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CHAIRMAN
Jackson County Board of Commissioners
J
JOEL A HARBIN. CIC
(706) 387-5030
38 SYCAMORE ST
JEFFERSON
JoelHarbin@allstate.com
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Cold Case: Police
Investigate Body
Found In Freezer
The body of a 42-year-old woman
was found inside a freezer Sunday
afternoon by the Jefferson Police
Department.
Billie Welty was found inside a
small freezer in the kitchen of her
apartment, located at Brooklyn
Chase Apartments on Banks
Road in Jefferson. She lived alone
in the apartment.
The cause of death has not yet
been determined, and her body
is at the crime lab in Decatur.
Results of the autopsy are not
expected until Thursday. The
body was frozen and the autopsy
can’t be completed until it thaws
naturally, according to officials.
Police Chief Joe Wirthman said
Tuesday that there was no appar
ent signs of foul play.
“Looking at the body, it doesn’t
look like it was foul play,’’ he said.
“It could have been accidental or
it could have been foul play.’’
Wirthman said her husband,
who she was separated from,
found the body. He had last
seen her Wednesday. A neighbor
reported seeing her Thursday and
that is the last time anyone saw
her alive.
Wirthman said numerous people
have already been interviewed.
“It is still under investigation so
we don’t know if it was accidental,
suicide or foul play,’’ he added.
Wayne Farms To
Cut Production
By Six Percent
PENDERGRASS - Wayne
Farms LLC has announced that it
will cut production of its poultry
operations by an additional six
percent, following a two percent
reduction in April.
Celebrate Opening Of Office
First Commerce Bank (FCB) celebrated the
opening of its Jefferson loan production office
last week. Left to right are Keith Johnson,
Jackson EMC; Michelle Harold, CIO of FCB;
John Ward, Jefferson city manager; Jim Joiner,
mayor; Ester Williams, FCB compliance officer;
Larry Cole, FCB Jackson County president; Bill
Blanton, FCB CEO; Greg Hunter, vice president
and office manager; Eleene Fellers, FCB; Rita
Hilton, Etcon; Beverly Guthrie, FCB board;
Yasmine Loft, Jackson Living; Joe Wirthman,
Jefferson police chief; Dee Lavender, Women
in Business; Sandra Ferguson, Dana Grey and
Ray Dowling, FCB; Jeff Blair, credit adminis
tration, FCB; Jimmy Bailey, FCB board; Bryan
Hutto, Raymond James; and Shane Short,
president, Jackson County Area Chamber of
Commerce.
Wayne Farms is one of the
largest employers in Jackson
County, with a plant located in
Pendergrass. The Oakwood-based
company said the cut was for its
entire operation and not specific
facilities.
Wayne Farms cited the contin
ual rise of grain markets causing
an unprecedented increase in raw
material costs, as a reason to
scale back operations.
“Soaring feed ingredient costs
aggravated by the government’s
food for fuel mandate has cre
ated the need for us to rational
ize our business,’’ Elton Maddox,
president and CEO, said in a
statement.
“These mandates continue to
add billions of dollars of cost to
our industry as well as increasing
food costs to consumers around
the world. During these times of
challenge it is necessary for us to
make the hard decisions to best
position our company and the
poultry industry for future suc
cess,’’ he added.
Wayne Farms LLC is the fifth-
largest vertically integrated poul
try producer in the United States
with annual sales exceeding $1
billion.
Motorcyclists
Riding To
Promote Safety
Motorcyclists will gather
Saturday at 2 p.m. at Sandy
Creek Park for the eighth annual
Motorcycle Safety Awareness
Ride.
This year’s ride is in memory
of A1 Stevens and other accident
victims.
Activities start at 2:00, and the
ride begins at 4:00. Refreshments
will be provided.
All bikers and the general pub
lic are welcome, organizers say.
There is a $2 admission fee —
which is the park’s charge.
Sandy Creek Park is located
on Holman Road off U.S. 441
just north of Athens. For infor
mation, contact Maria Reese at
404-244-7537 or Dozier Stevens at
706-335-2835.
Michael Bowers
Honored By
Bar Association
Former Georgia Attorney
General Michael J. Bowers of Balch
& Bingham, LLP, of Atlanta was
honored with the 2008 Tradition
of Excellence Award, presented
Hunter on the Issues...
•TAXES
Taxes are not a good thing but to have public services,
it’s a necessity. There is a mounting burden of taxation
on our citizens and that’s especially felt in this economy.
As a taxpayer myself, I will balance the need for serv
ices with what we can afford. I won’t make promises I
can’t keep, however I pledge to restrain spending where
possible, be frugal and a good steward of your hard-
earned money.
•JOBS AND INDUSTRY
Jackson County has five interchanges along 1-85. This
area along the interstate is a natural industrial corridor
where we can continue to grow the job base for our citi
zens. Industry means jobs and industry relieves the
tax burden on homeowners. As chairman of the Water
Authority and a member of the Economic Development
Council, I work with our County Commissioners, the IDA
and the Chamber of Commerce to recruit industry that
offers good paying jobs within our county. As Chairman,
I’ll continue this effort.
• PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE
Our county is large, diverse and beautiful. We have
open spaces and rolling farmland, quaint towns, growing
cities with shopping and in-town living. I want to keep
Jackson County this way by preserving green spaces,
keeping the family farm and insuring the vibrancy of our
cities.
Vote Hunter Bicknell Chairman, Jackson County Board of
Commissioners "Proven Leadership for Jackson County."
Paid for by Friends for Hunter Bicknell Committee: Keith Ariail, Chairman; Jim Shaw, Treasurer
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335-6084
2183 N. Elm St Commerce, GA
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Located 5 Miles North Of Danielsville On Hwy. 281
Danielsville, Georgia
during the annual meeting of the
State Bar of Georgia June 6 at
Amelia Island, FL.
Bowers lives near Commerce.
The award is presented annually
by the General Practice and Trial
Section of the State Bar and has
become one of the most presti
gious awards a lawyer or judge
can receive. It is predicated on
experience, civic service and bar
activities and is unique because
nominations are submitted and
voted on by the recipients’ peers.
18-Year-Old Dies
In House Fire
In Madison County
DANIELSVILLE - Joshua
Donaldson, 18, died from smoke
inhalation from a house fire
Saturday at his home in Ila.
Officials were called to the resi
dence located at 71 Glenn Street
Saturday afternoon about 1:45
p.m. according to an incident
report from the sheriff’s office. A
neighbor reportedly spotted the
fire and called 911.
Donaldson, who had Down’s
Syndrome, was alone in the home
with several family pets at the time
of the fire, according to reports.
Ila fire chief Rudolph Nix said
the house was an older wood struc
ture. Ila, Poca and Danielsville
firefighters responded to the
blaze and had it under control in
about 30 minutes. The blaze was
confined to the kitchen and an
adjacent porch, Nix said.
Donaldson was found uncon
scious on a bed in a back bed
room of the home apparently
suffering from smoke inhalation.
He was given CPR by EMS per
sonnel and taken by ambulance
to Athens Regional. He was pro
nounced dead a couple of hours
later, according to Nix.
The fire marshal was called to
investigate. Nix said the marshal
believed the fire to have started
from a microwave or an electrical
wiring shortage in the kitchen.
Two dogs, a cat and several kit
tens were also killed.
Donaldson’s funeral was set for
Wednesday at Community with
burial in the church cemetery.
Nicholson To
Host Fireworks
On July Fourth
The city of Nicholson will be
holding its Independence Day
event Friday July 4, beginning at
2 p.m.
The event will include food,
games, karaoke and live enter
tainment. A fireworks display is
scheduled to begin right after
dark. The event will be held at the
Nicholson Amphitheater, located
behind city hall.
For more information, call
706-757-3408.
Humane Society
Website Now
Up And Running
The Humane Society of Jackson
County has announced that its
website is up and running.
The address is www.hscj.com.
“I would love to get your feed
back and comments,’’ said soci
ety president Angela Gosnell.
“We want the site to be the best
of the best.’’
NEED PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233