Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 105, NO. 32, FEBRUARY 25, 2008 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY
MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
Local students receive Augusta State Honor
Each year Augusta State University, as part of
their Black History Month Celebration, recog
nizes two African-American high school seniors
who have demonstrated outstanding academic
achievement with the highest grade point aver
age at each of the high schools in the CSRA.
This year the award is bestowed upon Jenkins
County High School students Porshea Cooper,
right, and Breonna Smart. The recipients along
with their parents are invited to Augusta State
University campus for recognition 7 p.m. Feb.
26, in the JSAC Ballroom located in the Jaguar
Student Activities Center on campus. (Staffphoto
by Deborah Bennett)
No change in due date for taxes
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Local property owners will
have to continue to dig deep
in their pockets at Christmas
time to pay property taxes,
normally due Dec. 20 each
year. The Jenkins County
Commissioners decided
against changing the due date
during their Tuesday. Feb. 17,
meeting.
Chairman James Henry re
ported the Jenkins County
Tax Assessor had advised that
changing the date would cre
ate too many complications,
due to state requirements and
the time period involved in
preparing the tax digest.
Based upon his recommenda
tion. the commissioners ap
proved a motion to leave the
due date at Dec. 20.
Darryl Drake of the Sons of
Confederate Veterans (SCV)
presented a request from the
group seeking permission to
fly the Confederate flags at
the Confederate monument
during the month of April,
Confederate Heritage and
History Month. The request
was approved 3-2 with the
stipulation that placards ex
plaining the significance of
each flag be displayed as
well. Commissioners Tommy
Lane. Floyd Chance and
Chairman JJenry voted in fa
vor. Commissioners Domingo
Green and Pam Dwight op
posed.
Drake also requested per
mission to remove three
shrubs at the Confederate
monument to make room for
three commemorative mark
ers the SCV desired to place
at the site. Previous approval
had been granted for the
placement of one marker
without removal of shrubs.
Approval was granted pro
vided written consent of the
United Daughters of Confed
eracy was obtained and a dia
gram of the lay-out for the
markers was presented for re
view.
IN OTHER ACTION
• Awarded bid for landfill soil removal project to Oak
Hill Construction at a cost of $900;
•Tabled action on awarding bid for courthouse ar
chitectural service until the commissioners could visit
sites bidders previously worked on; and
•Approved engineering for Landfill Road to be per
formed by Parker Engineering.
Yesteryear’s opens for business
The Millen-Jenkins County Chamber of Commerce recently sponsored a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Yesteryear’s
Fine Used Furniture, 813 Cotton Avenue. From left, are Lamar Faircloth, City of Millen administrator; Clay
Boulineau, chamber director; Doris Ward; Harold Moore, owner; and Paula Herrington, chamber executive
director. Hours of operation are 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays and 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Satur
days. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)
Governor
signs HB 143
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Property owners across the state will not get additional prop
erty tax bills for 2008. Last week, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed
into law HB 143 that will fund Homeowner Tax Relief Grants
(HTRG) for 2008.
"By passing this legislation and the Governor signing it, we
make good on our commitment to homeowners to continue to
fight for lower property taxes, thus keeping citizens in their
homes, especially during this economical crisis.” commented
Rep. Jon Burns.
"Signing into law HB 143 guarantees payment of the $428
million in homeowner’s tax relief grant to local governments
for this year only. While continuing to express his opposition
to the tax relief grants, the governor acknowledged the receipt
of federal funding (economic stimulus package) helped in his
decision to sign the bill,” said Sen. J.B. Powell.
The Jenkins County Commissioners approved the HTRG
exemption for local property owners in September 2008 even
though Gov. Perdue had frozen state funding for the program.
They did so with hopes that the Georgia Legislature would re
store the funding when it convened in 2009.
The HTRG amounts appropriated 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 prop
erty tax bills. Locally, that credit amounted to $189.60 in 2008.
Loss of the homestead exemption grants could have cost the
governing bodies of the county, including the City of Millen
and school system, approximately $311.321 in revenue that they
would have gotten from the state.
JCHS named
AP Honor School
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
State School Superintendent Kathy Cox announced recently
that Jenkins County High School (JCHS) was among 80 schools
in the state that had earned the Advance Placement (AP) Honor
School designation.
AP classes offer college-level learning options to students
in high school. Students who receive a 3. 4 or 5 on AP exams
may receive college credit. AP classes and exams are adminis
tered by the College Board.
JCHS earned the 2009 AP Honor School designation in the
“AP Access and Support School” category. Schools in this cat
egory have 30 percent of their AP test-takers that are African-
American or Hispanic and at least 30 percent of all AP exams
scoring 3 or higher.
In commenting on the accomplishment, JCHS Principal Dr.
Joey Kirkland said, "JCHS is honored to be recognized by the
Georgia Department of Education for having a large number
of African-Americans taking and scoring extremely well on
AP exams. JCHS strives to meet the needs of all of its
students. It is easy to focus much of the school improvement
efforts on those students who are struggling and in need of
extra help, but JCHS always seeks opportunities to advance
our brightest students who need a challenging curriculum as
well. Many of our students are taking advance courses on Geor
gia Virtual School and through college courses.”
“Georgia is making tremendous strides with AP-not only in
the number of students taking the courses, but in the number
of students having success,” commented Superintendent Cox.
Georgia ranked 15 th nationally in the percentage of 2008 high
school seniors that had at least one AP exam with a score of 3
or more.
Robert Jenkins appointed to Regional Water Council
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Jenkins County will be rep
resented on the Savannah-Up
per Ogeechee Regional Water
Council by Robert Jenkins,
manager of Hanging Rocks
Plantation.
Creation of 10
water planning re
gions was man
dated by the Com
prehensive State
wide Water Man
agement Plan, ap
proved by the
General Assembly
in 2008. Each re
gion will have a
water planning
council to repre
sent the water interests of the
respective regions. Each
council will consist of 25
members, three alternates and
an ex-officio member from
the House and Senate. Rep.
Tom McCall and Sen. Ralph
Hudgens will serve on the Sa
vannah Upper Ogeechee Re
gional Water Council.
The councils will oversee
preparation of water develop
ment and conservation plans
that will focus on both water
quantity and water quality is
sues for their respective re
gions. The plans will also in-
“The individuals we have
selected are solution-oriented
and will provide visionary water
resource planning.”
- Governor Sonny Perdue
elude forecasts of future wa
ter supply and wastewater
treatment needs.
“The individuals we have
selected are solution-oriented
and will provide visionary
water resource planning,”
said Gov. Sonny Perdue.
“These appointments reflect a
diverse group of Georgians
and each one has a unique
skill set and knowledge base,
which will allow the councils
to focus on water resource is
sues while also addressing the
state’s economic needs.”
Under requirements of the
plan, the Governor
selects 13 members
of each council and
one alternate mem
ber. The Lieutenant
Governor and the
Speaker of the
Georgia House of
Representatives se
lects the remaining
council members
including non-vot
ing ex officio mem
bers.
Other counties in the Sa
vannah-Upper Ogeechee Re
gional Water Region include:
Stephens, Banks, Franklin,
Hart, Madison, Elbert,
Oglethorpe. Wilkes. Lincoln,
Taliaferro, Columbia,
McDuffie. Warren, Rich
mond, Glascock, Jefferson,
Burke and Screven.
11—i “
Regional Water
Councils
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