Newspaper Page Text
Tuesday, March 30,2021 ®jje Im'altr <©a?£tte 3A
Vickie Smith resigns post
on Milner City Council
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
In a last-minute ad
dress to the Milner City
Council last week, Dr.
Vickie W. Smith resigned
as a member
of the coun
cil. She was
elected last
year, and the
resignation
came as a
surprise to
most of those present.
She said in her res
ignation letter that “life
circumstances have
changed,” and neces
sitated a move to be
SMITH
nearer to several family
members. Smith, a native
of Rome, Ga., has been a
resident of Lamar County
for 40 years and Milner
for 29 years. She and her
husband Richard have
two children, Wil and
Hannah, and three grand
children.
Smith received de
grees including an AA in
business from Gordon
College; BA in Middle
Grades Education from
Mercer University; M.Ed
in school counseling,
and doctorate in educa
tion from University of
West Georgia, comprising
school improvement and
educational leadership.
She served in various
positions in Pike County
public schools and was
school administrator/
principal at Pike County
MS and Zebulon High
School.
Smith also served on
the Milner Downtown
Development Authority
from 2008 to 2019. In her
parting letter, she said
the resignation is “with
regret,” and she hopes
her efforts have been of
value to the city.
“I sincerely appreciate
the opportunity to serve
my friends and neigh
bors,” Smith concluded.
Two tax breaks for seniors
rejected by Milner council
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
During his report at
the end of last week’s
Milner council meeting,
mayor Andy Marlowe
asked for motions to ap
prove two separate city
discounts for persons
over 65.
The first query pro
posed a 50 percent dis
count on property taxes
for seniors. Marlowe said
the 50 percent could be
a “break on the assess
ment.” That motion died
for lack of a second.
Attorney Scott Mayfield
advised that such an
action might require a
charter amendment.
Council members
George Weldon and
Vickie Smith commented
that research would be
needed for actual data on
how the breaks would im
pact the city’s revenue. A
second request from the
mayor, to lower water/
sewer deposits from $100
to $50 for seniors, and ac
tivation fees be dropped
from $30 to $15 for
MARLOWE
WELDON
the senior age group, did
not get a motion.
City administrator
Tausha Grose com
mented that deposits
are returned unless the
customer left owing the
city money.
“We need to lay a
groundwork now to de
termine when we might
pull taxes back,” she
said, adding that the city
needs to concentrate on
“making informed deci
sions” because of past
mistakes that impact the
city now.
In other action, the
council:
• Did not make ap
pointments to the plan
ning and zoning commis
sion and the Downtown
Development Authority
for lack of volunteers.
• Heard a report that
paperwork necessary for
the city’s ownership of
SMITH
GROSE
the Milner Community
Library is not completed
yet.
• Asked several ques
tions of Grose about line
items in the city’s budget.
• Approved a nuisance
ordinance and a storm
water management ordi
nance (state standards)
on first readings.
• Heard a proposal
from Grose to transfer
water and sewer billing
to the city from Barnes-
ville.
• Heard a police report
showing 411 hours on
duty and 261 on call, 13
calls, four accidents, 11
assists to other agencies,
52 traffic stops result
ing in 38 warnings and
28 citations, two misde
meanor arrests, no felo
nies, 318 citizen contacts,
427 building checks and
a total of 1,987 miles on
patrol.
Travis Ball back in jail after
allegedly sending threatening letters
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
Travis Leroy Ball, who
was convicted in 2017 for
mailing letters purported
to contain anthrax to
multiple locations, was
arrested last week on
similar charges. Ball was
released from custody
late last year after serv
ing time on the 2017
charges.
On March 23, U.S.
Marshals assisted by
deputies from Lamar,
Butts and Jones counties
raided Ball’s home on
Hwy. 41 here and arrest
ed him without incident.
He is charged with
multiple counts of ter
roristic threats
and acts after
allegedly mailing
letters threat
ening to blow
up the Jones
County Sher
iff’s Office and
clerk of court’s
office threaten
ing to blow up
buildings. Both letters
contained a powdery
substance Ball claimed
was anthrax.
Similar letters which
had not yet been mailed
were found in Ball’s
home at the time of his
arre st
In 2017, Ball was con
victed of mailing similar
letters to the Atlanta
Journal-Constitu
tion, State Bar of
Georgia and the
Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-
Day Saints.
Though
he was never
charged, Ball
was the prime
suspect in an
anthrax threat at The
Herald Gazette office on
Greenwood Street that
shut down the west side
of Barnesville for five
hours. He was also con
victed of arson in Upson
County and suspected of
multiple arson fires here
in Lamar County.
Ball is being held in
the Jones County jail.
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THE HERALD GAZETTE/RACHEL MCDANIEL
Gilbert Stoupe gives blood at First United Methodist Church on March 25.
Blood drive surpasses goal
Local donors
helped exceed
the goal for
blood donations
at the March 25
American Red
Cross blood drive
hosted by the
Barnesville Rotary Club
at First United Method
ist Church. The goal was
56 units but almost 80
donors showed up at the
drive and 67 units
of blood were col
lected.
“We did much
better than our
goal,” said Charles
Glass.
The Red Cross
has reported a severe
shortage of blood due
to the global pandemic.
Each donor is tested for
COVID-19 antibodies and
those who have had CO-
V1D or received the vac
cine are encouraged to
donate blood. Red Cross
personnel will need to
know which vaccine
blood donors received.
Last March, the local
drive collected 61 units
and in January, 53 units
were collected at the
Rotary Club sponsored
blood drive.
^=- ^rftnlr
VOTE! |
Paul Kunst
for
Chief Magistrate Judge
Your choice matters!
• Lamar County High School Graduate
• Gordon College Graduate
• University of Georgia Graduate
• A John Marshall Law School Graduate, with honors
• Practicing attorney in civil and criminal cases
• Self-made local business owner for nearly 25 years
• The ONLY self-made businessman and practicing attorney in this race!
The right training. The right experience.
The right choice for Lamar County.
Make your choice known at the polls!
Early voting April 5-9! Election day is April 13!
^ftrili
THE NEXT TOWALIGA CASA
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the
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barnesville.com
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770.358.NEWS (6397)