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VOL. 105, NO. 29, FEBRUARY 4, 2009 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS Screven man charged in local shooting A domestic disturbance on Aaron Road in southern Jenkins County Tuesday. Jan. 27, re sulted in a 21-year-old man be ing shot and a Screven County man charged in the incident. James Cecil Lee Jr. of Screven County has been charged with two counts of terroristic threats and acts and a probation viola tion in connection with the inci dent. The Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call for assistance and upon investiga tion, deputies found that an em ployee/tenant of the property owner, Walter Williams, had been involved in a long-running feud with James Cecil Lee Jr. who was the ex-boyfriend of the employee’s current girlfriend. The employee and Lee ex changed telephone calls and voice mails on Tuesday evening, culminating in Lee’s traveling from Screven to Jenkins County around 10 p.m. with his brother, Ray Lee, and Paula Daughtry, Ray Lee’s girlfriend. When the vehicle parked in Williams’ driveway, a verbal al tercation took place. During the altercation, Williams reported hearing gunshots coming from the direction of the vehicle, and he returned fire. His son, who had come from his home to check on his father, was caught in the cross fire. He was wounded in the chest, neck and head by numerous shotgun pellets that penetrated the windshield of his vehicle. The Screven County vehicle fled the scene, and 911 was called. A lookout was broadcast for the vehicle, and all three oc cupants were apprehended near Sylvania within a matter of min utes. The victim was transported by Jenkins County Emergency Medical Services personnel to the Jenkins County Hospital were he was treated and released. James Cecil Lee Jr. is being held in the Jenkins County Jail, without bond. His case will be heal'd in Jenkins County Supe rior Court later this month. Ray Lee and Paula Daughtry were released without charges at this time, and Williams was not charged. The sheriff’s department was assisted with the investigation by Dwayne Herrington, City of Millen Director of Public Safety, Millen Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investi gation. DONATION The former Edenfield Feed and Seed building on South Gray Street is currently being demolished for salvage after the present owners donated it to the Millen Fire Department. The building was erected in 1946 by Gordon Edenfield with David and Jean Rountree assuming ownership in 1954. They operated the business for 41’A years before selling it. The building may soon be gone, but the business will continue to operate under the present ownership of Bob and Donna Gest at its new location on U.S. Highway 25 North. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett) House passes homestead exemption funding By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor The Georgia House of Repre sentatives passed HB 143, the Homeowners Tax Relief Grant legislation (HTRG), last Friday, and it has been sent to the Sen ate for consideration. Approval of the bill by the Senate would mean that local property own ers would receive the HTRG credits for the 2008 tax year, eliminating the possibility of re ceiving an additional tax bill. “The legislature promised this money last year and the House plans on fulfilling the promise they made to property owners. The members of the House are struggling with the idea of how to fund the grant this year and on Friday we passed HB 143 by a 117-55 margin. This HTRG legislation commits us to pay for the grant covering the 2009 budget and sets the rules for how the grant program will be administered in the future. This program is in tended to be a mechanism to send back surplus funds to homeowners, and the legislation we passed outlines how and when these grants will be dis tributed and will also make it easier for local governments to plan their budgets,’’ said State Rep. Jon Bums. The Jenkins County Commis sioners approved the HTRG ex emption for property owners in September 2008 even though Governor Sonny Perdue had fro zen state funding for the pro gram. They did so hoping that the Georgia Legislature would restore funding when it con vened in 2009. “If this funding is not restored, we will be facing drastic budget cuts or issuing another tax bill,” Jenkins County Commission Chairman James Henry said. The HTRG amounts appropri ated by the state are used as a credit to reduce property taxes for which a homestead taxpayer is otherwise liable. It is normally shown as a “credit” on property tax bills. Locally, that credit amounted to $189.60 in 2008. At the time of the commis sioners’ decision, it was noted that the loss of the homestead exemption grants could cost the governing bodies of the county approximately $311,321 in rev enue that they would have got ten from the state. The loss of the funds would affect the county, school system and City of Millen. In 2007, the county received HTRG funding in the amount of $125,487; the school system re ceived $110,754; and the City of Millen received $32,713. It is not known at this time when the Senate will consider the bill. ‘It’s That Time In 2009’ Senior blood drive preparations begin Marsha Madray’s senior anatomy class at Jenkins County High School (JCHS) is busy making preparations for their annual blood drive which is to be held 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thurs day, Feb. 12, at the JCHS old gymnasium. Shepeard Commu nity Blood Center will set up 12 stations in the gym and will also send the mobile unit which will be located in the parking lot area. Every year there has been a waiting line and some commu nity members have wanted to donate but time played such a factor until they were not able to stay. Hopefully, this year, the blood drive will be ready for any number of donors. The goal for this drive is 150 good units of blood. “Each year the seniors try to beat last year’s record, and this will be very difficult for this year’s class, but they are a de termined group of seniors. If they work hard they can reach this goal, “comments Madray. The students have to plan, co ordinate and carry out this ac tivity as part of their class re quirement. They have designed T- shirts, made flyers for the community, made announce ments in churches and will be contacting individuals by phone as a reminder about the drive. All of Jenkins County is asked to come out and support this drive as students strive to give back what Shepeard Community Blood Center has given to the community. “We are very fortunate to have this agency to supply our needs, and so many individuals in our community have already been blessed by the work of the blood center. The senior class of 2009 has set high goals for this drive, one of which is to dedicate the donated blood to any person or persons living in Jenkins County that is in need of such service. Donating a pint of blood seems like such a small task to do, and yet it helps so many because one pint of blood can actually save three lives,” said Madray. Please mark your calendars and make the extra effort to sup port the youth in this very worth while project. TIME* 8:30 Aft J&FM ■ffifcl - : ' fl. pvi rmtp -w . ■, ) I Members of Marsha Madray’s senior anatomy class at Jenkins County High School shown preparing a bulletin board for the local blood drive are, from left, Kyleigh Spidle, Melissa White and Hayley Newton. (Photo contributed) Missing child found unharmed By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor Strolling down Rabitsch Road was a familiar outing for Trace Williams, 6, son of Danielle Williams. He and his grandmother, Gail Boyd, often walk the dirt road in warm weather. But Trace was accompanied only by the family bulldog, Noel, when he slipped out of his home and away from his babysitter Wednes day, Jan. 28. A child’s sudden disappearance is always traumatic for fam ily members, but when that child has special needs, as Trace does, the ordeal is even more frightening. Trace and his brother, Byron, 12, were both home from school sick. Their mother, a home health care nurse who works out- of-town, had left them in the care of a babysitter. “The babysitter just forgot to lock the door when she came in that morning, and he will open the door and slip out if you don’t,” said Mrs. Boyd. "It could have happened to anyone. She has kept him many times without an incident.” Trace’s absence from the home was quickly noticed by his brother who stopped the mail carrier to inquire if his little brother had been seen. The mail carrier alerted a nearby neighbor, and by the time Mrs. Boyd arrived at the home, after receiving a call from Byron, the neighbor was already searching for the boy. Mrs. Williams was near Soperton when Byron telephoned her. “It scared me half to death,” she recalls. "It was a long drive back home.” After looking for her grandson on her own for a few min utes, Mrs. Boyd realized the futility of her efforts and called the Jenkins County Sheriff’s Department for assistance. “Within a matter of minutes, people began arriving from ev erywhere. Bob Fields was the first on the scene,” she said. Fields is the local Emergency Management Agency Director. On foot and with 4-wheelers and vehicles, local first-responders and numerous individuals who also responded swiftly initiated a full scale search of the area for any sign of the little boy and the family pet. About two hours later, Trace was discovered in a heavily wooded area about A-mile from his home, unharmed with the exception of a few cuts and scratches on his legs. “When I saw him, they had him in the back of the fire truck, tending to his cuts and scratches. He was wearing a fireman’s hat and having a good time,” said Mrs. Boyd. “I have not been so happy to see him since the day he was born,” she added. By the time Trace’s mother arrived home, he had been lo cated, and the nightmarish incident had a fairytale happy end ing. “Thank God he was okay, none the worse for the wear,” Mrs. Williams said. “We are so grateful to everyone who helped find Trace and bring him back home safely.” As for Trace, it was just another adventure down the dirt road in front of his home. “Exciting day, exciting day,” he told his mother later that night as he lay on the floor playing with Noel. Trace Williams and Noel are shown playing in the backyard of his home. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)