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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 $1.00 per copy 4879 08163" o