Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current, November 10, 2022, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextThursday, November 10, 2022 | Volume 135 Number 30 | Jasper, Georgia | 26 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1-00 County to move $3.6 Million to SPLOST to square accounts following audit Former administration responds See full response on page 11A By Dan Pool, Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com Pickens County Commissioners will move $3.6 million from their fund balance reserves to their sales tax capitol fund (SPLOST) to correct previous accounting mistakes in volving state paving grants, and also eliminate another $723,000 line item asset regarding their health insur ance plan, also due to incorrect ac counting in previous years. The county presentation at a called meeting Thursday pointedly criticized the former administration for using the same auditing firm for eight years, when the local code pro hibits any company being used more than four consecutive years. At the called meeting, commis sioners heard first an audit presenta tion from Samuel Latimer of Rushton and Company who gave a positive report of the county’s fi nances, saying that all Georgia gov ernments are seeing a tremendous increase in revenue and also a finan cial boost from federal rescue dollars still trickling down. Latimer noted the issues involv ing the LMIG and the misclassified health insurance asset saying, “these things happen” particularly in the See Audit on 11A Material Adjustments and Findings From the FY- 2021 Audit Three Inherited Problems O $4.3M Loss in the General Operating Fund © Defective Financial Controls and Processes © Audits Prohibited by Law A slide from the county’s presentation at a called meeting last week. Where property taxes come from By Alex Goble Staff Writer agoble@pickensprogress.com There were questions raised in a recent town hall meeting as to what contribu tion certain areas of the county make to county and school taxes, especially in the case of Big Canoe. The topic was raised during dis cussions over the sewage sit uation at the IGA shopping center, with some residents commenting they were told Big Canoe’s property tax contribution was as high as 20% to 25% of the total property taxes in Pickens County. According to numbers from the Pickens County As sessors Office, Big Canoe contributed 13.36% of all property taxes in the county for 2022. Keep in mind that about half of Big Canoe is not located in Pickens County as the gated commu nity crosses into Dawson County. Overall, unincorporated Pickens, which includes everything other than Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock, makes up 84.79% of the tax base and has been boosted by See Tax on 11A Chugga chugga choo choo Model railroad rolls into Tate Depot station Photos/Angela Reinhardt Big Canoe resident Bill Gibson, right, donated his private model railroad to the Tate Depot Train Society, which will now maintain and oversee it. The railroad was recently relocated to the historic Tate Depot. Gibson speaks with Rob James, a member of the Tate Depot Train Society during a recent open house. By Angela Reinhardt Staff Writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com The mood was one of re laxed excitement and pride at the Tate Depot during a preview of the expansive model railroad now on dis play there. Bill Gibson, who along with his wife Susan recently donated the set to the Tate Depot Train Society, was on site to discuss intricacies of the model. Attendees in cluded present and former commissioners, members of the newly-formed train soci ety, and other guests. The model is located in what’s called the “freight area” of the depot, which has been designed to show case the museum-quality piece. A photographic panorama backdrop of local scenery was created by a professional from out-of- state, and it and the railroad See Train on 11A A local man's tragic ordeal as a WWII Japanese POW Photo courtesy of the US Naval History and Heritage Command. On October 24, 1944, C. W. Owenby was one of the 1,782 American POWs crammed into the holds of the Ari son Maru. The transport vessel sank after being struck by torpedoes from the USS Shark submarine. Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy rescued Japanese crewmen, but abandoned the Americans to their fate. Jasper’s man of many hats retires Council recognizes Lonnie Waters for dedicated service The city of Jasper’s go-to employee Lonnie Waters was recognized by the mayor and council for many years of service. (L-R) Council members Kirk Raffield, John Foust, and Sonny Proctor, Lonnie Waters, council members Anne Sneve, Jim Looney, and Jasper Mayor Steve Lawrence. This Veterans Day tribute is in honor of all of those who served and sacrificed By Larry Cavender Progress Contributor The Japanese surprise at tack on Pearl Harbor was a shocking blow that resulted in America being thrust into the growing global conflict that became World War II. In the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it was a "dastardly" attack and the "Day of Infamy," of course, is famously known. Yet, December 7th, 1941, was only the initial attack in what was a more far-reach ing and coordinated offen sive in Imperial Japan's efforts to control the Pacific. On that same day, just a few hours later, the prize ter ritorial possession of the United States, the Philip pines, was also attacked. Within just three days, the U. S. territories of Guam and Wake Island were also in vaded. Guam quickly fell on December 10th, but thanks to the heroic efforts of U. S. Marines, Wake endured for two weeks before falling on December 23rd. Only the day before the fall of Wake, General Douglas MacArthur declared the Philippine cap ital of Manila an "open city" and retreated to the Bataan Peninsula to reorganize the American and Filipino de fenders of that multi-island country. The situation in the Philippines soon became so dire that President Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to flee to Australia, which he did on March 11th, 1942. However, before he left, MacArthur vowed, "I will return!" Now under the command of Gen eral Jonathan Wainwright, the remaining Americans, along with their Filipino all See Veteran on 8A By Angela Reinhardt Staff Writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com The name Lonnie Waters has become more or less synonymous with the city of Jasper, where he has worked in a variety of roles over the last 17 years. At council’s Monday, Nov. 7 meeting, the man with a personality as big as his imposing stature was recognized for hard work and dedication to the city, and to the commu nity at-large. Waters is currently the city’s planning and zoning director, but has worked as animal control officer and in many other positions as the city’s go-to employee over the years. In the meeting’s opening prayer, retired preacher Max Caylor thanked all city em ployees for their service, but said, “Especially tonight we thank you for Lonnie Waters and 17 years of faithful serv ice to the city, whether it’s catching dogs or running down cats or doing rezon ing, we thank you for his See Waters on 11A Election See Pickens County’s election results online ******** www.pickensprogress.com Veterans Day Friday, November 11 Veterans Day Parade 10 a. m. Jasper Main Street Ceremony 11 a.m. Lee Newton Park (Subject to change depending on weather) Obituaries - 10A Charles Everett Claude Burden III Dorothy Rubisch Harold Brown Nellie Huston Rose Lauritsen Thomas Spence Contact Us 94 North Main Street Jasper, Ga. 30143 706-253-2457 pickensprogress.com Open for business during these hours: Mon-Thurs, 9-5, and Fri, 9-4:30 $1.00 per copy o

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Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current, November 10, 2022, Image 1