Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, June 15, 2023 | Volume 136
Number 9 | Jasper, Georgia | 18 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1-00
Residents in uproar over water bill charges
City says no customers charged more than actual usage
photo/Angela Reinhardt
One of the city’s new digital
water meters which shows cus
tomers’ real-time usage.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Some Jasper residents were
blindsided when they received their
recent water bills, which were signif
icantly higher than normal. Their lat
est bills included charges for water
usage that had not been billed to
them after new digital meters were
installed.
According to city officials, after
the old meters were replaced by the
new digital meters their software
system miscalculated usage as lower
than normal and customers were not
charged what they should have been.
Assistant City Manager Kim
Goldener said, ‘‘Customers have not
been billed for more water than what
has registered through their meters”
despite the recent higher bills.
One customer, Heather Williams,
told the Progress that after several
months of being charged $35 her bill
spiked to nearly $400. Prior to the
$35 bills, her standard bill was
around $80. She said even if she had
been charged the $80 a month for the
months she was charged $35, her
bills would have been nearly $150
less than what she was charged.
“There are ways the city could
have handled this better,” she said.
“There was no note in the bill, noth
ing. I can’t afford this at one time; I
have five kids. The city didn’t do
their job and could have at least
communicated better so we can pre
pare ourselves.”
Williams believes the city should
have absorbed the back charges be
cause they made a mistake and “did
n’t do their job.” Communication
between Williams and the city shows
that she was told her increase was
due to a water leak and that the city
would work with her on a water leak
adjustment to her bill. Williams re
placed toilet flaps and the city made
a cost adjustment.
But the Jasper resident doesn’t
believe she had a leak.
“I believe my bill was that high
because they were not reading the
meters..,” she said. “When they took
the old meters out, they should’ve
been able to see if there was a leak
then and they did not notify me.”
Several upset city water cus
tomers like Williams posted images
of their bills on social media, which
includes the back charges. Com
plaints expressed were similar to
Williams.
The assistant city manager went
into more detail about what created
water bills See Water Bills on 9A
More than 1,500 enjoy big day at airport
By Max Caylor, Contributing Writer
A surprisingly large crowd, estimated to be at least
1,500 people and possibly as many 2,000, attended
the new terminal Ground Breaking and Veteran's Ap
preciation Day Saturday at the Pickens Airport.
The festivities began with a ceremonial ground
breaking for the new terminal building, using 35 gold
shovels and commissioners, airport staff and authority
members in the photo with other dignitaries.
The day featured a military helicopter; the Falcon
Squadron of eight planes from Peachtree City did an
pnoto/Max Caylor
air show and an A-10 Thunderbolt II flew in from
Moody Air Force Base to highlight the day.
The patriotic day event was organized by the Air
port Authority and orchestrated by Rolf Soderberg of
the North Georgia Veterans of Big Canoe.
Commission Chair Kris Stancil said he was
amazed by the number of people who turned out and
hung around for much of the day to view and get rides
in some of the aircrafts. He said this marked a real
success for the airport.
See a photo gallery on Page 8B.
The
Sood Vibes
Photo/Eli Galligan
PICKLEBALL POWER - Advanced Players (l-r) Roger Garrison, Amy Bowman, Hugh Stephens, Kristy
Coleman, Hans Rueffert, Fabrizio Tapia, Dale Shipley, Bob Coleman, Peter Jennings. Numerous opportu
nities for players of all levels are available at the Pickens Recreation Center.
Former beer
and wine
secretary
arrested for
pocketing
payments
Missing funds total
hundreds, not
thousands, says
commission chair
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
The former secretary of the
county’s beer and wine board has
been charged with two felonies by
the Pickens Sheriff’s Office for
pocketing a portion of the monthly
excise tax paid by a local restaurant
for their sales of liquor by the drink
on several occasions.
Investigator Taylor Cantrell of
the Pickens Sheriff Office stated in
the warrant filed in superior court on
June 9 that Linda M. Casey, who had
worked as secretary for the beer and
wine board since 2016, told Sour-
wood restaurant their payments
should be made in cash.
“So, each month the calculations
of excise owed to Pickens County
were made and documented on the
county form, and the cash payment
was delivered to Casey to be
processed,” the affidavit attached to
the warrant stated.
The warrant stated approximately
$750 was taken by Casey during a
period beginning in late 2021
through the end of 2022.
The warrant said Casey altered
calculations and amounts on the
form in September of2022, allowing
her to take a portion of the payment
and spend for personal use, which
added a charge of forgery. The
charges are felonies in this case as
Casey was a government official,
not for the amount of money taken.
See Beer & Wine on 9A
CELEBRATION
* »■ JT Annual ft ■* *
* JASPER *
* LIONS CLUB *
* CARNIVAL +
July 4th
festivities
planned
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Planning is in full swing for the
Jasper Lion’s Club’s Fourth of July
celebration, with festivities on Tues
day, July 4th to kick-off with the
popular parade down Main Street.
See July 4th Plans on 9A
By Eli Galligan
Intern Reporter
intern@pickensprogress.com
Did you know that pickleball is
the most frequent Google search for
people looking for new homes? Not
only is it a social sport, but it’s easy
on the joints and body. These are all
reasons why Georgia North District
Pickleball Ambassador Bob Cole
man believes you should get in
volved with pickleball.
Across between tennis and ping-
pong, pickleball is played by 2-4
players who use solid paddles to hit
a hollow ball across a net. Pickleball
is a highly unique sport with distinct
rides that characterize it.
Bob and Kristy Coleman are
United States of America Pickleball
Association (USAPA) ambassadors,
whose job is to promote the sport
within their jurisdictions. The Cole
mans host clinics and welcome
players of all skills to practice and
train with them.
There are a multitude of oppor
tunities to get involved with the
sport locally. For example, the Pick
ens Pickleball group has over 264
members from Pickens and adjacent
counties. The Pickens County
Recreation Department and Bent
Tree Tennis and Pickleball Center
also host practices and a variety of
clinics for beginners.
Although pickleball has been
around for 58 years, Bob discussed
how the sport recently began to gain
traction in the last decade or so.
“It is largely viewed as an old
person’s sport,” Coleman said.
While many older people enjoy
the sport because of its unique
health benefits, an increase in
younger athletes’ interest in the
sport is largely responsible for the
explosion in pickleball numbers.
“People are beginning to see how
fun it is,” Bob said.
Because tennis and other sports
are often brutal for joints, pickleball
offers a great cardio alternative. Bob
and Kristy also speak on the way
pickleball serves older athletes and
those with chronic health issues,
highlighting Hans Rueffert’s story.
As a gastric cancer survivor, the
sport has allowed him to stay active
in a way that is easier on the body.
“It’s the highlight of my week,”
Rueffert said.
Pickleball games typically last
between 15-17 minutes, allowing
teammates to bond and participate
without an all day event.
“It’s much less of a time commit
ment. People like it because it does
n't take so long,” said Pickleball
ambassador, Kristy Coleman.
See Pickleball on 9A
Entertainment
Downtown
Live concerts
keep packing
Main Street
See photos
Page 2A
Road Safety
Drivers ed.
classes
return to
Pickens High
Page 6B
Law & Order
Cash &
lottery tickets
stolen after
yard sale
Page 5A
Obituaries 8A
• Ryan
Blasingame
• Nancy Fisler
• Charles Ruby
• Shawn Scholl
• Linda Tinsley
Contact Us
94 North Main Street
Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
pickensprogress.com
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