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The Commerce News PAGE 2A • JUNE 18,2008 Region Roundup McLocklin Named Agribusiness Council Intern The Georgia Agribusiness Council, located on South Elm Street in Commerce, has announced that Rachel McLocklin recently joined the council as an agricultural intern. In her position, McLocklin’s primary responsi bilities will be to assist GAC’s Director of Communications Christy Page with a variety of communication efforts, including event planning and media rela tions for the Council and the Georgia Turfgrass Association. McLocklin, of Statham, was raised on a beef farm and is the daughter of Wayne and Melanie McLocklin. She attends the University of Georgia where she plans to major in agricultural and applied economics. Grill's Owner Files Suit Over Letter To Editor Jefferson business owner Mike Carron has filed a lawsuit in Jackson County against Chris Roper claiming that she libeled him in a letter to the editor she sent to The Jackson Herald. He is asking for $750,000 in damages. Carron contends that the let ter, which was published May 7, accuses him of committing “dis honesty and unlawful activity" “Defendant clearly states the plaintiff has a ‘history of provoca tion and deceit,”' the lawsuit reads. “Defendant further contends mere wearing of a firearm is an illegal activity... Statements made by the defendant were made with a callous, malicious and reckless disregard for the truth." Carron said the letter caused him to suffer “humiliation, embar rassment, degradation and emo tional and physical stress." Carron has also filed a second lawsuit against Roper that deals with access to his business via a driveway between his property and Roper’s. Carron said Roper has tried to limit his use of the driveway and has indicated that it will be closed permanently. The dispute between the two apparently stems from complaints that a tenant in a building owned by Roper has filed against Carron. Bobby Patterson, who lives in the building Roper owns that is adja cent to Mike’s Grill and Pub, has filed numerous noise complaints against Carron’s bar. Carron recently painted, “F..„ you retard" on his building and told police officers he was trying to send a message to Patterson. That action stirred a stormy pro test in the community. Democrats Set Fomm For Senate Candidates All five of Georgia’s democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate have been invited to participate in a forum before the public in Athens Thursday, June 19. Hosted THE CITY OF NICHOLSON Will hold it’s Budget hearings on the proposed 2008-2009 budget. The hearings will be held at the Nicholson Community Center, 175 Lakeview Drive, Nicholson, Georgia 30565. The hearings will be held on July 1, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and July 7, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. The City of Nicholson’s work session for the month of July has been cancelled. We will have our regular council meeting on July 7, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Bray Construction, Inc. • New Homes • Remodeling • Vinyl Siding • Masonry Work • Concrete Finishing (706) 789-2313 SHUMAKE’S DAYLILY GARDEN 1190 Academy Ch. Rd. • Jefferson, GA 30549 Daylilies Now in Full Bloom Over 1,200 Varieties ONE OF THE LARGEST RETAILERS IN GEORGIA Every Customer Gets A FREE Daylily with purchase Approx. 3.5 miles north of Jefferson, Hwy. 129. Follow the signs. 706-367-9175 Mon. - Sat. 9-6 • Sun. 1-6 by various democratic commit tees in Congressional District 10 and around the Athens area, to date four of the five candidates have confirmed — Dale Cardwell, Rand Knight, Josh Lanier and Jim Martin. The event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in Masters Hall at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education at the University of Georgia, and will broadcast on WUGA, 91.7 FM June 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. WUGA’s news director, Mary Kay Mitchell, will be the forum moderator. The format of the forum will include two-minute opening state ments by each of the candidates, then a question and answer peri od. Each candidate will respond to each question for no more than one minute. “The questions for the candi dates will come from all over northeast Georgia," said Clarke County Democrats chairman Mac Rawson. “We have asked Democrats in each county in dis trict 10 and other counties in our area to submit questions about issues they find important." Each candidate will then have three minutes for a closing state ment. “We’ve invited all five of the candidates to participate," said Patsy Harris, chairman of the Morgan County Democratic Committee. “Expressing their views up close and personal is the best way for voters to learn about the candidates and make informed choices in the Democratic Primary July 15." Convenient parking is available at a nominal fee in UGA’s south parking deck adjacent to the Georgia Center, or free in other parking lots nearby. For direc tions, go to www.georgiacenter. uga.edu and click on “directions." For more information call Patsy Harris, 706-342-1011. Braselton Council Approves Budget For Fiscal Year The Braselton Town Council approved its 2009 fiscal year budget Tuesday, during a brief called meeting. Braselton’s general fund bud get is slated to rise six percent — from $2.6 million in 2008 to $2.7 million for the 2009 fiscal year, which begins July 1 and ends June 30, 2009. The town is also slated to make bond payments totaling $ 780,580 — an amount unchanged from the previous year. Excluding the bond payment, Braselton’s gen eral fund revenue is expected to top $2.9 million in the 2009 fiscal year budget. Braselton anticipates that after paying $2.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year, it will have $184,762 available in reserve after debt service payments. For its water/sewer fund bud get, Braselton expects revenue to slide from $8.7 million in 2008 to $6.7 million. Braselton’s debt payments for the water/ sewer fund will remain at $1 million. No one from the public attend ed Tuesday’s meeting, which was finished in less than one minute. Madison County Gets Former Cedar Shoals Principal As the stormy relationship between the Clarke County school board and its superinten dent played out last week, new Madison County High School principal Tommy Craft was happy to be 20 miles away at a new job. “I’m just glad, honestly, to be out from under the Clarke County school board," said the former Cedar Shoals principal Friday. In January, the Clarke County BOE controversially opted not to renew Craft’s contract after four years as Cedar Shoals principal, rejecting the recom mendation of Clarke County superintendent of schools James Simms. The sacked Craft was picked up by Madison County High School last Tuesday when the Madison County school board hired him as Wayne McIntosh’s successor. CABA Seeks Georgia-Alabama Football Tickets The Commerce Area Business Association would like to send some lucky duo to the Georgia- Alabama football game this year. CABA President Brad Johnson reported June 11 that the group’s board of directors plans to hold a drawing for a pair of tickets this fall as a fund-raiser. All it needs is the tickets. “We’re still hoping somebody will come through for us with tickets to the Georgia-Alabama game," said Johnson. “We hope to have the details at the August meeting." In other business, Johnson called for volunteers to turn out Saturday, June 28, to help organize the City Lights Festival. “We need help early in the morn ing to get the ball rolling," added Hasco Craver, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. Sarah's a L_ On the Jackson/Banks County Li, In Maysville • Old Maysville Fish House 706-652-0070 Hours: Mon. through Sat. 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. • Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Fri., & Sat. Nights 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. FRIDAY NIGHT All-You-Can-Eat Catfish / Italian Night SATURDAY All-You-Can-Eat Catfish / BBQ Serving Daily Specials with a full Breakfast and Lunch Menu including a Children’s Menu! Vote For Hunter Bicknell CHAIRMAN Jackson County Board of Commissioners Proven Leadership for fackson County Hunter is a man of: • Honesty • Proven Leadership • Fiscal Conservativeness • Integrity He iS 3 "chairman, of ^ Committee; Chaim ||fe|ong re siden Paid for by Friends for Hunter Bicknell Committee: Keith Ariail, Chairman; Jim Shaw, Treasurer