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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)