Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016
THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 5A
BOE approves
personnel items
BY ANGELA GARY
The Banks County Board of Education approved several
personnel items in meetings held in the past week.
Items approved at the Thursday and Monday meetings
include the following:
•accepting the resignations of Nicole Moore, SFN assis
tant; Leann Rogers, paraprofessional; and Kindall Simmons,
Nathan Hudgins and Becky Hudgins, all bus drivers.
•hiring Angie Bullock, SFN assistant, and Terry Benfield
and Clint Peterson, both bus drivers.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the BOE:
• heard from primary school principal Jan Reiselt that the
school received silver recognition in the governor’s “Shake”
program.
•heard from elementary school principal Nancy Bentley
that preliminary Milestone test results are in and the school
scored above the district and state averages in 12 out of 15
subject areas.
• heard from middle school principal Hank Ramey that a
new leadership team was put together during the summer and
will be meeting to set goals and priorities. He also said the goal
this year is: “Opportunity plus effort equals greatness.”
• heard from high school principal Joseph Goodroe that 232
students are in the senior class this year and upcoming events
include the football game Friday night against Jackson County
and the ring ceremony on Sept. 8. He also said preliminary
Milestone results are in and the school showed improvements
in all but two areas.
• approved field trip and project requests.
BCSO incident reports
Burglary reported
at Lula residence
A burglary was reported at a Lula address last week when a
man found someone had broken into his barn.
The man told a deputy with the Banks County Sheriffs
Office that someone pried open the door of his barn on Jor
dan Road and stole a troy-built pressure washer and an engine
saddle with a tack.
Other incidents reported last week to the Banks County
Sheriffs Office were:
•shoplifting at a Banks Crossing business when a man
attempted to leave the store without paying for spray paint and
a laundry basket. The man ran away when he was approached
outside the store.
• a Nix Road, Alto, man said his ex-girlfriend took his keys
and a bill of sale for a trailer from his vehicle.
• a County Line Road man said that a former tenant took a
stove, refrigerator and water heater from his rental property.
• domestic dispute at an Old Highway 441 North, Alto, resi
dence when a man hit a woman with a bag of tools.
• a County Line Road, Lula, man said someone is continu
ing to send harassing text messages to his juvenile daughter
after being told to stop.
• a Huel Parson Street, Homer, man said a woman he does
not know knocked on his door and asked to use the shower
since she was covered in mud. He said he told her “no” and
she went outside and began washing off with a water hose.
• domestic dispute between a couple at a Banks Crossing
motel.
• a Pless Drive, Alto, woman said her neighbor was cutting
grass and a rock from the lawn mower stmck her vehicle and
damaged it.
• shoplifting at a Banks Crossing business when three men
pushed out a shopping cart filled with beer without paying for
it.
• a woman was reported to be walking in the road on Hwy.
51 South, Lula.
•damage to property at a Westbrook Road, Commerce,
address when a man said he heard a dog outside his home
during the night and then found claw and bite marks on his
vehicle the next day.
•four-wheeler stolen from the Atlanta Dragway on East
Ridgeway Road, Commerce.
• a woman came into the sheriffs office and said her wallet
was lost or stolen while she was shopping at a Banks Crossing
business.
• identity fraud against a man who came into the sheriffs
office and said he received a bill from Sprint for $2,241 and he
does not have an account with them.
• attempted shoplifting at a Banks Crossing business when
someone attempted to leave the store with two laptops without
paying. An employee approached the man who dropped the
laptops and ran from the store.
•dispute between an employee and guests at a Banks
Crossing motel.
• a man said he went into a Banks Crossing restaurant for
30 minutes and his tmck was stolen. He said he did leave it
unlocked with the keys in it.
• a Hwy. 51 North, Carnesville, woman said someone broke
into a shed on her property and stole clothes from a storage
box.
• a man said his wallet was lost or stolen while he was at a
Man dies in accident
while working on car
A Banks County man died on Thursday from injuries he
received in an accident while working on a car.
The man and a woman were underneath the car working
on the transmission when it rolled over the man. He died at
the scene.
Long joins the Army
Kenneth Long has joined the United States Army under the
Delayed Enlistment Program. He reported to Fort Benning for
basic training in June.
Long is the son of Robert Long of McDonough, and Kim
Lewallen of Baldwin.
He is a 2012 graduate of a home school program located in
Baldwin.
Recognized for reading
The Banks County Board of Education recognized area children Monday night for their achievements
in the summer reading program at the Banks County Public Library. Students shown are: (front, L-R)
Leland Beck and Richard Earnest; (middle, L-R) Henry Wisecup, Caleb Crump, Madison Wisecup, Isabella
Walker, Zuleydi Walker, Robert Walker, Enoch Highfield, Luke Presa, Ellie Presa, Destiny Vu-Le, Kylee
Bergmann and Saoirse Bergmann; and (back row, L-R) Kaya Lone, McKenzie Pauter, James Holbrooks,
Mary Holbrooks, Luke Andrews, Savanna Barton, AdaRae Thomas, Paxton Davis, Blake Jarrard, Luke
Whitehead, Cole Whitehead, Cole Seay, Joy Payne, Faith Payne, Chandler Brown, Kale Montgomery,
Danielle Stephens, Cody Willard, Molly Willard and Robert Earnest.
BOE recognizes students for reading achievements
BY ANGELA GARY
Banks County children participating in the summer reading program at the public library in Homer read 5,916 books with
13,229 people attending special events during the two-month period.
Banks County Public Library manager Stacy Krumnow gave a report on the summer reading program at the board of educa
tion meeting Monday night. She also recognized students who made special achievements during the summer.
During the summer, prizes were given to 180 students. Students also took tests related to reading and attended programs
featuring special guests.
Krumnow also reported that 47 adults and 67 children received their first library card over the summer. A book bag made by
area organizations is given to children who get their first library card.
Meals were also served at the library over the summer with 2,000 being given out to area children. This included meals and
snacks.
As Krumnow handed out certificates Monday night to the students, she told the BOE that these students are ones that the
board will be seeing again during their school years.
Lula discusses Hall County
consolidation proposal
BY CINDY R. EDGE
Hall County commission
ers are in the process of pro
posing a referendum ques
tion in regard to whether a
study should be performed
that would allow for consol
idation of the municipalities
within the county.
At a meeting of the Lula
City council Monday night,
city manager Dennis Bergin
noted, although the proposal
appears to be targeted pri
marily towards Gainesville,
the question is addressed
towards all Hall County
municipalities.
“I can tell you that no one
had previous knowledge,”
he said. “As far as Gaines
ville or any other cities,
none were contacted by Hall
County to determine if this is
a needed asset that might be
a benefit to both the county
and the cities.”
According to Mayor Milton
Turner, a study had previous
ly been conducted by Hall
County regarding consolida
tion.
“It was shelved by the
commissioners,” he said.
“All that money spent and
they are looking at doing the
same thing again, spending
all this extra money.”
Turner reported there are
four cities in Hall County
with a current law on the
books that cannot be part of
a consolidation.
Lula is one of them
because it is a multi-county
jurisdiction. Any city that is
located in more than one
county, under current law,
would not allow for consoli
dation, according to Bergin.
“There are advantages
to it (consolidation), but if
it is to save money, appar
ently that’s not the answer,”
Bergen said. “The answer is
to provide better services.
That’s where some commu
nities have found the biggest
success rate.”
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the
council:
•approved legal fees not
to exceed $3,000 to deter
mine ownership of the train
depot. After agreeing to pur
chase the depot over nine
months ago, the city isn’t any
closer to closing on the deal.
“I say let’s just bite the
bullet and get the ball rolling,
and then shut up about it,”
suggested Councilman Gar
nett Smith.
Although, not all coun-
cilmembers agreed, coun
cilman Vince Evans noted
the city already has approv
al giving $2,000 to the Lula
Area Betterment Association
for this purpose and felt any
additional cost should come
off the sale price.
Evans and Councilman
Lamb Griffin voted against
the proposal.
• discussed a proposal
from Banks County to take
over 1.4 miles of water line
along Garrison Road.
Currently, the water line
services eight customers and
seven fire hydrants. Bergin
reported, before the coun
cil will consider such a pro
posal, he would like to have
assurance from Banks Coun
ty that any cost of improve
ments along of the water line
would be at the expense of
Banks County and not the
city.
• discussed setting the
millage rate next month.
During recent adoption of
the city budget, the coun
cil agreed not to levy a city
property tax. The council
will consider setting the mill-
age rate next month and roll
ing it back to zero.
• heard a report from Ber
gin regarding the city’s inter
est in improving the railroad
underpass. Bergin has con
tacted Hall County Emergen
cy Management Services,
E-911 and the Fire Chief
and similar departments in
Banks County, as well as Nor
folk-Southern Railroad.
Banks County report
ed they are unaware of
any emergency instances
where the underpass may
have been an issue and Hall
County has reported they do
not have any documentation
regarding incidents as well.
Bergin advised the coun
cil, if it is their desire to move
forward with this project, to
establish a need for improve
ments and from there pro
ceed with preliminary engi
neering.
The city will continue to
explore options and alterna
tives available to improve the
underpass.
• accepted a bid from
Hamilton Contracting in the
amount of $164,919 to cut
and fill areas along various
streets throughout the city.
The improvements will not
include complete resurfac
ing of the streets at this time.
• scheduled a council
retreat for August 30.
• scheduled Railroad Days
for May 13, 2017.
News Deadline:
Noon Mondays
Email to: Angie@mainstreetnews.com or Mark@mainstreetnews.com
NOTICE
The Banks County School Board does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a called meeting to be held at the
Board of Education Office on Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 7:00 P M and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. Section
48-5-32 does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the history of the tax
digest and levy for the past five years.
CURRENT 2016 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY
COUNTY SCHOOL
2011
2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016
(school yr. 2016-17)
Real & Personal
655.934.737
646,466.580
644,485,244
643.819.682
540.068,743
546,004,237
Motor Vehicles
45.986.450
52,421.090
48.427.960
40.819.390
30.285,670
24,719,770
Mobile Homes
11,787,845
13,513.562
10.408.568
9.760.828
9.587,612
10,836,991
Timber -100%
770,212
243,370
481.143
1,134,298
820,171
615.856
Heavy Duty Equipment
0
9.853
0
0
0
0
Gross Digest
714,479.244
712,654,455
703,802.915
695.534,198
580.762.196
582.176.854
Less M& O Exemptions
179,116.550
184,734,261
185.381,340
183,330,030
111,680,423
114,518,912
Net M & O Digest
535.362.694
527,920.194
518.421.575
512.204.168
469.081.773
467.657.942
State Forest Land Assistance
Grant Value
957.086
950,075
942,747
1,037,235
1.054,156
1,038,329
Adjusted Net M&O Digest
536,319,780
528.870.269
519,364.322
513,241.403
470,135,929
468,696.271
Gross M&O Millage
13.244
14.336
14.508
14.509
14.511
15.539
Less Rollbacks
-0.092
-0.172
-0.001
-0.002
-1.028
-0.031
Net M&O Millage
13.336
14.508
14.509
14.511
15.539
15.570
Total School Taxes Levied
$7,152,361
$7,672,850
$7,535,457
$7,447,646
$7,305,442
$7,297,601
Net Taxes $ Increase
-$153,074
$520,489
-$137,393
-$87,811
-$142,204
-$7,841
Net Taxes % Increase
-2.10%
7.28%
-1.79%
-1.17%
-1.91%
-0.11%