pushed back, so hopefully
this is our set in stone date on
Cove Road,” he said.
Contractors told Anderson
that paving on Grandview
Road should begin soon after
the Cove Road project is
complete.
“That sounded kind of
vague to me so that worried
me a little bit,” he said, “but
we’ve got a date in Septem
ber they are required to be
done and we’re intending to
hold their feet to the fire be
cause they have wasted a lot
of time in my opinion.”
Anderson also reported
that they were preparing to
put down chip seal on Talc
Mine Road the week of Au
gust 8.
“We’re really excited
about that,” he said. “We’re
going to try to get as much
done on the other end to get
that end paved this year be
fore the weather sets in.”
Some areas like Twin
Mountain Lakes Circle they
have dug up bad spots in the
road and filled with gravel,
and Anderson noted that they
will return to chip seal those
areas.
Right of Way clearing in
Jerusalem area
This week some west end
residents will see county
crews clearing right of ways,
which will allow them to ac
cess utilities easier and
quicker in emergency situa
tion.
“Our waterline is proba
bly 20, 30, to 40 feet off the
road on every road just about
over on the west end, in what
we call the holy land over off
Jerusalem Church Road and
Henderson Mountain
(Road),” Dean said, noting
that crews were expected to
begin August 8. “That way if
we have a problem we don’t
spend two to three days try
ing to clear it and find it,” he
said.
Dean also reported that
beginning Tuesday, Aug. 9
the county will begin running
pipe on Longswamp Church
Road to the church.
“It will probably take us a
couple weeks to do that,
maybe a month because we
do have to pull off and main
tain our system,” he said.
The department is waiting
on EPD approval to tie on
Mullinax Road and Gibson
Trail to Hill City Road and
create a loop.
“We’ve got materials for
both jobs,” he said. “Once we
get done with Longswamp
hopefully Matthews will be
ready and we just jump
straight in.”
Other news from
commissioners:
•Commissioners voted to
change mileage reimburse
ment for employees to match
the rate set by the state ac
counting office. The vote
changed the county’s reim
bursement from 57.5 cents
per miles to 62.5 cents per
miles.
•The Pickens Recreation
Department will host football
games at Dragon Stadium on
August 27, September 17 and
24, and October 1, 8 and 29.
Pickens Rec. Director Brian
Jones said the games will be
a combination of youth and
flag football, including one
girls’ flag football team.
•Jones reported that sup
ply chain issues have held up
SPLOST-funded improve
ments to lighting at Roper
Park field. “Hopefully with
August and September you’ll
start seeing them out there
dropping off equipment to
start putting in the lighting
structures.”
•Pickens Recycling Direc
tor Kenny Woodward re
ported that in June the two
recycling centers took in 214
tons of trash and in July they
took in 219 tons. For July
that equals 14,500 bags of
trash. They also took in 124
mattresses, 139 tires, 113
pieces of furniture. For June
and July they shipped out
251,000 pounds of recy-
clables.
•Pickens Tax Assessor
Roy Dobbs thanked the Pick
ens Sheriff’s Office for their
presence at Hill City Elemen
tary School during mornings.
“It’s greatly appreciated. I
hope that people learn some
lessons because sometimes
people coming in from other
counties are in a real hurry to
get to wherever they’re
going. So atta boy, atta girl.
We appreciate it.”
•Planning & Development
Director Wes Frye said his
department has not “seen the
slowdown,” he said. “A lot of
my counterparts told me they
have dropped off in permit
ting, but we seem to be okay.
I guess we’re in a pretty good
spot to be in.”
He reported 51 building
permits, 15 site builds, five
mobile homes, 22 miscella
neous, two commercial, 12
plat approvals and 75 busi
ness renewals.
Sheriff’s Office Recognitions
The Pickens Sheriff’s Of
fice recognized employees of
the month for May, June and
July.
The employee of the
month for May is Sgt. Steven
Lewiki, who went above the
call of duty when he stayed
overnight to comfort an eld
erly woman whose son died
in their home.
He originally responded to
a death in a residence, but the
funeral service from out-of
county would not able to
come until the next morning.
“Sgt. Lewiki didn’t want the
mother to stay there by her
self with her son so he stayed
there and comforted her the
rest of the night until his
body could be removed,”
said Pickens Sheriff’s Major
Mitch Yeargin.
Sgt. Jody Weaver, super
visor of court services, was
recognized for “the excep
tional work he does day to
day,” and was named June
employee of the month. “If
you go into court services
you’ll see his smiling face,
always positive attitude.”
Lawson Self Storage
Al Lawson
Office 706-253-1188
Cell 770-893-7221
1188 Talking Rock Rd
Jasper, GA 30143
allawson3@gmail.com
Consigning ‘Women^jf
“A Unique Consignment Shop"
50% Ofa
Summit (frtetvuzvice Sale
fat t&e entire eptont/i f4ccyu&t
I •
Browse our racks
Women’s Clothing, Plus Sizes, Formal Wear,
Purses, Shoes, and Jewelry
706-253-6905 • 540 N. Main Street • Jasper
Hours: Wed 11-5, Thurs 11-4, Fri & Sat 11-5
• QE7W
raw
SLIM 9MM PISTOL
SHIELD2.0
9mm
3.1” Barrel
13+1 Cap
$359.95
.223/5.56 RIHE!
) Smith & Wesson
M&P Sportll
16” Barrel
Adi. stock
30-Rnd Mag
$769.95
.'iii'.'iiiMi.'itgr
Sheriff’s office recognizes employees (L-R) Major
Shane Padgett, Pickens Sheriff Auxiliary President Charlie
Vickers, Miranda McDowell, Sgt. Jody Weaver, Sgt. Steven
Lewiki, and Major Mitch Yeargin.
Weaver’s supervisor has also
been out with issues and he
has taken on extra responsi
bility.
Miranda McDowell was
recognized as July employee
of the month. McDowell is
an executive assistant. “She
takes on so much more,”
Major Yeargin said. “There’s
some new extra duties she’s
taken on and works hard
every day. Positive, and al
ways bouncing up and down
the hall.”
Bryan Lawrence
Email: Bryan@Iaithturf.com
LANDSCAPING DESIGN & INSTALLATION
FERTILIZATION • WEED CONTROL
LAWN MAINTENANCE • DEBRIS CLEANUPS & MORE!
www.Fai th Turf, com
770-490-2795
Transportation
for veterans
The Fannin DAV
Chapter 28 van transports
veterans to the Atlanta VA
Medical Center for free.
The van’s first pickup is at
the Fannin County Veter
ans Conference Center in
Blue Ridge and stops in
Ellijay, Jasper, Canton
and Woodstock. Call John
Bailey at 706-851-5204
for more information.
Volunteer van drivers are
needed.
Learn taxes.
Earn $$$.
Visit hrblock.com/BeAPro
H&R
BLOCK
675 NOAH DR,
STE104
JASPER, GA 30143
706-692-3178