Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Commerce house destroyed by fire
Afire late Monday night destroyed a single-fam
ily house at 369 Duncan Circle. Firemen from
Commerce, Nicholson and the Jackson County
Correctional Institute responded at about 10:45
to find the single-story building fully involved
with fire, which also extended to the residence
next door. Firemen quickly put out the fire in the
secondary structure limiting it to minor dam
age, but the original structure was a total loss.
Occupants of the first house were home at the
time and received assistance from the American
Red Cross. The Commerce Fire Department and
the State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating
the cause.
Jackson County schools looking
at changes to transportation plan
BY ALEX PACE
Jackson County School
System students may see
a change in their rides to
school next year.
The Jackson County Board
of Education is considering a
change to its transportation
plan, which would slightly
reduce the number of buses
and possibly free up some
bus drivers to backfill. The
BOE received an update on
the proposed change at its
Monday work session.
One of the most notable
changes is what grade levels
ride on which buses. Under
the current plan, all grades
ride the same bus. But the
proposed plan would trans
port kids by grade (elementa
ry, middle and high).
The change would likely
reduce the congestion of
buses at the middle and high
schools and would free up
elementary route drivers to
backfill and drive for after
school activities.
The proposal includes a
change to school hours with
elementary schools starting
and ending earlier (7:30 a.m.
to 2:10 p.m.). Middle schools
would start at 8:15 a.m. and
end at 3:15 p.m., and high
schools would start at 8 a.m.
and end at 3:10 p.m.
District staff considered
switching the school time
plan (with elementary
schools starting and ending
later), but the earlier times
allow more parents to “send
off” their younger students.
The BOE is still discussing
the plan and may vote on it
in January.
Other Business
Also at its meeting, the
BOE:
• discussed formalizing the
eighth-12th grade configura
tion at East Jackson Compre
hensive High School, which
it plans to vote on next week.
The district may do a simi
lar configuration at the future
West Jackson high school.
• discussed its second
rezoning public hearing
which is set for Nov. 14 at 6:30
p.m. at Gum Springs Elemen
tary School.
•received some prelimi
nary data on its 2015-16 Col
lege and Career Readiness
Performance Index (CCRPI).
•learned Jackson County
Comprehensive High School
has applied to become an
International Baccalaureate
school.
•learned Joe Cobb, West
Jackson Middle School prin
cipal, will give a presentation
on plans to use the former
West Jackson Primary School
as a flexible learning space.
• received an update on its
finances. The district is wait
ing on property tax revenues
and has used some of its tax
anticipation note.
• learned that Educa
tion Local Option Sales Tax
receipts totaled $544,582 last
month, down from August but
up from September 2015.
• heard from chairman
Michael Cronic who stressed
the need to get the county tax
collection rate in writing. The
district previously pushed
for a uniform tax collection
rate with the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners after
learning it was being charged
more than the two city school
systems. The BOC recently
agreed on a two-percent col
lection fee for all the school
districts.
The Commerce Tiger Marching Band in action
Entertaining the fans
Sadie Robinson, Dylan McWilliams, Laura Hankins and Nilo Parra execute a routine as the Commerce
Tiger Marching Band performs during halftime of the Athens Academy football game Oct. 28.
Tiger drummer
Dylan McWilliams plays the drum for the
Commerce Tiger Marching Band during a recent
halftime show at Athens Academy.
Halftime entertainment
Jonathan Gary plays the drums during the
Commerce Tiger Marching Band’s halftime
performance Oct. 28.
Council ••• Cont. from 1A
The city received three other bids ranging up to $138 an
hour.
Other Business
At the work session, the council also:
• discussed the rezoning and annexation of 8.8 acres on
Hazel Street requested by Erin and Kyle Moore.
• discussed updating of its zoning map, which was put off
from a prior meeting due to a pending annexation.
• heard a request from Wascher to honor 14 city employ
ees for service anniversaries in five-year increments from
five years of service to 25.
•learned that the Commerce High School basketball
team wants to hold a 5K “Hometown Holiday Hustle” race
on Saturday, Dec. 3, in conjunction with the Downtown
Development Authority’s Hometown Holidays event.
• discussed the appointment of Jeff Rogers to a five-year
term on the Commerce Housing Authority to replace Gene
va Johnson, who is retiring.
• heard DDA executive director Natalie Thomas discuss
the Hometown Holidays series of events the first weekend
in December. On Saturday, Dec. 3, events will include
Donuts with Santa at the civic center, two productions of
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by the Cold Sassy Play
ers at the cultural center, a movie at noon at the library, and
an event featuring music and culminating in the lighting of
the city Christmas tree from 4:30 to 7 at Spencer Park. The
annual Christmas Parade will be Sunday, Dec. 4, at 3 p.m.
• learned that the Fall Cleanup Week produced 56.8 tons
of debris removed by the Public Works Department. “Fif
ty-six tons of debris is a lot of stuff,” Hill commented.
• learned that more than 80 people visited Smallwood
Trails Bicycle Park last Saturday, which was the grand open
ing of the facility. “Eighteen people who had never ridden
(the park’s trails) signed releases to use bikes loaned out
that day,” said city clerk Sandra Haggard. “I think it was a
huge success.”
• learned that the 45 city workers are participating in the
city’s “No-Shave November,” and have raised over $500 to
benefit American Cancer Society.
Slain ... Cont. from 1A
will continue to work with our students as they learn to under
stand and cope with their reactions.”
A GoFundMe website has been created to raise money
for the family. For more information, visit gofundme.
com/2xv02o4.
Roberto Arellano, 45, 310 Rooks Road, Winder, has been
charged with murder, simple assault, pointing a gun at
another, discharge of a weapon near a public highway or
street and aggravated assault.
When Barrow County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived
on scene at Rooks Road, Winder, there was a large crowd
standing at the end of a driveway. Arellano was still on
scene attempting to apply pressure to Tovar’s wound.
According to the investigation, Tovar was attempting to
mediate a dispute between the son of Arellano and anoth
er individual that had begun earlier in the day. Tovar was
reportedly related to one of the individuals. Arellano came
out of the house with a rifle and shot Tovar in the abdomen
during the dispute, according to a BCSO press release.
Arellano said Tovar and two unknown Hispanic juveniles
threatened to beat up his son, according to the BCSO inci
dent report. He said he did not know if they had any weap
ons and shot Tovar. The two other juveniles then reportedly
fled down the roadway towards Pendergrass Road.
Arellano is in custody at the Barrow County Detention
Center.
Housing rehab grants
available in Commerce
Age limitations have been removed on a federal program
providing grants to low-income homeowners to rehab their
houses in Commerce, the city’s planning director reports.
“They took off the age requirement. Now it’s just the
income requirement,” said David Zellner.
That means more people should be eligible to apply
for the grants, which are available for owner-occupied
residents in most of Commerce. Currently, Zellner said, 14
such grant projects are underway.
Zellner serves as the city liaiaon with Resources,
Inc., a nonprofit group certified by the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development to manage the
Community Home Investment Program housing reha
bilitation grants.
Since the program was instituted, the potential grant
amounts have increased.
“There was a limit, but they keep upping it,” said Zellner.
In fact, he said, the largest grant was not a renovation;
the recipient tore down the existing house and built a new
one.”
“I don’t know how they were able to pull off the new
home,” Zellner said.
The program is still being funded.
Requirements
“The main issue is home ownership,” Zellner said. The
requirements are:
• The home must be owner-occupied.
• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
•The applicant must meet household income restric
tions on a sliding scale that runs from $21,500 a year for a
household of one to $40,600 for a household of eight.
Mobile homes are not eligible for the program.
Successful applicants can use the funds for repairs to
roofs, heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing,
electrical systems, handicap ramps, handicap bathrooms,
insulation, floor systems, leaky windows and doors, abate
ment of lead-based paint and for other repairs/improve
ments.
Commerce became eligible based on U.S. census data
showing a high level of poverty, Zellner said.
Applications are available at City Hall of by calling 470-
228-9317. There is no application fee. Mary Ledbetter heads
up the program for Home Development Resources Inc. in
Jackson County. Applications should be returned to Zell
ner, whose office is located in the city’s utility department
on Cedar Drive.
It takes from just a few weeks to five or six months to get
an application approved, Zellner said
