Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Carolyn Hooper
Hooper
to run for
probate judge
Carolyn Hooper has
announced that she plans
to seek election as Probate
Judge in Banks County.
She has worked in the
court system for 25 years,
alongside judges, attorneys
and prosecutors.
She lives in Banks
County with her husband,
Rudess Hooper. The two
have a son, Andy Hooper,
and daughter-in-law, Kristin.
Hooper is originally from
Lumpkin County and is
a member of Mt. Carmel
Baptist Church.
Chamber
to host
political
forum
The Banks County
Chamber CVB will host its
meet-and-greet and politi
cal fomm on Tuesday, April
19, at 6 p.m. at the Banks
County Recreation Depart
ment.
Attendees will be able
to meet with candidates
mnning for office in Banks
County.
Correction
In the Feb. 17 issue of
The Banks County News,
a page 1 story announc
ing David Jones’ intent to
run for a Banks County
Board of Commissioners
seat incorrectly stated that
he was seeking the District
4 position. Due to Jones’
geographical location, he
is seeking the District 2
seat.
Howto
submit news
The Banks Coun
ty News publishes
local church news,
public safety news,
funeral notices,
school, sports and
social news of inter
est to the Banks
County area. Items
should be emailed
to angie@main-
streetnews.com or
mailed to MainStreet
Newspapers, P.O.
Box 908 Jefferson,
GA 30549. All sub
missions are subject
to editing for, length,
grammar, style and
relevance and pub
lication is subject
to the availability of
space.
BOC seeks safety
improvements at
dangerous intersection
ELECTIONS
ELOST, SPLOST pass;
Trump, Clinton prevail
BY ANGELA GARY
The Banks County
Board of Commissioners
is seeking some improve
ments at a dangerous
intersection.
The BOC agreed at its
Feb. 23 meeting to send
a letter to the Georgia
Department of Transpor
tation asking for a safety
study to be done at the
Hwy. 63/Hwy. 198 inter
section. The BOC is also
asking for safety improve
ments to be made at the
dangerous intersection.
“This intersection has
a history of severe auto
mobile accidents,” the
letter to the DOT states.
“Recently, one person was
killed at this intersection.”
The BOC is asking the
DOT to look into the fea
sibility of a four-way stop
or a traffic signal at the
intersection.
“One safety measure
that could happen quick
ly would be the installa
tion of signage about
approaching the danger
ous intersection,” the let
ter states.
Another suggestion by
the BOC is “the use of
warning or alert strips that
would bring awareness of
the intersection approach
ing.”
“The Banks County
Board of Commissioners
cares about the traffic
safety of our citizens and
for anyone that travels
in our county,” the letter
states. “This safety haz
ard will not go away until
there is an effort made
to make this intersection
safe. We ask that you send
an inspection team to
assess the dangers and
make necessary changes
to insure the safety of our
citizens.”
Banks County voters overwhelmingly approved
resolutions in Tuesday’s election to extend the
one-cent sales taxes for government and educa
tion projects.
Voters approved the education local option
sales tax (ELOST) in a 2,767-1,271 vote.
Voters approved the special purpose local
option sales tax (SPLOST) by a 2,849-1,207 mar
gin.
In the presidential primary elections, Banks
County Republican voters handed Donald Trump
1,806 votes, while Ted Cruz got 1,050, Marco
Rubio received 443 and John Kasich garnered
84.
On the Democratic ballot, the majority of
Banks County voters favored Hillary Clinton,
who received 172 votes, but Vermont Senator
Bernie Sanders was close behind with 169 votes.
All numbers are unofficial as of Tuesday night.
Minnesota cannabis facility
Mainstreet Newspapers co-publisher Mike Buffington went to
Minnesota last week to see how that state is cultivating its med
ical cannabis business. Minnesota adopted a tightly-restricted
medical cannabis law in 2014 and is now growing and dispens
ing medical cannabis products. Georgia Rep. Allen Peake had
proposed that Georgia adopt a law similar to Minnesota’s that
allows in-state cultivation of medical cannabis, but that part of
the bill was stripped out by a legislative committee last week.
Buffington presents a series of articles this week about his visit
to one of Minnesota’s medical cannabis facilities. That section
begins on page 10B in this week’s newspaper.
Qualifying coming up in March for county elections
It’s an election year and several local races will be
on the May 24 ballot. Qualifying will be held from 9
a.m. on Monday March 7, through noon on Friday,
March 11, for county races to be on the ballot.
County seats on the ballot will include: board of
commissioners chairman, county commissioners
for districts 2 and 4, school board of education seats
for districts 1, 2 and 4, sheriff, clerk of courts, tax
commissioner, district attorney, coroner, surveyor,
probate judge, chief magistrate judge, State Senator
for District 50 and House of Representatives seat for
District 28.
The state and local primary elections will be on
Tuesday, May 24, with any needed mnoff set for
Tuesday, July 26.
Advance voting begins on Monday May 2.
The general election will be held Tuesday Nov.
8, with any mnoff election for local and state offices
being held Tuesday Dec. 6, and any mnoff election
for federal offices on Tuesday, Jan. 10,2017.
Advance voting begins Monday Oct. 17.
Perry named STAR student
The Banks County Cham
ber CVB recently announced
that Sarah Sang Pok Perry is
the 2016 Banks County STAR
student.
Dr. Howard Ledford, chair
of the Banks County Cham
ber CVB workforce develop
ment and education com
mittee and dean of general
education at Lanier Technical
College, made the presenta
tion at Banks County High
School. Perry is the daughter
of Alvis T. and Mi Suk Perry.
Each year the Chamber
CVB sponsors a $500 schol
arship for the Banks County
STAR Student. Perry and her
STAR teacher, Andy Brown,
will be recognized as they
attend Georgia’s Region 4
STAR Student and Teacher
Annual Banquet to be held at
the University of Georgia.
“We are proud to honor
Sarah for her accomplish
ments and dedication to her
schooling,” said Chamber
CVB chairman Mary Green
wood. “We are all predicting
a brilliant future for her as she
starts her college career.”
Ledford said Perry is a
model student.
“Ability intelligence and a
good attitude are qualities that
are needed to be a successful
student,” he said. “Hard work
is the glue that holds these
qualities together. Sarah is
a model student who pos
sesses all three qualities and
demonstrates the hard work
necessary for a promising
college career.”
The PAGE Student Teach
er Achievement Recognition
(STAR) Program, now in
its 58th year, is sponsored,
administered and promoted
by the Professional Associ
ation of Georgia Educators
(PAGE) Foundation and
the Banks County Chamber
CVB, Inc. Since its incep
tion, the STAR program has
honored 25,000 students and
the teachers they have select
ed as having had the most
influence on their academ
ic achievement. To obtain
the STAR nomination, high
school seniors must have the
highest score on a single test
date on the three-part Scho
lastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and
be in the top 10 percent or
top 10 students of their class
based on grade point aver
age.
STAR begins each year in
participating high schools
throughout Georgia when
the STAR Student is named
and chooses a STAR Teach
er to share in this recog
nition. The students and
their teachers are honored
by their schools and receive
special recognition in their
communities from one of the
more that 165 statewide civic
organizations and business
es that serve as local spon
sors of the STAR program.
Students then compete for
school system titles, and
those winners compete for
region honors. Region win
ners compete for the honor
of being named State PAGE
STAR Student.
STARs recognized
Sarah Sang Pok Perry is the 2016 Banks
County STAR student. She chose Andy Brown
as her STAR teacher.
