Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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