Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 3A
Riley Nuce remembered at Heritage Heart and Sole 5K
Despite having been
sent on the wrong route
and adding extra length
to his run, Riley Nuce
won first place overall
last year at the first ever
Heritage Heart and Sole
5K to benefit Heritage
Pregnancy Center. His
best friend Reece Pasley
was on his heels and
finished in second place.
Tragically, Riley died in
an accident in March
2021.
This year, Heritage
Pregnancy Center will
have a memorial table
set up for Riley and the
board Chairman will say
a few words to honor and
remember his life and
contributions to commu
nity. The race t-shirts will
have ‘In memory of Riley
Nuce, 1st place 2020, Bib
1434 retired’ on the front
of them.
Registration for the
race ends Nov. 10 and
participants can register
at runsignup.com/Race/
GA/Thomaston/Heritage-
HeartandSole5k.
“At Heritage Preg
nancy Center (HPC), our
mission is to provide
evidence-based sexual
health and parenting
education to women in a
professional, respectful,
and Christian environ
ment. Our program offers
pregnancy and parenting
education, mentoring,
baby care supplies, and
other resources that
are supportive of preg
nancy and parenting.
For women considering
an alternative parent
ing plan (e.g. adoption),
HPC offers referrals to
agencies that care for the
birthmother throughout
her pregnancy and after
the adoption placement
occurs.
“The money we raise
through fundraising
efforts like the Heritage
Heart and Sole 5K allows
us to continue providing
women in Upson, Pike
and surrounding coun
ties a safe place to talk
about pregnancy and
parenting challenges.
Our desire is to educate,
empower, and encour
age women to make
confident, life-affirming
choices when faced with
unplanned/ unwanted
pregnancies,” says the
organization’s website at
facebook.com/Heritage-
PCThomaston/.
SPECIAL PHOTO
At right, Reece Pasley (left)
and Riley Nuce finished in
first and second place in the
first ever Heritage Heart and
Sole 5K to benefit Heritage
Pregnancy Center. This
year’s event will honor Riley’s
memory with a memorial
table, special recognition on
the event shirts and special
comments the day of the
event. His shirt says, “We will
run and not grow weary.”
Lynn Strader, Brooklyn Strader (front row l-r) and Rodney and Debbie Willis showed support
for the Lady Pirates softball team on the courthouse square Oct. 27 as the team headed to the
state championship playoffs in Columbus.
Among the many supporters at the Pike County courthouse to wish the Lady Pirates well were
(front row l-r) Cash Norton, Jane Norton, Kyleigh Williams, Waylon Norton (back row l-r) Kayla
Norton, Bear Norton and Ashley Reid.
Lady Pirates fight to sixth in the
state, 24-11 season record
The Lady Pirates were support
ed by fans and community as they
headed to the state championship
Elite 8 tourney over the weekend.
“Our season came to an end
after a tough loss to a very good
Appling County team,” said head
coach Kevin Mobley. “They came
into this tournament with just one
loss. Their pitcher had only given
up two runs in two games and
we were able to score 7. In game
one, we were down 7-1 after the
top of the second and went on to
win 15-7 in five innings. This team
never gave up and battled all sea
son until the last out. I am proud
of all they have accomplished and
we will miss the nine seniors that
will move on, but we are excited
for the future as well. Great job
Lady Pirates. Your run to the top
six in the state is awesome!”
Roxanne Dilbeck, Matthew Dilbeck, Layla Dilbeck and Da-
phane Dilbeck (l-r) supported the Lady Pirates as the team
passed by the courthouse square
Showing support for #15 Austin King were (l-r) Kathy Stowers, Donnie King, Debra
King, Christy Baker and Amanda McBride.
ACCESS DENIED: Flat Shoals Bridge access blocked by rocks, driveway
FROM PAGE ONE
“But, 1 am also taxed
for my property bedded
under the flow of the
Flint River - the same as
all other adjoining river
property owners here.
This tax includes my ad
joining river property up
to the center of the chan
nel of the river. There
fore, 1 am concerned
about the nature of the
river and the lunancy
of its users claiming the
river here to be public
use,” he said. “Unlike
the complainers, 1 am
invested in the river as a
taxpayer and as a regular
river user. 1 understand
the complaints but
the complainers don’t
understand what their
complaints are about
until they understand
the rules and laws about
our wonderful Flint River.
Furthermore, because
the river is certainly not
navigable here by law;
and, it is also deemed pri
vate property by survey
ors and by law enforce
ment officials as also by
law. Others as non-river
property owners thinking
the river is public appear
ignorant of the law when
complaining about the
river here at the bridge
being a ‘public river.’
Neither common law nor
our Supreme Court ever
supported such false
narrative and misconcep
tion.”
Morgan said the coun
ty does not own the right
of way as a titled prop
erty owner to the access
ramp at the bridge. He
claims the county only
has a servitude or right
to control the right of
way for purposes of the
health, safety and welfare
of its citizens.
“Only the temporary
stopping on right of ways
for the purposes of let
ting someone off or on
the right of way is actual
ly allowed,” he said, add
ing that the county will
never declare the area as
a public boat ramp since
they would be liable for
personal injuries and
property damage. “1 have
to set the record straight
for people who think the
river is public - it is not.
According to state law,
the ‘river here is wholly
and absolutely private.’
People can get out on
the other side of the
bridge, it’s a long trek to
the river, but it’s there.
But the problem is, that’s
also private property.”
Morgan said other
than ownership issues,
members of the public
throw trash in the area,
damage private prop
erty, dig up the area with
trucks and ATVs, paint
graffiti on the bridge and
natural areas and cause
erosion of topsoil in the
area from use. He said
preventing the public
from access to the river
helps ensure the safety of
the ecosystem.
“Now, after having
identified the problems,
all concerned can start
a relationship of work
ing together to build a
solution for the needs of
the legitimate river users
with our adjoining prop
erty owners, including
me,” he said. “1 love the
river. 1 hate river abus
ers. We have problems
here so let’s start work
ing together now before
it’s too late.”
He noted that the Flat
Shoals Bridge is on the
state’s DOT project list to
be replaced or rebuilt in
about two years and the
state could build a better,
safer access area at that
time.
On June 11, 2021,
a land easement was
filed for the property
to which the driveway
was constructed. The
land easement from
Ark Builder Inc., care of
Carol Smith, granted Tom
Morgan a 50-foot strip of
land across the south
ern boundary of the lot
adjacent to the access
road. It states that the
land involved in the ease
ment shall be restricted
from access from within
The Shoals entrance
driveway, shall only be
accessible from the Flat
Shoals Road right of way
at the grantee’s discre
tion, shall be available to
the grantee for 12 months
and shall automatically
renew unless terminated
by either party, access to
the premises shall only
be during daylight hours
and the “premises shall
only be used by grantee
or by grantee’s guests
with grantee is personally
attending with guests for
purposes of hiking and
fishing and other passive
uses but premises shall
not be used for commer
cial or public use.”
Morgan owns a prop
erty valued by the Pike
County tax assessors at
$332,326 at nearly the
northern most part of the
subdivision and only has
claims to the southern
border of the subdivision
through the land ease
ment granted earlier this
year.
“Actually, although
it might stop a tank, its
obvious purpose is to
stop the general boat
ing public from using
the public boat ramp on
the Pike County side of
Flat Shoals. It is the only
public boat ramp in the
county,” said another
Pike County attorney
Walker Chandler. “The
plat of the subdivision
clearly shows that it does
not own up to the center
line of the public road,
but only to a line more or
less where its fence now
runs. Someone also put
up steel fence posts and
yellow tape on the public
right of way. You will no
tice that the ‘driveway to
nowhere’ is dangerously
close to the eastern end
of the bridge. We shall
find out whether or not
the person who issued
the permit was wise to
what was being planned,
or whether he was hood
winked.”
The Pike County Jour
nal Reporter will provide
follow up information on
this issue as it becomes
available.
CITY OF WILLIAMSON
The Williamson Council does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meet
ing to be held at the Williamson City Hall, 71 Midland St., Williamson, Georgia on November
4, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-32 do hereby
publish the following presentation of the current year’s tax digest and levy, along with the
history of the tax digest and levy for the past five years. This is another reduction in the mill-
age rate to Williamson taxpayers, as we’ve accomplished for 13 years in a row.
CURRENT 2021 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY
WILLIAMSON 2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021(FY2022)
Real & Personal 9,772,389
10,387,690
12,647,357
14,803,681
19,188,158
20,464,657
MotorVehicles 321,390
199,470
167,650
146,150
144,160
142,490
Mobile Homes 27,545
27,545
24,872
24,272
24,272
24,272
Timber-100%
Heavy Duty Equipment
Gross Digest 10,121,324
10,605,705
12,839,879
14,974,103
19,356,590
20,631,419
Less M&O Exemption 43,573
20,928
23,523
23,147
97,773
107,203
Net M&O Digest 10,077,751
10,584,777
12,816,356
14,950,956
19,258,817
20,524,216
Gross M&O Millage 7.7190
7.6800
7.3210
7.2500
6.0730
6.3850
Less Rollbacks 3.3190
3.3040
2.9710
2.9500
2.5080
2.9100
Net M&O Millage 4.4000
4.3760
4.3500
4.3000
3.5650
3.4750
Net Taxes Levied 44,342
46,319
55,751
64,289
68,658
71,322
Total Digest Value 10,077,751
10,584,777
12,816,356
14,950,956
19,258,817
20,524,216
Total M&O Taxes Levied 44,342
46,319
55,751
64,289
68,658
71,322
Net Taxes $ Increase
1,977
9,432
8,538
4,369
2,664
Net Taxes % Increase
4.46%
20.36%
15.31%
6.80%
3.88%