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PAGE 2A
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2008
A look back at the
JANUARY
•After months of discussion, meetings
and objections from some citizens, the
Banks County Board of Commissioners
approved a rezoning request for Joe
Craven’s Diamond C Ranch property
just outside of Maysville. Clear Creek
Communities of Atlanta will develop the
property into a large, upscale residential
and commercial community.
•The Maysville City Council voted 3-2
to approve its new city charter and send
it to the legislature for approval. There
was disagreement among the council
members about whether city elections
could be won with less than 50 percent
of the vote.
•The Baldwin City Council approved
water plant upgrades.
•The Banks County Board of
Commissioners finalized the location for
the new county administrative building.
While original plans were to locate the
new facility in downtown Homer, the
location will instead be on Thompson
Street on the property referred to as the
Banks County Farm.
•Banks County High School students
excelled on the Georgia High School
Writing Test taken this past fall as 96
percent of the students taking the test
passed. The school outperformed the
state average, as well as the average of
other local systems.
•Neal Brown was named to continue to
serve as chairman of the Banks County
Board of Education.
•Banks County Elementary School
third grade teacher Wendy Fuschetti’s
class was awarded a $1,000 grant for the
implementation of its “Feathered Friends
Furnishings” project.
•The Banks County Sheriff’s Office
received a $103,800 state grant to be
used to purchase computer equipment
for patrol cars.
•The Paul Rucker murder trial got
under way in Banks County with four
people, Torrell Young, Roderick Cooper
and Carla Simmons being charged.
All three were found guilty of murder.
Donald Murphy Jr. had pled guilty earlier
and agreed to testify against the others.
•Baldwin city manager Betty Harper
gave notice that she would resign after
serving the town for seven years.
•Former Baldwin police chief Lamar
Clark was recognized for his 34 years
of service by the Georgia Association of
Chiefs of Police.
•An 56-year-old Alto man was struck
and killed by a train.
•The Maysville City Council approved
a $190,758 budget.
•Rep. Jeanette Jamieson was named to
serve as chairman of the ways and means
policy committee.
•The BOC cleared the way for
Metrosite, a company which constructs
communication towers, to locate in the
county. The BOC agreed to rezone the
property in the industrial park for the
project.
•The BOC gave tax penalty power
back to the tax commissioner.
FEBRUARY
•The three people found guilty in the
Paul Rucker murder were sentenced to
life in prison without parole.
•An Alto couple is facing multiple
charges after a resident heard children
crying in the woods during the early
morning hours when the temperature
was in the 20s.
•A dedication ceremony was held
at Banks County Elementary School,
which is in its first year.
•Dixie Moore was hired as the Baldwin
city clerk.
•The BOC, BOE and Homer City
Council held a joint meeting to discuss
growth issues related to the county.
•Eight citizens filed a lawsuit over the
Craven rezoning. The lawsuit stated that
the PUD is an “abuse of governmental
power.”
•The Banks County Chamber of
Commerce presented the “Citizen of
the Year” award to Chris Erwin and the
“Entrepreneur of the Year” awards to
Sam McDuffie and Mike Duncan.
•Homer city officials announced plans
to seek a “Tree City” designation.
•Banks, Habersham and Rabun coun
ties formed a joint development author
ity.
•The Alto City Council approved a
$443,000 budget, which is up 24 percent
over last year.
•The Lula City Council created a
Downtown Development Authority.
•Plans for the Homer streetscape were
presented at a public hearing.
•A team of attorneys already working
on other salmonella food poisoning cases
in Georgia filed a lawsuit on behalf of a
Banks County man who became ill after
eating peanut butter.
•Banks County officials are in pre
liminary talks with Lanier Tech for the
possibility of constructing and operating
a truck driving school in the area.
•Banks County Head Start teacher
Sarah Carlan was recognized as the Head
Start Support Staff of the Year for the
eight states in the region.
MARCH
•An undercover investigation by the
Banks County Sheriff’s Office led to the
closing of a health spa off of Hwy. 441
and I-85 for charges of prostitution. An
undercover officer was offered various
sex acts in exchange for money.
•Jennifer Dalton was named the Banks
County High School STAR student.
•The Georgia Attorney General’s Office
is doing an “internal review” to see if
a full investigation into the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit district attorney’s office
is warranted. The move comes following
a two-month investigation into the office
by The Jackson Herald, a sister newspa
per to The Banks County News.
•Banks County leaders traveled to
Washington, D.C., to meet with con
gressmen and senators on the needs of
the county.
•The BOC pulled the business license
of CoCo Spa following an undercover
investigation at the business.
•Banks County High School senior
Ashley Blevins died after a wreck on
Hwy. 98 in the county.
•Three local children were recognized
at the state capitol as heroes. Rachel
Anderson, Commerce, and Gus Galloway
and Nick Parrish, both of Baldwin, were
recognized at 911 Hero Day.
•The memory of Doug O’Neal was
honored with a procession prior to his
funeral services. O’Neal was a member
of the Banks County Fire and EMS for
more than 20 years. He died following a
sudden illness.
•Jackson County Sheriff Stan Evans
called for a state investigation into the
financial dealings of district attorney Tim
Madison, who serves Banks, Jackson
and Barrow counties.
•Maysville approved a streetscape
plan.
•Best Health Spa was cited for not hav
ing a Georgia license. No illegal activities
were reported at the massage therapy
business.
•A Banks County Grand Jury recom
mended the BOC hire two additional
deputies and a new van to transport
inmates. The recommendation came
after an unannounced inspection of the
county jail and sheriff’s office.
•The Baldwin City Council applied for
a $500,000 Community Development
Grant for water, street and drainage
upgrades.
•The Baldwin City Council named
assistant police chief Shawn Rhoades as
the city’s new code enforcement officer.
APRIL
•The 48th annual Garrison egg hunt
was held in Homer.
•The Georgia Bureau of Investigation
confirmed that it began an official inquiry
into financial questions surrounding the
district attorney’s office.
•Randy Failyer was named the county
finance director.
•The BOC agreed to increase water
connection fees.
•A grand opening ribbon-cutting cere
mony was held at the Lodge at Hammer’s
Glen in Banks County.
•Banks County commissioner Joe
Barefoot called for the form of govern
ment to be changed to a five-member
board.
•Thousands of people attended the
Little League opening ceremonies in
Homer.
•A Jefferson woman died after jump
ing from a moving county ambulance
on Hwy. 441. She was being transported
in a Banks County ambulance from the
Banks Crossing area.
•Community volunteers in Alto and
Baldwin turned out for a day of beauti
fication.
•Maysville Baptist Church moved into
a new sanctuary.
MAY
•Banks County Sheriff Charles
Chapman appeared at the BOC budget
hearing to ask for more money for addi
tional deputies, jailers and investigators.
•An Athens area filming crew was at
the historic Banks County courthouse in
Homer to tape a pre pilot they hope to
sell to a major cable network.
•Preliminary planning continues for
Banks County’s new administrative
building, which has an estimated com
pletion date of late 2008/early 2009.
•A Banks County School System bus
carrying second graders home after a
field trip to the Atlanta Zoo was involved
in an accident. No serious injuries were
reported.
•Linn Jones, wife of district attorney
Tim Madison, resigned from the DA’s
office where she served as victim ser
vices director. Assistant district attorney
Nick Primm also resigned. Meanwhile,
a state probe continued into the district
attorney’s handling of public funds.
•Leaders of the Banks County
Convention and Visitors Bureau began
looking at Hammer’s Glen as the pos
sible site for its office.
•Banks fire/EMS workers were sent
to South Georgia to assist and support
firefighting efforts against the wildfires
there.
•Alto adopted the Banks County 911
addressing system.
•An open house was held in Maysville
for the new police department.
•The Baldwin City Council agreed
to have city attorney David Syfan send
letters to all property owners who owe
back taxes to the city for the years, 2003,
— Year in Review —
•Baldwin agreed to begin handling its
own building inspections.
•Voters turned down a referendum for
Sunday alcohol sales by a 792-453 vote.
•The drought led to tougher water
restrictions being put in place by the Alto
Town Council.
•Four area attorneys, Ben Free, Rick
Bridgeman, Donna Sikes and Brad
Smith, applied for the district attorney’s
seat.
•Shawn Smith, a former Banks County
High School student-athlete, was killed
in a car wreck in Alabama while he was
driving high school basketball players he
coached from a weekend camp.
•Due to the extremely dry and drought
conditions, the Homer Fire Department
cancelled the annual fireworks display.
JULY
•A public hearing was held with citi
zens speaking in favor of a proposed new
BJC Medical Center. A crowd of about
75 people attended with several speaking
in favor of the $37 million new hospital
plan.
•A change in the form of government
for Banks County was again placed on
the table for discussion. The BOC held
a work session to continue discussing a
possible change in the number of com
missioners from three to five.
•The Homer Town Council approved
the low bid of $587,993 from ASJ
Associates Inc., Monroe, for the town’s
downtown improvement project.
•Baldwin city clerk Dixie Moore was
fired after allegations of misappropriation
of funds surfaced.
•The Baldwin City Council presented
plaques of recognition to two children,
Karlee House and Maddox Lewallen,
on their heroic efforts in saving Karlee’s
brother, Taylor, from drowning.
•The Banks County BOE approved a
$2 million bond resolution.
•The BOC approved a $13.7 million
budget.
•The BOC voted to install a six-inch
water line in the area of Hwy. 105 in order
to upgrade the water service offered.
•Brandy Kyle was named as the city
clerk in Baldwin.
•Banks County Probate Judge Betty
Thomas spoke at a commissioners meet
ing and said she is concerned about the
number of citations that are being issued
by the Georgia State Patrol during rounds
in the county.
•School leaders announced that two
new programs are planned for the school
year. The JROTC program and Driver
Education/Simulation will be added to
the schedule for interested students.
•The Banks County School System
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Banks County headlines from 2007
2004, 2005 and 2006. According to city
records, a total of $62,627 is owed for
these years.
•Baldwin hired Kyle Reising,
Watkinsville, as the new water plant
supervisor.
•Ed Tolley, attorney for district attor
ney Tim Madison, notified the gover
nor’s office that his client intended to
resign June 4. Once the governor accepts
Madison’s resignation, a series of steps
will take place to find a replacement DA
until the next election.
•Some 125 students graduated from
Banks County High School in gradua
tion ceremonies at the football field.
•A Memorial Day program was held in
the park in downtown Homer.
•Two bridge repair projects have been
approved by the Georgia Department of
Transportation. Bridges to be repaired
are located on Damascus Road over the
Middle Ford River and Yonah Homer
Road over the Hudson River Tributary.
•The Banks County Development
Authority sold 10 acres to Scott Ledford
of Metrosite Fabricators of Lula.
•More than 200 acres was annexed into
the city of Lula and zoned as agricultural
following action by the city council.
•BJC Medical Center, with a 20-acre
donation of land by Chatham Holdings
Corporation, will seek local govern
ment backing to build a new $37 mil
lion new hospital. David Chatham,
president and chief executive officer of
Chatham Holdings, an Atlanta-based
development firm, has offered to donate
to BJC Medical Center 20 acres of its
266-acre tract located between Old U.S.
441 and U.S. 441 on the north side of
Commerce.
JUNE
•Immigration and Iraq were topics at
a local forum for candidates in the June
19 election.
•The BOC met with state Rep. Jeanette
Jamieson and state Sen. Nancy Schaefer
to discuss changing to a five-member
board of commissioners.
•Plans to locate a family fun center in
Banks Crossing were approved by the
BOC.
•The annual kids’ fishing rodeo was
held at Hammer’s Glen in Homer.
•The BOC held another meeting to iron
out details for the 2008 fiscal year bud
get. After spending another four hours
studying budgets for each of the county’s
departments, the BOC appeared close to
finalizing a budget to present to citizens
in a public hearing later this month.
•A new zoning map and ordinances
were approved by the Maysville City
Council.
announced that it had received 100 per
cent on the Adequate Yearly Progress.
•A clean up effort is under way at the
city park in Gillsville.
•David Syfan was announced as the
new attorney for the city of Alto.
•The 130th Sunday School Celebration
was held in the downtown park in
Homer.
•The Lula City Council recognized
Jimmie and Ernest Couch and Jo and
Earl Evans for volunteerism.
•The Banks County Development
Authority approved a $5,200 bid to install
a chain link fence around the detention
pond at the Industrial Park.
AUGUST
•School officials began preparations
for a new school year with 2,773 students
expected on the first day of class.
•The first meeting of the Banks County
Entrepreneurial Friendly Initiative
Program was held with officials with
the state economic department speaking.
Thirty countians will serve on the eco
nomic planning team.
•The Banks County Board of Education
approved a $33 million budget for the
new fiscal year.
•While officials of BJC Medical Center
are anxious to receive support from
Banks County officials when it comes
to construction of a new facility, com
missioners agreed to take a wait-and-see
approach.
•Developer Terry Carr appeared before
the Baldwin City Council for the second
time to present plans for a proposed
development on Duncan Bridge Road
and Hwy. 23. The council asked Carr to
submit additional plans for their review
on this project.
•Baldwin approved fire contracts with
Alto and Banks County.
•A break-in was reported at the Chevron
station in Homer. During the same week,
the theft of a vehicle from Anderson
Auto Sales in Homer was reported.
•The Gillsville City Council approved
the low bid of $20,000 from the Jaegar
Company in Gainesville to do the design
work for a new street improvement proj
ect in the town. Plans include walking
trails and other improvements to the
downtown area.
•Rick Bridgeman was named the new
district attorney for the Piedmont Judicial
Circuit.
•Approximately 1,000 tires were
brought to the Banks County Parks and
Recreation Department as part of a Keep
Our Mountains Beautiful Project.
•Plans to locate a Comfort Suites hotel
off Hwy. 441 near Banks Crossing were
approved by the board of commission
ers.
•Expenses related to the new police
department led to budget concerns for the
Town of Alto. The council agreed to cash
in a $20,000 CD to help cover costs until
tax revenue comes in for next year.
•The Banks County School System has
already seen an increase of 211 students
from the end of the 2006-07 school year
to the beginning of the 2007-08 school
year.
•Former district attorney Tim Madison
was indicted on multiple felony theft
counts by a Banks County Grand Jury.
In addition, the grand jury also indicted
Madison’s wife, Linn Jones Madison,
and a former Banks County assistant dis
trict attorney, Brett Williams, on multiple
felony counts related to allegations of
financial thefts while all worked for the
Piedmont Judicial Circuit district attor
ney’s office.
•Randy Lynn Rylee, 47, was found
dead by his sister in a small trailer he was
residing in on Carson-Segars Road.
SEPTEMBER
•Former Piedmont Judicial Circuit
district attorney Tim Madison, as well
as his wife and a former assistant dis
trict attorney, turned themselves into the
Banks County Jail on charges related to
financial misconduct while they served
Banks County.
•The debut album of Echoing Angels,
a local Christian band, began to gain
national and international notice.
•The Banks County Planning
Commission denied a request from a
health spa owner to locate in Banks
Crossing.
•The Banks County assessor’s office
began their verification review program
to ensure that all business personal prop
erty in the county will be valued uni
formly. Traylor Business Services Inc.
was hired to review the personal property
of businesses in the county.
•The owner of Atlanta Dragway
announced plans to upgrade the race
strip at Banks Crossing.
•The Baldwin City Council voted
unanimously to award Allen Pipeline,
Clarkesville, the contract on the B.C.
Grant Road water line extension. Allen
Pipeline submitted a low bid of $200,000
for the project.
•A male suspect robbed Regions
Banks at Banks Crossing. Banks County
911 received the call at 3:24 p.m. on a
Monday that a robbery had just occurred
at the bank. As the investigation began,
it was learned that the suspect was not
armed as originally believed.
•The Banks County Board of
Commissioners approved a settlement
in a lawsuit filed by a group of con
cerned citizens over the Craven rezon
ing. The civil action was filed in Banks
County Superior Court and pertains to
the rezoning of 230.56 acres owned
by Joe Craven on Hwy. 52 and Bold
Road in Banks County. The property
was rezoned from ARR, Agricultural
Rural-Residential to PUD, Planned Unit
Development District. The settlement
calls for the county to maintain Bold
Road until a new road is built or for at
least five years.
•A committee has recommended to the
Banks County Board of Commissioners
that it allow citizens to vote on a change
in the county’s form of government.
The committee is comprised of various
county and citizen leaders.
•Lula Downtown Development
Authority members elected officers and
adopted its bylaws. Jim Grier was elected
as chairman, Teresa Myers as secretary
and Barbara Moore as treasurer. Other
members of the group are: Nita Miner,
Clinton Pruitt, John Schwartz and Vicky
Chambers who is the Lula City Council
representative.
•The Lula City Council received a $4.2
million GEFA loan. This loan will be
used to help fund the proposed $6.3 mil
lion wastewater treatment plant project.
The new wastewater treatment plant will
be located on Hwy. 52 at Hwy. 365. The
new plant will have an 8,000 acre drain
age basin. The site contains 27 acres,
but only four acres will be developed
at this time. The first phase of the plant
will provide 380,000 gallons per day of
sewer capacity.
continued on page 7A
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