Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 106, NO. 7, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009
LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY
MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
Cavalier Home Builders to close local plant
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Jenkins County will soon
lose its last major industry.
The announcement was made
Friday, Aug. 28, that the lo
cal mobile home manufactur
ing plant of Cavalier Home
Builders will be permanently
closed, resulting in the loss of
approximately 104 full time
jobs.
The shutdown has already
begun and will continue
through Oct. 26, according to
information provided to the
Georgia Department of Labor
(DOL). Because the company
did not give the DOL the re
quired 60 days notice of the
shutdown, the workers will be
given 60 days severance pay
in accordance with the Work
ers Adjustment and Retrain
ing Notification (WARN) Act.
A statement released by
Bobby Tesney, Cavalier chief
executive officer, indicates
that the Millen plant may be
the only Cavalier facility be
ing closed. Cavalier also op
erates plants in other states.
Tesney commented, “We
appreciate the support that
our team members and retail
ers have provided over the
years and value their contin
ued business. Accordingly
our sales teams will be work
ing together to offer options
for providing products from
other company facilities. We
will continue to build homes
for the market by offering
sales from other facilities.”
Tesney attributed the clo
sure of the Millen plant to
“the continuing challenges in
the housing market and re
lated economic conditions.”
Cavalier Home Builders an
nounced June 15, that it had
agreed to be bought by South
ern Energy (SE) Homes, Inc.,
a wholly owned subsidiary of
Clayton Homes, spurring
hopes that the local plant
would receive a "shot in the
arm” and continue its opera
tions. Friday’s announcement
put an end to any speculation
as to the fate of the plant and
The Millen plant of Cavalier Home Builders is slated for closure, resulting in the loss of 104 full time jobs. (Staff
photo by Deborah Bennett)
its employees.
The local mobile home
plant has been in operation in
Millen, under different own
erships, since 1967. Cavalier,
home-based in Alabama, be
gan operations in Millen in
1997 when it merged with
Belmont Homes, which had
recently purchased the local
Bellcrest Homes plant. The
local plant is the state’s old
est continually operated
manufactured housing facil
ity.
The loss of jobs resulting
from the closure is expected
to push the county’s July un
employment rate of 21.7 per
cent, the highest in the state,
even higher. The Cavalier clo
sure follows that of Jockey In
ternational in 2006 and MI
Home Products in 2007.
RIBBON CUTTING
Day care opens in Mllen
jM
it
— ■ P
The Millen-Jenkins County Chamber of Commerce recently sponsored a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Kidz Korner daycare.
Participating were, from left, first row: Aniyah Kelly and Klersten Lake; second row: Paula Herrington, chamber executive
director; Clay Boulineau, chamber director, King Rocker, mayor; Ashley Lake and Joshua Lake, owners; and Lamar
Faircloth, city manager; and third row: Katherine Kelly and Larissa Badie. The business is located at 610 N. Masonic Street
and is open 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Children, ages 6 weeks to 12 years may enroll. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)
County commission says no’ to
requiring advance notice of grants
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Agencies and organizations
seeking grants that require
matching local funds will be
able to continue to seek those
grants without having to give
the county advance notice. The
Jenkins County Commissioners
recently voted against a motion
that would have required them
to do otherwise during the Aug.
4 meeting of the group.
The issue was brought up by
Chairman James Henry who
suggested that local agencies
intending to apply for grants
requiring matching local funds
notify the county and receive
up-front approval so that the
matching funds could be in
cluded in the county’s budget.
During discussion of the mat
ter, Commissioner Thomas
Lane suggested that an alterna
tive way to handle the situation
would be to include $60,000 in
the county budget, $10,000 for
each volunteer fire department.
Chairman Henry stated that this
could be considered when pre
paring the 2010-2011 budget.
The group then voted against
a motion made by Commis
sioner Pam Dwight and sec
onded by Chairman Henry to
include within the county’s Pur
chasing Policy a clause stating
that advance notification of
grants requiring matching local
funds was needed. Commis
sioners Lane, Domingo Green
and Floyd Chance opposed.
Commissioners Henry and
Dwight voted in favor.
In other matters, Chairman
Henry informed the board of the
electronics recycling day that
was recently held in Richmond
- See Commission, page 3
Arrest made in
armed robbery
A Millen man is facing several charges in connection with
the Aug. 18 armed robbery of McTeer Food and Fuel on U.S.
Highway 25 South. Tracy Jordan, 42, is charged with armed
robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted
felon and possession of a firearm during the
commission of a crime.
On the morning of Aug. 18, the Millen Po
lice Department received a call reporting an
armed robbery in progress at the business.
Upon arrival, the suspect fled on foot north of
the store. The cashier reported that the suspect
held her at gunpoint and stole an undetermined
amount of money from the cash drawer.
MPD investigators were able to track down
and arrest Jordan a little later.
Commissioners
seek tax increase
TRACY
JORDAN
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
The Jenkins County Commissioners announced this week
that the county would seek to increase the property taxes it
will levy for the 2009-2010 fiscal year by 1.36 percent. This
represents an increase in the millage rate of 0.144 mil.
A decrease of $7.6 million in the tax digest and a decrease
of $58,000 in Local Option Sales Tax revenue from the previ
ous year were noted as contributing factors to the need for the
tax increase.
The commissioners called attention to the fact that the
county’s budget was decreased $249,000 from the previous
year in an effort to deal with the loss of revenue.
Because the budget tentatively adopted by the commission
ers requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage
rate, Georgia law requires that three public hearings to allow
public input must be held before the budget can be finalized
and millage rate adopted. All concerned citizens are invited to
attend the public hearings on the tax increase which have been
set for 10 a.m. Sept. 10, 7 p.m. Sept. 10 and 7 p.m. Sept. 17.
All will take place at the Jenkins County Senior Citizens Cen
ter, just past the City of Millen Municipal Building on Walnut
Street.
The commissioners last sought a property tax increase of
2.53 percent for fiscal year 2006-2007.
Bubba Small retires as City of Millen utility superintendent
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
On Thursday, Aug. 27, R.M.
“Bubba” Small turned in his
keys, radio and vehicle and
declared that he was retiring
as the City of Millen Utility
Superintendent.
Although he officially
logged 36 years of service to
the city, Mr. Small began
working as a helper with the
Utilities Department with his
father at the age of nine, dig
ging ditches and painting both
water meters and fire hy
drants. This indoctrination
into the City of Millen’s
workforce led him to follow
in his father’s footsteps in
making Utilities Superinten
dent his lifelong career. Now,
his son, Mikel Small, is con
tinuing the father-son tradi
tion at the City of Waynes
boro.
Mr. Small is a graduate of
South Georgia Technical Col
lege in Americas, and he has
earned certifications in water
and wastewater from the State
of Georgia, as well as numer
ous other certificates and
awards throughout his career.
He was recently recognized
by the Municipal Gas Author
ity of Georgia with the Bill
Hershey Award for his excel
lent leadership and commit
ment to his community.
“Bubba has been a very
loyal and dedicated employee
for 36 years. I consider his re
tirement a tremendous loss to
the city, but it is a well-earned
retirement. He is a very
knowledgeable person and
has done a superb done,”
commented City Manager
Lamar Faircloth.
R.M. “Bubba” Small, left,
is congratulated by City
of Millen Manager Lamar
Faircloth upon his
retirement after 36 years
of service to the City of
Millen. (Staffphoto by
Deborah Bennett)