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UGA Alumni
Sets 'Bark
In The Park'
The UGA Alumni
Association of Jackson
County will hold a “Bark
in the Park" event Saturday
May 30, at 11 a.m. at the
Braselton Park.
Dog-friendly vendors will
be on hand to answer ques
tions. Guests must keep
their pets on a leash and
clean up after them. Guests
are encouraged to wear
their University of Georgia
attire.
The event is open to the
public, and organizers are
seeking pet-oriented and
UGA-oriented vendors.
The Braselton Park is
located in downtown
Braselton, behind West
Jackson Primary School on
Harrison Street.
For more information,
email daniellegaustin@
gmail.com.
Commission
OKs Changes
In Authorities
The Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
agreed Monday to seek
legislative action to change
the term limits and guide
lines for appointments
made to authorities. The
BOC unanimously agreed
to seek changes to the dan
gerous dog committee and
the planning commission,
but split on the proposed
changes to the board of
assessors.
In a 3-2 vote, the BOC
agreed to ask the legisla
ture to change the board of
assessors from three mem
bers serving five-year terms
to five members serving
three-year terms. Terms will
be staggered.
BOC chairman Hunter
Bicknell and commission
ers Bruce Yates and Chas
Hardy voted in favor of
the changes for the board
of assessors, while Dwain
Smith and Tom Crow voted
against the motion.
Crow and Smith favor the
board members serving five
years.
“We have such a financial
obligation in training," Crow
said. “In three years, they
are just beginning to get
their feet wet. They really
need the five years."
Bicknell pointed out that
if the members are “doing a
good job they can be reap
pointed" for another three-
year term.
Crow also said he didn’t
believe that increasing the
board from three members
to five members would
improve the service.
“If we want to improve the
efficiency of that depart
ment, we need to hire more
staff that actually goes out
into the field and actually
looks at the property being
appraised," he said. “We
are short on the number
of appraisers in the depart
ment for the number of lots
we have."
Banks County
Woman Dies
In Trailer Fire
HOMER - A 61-year-old
Banks County woman
reportedly died in a fire
early Friday morning.
Sharolyn Griffin appears
to have died of smoke inha
lation at a mobile home
fire on Harley Drive, in
the Hollingsworth area of
Banks County.
The body has been taken
to the state crime lab for
autopsy.
County BOC
To Apply For
Pair Of Grants
In two weeks, the
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners will take
action on applying for
grants to fund a sign proj
ect and an industrial lab at
the Lanier Tech campus in
Commerce.
The BOC discussed
the two projects this past
Monday and made plans to
take action at the meeting
set for May 18 at 6 p.m. at
the courthouse.
One recommendation
from staff is to apply for
stimulus funds to purchase
digital signage hardware.
The $33,016 grant would be
used to provide digital signs
at the courthouse, admin
istrative building and new
jail. There would be no local
funds required.
The second request is
to apply for a $149,725
Appalachian Regional
Commission grant to locate
an industrial systems tech
nology training lab at Lanier
Tech.
County Rejects
Settlement
Offer In Suit
JEFFERSON - The
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners rejected a
$465,000 offer from former
warden Vickie Underwood
to settle her lawsuit against
the county.
Underwood sued the
county in federal court,
claiming her firing in August
2007 was sex discrimina
tion. She originally planned
to seek $2 million but coun
ty attorney Julius Hulsey
reported at Monday’s BOC
meeting that she had offered
a $465,000 settlement.
Hulsey said the
Association County
Commissioners of Georgia
recommended that the
county not accept the bid.
Hulsey also recommended
that the offer be rejected.
The BOC unanimously
voted to reject the offer.
Underwood was fired in
August 2007 for improper
use of inmate labor. In the
lawsuit, she states that items
were moved from the home
the county provided for her
to her new home by an
inmate crew while she was
in the hospital.
“I did not find out until I
returned from the hospital
a few days later," she states.
“I never ordered the detail
to do this, but I got blamed
for it."
Underwood had worked
for the county since 1990
and was named warden in
2001.
“During my time of service
for this county, I never had
one bad review in my file,"
she wrote in the lawsuit.
“The only thing my person
nel file had in it was positive
achievements. I dedicated
my time and sacrificed my
family for over 16 years for
Jackson County. At the end,
it stood for nothing. They
simply tossed me away as if
I were nothing."
The lawsuit also includes
allegations about other
county employees, includ
ing an elected official
having an improper rela
tionship with an inmate,
elected officials making
racial remarks and county
employees using inmate
labor improperly. She
states no action was taken
against any of these offi
cials or employees.
“My belief is the coun
ty will attempt to settle
this suit as they did the
other (Crandall Jones),"
Underwood wrote. “They
know they are wrong and
they don’t want things to
come out. I hold a lot of
secrets and they know it."
New Water
Rules In Effect
For Jackson
The Georgia EPD has
granted an easing of out
door watering restrictions.
The Jackson County Water
and Sewerage Authority is
now at Level 4B until fur
ther notice. The following
activities are allowed:
•Addresses ending with
an odd number may use
outdoor irrigation systems
and sprinklers Mondays
and Wednesdays, between
the hours of midnight and
10 a.m.
•Addresses ending with
an even number may use
outdoor irrigation systems
and sprinklers Tuesdays
and Thursdays, between
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FISH DAY
• 4-6” Catfish $39.00 pen 100
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To purchase 8-11” catfish, you must bring your own container and water (Too big to bag).
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the hours of midnight and
10 a.m.
•JCWSA customers are
also allowed to wash their
cars and perform pressure
washing activities.
•Additionally, JCWSA
customers may also hand
water using one garden
hose for 25 minutes per
day between midnight and
10 a.m. Soaker hoses and
drip irrigation watering
are allowed during these
hours as well, and days for
these watering activities are
restricted to the customer’s
odd or even address.
Nathan Deal
Announces
For Governor
Ninth District Congress
man Nathan Deal has
announced plans to run
for governor.
Deal has served in
the U.S. House of
Representatives since
1992. Prior to that he
served in the Georgia State
Senate from 1980 through
1992. He is a graduate of
Mercer University, from
which he holds a juris doc
torate degree. He served
in the U.S. Army 1966-68.
Deal is married to the
former Sandra Dunagan.
They have three chil
dren, six grandchildren
and are members of the
First Baptist Church of
Gainesville.
Deal was born in Millen
and grewup in Sandersville.
He was commissioned an
Army officer through the
ROTC program at Mercer
University.
Deal joins a crowded
field. Republicans Karen
Handel, Eric Johnson, Ray
McBerry, John Oxendine
and Austin Scott have
announced plans to run. So
have Democrats Thurbert
Baker and DuBose Porter,
while David Poythress,
Roy Barnes and Michael
Thurmond are said to be
considering entering the
race.
Governor
Signs 'Super
Speeder' Bill
The cost of excessive
speeding on Georgia’s high
ways went up yesterday
(Tuesday) as Gov. Sonny
Perdue signed the “super
speeder" legislation passed
this session by the General
Assembly.
The bill tacks an addition
al state fine of $200 onto
the fines of those caught
doing over 85 miles per
hour on interstate highways
and other four-lane roads or
doing more than 75 mph on
two-lane roads.
The state expects to raise
$23 million from the fines.
The intent of the bill is to
use that money to fund the
state’s network of trauma
centers.
Group To Sell
BBQ For Relay
Fund-raiser May 9
The Cansurvivor Team for
the Jackson County Relay
for Life will hold a pork bar
becue fund-raiser from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May
9, in front of Quality Foods,
Commerce.
Plates at $7 each will
include barbecue pork, slaw,
chips, bread and dessert.
Tickets can be purchased
by calling 706-335-6934 or
706-654-6399.
NEED
PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233
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