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c — v "' Region Roundup
Armed Robber
Hits Bank In
West Jackson
An armed suspect stole
an undisclosed amount of
cash Monday in a speedy
robbery of a West Jackson
bank, according to authori
ties.
Shortly before 4 p.m„ a sus
pect with a gun walked into
the Hometown Community
Bank branch on Ga. Hwy.
124, near Traditions of
Braselton, according to
Major David Cochran of the
Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office.
The suspect was dressed
in blue jeans, black hi-top
tennis shoes, a gray T-shirt,
and a hood over his head
and face, Cochran said.
“Armed with a hand gun,
he demanded money from
the bank teller,’’ he added.
The suspect was given an
undisclosed amount of cash
and fled the bank in about
30 seconds.
“Basically, that’s all that I
have right now,’’ Cochran
said Tuesday.
The suspect fled the bank
on foot and law enforce
ment officers don’t have any
description of a possible
getaway vehicle, Cochran
said.
Police from Braselton and
Hoschton helped Jackson
County deputies search for
the suspect after the rob
bery.
“We saturated the area
and tried to pick up any
kind of clues or anything
that we may have, or any
kind of suspicious per
sons or vehicles,’’ Cochran
said.
Law enforcement offi
cers are reviewing surveil
lance video at the bank, he
added.
Hometown Community
Bank’s headquarters —
located on Ga. Hwy. 53 in
Braselton — was robbed by
an armed suspect in 2007.
In that incident, the sus
pect — who robbed a num
ber of area banks, includ
ing The People’s Bank in
Braselton — was later caught
and sentenced by a federal
judge in December to serve
167 years in prison.
Group Seeks
Vendors For
Art In Park
The Tumbling Waters
Society seeks arts and crafts
vendors and food vendors
for its 19th annual Art in
the Park Festival to be held
Saturday and Sunday, Sept.
19-20, at Hurricane Shoals
Park near Maysville.
Spaces available are 12
feet by 12 feet, with or with
out electricity.
The festival features hand
made crafts from across
North Georgia and food.
Live entertainment, chil
dren’s activities and tours
of the Heritage Village are
among the highlights of
the family weekend event.
The 5K Mill Race and Duck
Dash are held Sunday.
Two Employees
Proposed For
County Airport
The Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
heard a request from air
port manager Bob Stapleton
Monday night to create two
new staff positions at the
airport at a cost of $90,000
for salaries and benefits.
Airport manager Bob
Stapleton said the expan
sion at the airport will cre
ate the need for the addi
tional staff — an airport pro
gram specialist and airport
lineman.
“The airport has been a
one-man operation for some
time,’’ he said. He added
that the airport authority
considered hiring two peo
ple, or contracting with a
fixed base operator.
“We have explored both of
those options,’’ he said. “The
authority is of the opinion
we would have more con
trol if we do it ourselves.
It would also be more eco
nomically feasible.’’
He added that $ 15 million
airplanes would be com
ing to the airport after the
expansion project is com
plete.
“We are talking about
some high-dollar airplanes
that will be coming into
our community,’’ he said.
“There will be corporate
pilots and CEOs. You need
someone who can antici
pate desires and have it
there. You only get one
chance at that level. If they
come to your airport and
the service is not there,
they will not come back.’’
Stapleton also asked for a
change order for the runway
extension project at a cost
of $55,000 to Ace Grading
Company.
Meeting Set
To Discuss
Road Detour
A public information open
house on the upcoming
detour of John B. Brooks
Road in Jefferson will be
held Thursday, July 9, from
5-7 p.m.
The meeting will be
held at the Brooks Village
Clubhouse, located at 638
Cottage Loop, Pendergrass.
The meeting will provide
the public with an opportu
nity to view the proposed
project detour route.
The project will construct
and widen John B. Brooks
from U.S. Hwy. 129 to
S.R. 332 and will include
a continuous center turn
lane, and curb and gutter
throughout.
The public is invited to
attend anytime during the
open house hours. There will
be no formal presentation.
Commissioner
Sets Town Hall
Meeting Tues.
Jackson County
Commissioner Bruce Yates
will hold a town hall meet
ing on Tuesday, July 14,
at 7 p.m., at the Hoschton
Depot.
Among the items on the
District 3 commissioner’s
agenda is an update of a
new park in Hoschton,
Jackson County’s budget
cuts, property appraisals
and the county’s compre
hensive plan.
County staff members
will be available to respond
to questions.
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Municipal
Elections
Coming Up
Qualifying will be held this
summer for town elections
slated for November. The
general election for council
seats up for grabs in Arcade,
Braselton, Commerce,
Hoschton, Jefferson,
Maysville, Nicholson and
Talmo will be held Tuesday,
Nov. 3.
The City of Pendergrass
will not hold an election
this year. The next election
is slated for 2010.
Arcade
In Arcade, the election
will be held to fill the seat
of mayor and five council
seats. Doug Haynie current
ly serves as mayor and the
council seats are now held
by Dean Bentley, Cindy
Bone, Tom Hays, Polly
Davis and Ron Smith.
The qualifying fee for the
mayor’s position is $156
and the fee for each council
seat is $36. The city council
will vote on the dates and
times for qualifying when
it meets July 13. Qualifying
will be held at city hall.
Braselton
In Braselton, the election
will be held to fill the seat
of mayor and council mem
bers District 2 and District 4.
The mayor’s position is cur
rently held by Pat Graham.
The District 2 council mem
ber is Ralph Richardson Jr.
and Dudley Ray holds the
District 4 position.
The qualifying fee for the
mayor’s position is $156
and $36 for each council
seat. Qualifying will be
held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. daily Monday, Aug. 31,
through Wednesday, Sept. 2,
at city hall.
Commerce
Commerce will hold its
election to fill the seat of
mayor pro tem, council
seats for Ward 1 and Ward
2 and school board seats
for District 1 and District
2. The seats up for election
are currently held by Dusty
Slater, Archie Chaney,
Donald Wilson, Arthur Lee
Pattman and Mary Seabolt,
respectively.
The qualifying fee for
mayor pro tem is $90, each
council seat is $81 and each
school board seat is $88.
Qualifying will be held
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 31, through
Wednesday, Sept. 2, at city
hall.
The last day to register to
vote in the November elec
tion is Oct. 5.
Commerce will also hold
a special election Tuesday,
Sept. 15, to fill a vacancy on
the city council in Ward 4.
Qualifying will be held
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 10, and will
end at noon Wednesday,
Aug. 12. The qualifying fee
is $81.
Hoschton
The mayor’s seat and three
council positions will be on
the ballot in Hoschton in
November. Those currently
holding the seats are Mayor
Bill Copenhaver, council
seat Post 1 Richard Green,
council seat Post 2 Jim
Jester and council Post 3
held by John Schulte.
The qualifying fee for
mayor and each council
seat is $11 each. Qualifying
will be held from 8:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. daily Monday,
Aug. 31, through Wednesday,
Sept. 2, at city hall.
Jefferson
In Jefferson, the mayor’s
seat, two council seats, the
position of school board
chairman and two school
board seats will be up for
election in November. The
positions are currently
held by Jim Joiner, mayor;
David Varnadoe and Bosie
Griffith, councilmen; and
Damon Wilbanks and
Derrell Crowe, BOE mem
bers.
The qualifying fees are as
follows: mayor, $216; coun
cil members, $75; school
board chairman, $54; and
school board members,
$36. Qualifying will be held
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 31, through
Wednesday, Sept. 2, at city
hall.
Maysville
In Maysville, the council
positions for Ward 1 and
Ward 3 will be on the ballot.
The Ward 1 council position
is currently held by Clay
Dorsey. Rebecca McNeeley
currently holds the position
of council Ward 3.
The qualifying fee for
each council seat is $30.
Qualifying will be held from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
Monday, Aug. 31, through
Wednesday, Sept. 2, at city
hall.
Nicholson
The mayor’s seat and four
council positions will be
on the ballot in Nicholson
in November. Ronnie
Maxwell currently serves
as mayor, and the coun
cil seats are now held by
Faye Seagraves, Howard
Wilbanks, Paul Cartledge
and Lamar Watkins.
The qualifying fee for
mayor is $ 10 and $5 for each
council seat. Qualifying will
be held from 8 a.m. to 4
p.m. daily Monday, Aug. 31,
through Wednesday, Sept. 2,
at city hall.
Talmo
In Talmo, the mayor’s
seat and two council posi
tions will be on the ballot
in November. Larry Wood
currently serves and mayor
and Jill Miller and Michael
“Trapper’’ Brissey currently
hold the two council posi
tions.
There is no qualifying fee
due to the positions being
volunteer. Qualifying will be
held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 31, through
Wednesday, Sept. 2, at city
hall.
Joiner To Seek
Re-Election
In Jefferson
Jim Joiner has announced
that he plans to seek re-elec
tion as mayor of Jefferson.
“I feel that I offer the lead
ership Jefferson needs at
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this point because of the
many projects that we
have working,’’ he said.
“Two examples are the
streetscape project and the
Parks Creek Reservoir. Also,
I am continually working
with the chamber of com
merce on economic devel
opment as we have com
mercial and industrial pros
pects interested in locating
in Jefferson. Working with
these prospects is one of
the things that I really enjoy.
It’s a great feeling to get
new industry here not only
because of the tax base,
but also the job creation.
Jefferson will continue to
grow. It will grow whether
we want it to or not.’’
Braselton To
Hold Hearing
On Urban Plan
The Braselton Town
Council will hold a pub
lic hearing on its proposed
downtown urban redevel
opment plan on Thursday,
July 9, at 4 p.m.
Braselton is proposing a
number of changes to its
downtown area, including
transportation, recreation,
commercial, housing, utility
and other improvements.
The plan will also address
open space and historic
land preservation, along
with the re-alignment of Ga.
Hwy. 124 and Ga. Hwy. 53, a
mixed-use town center, and
a town green and amphi
theater.
For the redevelopment
plan, Braselton is defining
its downtown area as that
from the north to 1-85, from
the east to the town lim
its, from the west to Jesse
Cronic Road and Piedmont
Road and to the south to
the Hoschton city limits.
The area doesn’t include the
Keys Crossing subdivision,
and industrial-zoned prop
erty and those parcels front
ing Zion Church Road.
The hearing will be held
in the Braselton Police
and Municipal Court
Building.
Black Bear
Killed On
Interstate 85
HOMER - Banks County
Sheriff Charles Chapman said
several calls came in to the
Banks County Sheriff’s Office
around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday,
July 2, reporting that a black
bear had been struck by a car
on Interstate 85.
Deputies responded to the
area of the 152 mile marker
and found the dead bear
on the northbound side of
the interstate. Chapman
said the bear was headed
towards the southbound
side of Interstate 85. The
vehicle that struck the bear
did not stop.
The game warden
was called to the scene.
Chapman said someone
from Toccoa came down
and picked the bear up to
study the body to deter
mine the age of the bear.
Former City
Clerk Pleads To
Theft Charges
DANIELS VILLE- Officials
heard Monday night that for
mer city clerk Michelle Dills
has pled guilty to a single
count of felony theft by tak
ing.
City attorney Victor
Johnson informed the
council of the plea, which
occurred Monday, June
29.
A pre-sentencing investi
gation is being conducted
by the district attorney’s
office with sentencing for
Dills expected in the next
couple of months.
A GBI investigation found
that Dills took $196,000
from city accounts over a
five-year period while she
worked as city clerk. Dills
was fired from her long
time position as city clerk
last September after the
missing funds were discov
ered by city auditors.
Comer Wants
To Improve
Cemetery Care
Part of the Comer city
cemetery is not being
maintained, and the city
council wants to change
that.
Comer leaders agreed
during their Monday night
meeting to meet with the
cemetery committee to
discuss the problem.
A section of the grave
yard lacks up-keep, which
could be the result of con
fusion in the contract with
the maintenance crew.
Councilman Howard
Threlkeld said this could
be easily remedied by
renegotiating for all-inclu
sive service.
In other maintenance
issues, the city coun
cil wishes to designate a
monthly date for debris
clean-up in Royal Oaks
subdivision.
Mayor Billy Burroughs
said that the city has been
occupied with downtown
improvements recently,
but hopes to bring the city
wood-chipper to the subdi
vision soon.
“Maybe we can designate
one day a month to get it
done,’’ Burroughs said.
In other news, the city is
fielding fewer complaints
now regarding garbage ser
vice compared to when it
first switched to a private
company for trash collec
tion. The company took
over service from city
workers on June 1.
Comer’s Monday meet
ing was a brief one,
attended by only two
council members and the
mayor.
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