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±TL Nws Region Roundup
Southeast Toyota volunteers are pictured at the recent fund-raiser for the
Jackson County Boys and Girls Club. Toyota contributed $25,000 to the club,
raising the funds netted to $59,500.
Benefit Raises
$59,500 For
B & G Club
The eighth annual auction
and dinner fund-raiser held
recently for the Jackson
County Boys and Girls Club
netted some $59,500 to help
fund summer programs for
the area boys and girls.
“This will be a night we
will never forget, a night in
which over 300 people came
out to support our club,’'
said Michael Williams, chief
professional officer, of the
Jackson County Boys and
Girls Clubs eighth annual
auction and dinner fund
raiser.
“We were worried that
with the current situation
of our country’s economy
we would not make our
goal of $25,000 this year,’’
Williams added. “Southeast
Toyota challenged us to
make $25,000 by stating
they would match it. I am
amazed — we surpassed
our goal and made $34,500.
With our Southeast Toyota
partnership and their dona
tion of $25,000, the event
raised $59,500.’’
The event was chaired by
two board members, Cindy
Patterson with Southeast
Toyota and Hasco Craver of
the Commerce Downtown
Development Authority.
“Cindy and her associates
at Southeast Toyota were
phenomenal,’’ Craver said.
“They spent long hours
coordinating the event, col
lecting auction items, secur
ing table sponsorships and
helping the board of direc
tors with this auction. We
could not have done it with
out them.’’
The money raised will be
used to supplement opera
tional costs for the summer,
which offers some 200 kids
a safe, structured summer
program.
The Boys and Girls Clubs
of Jackson County has two
sites — one in Jefferson and
one in Commerce. The club
is designed to offer after
school programming for
kids ages 6-17.
For more information,
contact Williams at 706-367-
8553.
Perdue Signs
Bill Giving
New Tax Credit
ATLANTA - Governor
Sonny Perdue Monday
signed House Bill 261,
which provides a $1,800 tax
credit for home purchases.
The credit, which would be
taken over three years, takes
effect immediately and is
meant to spur activity in the
housing market.
“The housing tax credit is
a strategic investment that
strikes at the root of this
economic downturn. Much
of the financial turmoil we
have seen stems from a
severe downturn in hous
ing,’’ Perdue said. “Families
interested in buying a home
will now have an additional
incentive to act.’’
The bill provides an
income tax credit for the
purchase of a single-family
residence during the next
six months. The amount of
the credit will be the lesser
of $1,800 or 1.2 percent of
the purchase price. A tax
payer may claim one-third
of the credit available in
each taxable year, and may
carry forward unclaimed
amounts.
For first-time homebuy-
ers, the state credit would
be in addition to the federal
tax credit authorized by the
American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. The fed
eral credit gives first-time
homebuyers a credit equal
to 10 percent of the pur
chase price, up to $8,000.
The state credit is avail
able to all buyers for six
months.
Two Under 25
To Run For
Hull Council
Hull has generated a
youth movement of sorts
as two 20-something resi
dents have emerged as
unlikely city council can
didates.
Brandon Fortson and
Randell King, both under
25, will face each other in
a June 16 special election
for Hull’s still-vacant coun
cil seat.
“I’ve met most of the
council people from the
other towns in and around,
and most are pushing 40
at the very earliest,’’ Hull
Mayor Paul Elkins said.
That Hull should have the
youngest elected official is
an ironic twist from a city
previously hindered by a
lack of interest in public
office openings.
The city unsuccessfully
attempted to hold a special
election in March after no
one bothered to qualify.
Now, Hull will decide its
open council seat with a
contested election.
Both Fortson and King
are residents of Hull’s
Hidden Fall’s Subdivision.
Fortson, who works
for the Athens-Clarke
County Fire Department,
is the son of Colbert
City Councilman Roger
Fortson.
“So we’ll kind of keep
it in the family,’’ Elkins
joked.
King is a political science
major at Piedmont College
who, according to Elkins,
thought running for office
would aid his studies.
“He asked his professor
if running for an office
might be an experience
that would be beneficial
in his poly science degree,
and the professor said,
'Oh, yeah,”' Elkins said.
No One Shows
Up For City
Public Hearing
The Nicholson City
Council held a public hear
ing Friday morning on the
proposed 2009 annual
budget and program of
services for the six-month
period of the city’s transi
tional budget - the period
from July 1 to December
31, 2009.
No citizens came out to
speak on the proposed
budget.
The proposed transition
al budget totals $343,500.
The general fund budget
totals $300,000 and the
capital projects fund totals
$43,500.
This proposed transi
tional budget reflects no
increase over the prior
budget period, based on a
six-month period.
The next budget hearing
will be held at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, May 28, prior to
the monthly work session
meeting. The hearing will
be held in the community
center.
Outdoor Burn
Ban In Effect
Until September
Jackson and surround
ing counties are under a
state outdoor burning
ban through Sept. 30. The
Georgia Environmental
Protection Division (EPD)
prohibits burning in 54
area counties in order to
reduce pollutants that cre
ate ground-level ozone. The
burn ban is a part of the
EPD’s plan to improve air
quality during smog sea
son.
The ban covers the 13
counties that comprise
the Atlanta Ozone Non-
Attainment Area and 41
counties that surround the
Ozone Non-Attainment
The Pilot Club of Commerce will
miss one of our finest members,
WILDA HARVIL
who passed recently.
“Miss Wilda” was a devoted
member for 40 years.
Area.
The burn ban is in effect in
the 54 counties from May 1
through Sept. 30 each year.
The ban prohibits the fol
lowing types of burning:
•burning of leaves, tree
limbs or other yard wastes.
• burning of vegetative
waste from land clearing.
Prescribed burning of for
est land is allowed in 26
counties, including Banks,
Clarke, Dawson, Floyd,
Gordon, Jackson and
Madison.
If citizens burn their yard
waste during the burn ban
without a permit, they will
be issued a citation and can
face fines up to $1,000 and
30 days in jail.
For more information on
the burn ban, call the EPD
Northeast District Office at
706-369-6376.
Officials Warn
Of Swine
Hu Scams
If the auto calls offering
health insurance for under
$100 a month and warn
ing that your extended war
ranty on your car is about
to expire aren’t enough, the
Better Business Bureau says
consumers should be aware
of yet another scam.
Relying on reports from
online security experts,
Better Business Bureau is
warning consumers to be
on the lookout for fraudu
lent e-mails and Web sites
trying to take advantage of
the current swine flu out
break.
“Scammers read newspa
pers, watch TV and surf
the Internet and they know
that by using a hook from
the day’s top headlines,
that they’ll be able to catch
lots of fish,’’ said Fred T.
Elsberry Jr., President &
CEO of the BBB Serving
Metro Atlanta, Athens and
Northeast Georgia. “Right
now, issues associated with
swine flu and a potential
pandemic are of global
interest and that means
scammers have a very large
pond to go phishing in.’’
According to McAfee
Avert Labs, an online
security company, spam
mers began pumping out
e-mails as soon as the first
accounts of swine flu were
being reported in the news,
accounting for two percent
of all spam messages. The
messages include such
subject lines as “Madonna
caught swine flu!’’ and
“Swine flu in Hollywood!’’
The company reports that
the e-mails do not contain
malware but often link to
online pharmacies.
More than 250 Web sites
with the term “swine flu’’
have been registered within
the first few days following
the announcement of the
outbreak and predict that
the scams artists are prepar
ing to use such Web sites in
a variety of different online
scams. One Web site, www.
noswineflu.com, is already
selling a “Swine Flu Survival
Guide’’ PDF for $19.95.
BBB offers the following
advice to avoid swine flu
scams:
• Avoid opening e-mail
from an unknown source
and do not click on any
links in the body of the
e-mail or open any attach
ments. Instead, delete the
e-mail or report it to the
Federal Trade Commission
by forwarding the e-mail to
spam@uce.gov.
• Don’t believe online
offers for vaccinations
against swine flu because a
vaccine does not exist. For
more information on swine
flu and updates on progress
in fighting the outbreak, go
to www.cdc.gov/swineflu
• Make sure your anti
virus and anti-spyware
software is up to date and
all operating system secu
rity patches have been
installed.
Alzheimer's
Care Sets Open
House May 23
Alzheimer’s Care of
Commerce will host a
“spring fling’’ and ice cream
social with an open house
at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 23.
Formerly known as
Commerce Personal Care,
the facility is now exclu
sively for Alzheimer’s
care and has 44 beds. It is
located at 200 Bolton Drive
near BJC Medical Center,
Commerce.
Shirley James is the direc
tor. For more information,
call 706-335-3421.
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(706) 713-6142 • Fax (706) 549-6594
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Fire, Water, and Wind Damage & Remodeling
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These days,
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Jefferson
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THE ROOF
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Written Warranties
• Commercial • Residential
• Metal & Shingle Roofing
• Roofing Maintenance & Repairs
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Emergency Repairs
FISH DAY!
NEW LOCATION!
Tuesday, May 19 • 4-5 p.m.
Shirley Feed & Seed
2439 N. Elm St. • Commerce, Ga • 335-2162
4-6” Catfish $35.00 pen 1 □□
6-8” Catfish $55.00 pen 100
8-11 ” Catfish $95.00 pen 100
We also carry: Largemouth Bass • Crappie • Koi’ • "Bluegill
■ Hybrid Bluegill • Grasscarp - Minnows - Red Ear Bream
Call ahead for large quantity orders.
501-676-3768 • www.stockmypond.com