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Region Roundup
Peachtree
Village To Offer
$1 Senior Meals
Peachtree Village Senior
Living will offer $1 lunches
for seniors 65 and older
once each month.
The program will begin
Oct. 9 and will take place
at noon on the second
Thursday of each month.
There will also be a movie
or activities after lunch.
There is limited space, so
those interested must call
706-335-5848 by the first
of each month for reserva
tions.
The facility is located
at 199 W.W. Gary Road,
Commerce, just south of
Banks Crossing.
Quilt Classes
Offered At
Swindle Library
Two quilting classes will
be offered at the Harold S.
Swindle Public Library in
Nicholson. One class will
be offered from 10 a.m. to
noon Tuesday mornings
beginning Oct. 21, and a
second will be held from
7 to 9 p.m. Thursday eve
nings, beginning Oct. 16.
There will be a $15 charge
to cover the cost of instruc
tional materials. Some
experience with a sewing
machine is helpful.
For more information
or to register for the class,
contact Bea Pearre, library
manager, at 706-757-3577
before Oct. 10.
History Buffs
To Meet
On Oct. 19
The Jackson County
Historical Society will meet
at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19,
at the Commerce Cultural
Center for a program by
anthropologist Steven
Scurry on “The Oconee
War, Georgia’s Push into
the Hunting Lands of the
Creeks.’’
Scurry has spent his
years since graduating from
the University of Georgia
studying the Oconee Valley
and its inhabitants. All inter
ested are invited to attend.
For information call Tina
at 706-757-3750.
Local Farm To
Be Recognized
At State Fair
A Jackson County farm
will be honored during the
Georgia National Fair in
Perry this week.
Hayes and McDonald
Farm, owned by Betsy Hays
McDonald, will receive the
Centennial Family Farm
award. The award recogniz
es farms owned by mem
bers of the same family for
100 years or more that are
not listed in the National
Register of Historic Places.
Commerce resident
Gary Black, president of
the Georgia Agribusiness
Council Inc., will be a guest
speaker at the event.
Since 1993, the Georgia
Centennial Farm Program
has recognized 360 farms
across the state. The pro
gram is administered by
the Historic Preservation
Division of the Georgia
Department of Natural
Resources and sponsored
by the Historic Preservation
Division; Georgia Farm
Bureau Federation;
Georgia Department
of Agriculture; Georgia
Forestry Commission; and
the Georgia National Fair
and Agricenter.
Tanger 'Pink'
To Help Fight
Breast Cancer
For the 15th year, Tanger
Outlet Centers is asking its
shoppers to think pink in the
battle against breast cancer.
As part of the annual pro
gram to fight breast cancer
and raise awareness for this
disease, Tanger customers
in Commerce can help fight
breast cancer by purchas
ing a 25 percent OFF Pink
Card Sept. 17-Oct. 19.
For $1 each, Tanger
shoppers will receive
a special Pink Card that
will give them a 25 per
cent discount at participat
ing outlet stores. The Pink
Cards will be available at
all Tanger Shopper Services
and online at tangeroutlet.
com. Proceeds from the
sale of the 25 percent OFF
Pink Cards will stay in the
community to benefit the
Northeast Georgia Chapter
of the American Cancer
Society.
“Working closely with
our retail partners, we will
continue the battle to put
an end to breast cancer,’’
stated Stanley K. Tanger,
Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Tanger
Factory Outlet Centers Inc.
“We remain committed to
the fight. It is our goal to
fund the research neces
sary to prevent and find a
cure for breast cancer in
our lifetime,’’ he added.
Since 1994, Tanger Outlet
Centers has contributed in
excess of $5.1 million to help
create awareness among its
150 million annual shoppers
for the importance of early
detection through yearly
mammograms. Tanger’s
Breast Cancer Awareness
Campaign also has as its
mission, the raising of funds
to support educational pro
grams to improve the qual
ity of life for patients and
families and to help fund
research to put an end to the
disease. According to the
American Cancer Society,
an estimated 182,460 new
cases of invasive breast can
cer are expected to occur
among women in the U.S.
in 2008. It is estimated
that approximately 40,480
deaths are expected due to
the disease.
Tax 'Holiday'
Expanded For
'Energy Star'
Governor Sonny Perdue
has announced Georgia’s
fourth annual ENERGY
STAR Sales Tax Holiday has
been expanded for the first
time to include WaterSense
labeled products.
Georgians will not pay
state or local sales taxes
on the purchase of energy
efficient or water efficient
products that cost $1,500 or
less per item. The sales tax
holiday begins at 12:01 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 2, and runs
through midnight Sunday,
Oct. 5.
ENERGY STAR desig
nated products meet strict
energy efficiency criteria set
by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
and the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE).
Qualified ENERGY STAR
appliances and products
include dishwashers, clothes
washers, air conditioners,
ceiling fans, fluorescent
light bulbs, dehumidifiers,
programmable thermostats,
refrigerators, doors and
windows.
Many ENERGY STAR
qualified appliances use 30
percent less energy than
conventional models with
out sacrificing features,
style or comfort. Some
products, such as energy
efficient compact fluores
cent bulbs, save as much as
80 percent.
The EPA created the
WaterSense program to
recognize major water con
suming products that are
20 percent more water-effi
cient and perform as well
as or better than conven
tional models. Currently,
264 high efficiency toilets
and 209 bathroom faucets
and faucet accessories meet
the designation and can be
found at a variety of price
points at retailers across the
state.
Summaries Of
Amendments
Are Available
Summaries of the three
proposed amendments to
the Georgia constitution
are available on a website,
according to secretary of
state Karen Handel.
The amendments will be
on the general election bal
lot Nov. 4.
The first proposed amend
ment would encourage the
preservation of Georgia’s
forests through a conserva
tion use property tax reduc
tion program.
The second proposed
amendment would autho
rize local school districts to
use tax funds for communi
ty development purposes.
The third proposed
amendment would autho
rize the creation of special
infrastructure development
districts providing infra
structure to underserved
areas.
The summaries and con
stitutional amendments in
their entirety are available
at: http://www.sos.ga.gov/
Elections/2008_amend-
ments.htm.
A copy of the constitu
tional amendments in their
entirety is on file in the
office of the judge of the
probate court and is avail
able for public inspection.
Printed copies of the sum
maries are available with
county elections superin
tendents and the secretary
of state’s office. To obtain a
printed copy of the summa
ries from the secretary of
state, call 404-656-2871.
Change Would
Keep 'Exotic'
Farm Operation
JEFFERSON - The
Jackson County Planning
Commission recommend
ed approval of a request
Thursday that will allow a
Hoschton resident to con
tinue his farming operation.
Alboun Eugene Gilbert
asked for a future land use
map amendment from a
residential growth designa
tion to rural places for 21.67
acres on Skelton Road,
located between Ga. Hwy.
124 and Ga. Hwy. 332.
Gilbert raises exotic ani
mals on the property, which
was rezoned from agricul
tural to residential several
years ago.
At the time, Gilbert
planned to sell the property
to a developer and move
his exotic animal farm to
another location.
But the slumping real
estate market changed
those plans.
The intended buyer
walked away from the land
deal and Gilbert said he
was later told to remove
the exotic animals from the
property.
With new residential
development at a slow pace
in the area, Gilbert said he
wanted to continue his farm
operation on Skelton Road.
“All we’re trying to do is
to get our land back to agri
cultural,’’ he said.
Gilbert said he may use a
“grandfather clause’’ to get
his farm back to its former
operation, but said the poli
cy has “all kinds of restric
tions and loopholes.’’
Gilbert’s property is next
to at least one undeveloped
subdivision.
Winder attorney John
Stell, representing Buckeye
Land and Timber Company,
said Gilbert’s request was
improper and asked that it
be denied.
Gilbert said he has no
plans to expand the farm,
but if given a good offer
for the land, he may sell
it and move the farming
operation.
The Jackson County plan
ning staff recommended
denial of the request.
The board of commission
ers will hear the request
Monday, Oct. 20.
Other Business
In other business, the
planning commission:
•learned that a map
amendment request for 701
acres on U.S. Hwy. 129 in
South Jackson from rural
places to industrial work
place has been changed to
Oct. 23, due to an incorrect
advertisement about the
proposal.
•approved a text amend
ment to the county’s uni
fied development code to
include a Ga. Hwy. 124 and
Ga. Hwy. 53 overlay district
in West Jackson. Attorney
Stell, representing Ga. Hwy.
124 property owners, asked
that the overlay district
standards not apply to agri
culturally-zoned properties,
as long as they remain in
agricultural use. The plan
ning commission agreed to
exempt agriculturally-zoned
properties from the over
lay district, until they are
rezoned. Buildings on the
properties may have to be
brought up to code at the
time of rezoning. About half
of property in the proposed
West Jackson overlay dis
trict is agriculturally-zoned,
•learned that a request by
Joseph Morgan Jr. to rezone
2.26 acres at 2525 Jackson
Trail Road from A-2 to R-l
has been postponed to Oct.
23, since the applicant didn’t
properly post public notice
signs on the property.
• approved a unified devel
opment code text amend
ment to address signature
blocks for the water author
ity on development reviews
and final plats.
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Rabies Clinic
Set Oct. 18
In Maysville
A rabies clinic will be held
in Maysville from 10 a.m.
to noon at the city park in
Maysville on Saturday, Oct.
18.
Discounted rabies vac
cines will be offered for $8
each.
Hu Shots To
Be Offered At
Banks Co. Clinic
A flu shot clinic will be
held at Banks County
Middle School Friday, Oct.
10, from 9 a.m. to noon.
After the clinic at the
middle school, the Banks
County Health Department
will be open for flu shots
Mondays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays from
8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
Braselton Bank
Robbery Suspect
Is Found Guilty
A Dacula man tied to
two armed robberies in
Braselton last year has been
found guilty.
A jury in federal district
court returned a guilty ver
dict on Thursday against
Souksakhone Phaknikone
— also known as “Trigga’’ —
on seven counts of armed
bank robbery, seven counts
of use of a firearm dur
ing the commission of the
armed bank robberies, and
one count of being a con
victed felon in possession
of a firearm.
Phaknikone, 26, was con
victed on all counts of the
indictment after the jury
deliberated approximately
five hours.
The evidence at trial
proved that on seven sep
arate occasions, “Trigga’’
robbed banks wearing a
ski mask, hoodie, gloves
and carrying a semi-auto
matic firearm, according
to U.S. Attorney David
Nahmias.
In each robbery, “Trigga’’
vaulted the teller counter
and personally grabbed the
cash. Although he went to
great lengths to conceal his
identity, investigators recog
nized his signature actions,
including jumping the coun
ter in each of his robberies.
And at two armed robber
ies at Braselton banks, the
suspect also jumped on the
counters.
“Trigga’’ robbed The
People’s Bank on Ga. Hwy.
211 in Braselton Jan. 31,2007.
Two weeks later, he robbed
Hometown Community
Bank on Ga. Hwy. 53.
Shortly after the two rob
beries, the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office said it
believed that the same sus
pect committed both crimes
based on the robber’s tech
nique and description. The
Peoples Bank in Braselton is
located in Barrow County.
At the time, the suspect
was described as a black
male, 5’4” to 5’5” wearing a
black mask, a light brown
hooded jacket, blue jeans
and gloves.
Intensive investigation
revealed Phaknikone had
visited a number of the
banks without his mask to
“case’’ and plan the robber
ies, according to Nahmias.
Agents obtained bank
surveillance photos from
“Trigga’s’’ pre-robbery vis
its to the banks, which in
effect, removed his mask
for the jury and revealed
“Trigga’s’’ true identity.
Phaknikone was arrest
ed in April 2007, after he
robbed a Wachovia Bank
in Suwanee and led police
on a high speed chase that
ended in a collision and his
apprehension at gun point.
“This defendant has ter
rorized bank tellers for the
last time,’’ Nahmias said in
a statement. “At trial, many
victims of this defendant
described the fear and dan
ger he created when he
vaulted the teller counters in
seven separate armed bank
robberies. ‘Trigga’ used his
loaded semi-automatic fire
arm to steal thousands of
dollars. Our community will
be a safer place as a result
of the cooperative and coor
dinated efforts of the many
federal, state and local law
enforcement agencies who
worked on this case.’’
Phaknikone faces a maxi
mum sentence of seven life
sentences plus 150 years,
and faces a mandatory
minimum of 157 years in
prison, and a fine of up to
$3.7 million. Sentencing is
not yet scheduled before
United States District Judge
Richard W. Story.
The case was investi
gated by special agents
of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Georgia
Bureau of Investigations,
and the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms,
and Explosives, and
police officers from
the following depart
ments: Suwanee Police
Department, Lilburn Police
Department, Duluth Police
Department, Gwinnett
County Police Department,
Jackson County Sheriff’s
Department, and
Barrow County Sheriff’s
Department.
Assistant United States
Attorneys Matthew T.
Jackson and Angela M.
Jordan are prosecuting the
case.
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