Newspaper Page Text
The
Commerce News
Page 2A • November 14, 2007
Region Roundup
Cops Say Hull
Couple's House
Went To Pot
DANIELSVILLE - A Hull man
and woman were arrested late
Sunday night after Madison
County deputies discovered a
major marijuana manufacturing
operation in their home.
Joshua Adrian Minish, 24, 157
Ferndale Court, Hull, and Melissa
Lynn Jones, 20, same address,
were apprehended by Madison
County law officers close to 12
a.m. Sunday night/Monday morn
ing.
According to Madison County
Sheriff’s Department Captain
Mike Benner, deputies arrived
at the Ferndale Court home to
serve Minish with a probation
violation warrant, but no one
was home.
However, Minish and Jones
soon arrived in a Honda driven by
Jones. And deputies patted down
Minish, finding a large amount
of cash and some marijuana in
the car. They also discovered an
assault weapon.
Madison County law officers
took the couple into custody, then
executed a search warrant at the
home Monday morning, discover
ing numerous marijuana plants in
a bedroom and bedroom closet.
They found bags of marijuana
and a bong in the living room.
Benner estimated the street
value of the marijuana discovered
at the home at $35,000.
Benner said Minish faces charg
es of possession of a firearm dur
ing the commission of a crime,
possession of a firearm by a con
victed felon, possession of tools
for the commission of a felony,
violation of Georgia’s Controlled
Substances Act and manufactur
ing marijuana.
“There may be some other
charges,” he added.
Jones faces charges of manu
facturing and possession of mari
juana.
Radio Jefferson
Continues To
Operate In Red
Jefferson’s controversial city-
owned radio station was in the red
again in October, losing $8,558.
The station only had $2,757 in
revenue for the month compared
to $11,315 in expenses.
The radio venture was approved
by the Jefferson City Council in
April and is run by the city’s
recreation department. The low-
power AM station was supposed
to be a profit-making program
earning the city some $300,000 in
advertising profit per year.
But since it went on in August,
the station has struggled with low
revenues, bad technology and
questions about whether or not
the city should have diverted city
SPLoSt funds to underwrite the
venture.
So far, Jefferson has spent
$139,200 on the station, but only
generated $7,785 in income. Of
the total amount spent, $94,600
has gone to the consulting firm
that sold the city on the idea last
spring.
No new advertising sales con
tracts were sold in October,
according to city officials. Many
of the current advertising con
tracts are slated to expire in
November.
It had been rumored that the city
was applying for an FM frequen
cy, or that a FEMA grant would
be forthcoming to underwrite the
venture. But city officials said this
week that no applications had
been made for either an FM fre
quency or any federal grants.
16-Year-Old
MCHS Student
Dies In Accident
DANIELSVILLE -- Madison
County High School mourns now
for Dustin Roberts, a 16-year-old
junior who died Saturday in a car
wreck in Oglethorpe County.
Students gathered at the school’s
front entrance flagpole Monday
morning, with many sobbing and
embracing. They made the trek to
the far off parking place, where
Roberts always parked to remem
ber their friend and classmate.
The spot was roped off in his
honor, with tributes and a memo
rial cross.
Madison County High School
principal Wayne McIntosh tried
to help his students deal with the
grief Monday. There were counsel
ors and youth pastors on hand.
“Anybody who wants a chance
to talk to somebody, we’ve got
somebody available,” said
McIntosh.
The principal said Roberts was
“a very popular young man.”
“It’s just a tragedy anytime any
one dies, but especially when
it’s a teenager,” he said. “Our
thoughts and prayers go out to his
family and his friends. And we
just hate that things like this hap
pen. But I thought it was impor
tant for the kids to have chance
to grieve together. And it’s just
tough. Teenagers love hard and
they hurt hard. He was just a well
loved young man.”
Outside of the school’s front
office, Sabrina Bennett embraced
agriculture teacher Kay Farmer,
offering comfort to a comforter
on a day of grief.
Adopt an Angel for Christmas
Adopt-An-Angel 2007 >
Now through December 1D | Regions offices in Jefferson and Commerce
Regions Bank Adept-An-Angel trees are up mow at the Commerce and Jefferson IccejIidhs.
Children's names are aval lable row to be adopted for C h rislmas. S mply visit one of these
iDcshons to choose a cb'ld Lo adopl and return your gift or corialion by Dec. ID. 2007.
Angel Tree Reception >
Friday. November 161 Jefferson Main Office | 2:00 pm -4:00 pm
Regions Bank is also hesliny an Angel Tree reception November 9 al ihe Jefferson main office.
Drop by thal Friday afternoon between 2:30 aid 4:DG ter hgt eder ^nd cookies - and soma
warm holiday cheer. It's a perfect time to choose an aitget from the tree!
Thank you fry helping make Inis holiday season brighter ter lha children of Jackson County!
Jeften&an [ 15 Lee Slreet! 7t)6*367-BANK
Comme'ce | 2123 North Elm Stneel 1706-335-GANK
Jk Regions
fE[ Htto.ssji* vci-^in>c. JTs time to expect more.
A teary-eyed Farmer remem
bered Roberts, who was active in
the Future Farmers of America,
with affection. She said she
watched Roberts mature as a per
son and as a leader since his
ninth grade year.
“He never meets a stranger,” said
Farmer. “In class, he’s just always
willing to help people. The last lab
I had, he was helping my students
and helping me teach. And he’s
just well liked by everyone. He’s
always smiling and always has
a nice word. He’s got the most
infectious smile you’ve ever seen.
I’ve never seen him down or sad
about something. He’s always try
ing make other people feel good
about themselves.”
Roberts died when he lost con
trol of his 1989 Ford Bronco while
negotiating a curve on Smithsonia
Road, near the intersection with
Windy Hill Road around 7 p.m.
Saturday, a spokesman with the
State Patrol said. A 16-year-old
girl, whose name was not released
because she is a minor, followed
behind Roberts and swerved
after Roberts lost control of his
vehicle, running into a ditch. She
was treated for minor injuries.
Funding Sought
For $80 Million
In Road Projects
Jackson County leaders are
looking at more than $80 million
in road projects that could boost
the county’s economy The board
of commissioners and the indus
trial development authority met
for six hours Tuesday to discuss
road projects to possibly be fund
ed through a bond referendum in
2008.
No action was taken but the
two groups did list the projects
by priority. The first four projects
to be funded, if a bond passed,
would be: John B. Brooks Road,
$6.4 million (with Jefferson to
assist with funding); engineer
ing on State Route 53 from I-85
to State Route 332, $495,000; an
interchange justification feasibili
ty report, $250,000; and a county
wide transportation and rail cor
ridor plan, $185,000.
The remaining projects were
grouped into three tiers. Projects
listed as “tier one” were:
•Zion Church Road construc
tion, $22.9 million.
•Bana Road, $5.4 million.
•Commerce Retail Boulevard,
$10 million.
“Tier two” projects include:
•Hog Mountain Road, $4.9 mil
lion.
•State Route 82/Airport, $10.5
million.
•Hospital Road, $600,000.
“Tier three” projects include:
•Concord Extension, $18.6 mil
lion.
• Concord Extension sewer,
$1.3 million.
• Steve Reynolds signal,
$80,000.
Cronic Picked
For Vacancy
In School Board
JEFFERSON -- Michael Cronic
was named as the new District 1
member on the Jackson County
Board of Education Monday
night. Cronic was chosen from
three candidates who applied to
fill the vacant post. He fills the
unexpired term of Steve Bryant.
Cronic is a West Jackson native
and is a broiler manager for
Columbia Farms in Lavonia. He
is a member of West Jackson
Volunteer Fire Department, serv
ing as chief of the department for
three years.
Parents Complain
About School
District Lines
JEFFERSON - Parents living in
the area between Hwy. 82, Hwy.
11 and Hwy. 129 continue to be
upset about how far their children
must travel to school this year.
Tammy Shekey said at Monday
night’s Jackson County Board of
Education meeting that members
of the community in that area are
concerned about the amount of
time their children have to spend
on a school bus.
She said there are 85 children in
the area between Finch Landing
and Wood Farm subdivisions,
with 49 of those attending South
Jackson Elementary School.
Shekey said she didn’t believe
the plan is in the best interest of
children and that they deserve
an option to do something other
than going across the county to
school.
“It’s a numbers game to make
the numbers look better at East
Jackson,” Shekey said of the
board’s motive for the district.
But school board chairman
Kathy Wilbanks disagreed.
“No, it’s not to make the num
bers look better,” she said. “It’s to
alleviate the overcrowding on the
west side. And there’s still subdi
visions being built left and right
on the west side.”
One person asked the board to
consider changing school district
lines to allow area children to
attend schools closer to home.
“The last time we looked at this,
we did give an option,” Wilbanks
said . “We can’t keep re-opening
this issue.”
W i
Please Join Us For Our Annual
Hallmark
Open House
Saturday, November 17, 2007
9:00 am until 6:00 pm
k
Pick up your favorite Hallmark
Keepsake Ornament to decorate
your Christmas Treel
iftworks 3
at y~Oij
1668 South Broad Street • Commerce, GA 30529
m sd (706) 335-2920 *: S
Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm