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SEN. HUGGINS
Huggins Speaks For
Legislative Crime Bill
Sen. Waymond “Sonny”
Hu%\gins, D-LaFayette, said this
week that he spoke in favor of a
bill to kick a convicted legislator
out of the Senate or House im
mediately during debate on the
measure.
Huggins said he took to the
well of tfig Senate to refute argu
ments that removing someone
from office would go against the
will of the people.
“The people will decide on
it because it will be in the form
of a Constitutional Amendment
to be voted on in November,” the
senator said he told his col
leagues.
The bill passed with only a
couple of dissenting votes, Sen.
Huggins said.
If a legislator is convicted of
a crime, he or she would be re
moved immediately and a suc
cessor named by the governor,
Sen. Huggins added. Ifgthe legis
lator is declared innocent on ap
geal. he or she would receive
ack pay and his position back,
he noted.
RETIREMENT
Huggins, chairman of the
Senate Retirement Committee,
said he introduced a bill that
would replace separate lucrative
retirement systems at the Medi
cal College of Georgia and the
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JOSEPH JACKSON
AUTO SALES
10621 COMMERCE STREET
- SUMMERVILLE, GA 30747
VALENTINE’S DAY 2000
ROSES ROSES MIXED ARRANGEMENTS
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PLACE YOUR ORDER EARLY .. . And ,
WE WILL BE OPEN SUNDAY - FEBRUARY 13TH
9:00 A.M. 'TIL 5:00 PM.
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REP. REECE
Board of Regents with the same
retirement system under which
all other state employees are en
rolled. e
“The attorney general said
we couldn’t make it retroactive
but it will go in effect on July 1, if
passed,” Sen. Huggins said.
EDUCATION
If Governor Roy Barnes’
education reform bill would re
sult in an increase in local prop
erty taxes, “I cannot support it,”
the senator said. “Most o? the bill
is good but we have to make
some changes.”
Barnes didn’t place as much
money in the Local Assistance
Road Project (LARP) as needed,
Sen. Huggins said, “and we'll try
to work on that.”
He indicated also that he
will seek funds for additional rec
reation facilities in Chattooga
County.
Summerville
To Meet Today
The City of Summerville will
hold a work session meeting at 5
p.m. today in the council meet
ing room at City Hall.
The public is invited.
Rep. Reece Opposes Gov.
Barnes’ Education Proposal
By D. J. LAAN
Staff Writer
Chattooga County Rep. Bar
bara Reece, D-Menlo, voted
a§ainst Governor Roy Barnes’
education reform bill. A Demo
cratic majority glus support from
friendly Ref)u lican crossover
votes equaled a 15-9 passing
grade for his education initiative
in the House Education Commit
tee.
The full House is scheduled
to vote on the bill today.
“This is a 1513)age bill and
is very complex and comprehen
sive ranging from pre-kindergar
ten to post-secondary institu
tions and charter schools,” Rep.
Reece said. “The governor's
original bill was 125 gages but
this bill considered offers little
help for classroom teachers in
delivering instruction and how
local costs will be passed on to
school districts.”
The full House is expected
to vote on Barnes' package
Thursday. If approveg, it will
move to the Senate for debate
and a vote. If differences arise in
the House and Senate versions
arise, a conference committee
would be appointed to work out
those issues.
LOCAL SYSTEMS
Reg. Reece said she was
aware that local school systems
would receive additional t{mding
for the education initiatives, but
the latest bill does not clearly
identify the actual costs to local
systems for additional teachers
and staff, equipment, materials
and classrooms.
“I'have talked to superinten
dents in the Seventh District, and
members of boards of educa
tion,” she said. “Many of these
local education leaders attended
a meeting in Atlanta recently
with the Office of Plannin%and
Budget Committee members,
but tfie impact on the local school
budgets has still been left unclear
in this current bill.”
SCHOOL BOARD
She said another area that
concerned her in the revised edu
cation bill is the establishment of
school councils, which mig‘?t
change the authority of the
elected school board.
Sen. Waymond “Sonnf\""
Hug%ins. D-LaFayette, said the
mandatory requirements relat
ing to the councils had been re
moved from the bill and the new
panels would serve in an advi
sory capacity, only.
“I am concerned that the
schools and personnel might be
graded and financially rewarded
on testing results and that cur
riculum might be aimed toward
test content,” she said, “ rather
than on overall knowledge goals
for the students.”
Gov. Barnes bill uses “end
of-course” testing to help deter
mine how students, teachers and
schools are doing. She said
poorer-performing schools need
the best teachers.
“I can see that there might
be a migration of teachers to
ward the Erestigious schools,
even though incentives are being
proposed to poorer-performing
schools and teachers showing
improvement,” she said.
TENURE
The teacher “tenure” pro
posal in the governor’s bill was
modified to require that a
teacher being dismissed be given
a written reason for the action,
according to other reports from
Atlanta. New teachers still would
not have rights to a hearing on a
dismissal.
AIDES
She also said that the new
bill has some provisions for re
taining use of classroom aides,
but it was unclear how and where
the aides could be used.
“We need an active debate
and some sensible changes made
to this bill as it moves through
the legislative process,” Rep.
Reece said. : j
She suggested that in study
ing funding of the bill, provisions
should be made to “ver{:losely"
review the funding package that
requires more teachers and
classroom space at additional
costs to the local systems.
“I believe growth revenue
and surplus funds should be di
rected to school systems so that
tax millage increases will not
burden already tax-stressed citi
zens,” she sai&
Area school sugerinten
dents have estimated that the
governor’s bill could re(‘uire a
significant increase in local prop
erty taxes.
Rep. Charlie Smith, the
governor's floor leader, said lo
Rep. Reece To Introduce
Bill On Referendum
It appears that Chattooga
County voters will cast a ballot on
whether they prefer to retain the
probate judge as elections super
intendent or replace him with a
board.
Rep. Barbara Reece, D-
Menlo, said she will introduce a
bill in the House calling for the
referendum.
She said early this week that
she intended to ta%k with Probate
Judge Jon Payne and County
Commissioner Jim Parker about
specifics of the proposal. Rep.
Reece said she has to determine
whether the board members
would be zg)pointed by the senior
Superior Court judge or by the
county Grand Jury.
“There are different wafils
members can be appointed,” she
Four Injured In
Mishaps During Week
Fou;fpeople were injured in
three traffic accidents during the
past week, according to the Geor
gia State Patrol (GSP).
The first mishap occurred
on Mahan Road, on Feb. 2. Ac
cording to the report by Trooper
J. W. Stephens:
According to the GSP re
port, a 1999 Ford F-350 pickup
truck driven by a Summerville
juvenile was traveling north on
Mahan Road and stopped to turn
into a private drive. A 1986
Chevrolet Silverado truck driven
by David Lee Wilson, Summer
ville, was traveling north directly
behind the juvenile’s vehicle.
Wilson said he did not see the
first vehicle turning and hit the
vehicle in the rear trailer. The
Luvenile said he knew he didn't
ave lights but did have his flash
ers on and arm out the window
to signal.
Wilson was injured but was
not transported.
Both drivers were given ci
tations according to the GSP re
port.
TWO INJURED
Two people were injured in
a traffic mishap on Butler Dairy
Road on Feb. 3. Accordir_filto the
report by Trooper S. T. Thomp
son:
A 1996 Chevrolet Astro
driven by Jerry Lee Headrick,
Rome, was traveling north on
Butler Dairy Roas. A 1995
Nissan Altima driven by Tiffany
Leann Teems, Trion, was travel
ing south on the road when the
driver said she was adjusting
some items inside her vehicle
when the riéht side of her vehicle
traveled off the right shoulder.
She lost control causing the ve
hicle to travel across the center
line and strike the Headrick ve
hicle, according to the GSP re
port.
Both drivers were injured
but were injured but were not
transported.
Teems was presented one
citation as a resufi of the wreck,
according to the GSP report.
ONE CAR MISHAP
One person was injured ina
one-car accident Monday on
Rossville Boulevard. Accordiw;
to the report by Trooper J. W.
Everett:
A 1989 Mercury Sable
Guest Preacher
At Four Mile
Baptist Church
Four Mile Baptist Church
will have a special guest
preacher, Sunday.
Bro. Don Whitlow from
Greensboro, N.C. will be preach
ingin the 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. ser
vices. Bro. Whitlow has been di
agnosed with cancer. You will be
amazed to hear what God has
;!(f)ne and is doing in Bro. Don’s
ife.
Special singing and special
music will take place in bo'g\e:er
vices.
The Pastor, Bro. Joel Smith
invites the public.
PRUNE ROSES
Prune hyprid tea roses now,
sa:y experts with the University
of Georgia Extension Service.
Remove old canes and lower the
plant down to a height of 12 to
15 inches.
cal taxes would not have to be
increased.
FLOYD COUNTY
Floyd County passed a S_lpe
cial Purpose Local Sales Tax
(SPLOS'I‘; to build new buildin*s
to remove students from mobile
classrooms. Chattoog% County
also approved a SPLOST to reno
vate some schools and to build
new buildings at others.
“When you take into ac
count that in Chattooga County
the annual per capita income is
$17,750, many people are su‘]‘)-
portinfi education with all the
tm;gst ey can afford to pay,” she
said.
Rep. Reece predicted that
HB 1187 supporters would expe
rience an aggressive fight on the
House floor today before the bill
goes to the Senate.
said.
Sen. Waymond “Sonng"
Huggins, D-LaFayette, said he
would prefer to introduce local
legislation creating a coun?' elec
tion board rather than calling a
referendum.
“I disagree with her but if
that's what she wants, I'll do it,”
the senator said.
He said if a referendum is
held in November, the bill could
specify that if it passes, the mea
sure would go 1n effect Jan. 1,
2001.
Judge Payne has already in
dicated his support for an elec
tion board, saging that his judi
cial duties are becoming heavier,
making it more difficult to serve
as elections superintendent,
driven by Lisa Marie Flood,
Summerville, was traveling east
on Rossville Blvd. when the
driver lost control and traveled
onto the south shoulder of Ross
ville Boulevard and struck a util
ity pole.
A passenger, Doug Nichols,
Summerville, was injured and
taken to Floyd Medicaf Center by
Chattooga County Emergency
Medical Service. 'l%lle driver was
presented a citation as a result of
the accident, according to the
GSP report.
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deduction right off the top of your income
would look pretty good right now.
M think ¢ '] s
Retirement Account--we think you can. Call
or come in and you’ll get the real answer in a
hurry. It’s up to you--send your money to IRS
or save it in an IRA.
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Estonian Student Speaks To Rotary Club
Estonian student Sten Hansson (R), spoke to
the Summerville-Trion Rotary Club Tuesday
about his native land. The local club helps
sponsor Hansson to Shorter College, where
Valentine’s Dance Scheduled Friday At CHS
The annual CHS Valentine’s
Dance will be held at 8 p.m. Fri
day in the gym.
The CHS Indian Spirit Pep
Squad will s)exform dance rou
tines several times on Saturdaf'
at Mount Berr{' Square Mall,
Rome, and it will provide a face
gainting service to raise money
or a summer trip to Disney
World in Orlando, Fla. The first
performance will be at noon.
The week of Sunday through
Feb. 19 will be “National Voca
tional Week-National FBLA
Fifth Annual Wal-Mart
Sweetheart Pageant
February 19th ¢ 6:00 p.m.
Boys 0-5 Years — Girls 0-10 Years }
Casual Wear Only |
Entry Fee $12.00 Per Child
| ($15.00 Includes Photogenic Competition)
| Entry Forms Available at Lay-Away
‘ Entry Deadline: 10 a.m. February 11
For more information contact Amanda Shipp, Missy Helms, Marty Green or
Teresa Stoner at 857-3469! Entry fee must be paid at time of registration.
Sorry, no refunds will be given since this is a charity fundraiser. Thank you for
your cooperation and support.
All Proceeds Go to Benefit Children’s Miracle Network
The Summerville News, Thursday, February 10, 2000 —
Week” and “National FCCLA
Week.” :
CHS Coaches Brian Beasley
and Jeff Martin will sign pro
sgective soccer team players
through the end of the month.
Cap and gown pictures will
be taken next Wednesday and a
$lO smi—?fi fee will be charged.
On Thursday, Feb 17, a post
secondary option meeting with
parents and students will be held
at 5:30 p.m. in the CHS library.
Counselors will provide informa
tion about classes and applica
he is studying television journalism. He is
from Tartu, Estonia. Rotary member Ed
Surles, introduced the speaker. (Staff Photo
By Gene Espy).
tion procedures. An open discus
sion will be held at the free meet
ing. Counselors can be reached
at 857-2404.
Want to grow fruit in your
garden? Try grapes, raspberries
or strawberries, say experts with
the University of Georgia Exten
sion Service. It's much easier to
succeed with them than with tree
fruits, and you'll get much faster
results.
7-A
FAST FRUITS