Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME XCVIII — N %2 RXI
$925,00( i eeded
To Fund ;" ilhouse
Renovation Project
Chattooga County voters
will decide May 3 if tgey want
to fund court-ordered renova
tions at the county jail
through a 10-year series of
bonds.
The last day to register is
April 6.
The total cost of the
10-year bond, including in
terest rates not to exceed 9.1
percent, will be $925,000, ac
cording to Commissioner
Wayne Denson. The bonds
will be issued in denomina
tions of $5,000 with the first
payments due Dec. 1, and
semi-annually during the hext
nine fi'ears.
The plans submitted to the
county by Kirkman and
Associates, a Dalton architec
tural firm, call for expanding
the jail capacity from 36 to 48
inmates, and including a
second-storr area above the
existing jail for storage.
Denson said U. S. District
Judge Harold Murphy has in
dicated the county must start
plans for renovation, or be
ordered by the court to
possibly build a new jail. ‘‘He
(Judge Murphy) hasn’t given
us a direct or(i:er. but he told
us to get our stuff together or
he was going to make us build
a new jail,” said Denson.
Commissioner Denson said
a new jail would cost $2
million or more. “It doesn’t
make sense for us to build a
new jail for $2 million when
we can add on to our current
jail for less than $1 million,"”
$148,.589 From
Beer Tax Received
Chattooga County receiv:
»d $148,589 from local beer
sales taxes and Summerville
-eceived $95,512 from the tax
n 1982. '
Georgia's combined state
and loca%l excise tax of $2.28
per case of 12-ounce beer put
$52.6 million into the state
treasury during 1982.
In addition $57.3 million
was distributed among 321
cities and 135 counties in the
state which license beer sales.
The amount of beer revenue
raised in Georgia is the second
highest in the U. S.
“While sales of beer were
up only .1 percent nationwide,
these figures indicate Georgia
fared much better with a 3
percent increase,’”’ said
Auto Tag Deadline
Is 5 p.m. Tomorrow
Tomorrow is the day!
Don’t be an April Fool by
forgetting to purchase your
new motor vehicle license
plates by the 5 p.m. deadline.
According to Tax Commis
sioner Hugh Don Hall,
residents of Chattooga Coun
ty only have until the tag of
fice closes Friday to purcfiase
their 1983 tan without penal
ty. The penalty for being late
to purchase a tag is 10 percent
of the ad valorem tax (Yue and
25 percent of the cost of the
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FBLA Collects For Cancer Society
Members of the Future Business Leaders
of America (FBLA) Club at the Chat
tooga High School will soon be collecting
funds for the American Cancer Society
(ACS). The students will be collecting in
the business districts of the county in
April, “Cancer Month." Mrs. Wylené
Selman (second from right), a teacher at
The Summerville News
the commissioner said.
Denson warned that what
hapf)ened in Floyd County
could hagpen here. In Floyd
County, he said, Judge Mur
phy ordered the count{ com
mission to put $1 million in
escrow and another SIOO,OOO
every month until there was
gn_ri)ugh money to build a new
jail,
The commissioner said if
countg voters do not approve
the bond gackage, which
would spread the entire cost
out over a 10-year period, then
the county would have to raise
the millage rate by seven to
eight mills in one year to col
lect the money needed for the
renovation project.
“We'll just have to raise
taxes probably seven or eight
mills in a one year period,”
said Denson. ;
Should voters approve the
issuance of the bonds, then
final plans for the project
would be drawn up within 60
days.
A series of public meetings
have been scheduled
throughout the county to ex
plain the situation. The
meetings include: Gore, April
4, 7:30 p.m. in the gym;
Menlo, April 5, 7:30 p.m. in
the gym; Oak Hill, April 6,
7:30 p.m., in the Oafi Hill
Churcg; and Trion, April 7,
7:30 gm at the Trion Recrea
tion Center.
Meetings will be scheduled
in Subligna and in. Summer
ville at a later date.
William N. Griffin, Executive
Director of the Geqrgi?\iiéer
Wholesalers .Association.
“Further, these figures do not
include revenues from state
and local beer license fees for
retailers and wholesalers.”
“Georgia has the distinc
tion of imposing one of the
highest combineg excise taxes
on beer in the country,” Grif
fin said. ‘“‘On every case of
beer sold, SI.OB is paid to the
state and $1.20 goes to the
local licensing authority.
Georgia's combined tax is six
times the national average of
38 cents per case.”’
Last year, Georgia beer
wholesalers delivered over 50
million cases of beer to nearly
12,000 retailers statewide.
tag.
Residents should bring
their last year’s tag slip or the
title of their vehicle, along
with proof of insurance on the
vehicfe to the tag office when
purchasing a new tag.
The tag office is located in
the old Farmers & Merchants
Bank building on Commerce
Street in downtown Summer
ville. The office closes at 5
p.m. today, March 31, and
o¥ens at 8:30 a.m. Friday. The
office will be closed Saturday
and Sunday.
CHS, is the club’s advisor. Those
students on hand for a meeting recently
with Marsha Evans (second from left,
standing), district coordinator of the
ACS, were: Annette Ward, Karen Ed
wards, Tracy Sweatman, Marcia Teems,
Jan Burrage, Pat McGuire, Kyla
McDonald and Janet Parker.
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Chattooga County residents, along with
the rest of north Georgia, were startled
to see the return of Old Man Winter out
side their windows last Thursday morn
ing. Two to six inches of snow fell on the
county, depending on elevation, to make
the Spring storm snow accumulation
heavier than the other storms during
winter. A view of Sturdivant Street in
Resident May Sue City
Over Water Meter Rift
The Summerville City
Council reaffirmed a vote
taken earlier this month re
quiring a Peachtree Street
resident to install four
separate water meter at his
proposed trailer park, rather
than the usual one master
meter allowed at most trailer
parks throughout the city and
county.
In a special-called meeting
Tuesday at City Hall, the
council failed to act on a mo
tion by Councilman Dennis
Cox that would have allowed
resident Kenneth Flood to in
stall just one meter.
Councilman Cox made the
motion, but it failed to get a
second parliamentary ap
proval from the floor, effec
State Court Supported
By Judge Payne, Denson
Chattooga Commissioner
Wayne Denson and Probate
Judyge Jon Payne have in
dicated they support a pro
posal to create a state court in
the county.
In 1972, county voters
abolished the state court,
though it put $70,000 during
its final year in county coffers
from fines and bond
forfeitures.
State Will Not Seek Death
Penalty For Alvin Neelley
1 District Attorney ‘‘Red”
Lomenick told THE NEWS
| Wednesday that his office will
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747 — THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1983
Spring!?
tively killing the measure.
Councilmen Cox, Hubert
Palmer and Earl Parris were
present at Tuesday morning’s
special meeting. Councilmen
Clint Agnew and Ira Pollard
were absent.
Flood, who was
represented Tuesday by
LaFayette attorney Bill Slack,
said after the vote he would
confer with his attorney over
possible lawsuit against t‘fi%
city. The council’s decision
will cost him an extra $620, he
said.
“Mr. Flood’s problem is
economic,”’ Slack told the
council. ““He moved in these
trailers and tried to act on
good faith with the city.”
“It’s clearly a case of
County voters will go to
the polls in the May 3 special
election for the associate
justice position on the state
supreme court, and in addi
tion, decide two local issues:
the creation of the state court
and the jail bond referendum.
(See story, this page).
“I've told everybody as
long as it doesn’'t cost the
county any money, it would be
not seek the death penalty in
the case of Alvin Howard
Neelley Jr., charged locally
with the murder of a Floyd
County woman last year.
The 29-year-old Neelley of
UNCLE NED'S
NOTES
Dear Mr. Editor:
I think that thar perposal
to sell OUR national forest
land is about the craziest
thang I ever heard. We
peoples. in this here county
need that land to stay as it is.
I hope people will write their
congressman, senators and
president about this.
I saw in that story last
week whereby that trial
costed the taxpayers $70,000.
The old saying about the ‘high
cost of crime’ is certainly an
understatement here.
Yores Truly,
UNCLE NED
Summerville depicts the heavy, wet ac
cumulation of snow. County school kids
got a break with no classes, but streets
returned to normal by late afternoon, as
most of the snow melted. Snow ac
cumulations totaled 8 inches in Atlanta
to be that city’'s heaviest Spring snow
ever. Cornelia in northeast (%eorgia
reported an 11-inch total.
discrimination,” Slack said
after the meeting. “‘lt's a
tragedy — we've tried to offer
a reasonable solution so that
everyone could save face.”
Slack requested the coun
cil allow Flood to install one,
two-inch master meter.
However, it was pointed out
the water lines in the area are
three-fourths inch in diameter,
@xaning two-inch lines would
nave to be installed to make a
two-inch master meter prac
tical.
After the proposal failed to
get a secomf S?ack told the
council ‘‘somebody in the city
will have to give a reason (on
the decision) either here or at
another time.”’
all right with me,”” said Com
missioner Denson. “I know
the last two or three grand
juries have recommended it."”
Probate Judgé Jon Payne,
who would be directly affected
by the creation of the state
court in Chattooga County,
said this week the court ex
pedite handling of misde
meanor cases in the county.
see STATE COURT, page 13-A
Murfreesboro, Tenn., is charg
ed in Chattooga County with
the brutal murder of 23-year
old Janice Kay Chapman of
Rome.
Ms. Chapman’s decompos
ed body was found Oct. 15,
1982, in a remote area near the
Haygood Valley Community.
Ms. Chapman, who disap
peared Oct. 3, 1982, had been
shot three times.
“At this fioint we will not
seek the deat Eenalty against
Alvin,” said Lomenick. The
other alternative would be a
maximum sentence of life in
prison. '
Also charged with the
murder of Ms. Cha{xman is
Neelley’s 18-year-old wife,
Judith Ann Neelley.
Mrs. Neelley was con
victed March 22 in Fort
Payne, Ale., of the torture
murder of a 13-year-old girl in
Alabama.
The Alabama jury recom
mended that she serve life in
prison without parole.
Testimony during the trial
showed that the teen-ager’s
sla}ying occurred about a week
before the murder of Ms.
Chapman.
Neelley is lodged in the
Chattooga County Jail
without a bond and Mrs.
Neelley is lodged in an
Alabama prison. Lomenick
said it is uncertain at this time
as to when Neelley's case will
go to trial.
City Rejects DOT
Request To Lift
Hwy. 27 Utilities
By JAMES BUDD
News Editor
The controversial issue of
widening U. S. Hwy. 27 from
Summerville to Trion, with
Summerville bearing the cost
of removing its utilities on the
state right-of-way, surfaced
Tuesday after more than four
years of silence.
The Georgia Department
of Transportation tflis week
sent letters requesting the ci
ty’'s response to bearing the
cost of removing its gas,
water and sewerage lines
along the 4.3-mile route from
Town Creek in Summerville to
the intersection of Old Hwy.
27 in Trion.
The state proposes to
widen U. S. Hwy. 27 from two
to four lanes and build a
12-foot turning lane in the
center for the entire 4.3 miles.
The city quickly issued its
response in a special-called
meeting Tuesday morning at
City Hall. The council voted
3-0 not to bear the estimated
$450,000 to $750,000 cost of
removing its utilities unless
the city is ordered by the state
to do so. Councilman Earl Par
ris, Dennis Cox and Hubert
Palmer were unanimous in
their rejection of the proposal.
Councilmen Clint Agnew and
Ira Pollard were absent from
the meeting.
“We just don’t have the
money to do it,”” said Coun
cilman Parris. “I don't see
how we can make the people of
Summerville bear the cost.”
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Ground Breaking Ceremony Conducted
Despite snow last Thursday morning,
the ground breaking ceremony for an ex
pansion at the Wire Assemblies plant
near Summerville went on as schecfl)xled.
By the end of the year the plant will
employ at least 75 people as a result of
the new 12,000 square foot expansion.
Those on hand to help John and Lee
Sisler (second and third from right), vice
president and president of the company,
60 Attend Wire Plant
Ceremony For Expansion
By PAM PURCELL
Staff Writer
Ground breaking
ceremonies for an expansion
were held last Thursday morn
ing at.the Wire Assemblies
Inc. plant on the Menlo
Highway despite snow and
the threat of more bad
weather.
An estimated 60 people
were on hand to watch as Lee
and John Sisler of Ohio, presi
dent and vice president of the
company, turned the first
shovel of soil and snow to
begin the 12,000 square feet
expansion at their year-old
plant here.
The company produces
wire harnesses for electrical
appliances. The plant, located
between Summerville and
Menlo, opened locally in 1982
with only 10 employees. There
was a turnout of some 500
people for those 10 jobs. Since
then the plant has increased
to 20 workers.
Following the ground
breaking, the grou? convened
at The Round Table in Penn
Councilman Parris
estimated the cost of remov
ing the approximate 22,000
feet of utili? lines would cost
$450,000. Mayor Sewell Cash
said the estimate could total
$750,000.
Mayor Cash said he had
researched the question and
the state can order the city to
remove its utilities on the
right-of-way. ‘“We have to do
it,”’ said Cash. ‘“We're on their
right-of-way and if they tell us
to, we'll have to start within
60 days.”
Cash said the DOT'’s pro
posal was simply asking for a
‘“‘voluntary’’ commitment by
the city and the state may
come back later and order
Summerville to lift the
utilities if they fail to agree
voluntarily.
Accortflng to Councilman
Parris, existing utility lines
from the Town Creek bridge
to Jackson Chevrolet will
have to be moved to the other
side of the road, or to some
other location, possibly along
the railroad line. ‘“How are we
going to move it when we
on’'t know where to put it?”
said Parris. ‘“That’ll probably
cost $25,000 or $30,000.”
Superintendent Bob Max
ey said if the utilities are put
beneath the highway, casing
would have to be placed
around the bore.
The issue of widening
Hwy. 27, with Summerville
bearing the cost of removing
its utilities along the right-of
turn out the first shovel of soil were:
(L-R) Hugh Henderson, chairman of the
chamber’s economic and community
committee; Eula Amos, president of the
local chamber; Rick Morgan, manager of
the office of economic and community
development, TVA; and Ed Williams,
engineer with North Georgia Electric
Membership Corp.
ville for the program with
some 38 persons in atten
dance.
Mrs. Eula Amos, president
of the Chattooga County
Chamber of Commerce, served
as master of ceremonies for
the program. She welcomed
the group to the program
following the invocation by
the Rev. Jim Cordell, pastor of
First Baptist Church in Trion.
Mrs. Amos then introduced
one of the honorees of the pro
gram, Lee Sisler.
Sisler told the group that
the Wire Assemblies com%any
is 10 years old havini een
established in 1973 by he and
his brother, John. He said
they now have four plants —
two in Ohio, one in Tennessee
and one in Chattooga County.
The company will do ap
groximately sll million in
usiness this year. He explain
ed that the company makes
pre-assembled wires that are
sold to appliance companies
for use on washers, tfiyers.
microwave ovens and such.
As for the local plant,
way, first surfaced in 1979. At
that time, the DOT planned to
widen the highway with two
additional lanes, interspersed
with occasional center turning
lanes.
Several local residents con
tacted the DOT and expressed
their displeasure with the
plan. A public hearing on
widening the highway drew
tremendous o;g;osition from
residents and businesses
alor}lfi'the stretch of road.
e Summerville Council
in early 1980 stron%ly oppos
ed using city funds for remov
ing utilities, at a cost
estimated that year to be
around $400,000.
In 1980, DOT Commis
sioner Tom Moreland told eity
officials no money was
available from the state to
finance the cost of removing
the 22,000 feet of utilities.
Moreland at that time
estimated it would cost
$200,000 just to move city
water lines.
Commissioner Moreland
said that if the four-laning
project was to become realiltfi'.
it would be up to Summerville
to cooperate financially.
Accordingl to Rep. John
Crawford, the DOT is ex
pected to start work on the
Chattooga County project
next year, as expansion of the
highway has already begun in
Walker County to the north.
Crawford told The News, he
expects the project to start
regardless of the citdy;’s stance
on removing the utilities.
Sisler said it opened in
February of 1982 with 8,000
square feet. With the expan
sion after 13 months of opera
tion, the plant will cover
20,000 square feet and be the
second largest plant in the
Sisler company. He said they
would take it slow with hiring
and build up to at least 75
employees by the end of the
year. Sisler said hopefully
within the next two years
their company can move a por
tion of its cord set operation
here for another expansion at
the x,lant.
elcome sgleeches and
comments on the plant and
the chamber were tgxen given
by ‘‘Pete’’ Boney, a member of
the Georgia DgFartment of In
dustry and Trade; County
Commissioner Wayne ‘‘Pete”’
Denson; Summerville Mayor
Sewell Cash; Rick Morgan,
manager of the Office of
Economic and Community
Develogment with TVA;
Elvin Farrar, manaFer of
North Georgia Electric
see 60 ATTENU, page 13-A
ICE 20c¢