Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS? Rep. Tommy Benton has heard no talk about the need for a special session of the legislature to deal with the budget crisis: Page 12A SOFTBALL STARTS The Lady Tigers will host a 6-team soft- ball tournament Saturday: Page IB Vol. 134 No. 27 20 Pages 2 Sections 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Meetings Set For Input On Pouring Maysville has announced three “town hall meetings" to take public comment on a proposed ordinance that would allow the sale of beer and wine by the drink at restaurants in the city. Stephan Lewis will hear from his Ward 4 constitu ents from 6:30 to 7:15 Tuesday Aug. 25, at the Community Club build ing. Voters in Ward 1 can express their opinions to Councilman Clay Dorsey at the same location from 7:15 to 8 p.m., while Ward 3 councilperson Rebecca McNeely will take citizen input Tuesday Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Maysville Public Library. Maysville will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, for the first reading of a proposed beer and wine pouring ordinance. The council will not vote at this meeting. msm THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 Isolated T-storms: Low, 70; high, 91; 30% chance rain FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 Scattered T-storms: Low, 66; high, 87; 40% chance rain SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 Isolated T-storms: Low, 63; high, 88; 30% chance rain SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 T TL r -Sr Mostly sunny: Low, 64; high, 87; 10% chance rain Precipitation this month 1.47 inches Precipitation This Year 29.08 Inches Welcome Corporate Jets The completion of the 900-foot, $3 million runway extension project means the Jackson County Airport can safely handle corporate jets. That improvement is viewed as key toward future economic develop ment in Jackson County. Submitted photo Longer Runway Means Jets Welcome In Jackson The Jackson County Airport can now accommodate corporate jets. Its $3 million project to extend its runway to 5,000 feet is completed and open. The project was jointly funded by Jackson County, a grant from AirGeorgia, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration and includes a new east side taxiway to support the runway extension, accompanying runway/taxi- way lights, and new approach lighting system. New instrument approaches have also been developed and will be published in October. “The new runway and approaches will make the airport safer and allow increased accessibility to more aircraft than ever before, providing instrument approach access in nearly all weather conditions," airport authority chair man Shannon Sell said. “The runway improvement which is designed to accommodate most corporate aircraft is the catalyst for future develop ment of the airport. This runway is our off-ramp from the National Air Transportation System. It opens up access of Jackson County to all busi ness aircraft." The airport’s five-year capital improve ment plan includes acquisition of addi tional land for airport development and construction of additional hangars. “The Jackson County Airport Authority is committed to the develop ment of a state-of-the-art, safe airport to support Jackson County’s economy growth, to provide an increased tax base for the taxpayers, while being sensitive to its citizens and the environ ment," Sell added. No Contest: With Just 1 Candidate City Cancels Election Clark Hill Is Only Candidate For Sept. 15 Ward 4 Commerce Election; Qualifying Starts Aug. 31 For Biennial Elections Scratch one Commerce election. Dr. Clark Hill was the only candidate to qual ify for the Sept. 15 spe cial election to fill the unexpired term of Bob Sosebee for the Ward 4 seat on the Commerce City Council. Qualifying closed at noon Wednesday, Aug. 12. With only one candidate, the city can cancel the election. Hill has practiced inter nal medicine in Commerce since 2001 and has lived in Commerce since September 2000. He owns Hill Medical Group, an internal medi cine practice in both Commerce and Homer with Dr. Milene Argo and a nurse practitioner. He also owns J.C. Hill Enterprises LLC, a com pany that develops pro fessional office space in Commerce and Homer and is medical director of BJC Nursing Facility and Hill Haven Nursing Home. He serves as chair man of the Commerce Downtown Development Authority. Hill and his wife, Dorine, have three daughters. The term of office expires Dec. 31, 2011. Regular City Election Coming Up Commerce will elect three city council mem bers and two school board members Tuesday, Nov. 3. Qualifying for that election will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, through Wednesday, Sept. 2, at City Hall. The election will 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 cur rently 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 $72. Swine Flu Confirmed At Jackson Co. School By Kerri Testement A Jackson County stu dent has been diagnosed with the novel H1N1 “swine flu" virus, accord ing to the school system. Superintendent Shannon Adams issued a statement late Thursday evening say ing that a student at Kings Bridge Middle School has been diagnosed with the contagious disease that has flu-like symptoms. The school’s principal, Debra Morris, was told that evening about the stu dent’s diagnosis. “Dr. Morris has made arrangements for her cus todial staff to come in and | SWINE FlU ■ conduct a thorough clean ing of the entire building consistent with the rec ommendations of public health officials," Adams said in a statement. The sixth grade student’s Cont. on Page 3A Theater Group Finds A Home Health Officials: H1N1 A Mild' Flu Strain INDEX Church News 3B Classified Ads 6-8B Calendar 3A Crime News 6A News Roundup 2A Obituaries 1OA Opinions 4A School News 1 2A Sports 1-2B Social News 9A 4 8 7 9 1 4 1 4 1 " g By Mark Beardsley Entering its sixteenth little theater season, The Cold Sassy Players theater group finally has a home. The Commerce theater group just closed on the pur chase of the 12,000-square- foot building that was once the cable television head quarters for Windstream. And the location couldn’t be better. The building, which comes with a sizeable lot, is on the corner of Cherry Street and State Street right next door to the Commerce Cultural Center, where the Cold Sassy Players perform. “It will be nice to be right there so close," observed longtime CSP actor (and current secretary) Dannette Flint. “We can have every thing housed in one place." According to Flint, the building will not only enable the group to store all of its costumes, props, set-building equipment and Cont. on Page 5A By Mark Beardsley Because the H1N1 flu virus is less virulent than the seasonal flu, public health officials are not tracking individual cases. Steve Dumpert, risk communicator for the Northeast Georgia Health District, said he could not confirm the report that a case of swine flu was diagnosed at Kings Bridge Middle School or whether a case at East Jackson Comprehensive High School was actually H1N1. Cont. on Page 3A