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VOL. 105, NO. 52, JULY 15, 2009 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
BOE approves budget with no tax increase
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
The Jenkins County Board of
Education (BOE) approved
during its regular June meeting
the 2009-2010 budget in the
amount of $11,256,419. School
Superintendent Melissa Will
iams previously indicated that
the budget did not include ad
ditional local revenues.
“I am extremely pleased that
we were able to develop a bud
get that provides for the instruc
tional needs of students and is
within defined parameters,
thus, no tax increase,” she said
in a recent press release.
The approved budget is ex
pected to create a fund balance
of $1,009,515 as of June 30,
2010.
In a related matter, the
Jenkins County School Food
Service budget was approved in
the amount of $1,022,008.
Stimulus monies provided to
the local school system through
the 2009 American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act allowed
the employment of a special
education math facilitator for
grades 6-12 for the 2009-2010
school year. Damita Bynes was
approved for the position for a
12-month contract.
Also approved for employ
ment were Carrie Cook and
Eleanor Jackson, teachers at
Jenkins County Elementary
School (JCES); Angela Lee,
paraprofessional at JCES; Julie
Chance, Federal Programs
Manager with a 12 months con
tract; and Bessie Collins, pay
roll clerk. The resignation of
Dianne Brinson, paraprofes
sional at JCES was accepted.
Superintendent Williams re
ported school fund balances, as
of May 30, as follows: General
Fund - $1,414,637.13; Capital
Projects - $61,376.53; Debt
Service - $456,187.37; and
Jenkins County School Food
Service - $313,284.45.
An inquiry was made regard
ing recommendations made in
the FY08 audit report relating
to the school accounts and
separation of duties. School
principals are to work with of
fice staff to rectify the issues.
Other actions taken by the
BOE included the following:
• Approved the re-appoint-
ment of Diane Wade to serve on
the Jenkins County Memorial
Library Board;
• Approved a change in grad
ing procedures at Jenkins
County High School to allow
each semester grade to stand
alone and not be averaged;
• Authorized superintendent
to negotiate a settlement with
insurance company for prop
erty damage to school bus in
volved in April accident;
• Awarded milk bid for school
year 2009-2010 to Dairy land in
amount of $62,131.75;
• Awarded bread bid for
school year 2009-2010 to Derst
Baking Company in the amount
of $14,615.60;
• Authorized renewal of prop
erty and liability insurance with
GSBA Risk Management Ser
vices at an estimated premium
of $48,458;
• Approved proposal from
GSBA Risk Management Ser
vices for workers compensation
insurance with a premium of
$56,182;
• Approved textbook adop
tions as discussed;
• Approved a slot in payroll
for a 403(b) plan with Horace
Mann Companies and a slot for
benefits with AFLAC, contin
gent upon 10 percent of staff
participation; and
• Approved several
fundraising activities at the
schools.
MUTANT SUNFLOWER?
This sunflower has 10 flowers which means it has the potential to form 10 heads. (Photo contributed
by Franklin Rabitsch)
Local grower boasts rare plant
By Wade Parker
County Extension Coordinator
I am sure many of you have seen plenty of sunflowers
around the county. For the next several weeks, sunflow
ers will be displaying bright yellow flowers, usually one
flower per plant. From time to time, a sunflower will
display an additional head or an additional flower.
A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Franklin Rabitsch brought
this picture of a sunflower in my office. This particular
sunflower had 10 flowers, in other words the potential
is there for this plant to form 10 heads! I had never in
my life seen a sunflower with this much potential. It
will be very interesting to see if the plant can support
this reproductive load.
Many of you are probably wondering why this sun
flower produced so many flowers. As I researched this
topic, I came up with a couple theories.
The first reason lies with the ability of a sunflower to
rehabilitate after becoming damaged. This sunflower
could have been the victim of an early insect infesta
tion. If some type of insect destroyed the original flower,
then the plant could be in “overdrive”. This overdrive is
the plant’s defense to reproduce at a much quicker rate
than normal. A second or stronger theory lies with plant
genetics. The original or wild sunflower had multiple
heads. As plant breeders began developing new variet
ies, they bred them to produce less and bigger heads.
This sunflower that Mr. Franklin brought in is probably
more closely related to a wild biotype. This wild type is
a recessive gene that may show up in 1/1000 plants.
Nevertheless, this was very interesting and something
that I was not used to seeing. Sunflowers are very beau
tiful plants regardless of how many heads they have.
Don’t forget that doves and other birds love to eat them.
Schools to
enforce new
dress code
Students returning to school Aug. 3 at Jenkins County Middle
School and Jenkins County High School should be aware that
they will be required to comply with a new dress code.
The Jenkins County Board of Education previously approved
requests from the School Councils of both schools to enforce a
stricter dress code.
For girls, the top area must be fully covered with no exposed
cleavage.
For boys, shirts must be worn tucked into pants/shorts, and
pants/shorts must be worn at the waist level with a belt.
For Millen, Westside cemeteries
City sets lot fees
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Citizens desiring to bury their loved ones in the Millen Cem
etery or Westside Cemetery, who have not already purchased plots,
will have to pay new lot fees. During its June meeting, Millen
City Council established new fees for both cemeteries.
Lot fees for the Millen Cemeteiy were set as follows: citizens
living within the incorporated limits of the City of Millen, $800
per lot; citizens of Jenkins County living outside the incorporated
limits of the City of Millen, $1,000 per lot; and individuals living
outside Jenkins County, $1,200.
Also approved was the expenditure of $400 for a lot layout
design for the Millen Cemetery.
Lot fees for the Westside Cemetery were approved as follows:
citizens living within the incorporated limits of the City of Millen,
$600 per lot; citizens of Jenkins County living outside the incor
porated limits of the City of Millen, $1,000 per lot; and individu
als living outside Jenkins County, $1,200.
Also approved was the expenditure of $400 for a lot layout
design for the Westside Cemetery.
Other actions taken by city council included the following:
• Tabled action pertaining to the Vendor Ordinance until the
July meeting;
• Authorized donation of $1,000 to Millen Better Hometown
for the July 3 fireworks display;
• Authorized Mayor and City Manager to sign an Intergovern
mental Agreement between the Jenkins County Sheriff, Jenkins
County Commissioners and city for the housing of City of Millen
prisoners at the county jail;
• Tabled action on replacing the water main on Cotton Avenue
to allow the Mayor and City Manager time to continue checking
on obtaining funds to complete the project; and
• Approved purchase of backhoe for the Water, Sewer and Gas
departments with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) IV and SPLOST V funds.
Grand Jury indicts 15
The Jenkins County Grand Jury convened in June and handed
down the following indictments and accusations.
• Derrick Anthony Williams, escape.
• Leroy Mozee Jr., aggravated assault and possession of a fire
arm by a convicted felon.
• Charles Allen Webb, entering auto with intent to commit a
theft or a felony and theft by taking.
• Antwon Authur Scott, possession of cocaine and possession
of a controlled substance (morphine).
• Dudley Boe Boynton, forgery-first degree and theft by tak
ing-firearm.
• Jeffery Martin Vaughn, possession of a controlled substance,
possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession with
intent to distribute marijuana.
• Tamara Nuekirk, possession of a controlled substance, pos
session of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession with
intent to distribute marijuana.
• Kenely Nehemiah Adams, statutory rape.
Jeffery Calvin Ball, four counts of aggravated assault, cruelty
to children and criminal damage to property in the second degree.
• Lee Lewis Librizzi, theft by taking and theft by conversion.
• Sonya Clark, fraud in obtaining public assistance, food stamps.
• Verlon Bynes, aggravated assault.
• Charles Allen Webb, burglary.
• Derrick Anthony Williams, theft by taking.
• Jessie Ralphael Wilson, possession of cocaine.
Registrars
sworn in
Jenkins County Registrars
were recently sworn in by
Judge William E. Woodrum
Jr., Chief Judge, Superior
Court, Ogeechee Judicial
Circuit. Shown during the
ceremony are, from left, Judge
Woodrum; Louise Dailey,
registrar; Gail Boyd, chief
deputy registrar; Margaret
Newton, registrar; Barbara
Gay, registrar, Rudine Becton,
chief registrar; and Wanda
Burke, Jenkins County
Election Superintendent. Not
pictured is Nona Roberson,
registrar. (Staffphoto by
Deborah Bennett)