Newspaper Page Text
f The Houston Home f
Journal
Perry, Georgia's Hometown Newspaper & Houston County's Legal Organ Since 1870
117th YEAR, NO. 69,2 SECTIONS, 16 PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS
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Captain Terry Joiner of the Houston County Sheriff's Department holds moonshine
...confiscated from a still found off Whitfield Road near the Dooly County line
New parkway postpones fair until the fall of 1990
By ROB COLLINS
Staff Writer
Perry must wail another year for the large crowds expected at the first
annual Georgia National Fair at the Agricentcr. The date of the state
sponsored fair was formally postponed to the fall of 1990 at a Wednesday
meeting of the Agricenter’s governing board.
Reasons for the delay, members of the Agricultural Exposition Au
thority said, include construction of the Golden Isles Parkway, and likely
problems with the Agricentcr’s grass parking areas.
A contract let by the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT)
July 29 sets a finishing date of Oct. 1, 1989 for a segment of the Parkway
crossing the north side of Agricenler property.
That finishing date is too close for comfort to the fair’s original sched
uled opening date of Sept. 28, 1989, Ag Authority members decided at
'Kick out lady' works harder
as hospital finances change
By SUSANNAH THOMAS
Staff Writer
Barbara Tyson at Perry Hospital
was once known as "The kick-out
lady," but now says the doctors and
patients arc more informed as to her
duties.
Tyson is in charge of reviewing
all the charts of patients admitted to
the hospital, and determining length
of stay in her capacity as Utiliza
tion Review Coordinator.
That includes Medicaid and
Medicare patients, as well as private
insurance claims.
Last year, Medicaid and Medicare
patients totalled 43 percent of the
patients, Tyson said. To date this
year, it is 45 percent.
The changes in Medicare and
Medicaid in the beginning of the
I PERRY. GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS. CALL 967-1823 I
eighties meant less money coming
into the hospital, as they do not
pay for the whole bill, she said.
"We used to get paid for what we
did in the past," she said. "Now we
get paid by the diagnosis, a set re
imbursement.
"For the total charge for a long
length of stay, the reimbursement
only pays for part. A patient with
multiple problems and a long
length of stay, the reimbursement
is much less than the total bill,"
she said.
Some small hospitals have
found themselves in a financial
bind, she said, and personnel, even
at Perry Hospital, has been cut as a
result.
Therefore, procedures and the
length of stay per diagnosis is
their monthly meeting Wednesday.
In addition, dry weather has taken a toll on efforts to establish large
grass parking areas at the center, Authority member Bill Roqucmore
added,
“Even if you didn’t have a road problem, you’d have a parking problem
anyhow,” Roquemore said.
With no money available for a “first-class” irrigation system, a dry
spring and summer next year would keep the grass from growing, and al
low the parking areas to turn muddy after every rain, according to Roque
more.
But Authority member Michael Howren said the fair was needed to
generate revenue to offset the Agricenter’s expenses.
In a prepared statement distributed at the meeting, Howren wrote, “The
taxpayers, citizens and elected officials deserve the most expedient use of
closely scrutinized. "If they treat
(Medicare and/or Medicaid) patients,
they have to meet the guidelines,"
Tyson said.
This led doctors to cry "I am not
a cookbook doctor!" she said.
Because of the reimbursements
and the guidelines, fewer doctors
accept Medicare of Medicaid pa
tients than in the past, Tyson said.
Two physicians recently "dropped
off the list. Tyson estimated that
about half in Perry accept Medicaid,
and less than that accept Medicare.
"They (the doctors) never hear
from me unless it comes to the
point where benefits have to be
terminated," Tyson said. Guidelines
have to be met for the patient to
remain in the hospital, for all in-
Contlnued on Page 6A
COMPLETE
LOCAL SPORTS 1B
if EDITORIAL 4A
j*_ TV TIMES 6B
PERRY, GA.
A PARK a* ,
NEWSPAPER
Officers wreck
moonshine still
By SUSANNAH THOMAS
Staff Writer
A still was discovered in Hous
ton County near the Dooly County
line Friday in a joint effort by the
Houston and Dooly sheriffs de
partments.
The still was demolished, and 17
gallons of moonshine was confis
cated.
Dooly County sheriff Van Peavy
and Billy Norton, of the stale's
game and fish department, were
scouting the area one-half mile
south of Whitfield Road off Mar
shallville Highway for a stolen
truck when they discovered the still
and liquor.
With Captain Terry Joiner of the
Houston County Sheriffs Depart
ment and investigator Jeff West and
deputy Randy Lamberth of Dooly
County, the still and all
paraphernalia relating to it was
broken with an axe.
Capt. Joiner questioned whether
the usual batteries, used as con
densers, were used, since none was
found at the site and the liquid
lacked purity.
A fly was found in one of the
containers of while lightening, and
impurities were visible in the clear
liquid.
Three five-gallon plastic con
tainers with the liquor had previ
ously held agricultural chemicals,
Norton said.
The galvanized pipes joining
three 55 gallon barrels, some
wooden and some steel, could cause
lead poisoning, Capt. Joiner said.
A nearby small stream provided
the liquid to make the mash, Joiner
said. The stream was less than
crystal clear. A barrel nearby con
tained sour mash and a number of
insects. The barrel was dumped over
and smashed by the officials.
The containers for the moon
shine ranged from plastic, to glass
liquor bottles, to soft drink reseal
able bottles. Empty 10 pound bags
Continued on Page 6A
1 f n A
Mercer helpers assisted in directing new students
...thirty signed up this week
HT 99/12/01
■ GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT
U.GA MAIN UIERARV
ATHENS GA
WEEKEND
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1988
Hornet fullback Wes Watson eyes a hole in the line in the first
half of the game against Westwood. Friday night. See ...
Westfield loss a heartbreaker;
PHS drops Peach opener Page ib
Farm-City festival set Page sa
Fine Free Week looms Page ga
Local deaths
Martha Gordy Deadwyler, 73--Doris Cliett Joiner, 71
Obituaries appear on Page 2A.
BRANCH 4A JANSSON 5A
BUSINESS 5A McGILL 1B
CALENDAR 2A POLICE LOG 2A
CLASSIFIED SB REESE 4A
DEATHS 2A SHERIFF'S REPORT 2A
EDITORIALS 4A STOCKS 5A
ENTERTAINMENT 6B TV LISTINGS 6B
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this facility.”
But it would be a “bad mistake” to open the fair early, Authority
member Emory Green countered.
“(The Georgia National Fair) is going to be the first impression that
Georgia has of this new facility,” Green said. “The first impression is a
lasting impression.”
Slate Sen. Bill English added, “I’ve never known a business that had a
grand opening without operating for a few months.”
English told Agricenter officials they should consider whether delaying
the fair will force them to request more funds from the Georgia legisla
ture.
Authority member Foster Rhodes advised Agricenter staff to “work
double-time and produce revenue-producing events” to make up for rev
enue expected from the fair.
Thirty join
college life
of Mercer
By MELODY BACAS
Staff Writer
Thirty people registered for col
lege classes at the new Mercer Uni
versity College at 827 Carroll
Street in Perry Wednesday and
Thursday, according to Assistant
Dean Dick Ammon.
"We're happy with 30. It's a
good start. We'll probably have
more later because some in Macon
will register for a course down
here," Ammon said.
Courses will be in English,
business, history, economics and
Old Testament for the first quarter.
The eight classes, all night classes,
will start Tuesday.
Continuad on Pago 6A