Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 14. 2023 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7A
Continued From 1A
Continued From 1A
Stabbing
pened at the bar, and she said
he had to kick Mulkey out of
the apartment because of his
erratic behavior, which she
attributed to him detoxing
from kratom the previous
three weeks. She said
Mulkey had no friends and
nowhere to go and lived in
the woods when he wasn’t at
her apartment, the report
states.
According to the DEA
website, kratom is a tropical
Continued From 1A
Condemn
ity lines.
“The condemnation
process is a method that al
lows for the city to obtain the
required title to the specific
area we will be using for the
new force main construction,
while ensuring the Conser
vancy is not potentially vio
lating any of the conservation
use conditions tied to the par
cel,” said Goldener.
The city filed the paper
work on August 4 and re
ceived title to use the specific
area needed for construction,
according to Goldener, as
well as temporary construc
tion easements and a perpet
ual use easement on August
16.
As part of the expansion,
which is now underway, the
city has plans to run new
sewer lines from the facility
to Long Swamp Creek near
Continued From 1A
Planning
fees
ing and current fees are not
keeping pace with the cost.
Currently, the fee for any
commercial project plans is
$300. When they had a
65,000 square foot facility’s
plans submitted recently, the
county lost money by doing
this work.
Stancil said, “As a whole
planning and development is
doing fine [operating overall
with positive revenue] and is
not designed to be revenue
generating,” Stancil said.
“But we’re trying to make
sure we stay in line with the
costs. The plan is to adjust on
big developments, not on the
citizen trying to build a
home. We don’t want to im
pact citizens negatively.”
He added they are also
going to be sure they don’t
raise fees that would hamper
a small business trying to
open.
Last week’s meeting was
the first time the proposed in
creased fees had been pre
sented to all three
commissioners. They will
now take two weeks for Stan
cil, and commissioners Josh
Tippens and Josh Tatum to
study them and ask questions
of the planning office em
ployees, then put it on a later
agenda for action.
Commissioner Tippens
said it was obvious a lot of
work had gone into the pro
posed changes.
In other news:
• Summer paving be
coming October paving
The county did everything
possible to see paving on the
busy routes of Cove and
Jerusalem Church roads, plus
some smaller streets, was set
during the summer months
when kids are out of school
tree native to Southeast Asia
and consumption of it pro
duces both stimulant effects
(in low doses) and sedative
effects (in high doses), and
can lead to psychotic symp
toms, and psychological and
physiological dependence.
The next morning an offi
cer received a tip in reference
to a suspicious person in the
Chimney Rock area. Upon
arrival, officers found the
suspicious person to be the
suspect from the assault the
night before, according to a
Lake Lure Police press re
lease. When officers served
Mulkey with the warrant he
told them “that’s not the knife
I stabbed him with,” accord
ing to the report. He told of
ficers he threw it down a
storm drain.
The victim believes
Mulkey used a black tactical
blade to stab him with.
Mulkey was arrested and
transported to the Rutherford
County Detention Center on
Sept. 3.
Rutherford County Deten
tion Center records show that
Mulkey is charged with: Re
sisting a Public Officer
($2,500 bond),
Extradition/Fugitive Other
State ($50,000 bond), Carry
ing Concealed Weapon
($75,000 bond), and Assault
With Deadly Weapon Inflict
ing Serious Injury ($75,000
bond).
Jasper Police Chief
Dawkins said at some point
he will have to be extradited
to Pickens County, but that
decisions regarding the case
would be made by the re
spective DA offices in Geor
gia and North Carolina.
City Council
the bridge on Cove Road.
Treated wastewater, or “ef
fluent,” will be discharged
into Long Swamp instead of
Polecat Creek when the proj
ect is complete.
The expansion project
will double the plant’s treat
ment capacity from 800,000
gallons a day to 1.56 million
gallons a day. The project
began in March of this year
and is expected to be com
pleted by October 2024. Proj
ect cost is over $18 million.
Of that, $2,977 million is a
U.S.D.A. grant and the re
maining amount will be fi
nanced by the city.
Three county employees recog
nized for having served 10 years.
Chris Holt, 10 years as the Veteran’s
Court Coordinator - Judge Brenda
Weaver commended him, via a written
statement, as “exemplary” always doing
a great job with this court and other ac
countability courts and for the courts in
general. She noted he is always thinking
ahead for the needs of participants in the
courts and questions that judges may
have.
Detective James Wigington has served
10 years with the sheriff’s office, working
up through the ranks to a detective posi
tion. Commissioner Stancil, who formerly
worked with the sheriff’s office, said Det.
Wigington deserved praise for his work
there.
Speaking of both Holt and Wigington
in the law enforcement side, Stancil said
that 10 years seems more like 70 -- “It’s
like dog years.”
Karen Wheeler, payroll director, was
commended for her work over the past 10
years. Stancil said she goes way beyond
her set duties to handle decorations, land
scaping and catering and many other
things she sees “to make the office better.”
They are pictured (1-r) Commissioner
Tippens, Wheeler, Commissioner Tatum,
Holt, Wigington, Commissioner Stancil.
Photo/Angela Reinhardt
Huston Adams and Erica Schrader were sworn in as of
ficers with the Jasper Police Department.
Map/Qpublic
The highlighted parcel is under a conservation easement, which limits the ability of
property owners to grant easement rights. The city has initiated eminent domain to gain
construction and perpetual use easements.
accessories/merchandise.
Less than 40 percent of rev
enue can be from sales of
consumption on the prem
ises.
Lead water lines to be
surveyed as part of federal
requirement
The city is preparing to
create a mandated lead line
service line inventory that all
water systems are required to
submit to the U.S. Environ
mental Protection Agency
(EPA) by October 16,2024.
The project required cities
to identify lead pipes in their
service delivery area, and is a
result of the Biden-Harris
Lead Pipe and Paint Action
Plan that aims to replace all
lead pipes in the country by
2031.
The city of Jasper has re
ceived a $63,525 grant from
the Georgia Environmental
Finance Authority for the
project, but Assistant City
Manager Kim Goldener said
the project could exceed that
amount, up to around
$357,000. Council discussed
funding strategies for the un
funded mandate.
(GEFA) awarded
$18,703,480 in grant funding
to 204 communities through
out the state for lead service
line inventory projects.
In other news:
•The city increased its
public utility franchise fee
from 3 percent to 5 percent,
which is the maximum
amount allowed by the state.
This fee would apply to
phone, power, cable, and nat
ural gas companies.
•A proclamation was
signed for Home Depot Day
on September 18. Home
Depot Jasper donated materi
als and labor for upgrades to
the Jasper Fire Station. The
local store assisted with new
flooring, relocating the fire
chief’s office, and building
private sleeping quarters for
on-shift staff.
* «HWB \
G0M®
* *
SEMI-AUTO 51)6
RADICAL
FIREARMS
©
RADICAL RF15
.223/5.56
16” barrel
36-Round Mag
$39095
iaainna
EC9S
9mm
3.12” Barrel
12-Rnd Cap
$25095
and traffic is slower.
But, alas, Mother Nature
had other plans. And it looks
like summer paving will be
October paving, according to
Public Works Director Kirk
Anderson. He said the proj
ects, which will be done
under state grants by a con
tractor, are now set to start on
Cove and Jerusalem Church
in October and last about four
to six weeks. It’s possible
they will work some at night
to avoid traffic disruptions
but that is not set for sure.
It was also discussed how
All Computer Services & Repairs
On-Site Service Home or Office!
/ Viruses, Pop ups, & Spywajj
/ Computer Repair & Parts
/ Custom Build Newi^JSsed Computers
/ Software Installation & Upgrades
/ Network Solutions, Setup & Security
ears Experience
& Associates
Serving All of North Georgia
706-301-9148
24 hours a day - 7 days a week
the commissioners have had
a good deal of questions
about the patching job on
Highway 53 but that state
route is not under county
control.
In later comments, Stancil
elaborated that a contractor
for the state had finished
some patching work between
Hill City and Mullinax roads.
He said he was not sure why
they only worked in that area
but he has reiterated to Ga.
DOT personnel that more
work along the route is
needed.
In general comments:
• Several officials said the
public response to the town
hall last week on recreation
had been very positive with a
lot of good input. Commis
sioners will meet with the
parks and recreation advisory
board this week to begin for
mulating a plan to improve
the parks.
• Chief Tax Appraiser Roy
Dobbs commended all who
worked on Sheriff’s JeepFest
last weekend. “It made me
proud to be from Pickens
County,” he said.
22IR AMMO 500RndS $29
ESTATE SALE
181 WALLY'S LANE, TALKING ROCK, GEORGIA 30175
SEPTEMBER 22ND AND 23RD, 8:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M.
SEPTEMBER 24TH, 9:00 A.M. TO 12:00 P.M.
Please make plans to join us in Talking Rock, Georgia
for this quality estate sale!!
Antiques, Art, Dishes, Furniture, Jewelry, Pottery, Home Decor,
Baseball Cards, Yard Tools, Mechanic Tools
and Collectibles galore!!
Sunday Sales will be discounted.
Contact (706) 692-5723 for more information.
Cash Only!!