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SEE PAGE IB SEE PAGE 4B Tigers Look For Region Win On Friday Homecoming Is Friday At East Jackson Vol. 133 No. 33 18 Pages 2 Sections 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Cleared Officer Given Limited Duty An officer against whom rape allegations were made this spring has been returned to limited duty by the Commerce Police Department. Police Chief John Gaissert said Cameron Boswell will begin re training and some admin istrative duties today (Wednesday). Boswell was the sub ject of an investigation in Banks County where a Banks County woman claimed he’d raped her. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reportedly cleared Boswell, who is also the department’s drug handler. Boswell has been on paid leave since the alle gation surfaced. Gaissert has tried to get District Attorney Rick Bridgeman to make a decision on the case — close it or take it to a grand jury if he Cont. on Page 3A THURSDAY, OCT. 2 Sunny: Low, 45; high, 73; 0% chance rain FRIDAY, OCT 3 Sunny: Low, 48; high, 77; 10% chance rain SATURDAY, OCT. 4 Sunny: Low, 51; high, 76; 0% chance rain SUNDAY, OCT. 5 Mostly sunny: Low, 54; high, 78; 10% chance rain Reservoir Levels Commerce: 697.5 (.1 feet below full) Bear Creek: 695 (7.62 feet below full) Rainfall this month 0 inches Rainfall This Year 37.15 Inches INDEX Births 1OA Church News 8A Classified Ads 5-8B Calendar 3A Crime News 6-7A News Roundup 2A Obituaries 9A Opinions 4-5A School News ,.9A & 4B Sports 1-3B Social News 10A State Rejects County Schools' AYP Appeal Graduation Rate Of High Schools Makes JCCHS Fall Short, Leaving Entire School System Rated As Failing Fo Meet Adequate Yearly Progress By Kerri Testement The Jackson County School System has lost its appeal of a designation say ing one of its schools failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The Georgia Department of Education announced Tuesday that 241 schools that didn’t initially meet AYP in July later made AYP after a final report was available or an appeal was approved. The Jackson County School System appealed a decision that Jackson County Comprehensive High School didn’t meet AYP, due to its graduation rate. The state department of education listed JCCHS’s graduation rate as 67.4 per cent in 2008. High schools need a graduation rate of at least 70 percent to make AYP. Superintendent Shannon Adams has said the appeal centered on the fact that JCCHS’s graduation rate includes students from East Jackson Comprehensive High School, which opened in August 2007. The Georgia DOE grouped the graduation rate from the two county high schools for JCCHS’s AYP report, Adams said in July. Officially, EJCHS won’t have a graduation rate accounted for its AYP status until the fourth year after its opening. Adams said the county school system learned Tuesday morning that the appeal was denied. Since JCCHS didn’t meet AYP, the entire district is des ignated as failing to meet AYP. “We had been assured all along that we had an excel lent basis for appeal since we opened our second high school last year, but obviously there was some misunderstanding,’’ Adams wrote in an e-mail Tuesday afternoon. The school system is cur rently hosting a team from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to determine the district’s accreditation. The team will finish its visit today (Wednesday). Adams said after the team leaves, he will speak to the state DOE about an explanation. A Different Look For Tiger Stadium Commerce Tiger fans who show up for Friday night’s football game will find a different look at Tiger Stadium. Coach Steve Savage cuts the grass in front of the west endzone, behind which the concession stand and restrooms have been demolished for the construction of a new gym. That project is the first phase of an $18 million new Commerce High School. Once the gym, which will become a practice facility upon completion of the project, is completed, work will begin on the rest of the new struc ture. 2 Qualify For Election To Ward 1 Seat A former city councilman and a political newcomer have qualified for the Nov. 4 city election for the Ward 1 council seat. They are Archie D. Chaney Jr., 69, of 57 Ridgeway Drive, and Keith Burchett, 52, of 139 Windy Hills Road. Chaney served 22 years on the city council, includ ing 10 as mayor pro tem, before being ousted three years ago by current mayor pro tem Dusty Slater. Burchett has not sought office in the past. The two are running to fill the unexpired term of Wayne Gholston, who moved out of Ward 1 when he purchased a house. That term of office expires Dec. 31, 2009. Qualifying ends Thursday at 4:30. The qualifying fee is $81. Old Collins Cleaners Building To Be Transformed 41st Autumn Leaf Festival Set This Week In Maysville Work should begin in early 2009 to transform a city-owned building into a “business information cen ter.’’ The Commerce Downtown Development Authority last Wednesday authorized executive direc tor Hasco Craver to solicit a contract with an engi neering firm to help pre pare bid documents. The project would renovate the old Collins Cleaners build ing on Pine Street under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. Craver would bring the proposal back to the DDA for a vote. According to Craver, the city’s Public Works Department should be able to assist in the demolition phase. When the project is completed, there will be a meeting room, storage and public restrooms. The grant is aimed at the business development aspect, but the DDA’s top interest in the project is to provide public restrooms to support its activities at Spencer Park. In other business, Claudine Smith of the DDA’s Economic Cont. on Page 3A The 41st annual Maysville Autumn Leaf Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, Oct. 3, 4 and 5, in downtown Maysville. Monika Kelly, daughter of the well-known clown Emmett Kelly, will be the grand marshal of the parade. She will also have a booth with prints and other Emmett Kelly memorabilia. The parade theme this year is “Clownin’ round in Historic Maysville.’’ The parade will feature clown- themed floats and an Emmett Kelly impersonator. A cakewalk sponsored by the Maysville Elementary PTO will be held Friday evening and again Saturday. “Doc Holliday, Shadows of the Past’’ will pres ent a wild west bank robbery show three times on Saturday. A climbing wall, pony rides, Papas Choo Choo, moonwalk and other games will be available for chil dren. Many crafts and food vendors are expected. There will be a street dance Friday and Saturday nights. Odds Of Water Suit Appear High For Jackson By Mark Beardsley The chairman of the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority says there’s a 60-70 percent likeli hood Jackson County will sue over the Bear Creek Reservoir. That call will be made by the county commissioners, pointed out Hunter Bicknell. “We’re awaiting a response to the letter they took a vote on last Wednesday,’’ said Bicknell. ‘That is a response to the letter we sent request ing that they recalculate the yield.’’ Just how much water is available determines how much water each of the four county partners can use each day. Based on an esti mate of 58 million gallons of water per day, Athens- Clark would get 25.5 million gallons per day (mgd) and Jackson County 14.25 mgd. Jackson County has data suggesting that the regional reservoir can produce only 24 mgd — less than half the yield previously assumed. If those numbers are accurate, Athens-Clarke would find its share cut to 10.5 mgd. With a demand of up to 18 mgd daily, it means Athens- Clarke is using water daily that belongs to Jackson County, and Jackson County expects to be paid for that water. The regional author ity voted last Wednesday to instruct its attorney to respond. “Basically, we’re thinking we’ll receive a response that will not be acceptable,’’ said Bicknell. “We’ll get together with the commissioners and decide our next course of action.’’ What would that be? “In all likelihood, whatever it takes to force them to recalculate,’’ said Bicknell. Jackson County also asked that the regional authority hire a third party acceptable to it and Jackson County to conduct yet another analysis of the yield. The group voted to deny that request. Cont. on Page 3A