Newspaper Page Text
November 16, 2016
PAGE 3A
iEeporter
Culloden mayor’s race
If you are leaving the train
ing center at the Smith
Road exit please note that
there are two stop signs,
one before and one after
the tracks. Also on Indian
Springs and Collier, yes
there actually is a stop
sign there, votes: 15
Build That Wall Donald
Trump!!!!! votes: 12
LOL...LOL...LOLGo
Trump!!! Let’s start drain
ing the SWAMP. (And, get
a job!!!) votes: 11
The USAF is relieved that
Air Force 1 will not be
renamed Broom Stick 1
votes: 9
FREEDOM WINS, FREE
DOM WINS, FREEDOM
WINS!!! votes: 8
Only the losing side ever
complains about the Elec
toral College. The found
ing fathers put it in place
for a reason, votes: 7
BY DIANE
GLIDEWELL
news@mymcr. net
The presidential contest
was not the only close race
on Nov. 8. The election for
mayor of Culloden resulted
in a tie and will
have to be decided
by a second election.
Incumbent Melvin
James and challenger
Lynn Miller each
received 47 votes.
There were 95 ballots cast
in the election, but one
of them did not mark a
choice for mayor. The elec
tion illustrated the power
that one vote can have.
City clerk Lisa Elder
said that city attorney Bob
Harris reviewed Georgia
election regulations to
make sure the city follows
correct procedure. Harris
said the Georgia code
says a deciding race can
be held in 28 days, which
would set the election on
Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Harris said that only vot
ers who were registered
and qualified to vote in
the Nov. 8 mayoral elec
tion will be able to vote on
Dec. 6. No write-in’s will be
allowed in the runoff and
there will be no early vot
ing. Ballots must be cast at
Culloden City Hall from 7
a.m.-7 p.m.
Culloden used paper bal
lots in the Nov. 8 election
as it always has, but the
Dec. 6 election may be the
last time for paper ballots
in Culloden. There are
plans to form a joint elec
tion board that will handle
elections for Culloden,
Forsyth and Monroe
County, which would
bring voting machines to
Culloden’s city elections.
Elder said she expects the
new election board to be in
place by January, but that
depends on action by the
county commission.
Citizens of Culloden had
to vote separately for the
city election from the ballot
they cast for the national,
state and county elections.
Elder said there are 167
registered voters in the
city of Culloden. Ray noted
that it is expensive for a
small city like Culloden to
hold an election.
In Culloden’s election
for three two-year aider-
man seats on city council,
the top vote getters were
Tammie Pierson, with 59
votes, Jackie Boling
with 53 votes and
Tellas Daniels with 51
votes.
Sarah Ray was elect
ed to fill the remaining
year of the unexpired
term of Lynn Miller with
67 votes. Ray was unop
posed. Miller resigned as
an alderman to run for
mayor. Ray is an incum
bent on the council whose
two-year term will end in
December.
Boling is also an incum
bent. Pierson was a mem
ber of council until she
resigned earlier this year
to run against James to
fill the unexpired term of
Mayor Steve Eller, who
passed away while in
office. James won that
election by two votes.
Daniels is a newcomer to
the Culloden city council.
Donna Wilson (38 votes)
and Emmit Brice (35
votes) were not success
ful in their bids for posts
as Culloden aldermen.
The two serving aider-
men whose terms did not
expire this year are Ossie
Pennamon and Dr. Margie
Campbell. Campbell
recalled that Culloden had
needed to hold a second
election 12 years ago when
her bid for a council seat
ended in a tie.
In other Culloden news:
• The Culloden City
Council held a 23-min-
ute meeting on Nov.
9 with Mayor Melvin
James presiding and
Council members Sarah
Ray, Jackie Boling Dr.
Margie Campbell and
Ossie Pennamon present.
Council approved a bid of
$60 from George Pierson
to remove the flag pole.
Council discussed
whether it still needed
its two seasonal employ
ees to work the same
numbers of hours since
grass-cutting time is over.
Campbell praised the work
they did around the old
school building. James
said city vehicles need to
be winterized and pipes
at the bathrooms on the
a tie
field need to be wrapped.
Scraping and painting of a
building needs to be done.
Christmas lights will be
put up the week of Nov.
14.
James said the city’s
water pressure was down
Monday because only one
pump is running. He said
the city has half a tank of
water in reserve. He said it
has not been necessary to
distribute water.
Council members dis
cussed work needed at
the city cemetery. The city
has found no grants avail
able for cemeteries that
do not have some type of
historic designation. They
have funds marked for a
retaining wall but not for
other work in the cemetery
and the next. SPLOST is
in 2018. Council discussed
a motion to remove the
cemetery fence, but did not
take action.
James said he had talked
to county commissioner
Jim Ham about Culloden’s
backhoe needing tires.
Council planned a meet
ing on Nov. 10 with a
Regional Commission rep
resentative about updating
the city’s charter.
Culloden mayoral race
Melvin James 47
Lynn Miller 47
I wonder what Hil-liar-y
will look in a prison jump
suit??? Trump IS our
President!! votes: 6
I hope Hillary didn’t get
another concussion when
she hit that Glass Ceiling,
votes: 5
Once again, I am called
upon to explain to a child
or grandchild why the
person who got the most
votes didn’t win. Maybe
the Electoral College is no
longer relevant, votes: 4
The House, Senate and
Presidency. Now get to
work and set term limits to
end corruption, votes: 4
Monroe County has to be
one of the most bigoted
and naive counties in this
state. Do you REALLY
believe Trump cares about
you? You will appreci
ate Obama in two years,
votes: 4
Obama should stop all this
foolish protesting, but I
think he enjoys it! votes: 3
I hope when you leave at
the end the year,that you
will go home and stay,
votes: 3
Worked 30+ Years. Never
drained the Swamp or
anything else. Worked for
everything I got. votes: 3
You need to check your
FACTS to see who’s
draining who. Google it.
votes: 3
Hot rodders, the race
tracks are open on Jen
kins and Deer Creek Drive.
Even the school buses,
especially one, is gunning
it to the finish line, votes: 2
Can someone please pur
chase the land and build
ings across from Jenkins
Road BP and put res
taurant/gas station? Exit
looks terrible too. votes: 2
Thanks to Trump and the
Deplorables, the Little Red
is now a take-out order at
KFC. votes: 2
To my friends in labor
unions, I pray you will not
lose your hard-earned
salaries and benefit pack
ages under this all new, all
Republican government.
I think they will try to bust
you. votes: 2
MP graduation rate rises in 2016
BY DIANE
GLIDEWELL
mws@mymcr.net
Mary Persons’ gradu
ation rate for 2016 is 88
percent, topping the 2015
rate of 87.8 percent to
become the highest ever
under the cohort, rate,
which is now required
by the U.S. Department,
or Education. It. is calcu
lated using the number of
students who graduated
within four years, with
adjustments for transfers,
based on when a student
first, becomes a freshman.
This is the sixth year
Georgia has used the
adjusted cohort, rate. All
states now calculate the
graduation rate using the
same formula, but. each
state still sets its own
requirements for a stu
dent. to earn a diploma. In
the six years since 2011,
Mary Persons’ graduation
rate has risen from 75.9
percent, to 88 percent., at.
the same time that, the
total number of students
and graduates at. the
school has risen.
With 301 students enter
ing as freshmen in the
Class of 2016 four years
earlier, Mary Persons
bestowed 265 diplomas in
2016, the most, in school
history.
To compare with
surrounding counties:
Peach County awarded
191 diplomas out. of 210
cohorts for a 91 percent,
graduation rate. Houston
County had 1,718 gradu
ates out. of 1,981 fresh
men cohorts for an 86.7
rate. Jones County had
340 graduates out of
396 freshmen entering
four years ago for a rate
of 85.9. Upson County
graduated 272 out. of 322
for an 84.5 percent, rate.
Lamar County had
162 graduates out of 195
entering freshmen for
a rate of 83.1 percent..
Butts County gradu
ated 209 students out.
of 259 cohorts for an
80.7 percent, graduation
rate. Twiggs County had
52 graduates out of 65
cohorts for an 80 percent,
rate. Spalding County
had 503 graduates out of
689 cohorts for a 73 per
cent. rate.
Bibb County gradu
ated 1,190 out of 1,661
students for a 71.6 percent,
graduation rate. High
schools in Bibb County
ranged from 67.3 to 83.8
percent..
Crawford
County
graduated
90 out. of
129 for a
69.8 per
cent., and
Jasper
County
had 123
graduates
out. of 183
for a 67.2
percent, rate.
The state released grad
uation rates for 2016,
which includes summer
graduates, on Nov. 1
with the caveat, that,
data from some school
districts was still incom
plete. The state gradua
tion rate rose for the fifth
straight, year, up from
78.8 in 2015 to 79.2 per
cent.. Graduation rates at.
individual school varied
from 0 to 100 percent..
State School
Superintendent Richard
Woods said the contin
ued increase in the state
graduation rate shows
the state is offering an
education that, is rel
evant. and keeping more
Let’s talk about
students in school and on
a path to a better quality
of life. The state goal is to
exceed the national aver
County
Cohorts
Grads
2016 Grad F
Peach
210
191
91
Monroe
301
265
88
Houston
1981
1718
86.7
Jones
396
340
85.9
Upson
322
272
84.5
Lamar
195
162
83.1
Butts
259
209
80.7
Twiggs
65
52
80
Spalding
689
503
73
age by 2020.
Monroe County School
Superintendent Dr. Mike
Hickman commended the
School Board, all teachers,
administrators and sup
port. per-
, sonnel,
parents
and com
munity
mem
bers, and
students
for work
ing to
increase
the grad
uation
rate.
Mary Persons princi
pal Dr. Jim Finch said
the school is fortunate to
offer many programs that,
appeal to all students,
which, combined with the
efforts of teachers, helps
provide quality education
for every student.
Bibb County graduated
1,190 out. of 1,661 stu
dents for a 71.6 percent,
graduation rate. High
schools in Bibb County
ranged from 67.3 to 83.8
percent.. Crawford County
graduated 90 out of 129
for a 69.8 percent., and
Jasper County had 123
graduates out. of 183 for a
67.2 percent, rate.
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