Newspaper Page Text
June 15, 2011
^Reporter
PAGE 7A
Bolingbroke residents discuss uranium in wells
BY VICKI SMITH
More than 100 Bolingbroke
area residents filled the
Bolingbroke fire station last
Tuesday to learn more about
the detection of uranium in
area wells.
The Monroe County
Extension Office hosted the
June 7 workshop. County
Agent Dana Lynch explained
to residents that while the
word uranium is, well,
radioactive in inducing fear,
it’s actually a naturally occur
ring radioactive element (odor
less and colorless) found in
some rocks and groundwater
that can be in private wells.
Radon is a decay of uranium
and can be found in the air in
your home. Both can be harm
ful to your health. Anywhere
there are granite beds under
ground, there is a potential for
excessive levels of uranium -
especially in wells deeper than
100 feet. Monroe County was
one of the first counties in
Georgia to test positive for
high uranium levels. Residents
should not drink water con
taminated with excessive lev
els of uranium. However you
may bathe, wash clothes or
even water your garden.
Ingesting uranium could cause
kidney malfunction.
Lynch said the meeting was
to educate local residents
about uranium. She said resi
dents were glad to learn more
about this and has already
had several bring in well
water samples. Anyone who
would like to have their well
water tested may take a sam
ple to the Extension office
located at 90 Martin Luther
King, Jr. Drive. They will need
to run their faucet for a few
minutes and then fill a clean
(sterile) container with the
water. The charge is $17.50 for
testing the well water. This is
a special half-off price effective
until Aug. 1.
Clients can test for arsenic
also for an additional $5. The
Extension office will process
and ship the sample to the
UGA testing lab. It generally
takes 1-2 weeks to get the
results back.
There is a home water-treat
ment system available for
those that test positive for
high levels of uranium in their
well water. A Reverse Osmosis
(RO) system can be installed
(by a certified water filtration
dealer of your choice) and will
remove 90-99 percent of urani
um.
For more information call the
Monroe County Extension
Office at 994-7014 or contact
Dr. Uttam Saha with UGA. Dr.
Saha can guide homeowners
thru the process of finding the
solution that would best meet
their needs based on their test
results. Saha can be reached
at 706-542-7690.
Monroe County
extension agent
Dana Lynch
talks with more
than 100 Boling
broke area resi
dents con
cerned about re
cent tests show
ing high levels of
uranium in wells.
(Photo/Vicki
Smith)
HAVE YOU BEEN TURNED
DOWN FOR DISABILITY?
Do you need to apply?
Joel Raley &
Associates, Inc.
Social Security Disability Representatives
MP students get summer corrections jobs
BY RICHARD DUMAS
Twelve entrepreneurial Mary
Persons students are spending their
summer interning with the Georgia
Department of Corrections (DOC).
The 12 rising juniors and seniors
were selected out of 18 applicants
who were referred by MP and then
interviewed by the DOC staff. The
students will work in various divi
sions including: Engineering, Public
Affairs, Training, Personnel,
Investigations and Compliance,
Legal, Health Services, Probation
and Facility Operations.
Adam Baswell, director of training
operations, planning and training
division for the DOC, said the
agency is seeking to make a positive
impact in the local school system
even during the summer months,
when the department's 12 FOR
LIFE mentoring program is not in
effect. Baswell said Monroe County
school superintendent Anthony Pack
and Mary Persons principal Jim
Finch have been "good partners"
with the DOC in the last several
years.
The students began work on June
7 and will continue until August 1.
Students will earn $9 per hour and
work up to 29 hours per week.
Baswell said the students will be
"doing a little bit of everything"
within their selected division,
including writing papers. Students
were given up to three choices in
what division they wanted to work
within. Baswell said all students
were given a field in which they
have expressed interest.
"We will treat them like any other
employee," Baswell said. "They can
earn real wages and do real work.
We just want to educate them about
the Georgia Department of
Corrections."
MP students who are participating
in the summer program include:
William Edge, Sarah Harrell,
Jordan Whitehead, Kimberly
English, Brandon Hatfield, Lauren
Maxwell, Courtney Shelley, Jessica
McLendon, Joshua Binns, Dana
Rackley, Taylor Penn and Holden
Lee. |
Free Consultation • No Fee Unless Approved
1-877-317-5748
We will handle all paperwork for you no matter
where you are in the application process:
We will get copies of all medical records
• Initial Claim
• Reconsideration
• Hearing By Administrative Law Judge
• Appeals Council Reviews
JOEL T. RALEY, MPA
P.O. Box 25 • Bolingbroke, GA
(478)994-9945 • Fax (478)994-9946
raleydisablitiy@bellsouth. net
Davis
continued from the front
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Musella, GA 31066
478-836-4362 ♦ 1-800-732-2442
www.dickeyfarms.com
Mon-Fri 8-7 & Sat-Sun 8-6
Davis said he
was on his way
home in his green
Ford Excursion
after spending a
few hours drink
ing beer at Wild
Wings Cafe at
Shoppes at River
Crossing when he
came upon the
checkpoint. Davis
refused a sobriety
or breathalyzer
test. After being
jailed, he was
released on an
$1,850 bond.
Davis resigned
his part-time job
as a Forsyth city
judge because he
presides in DUI
cases in that posi
tion. However, as
chief magistrate
he mostly sets
bond amounts for
jailed suspects.
Davis said he
hasn’t decided
whether he’ll seek
re-election to a
third term in
2012. He has already self-
reported his arrest to the
Judicial Qualification
Commission, the state
agency that polices judges.
JQC discipline for such
cases can range anywhere
from a reprimand to
removal from office. It
could be several months
before the JQC issues its
decision.
A former Monroe County
sheriff’s deputy, Davis was
first elected in 2004 and
was re-elected in 2008. A
veteran of the first Gulf
War in Iraq, he’s the only
Republican office holder in
who’s elected county-wide.
His late father was a mag
istrate judge in Bibb
County. Davis had been
elected to leadership posi
tions within the Georgia
Council of Magistrate
Court Judges.
Statement from Judge Jeff Davis
First, I would like to say that
this statement is personal and
not political.
Earlier this morning I, Jeff
Davis, accepted full responsibili
ty and plead guilty to the offense
of driving under the influence of
alcohol in Bibb County State
Court and was sentenced to the
mandatory sentence as provided
by law. I received the same sen
tence that any other citizen of
Georgia receives for a DUI con
viction in Bibb County.
The decision to simply plead
guilty and not fight the charge
was my own decision and I chose
to voluntarily waive my rights to
a trial because I made a poor
decision and I want to accept full
responsibility for my actions and
show the public that I don’t hide
behind the title of judge, and I
don’t expect any special treat
ment because of my position.
The world has enough public fig
ures who do that.
I know I violated a public trust
by making a poor decision to
drink and drive. I have no one to
blame but myself. It is my hope
that other people in Georgia will
learn from my mistake and think
about their actions before getting
behind the wheel after drinking
alcohol. It’s a dangerous combi
nation and is the leading cause
of car wrecks in the United
States. When you drink and
drive, you not only put yourself
at risk, but also everyone else on
the road.
I made my own bad decision
and must deal with it now and
want to apologize to the people
of Monroe County, my family, my
church family, and my support
ers. I take full responsibility for
my actions and accept the pun
ishment. I’m thankful that no
one else was hurt by my actions
but me. I was lucky.
I want to commend Sgt. Brad
Wolfe and the Bibb County
Sheriff's Office and Bibb County
State Court for handling my case
in a professional manner regard
less of my position. Bibb
County’s Sheriff’s Department,
as well as my own County's
Sheriff's Department work hard
to keep the roads and highways
of this State safe and my hat
goes off to them all.
1 Routine and emergency
house calls are available
day or night.
1 Preventative medicine,
including vaccinations
and flea, tick and
heartworm medications.
1 Comprehensive
medical management,
including diseases
such as diabetes and
heart disease.
1 Surgery
1 Boarding and
Grooming
Caldwell Veterinary
Hospital, LLC
Butler Caldwell, DVM
951 Hwy 41 South • Forsyth, GA
478-994-8228
www.caldwellvet.com
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Bread, Fritters, Peach Products
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CRUISE-IN TO DICKEY FARMS
Mark Your Calendars
June 11, 2011 July 9, 2011
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. 2:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Location:
Dickey Farms Packinghouse ♦ Musella, Georgia 31066
These events are not contests. Just a “cruise in” to show off your vehicles and for others
to enjoy seeing your ride. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, vintage, street rod - you
name it - all are welcome. Bring your lawn chairs and spend the afternoon.
Follow us on Facebook to stay informed of
happenings at Dickey Farms!
MONROE COUNTY
BOARD OF EDUCATION
General Fund Budget
Fiscal Year 2012
Revenues:
PROJECTED LOCAL FUNDS 1
State QBE Earnings
Withheld, Local Five Mill Share
State Budget Reductions
ARRA (Federal Stimulus) Funds
Potential additional state budget reductions (3%)
Other State Funds
PROJECTED STATE FUNDS
Federal Jobs Funds (Fv 11)
FY 2011 2
Proposed
FY 2012 3
18,002,000
22,483,761
(6,344,339)
(2,354,407)
302,459
(426,279)
121,830
13,783,025
16,925,000
21,988,783
(6,670,603)
(2,457,543)
107,919
12,968,556
788,818
|Total Anticipated Revenues
31,785,025
30,682,374
Expenditures:
Instruction
21,158,147
21,756,526
Pupil Services
909,927
980,181
Support Services
714,848
851,244
Media
707,567
729,910
General Administration
651,799
672,122
School Administration
2,218,223
2,252,017
Business
483,176
497,094
Maintenance & Operations
3,175,063
3,465,160
T ransportation
2,188,589
2,320,659
Support/Central
33,200
33,200
T ransfer
100,000
160,000
Total Anticipated Expenditures
32,340,539
33,718,113
Notes:
1 Local revenue based on preliminary digest estimates
2 FY 2011 Budget for 170-day school year
3 FY 2012 budget for 175-day school year
The Board of Education will consider passage of its 2012 Fiscal Year Budget
following a public hearing to be held at a called meeting Tuesday, June 21, 2011, at 6 p.m.
The meeting will take place in the School System Central Office on Brooklyn Avenue.