Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
— Economic Story of the Year —
The Pottery closes; new development
planned on site at Banks Crossing
BY ANGELA GARY
For more than two decades, people traveled from all
across the country to The Pottery at Banks Crossing.
Pottery, flowers, frames, baskets and hundreds of other
items could be found in the huge store that kicked off the
retail development at Banks Crossing.
Owner Joe Craven is credited by many for his insight
in getting the ball rolling for retail development. It was
a sad day for many people
when The Pottery shut its
doors for the last time in
2007. But Craven said plans
are to open another store,
as well as a major develop
ment that has not yet been
unveiled.
The closing of The Pottery
and the plans to develop the
site further have been named
the Economic Story of the
Year for 2007.
The Pottery at Banks
Crossing, which opened in
1984, closed in November.
Craven said the new store he
plans to open will have “low overhead, low prices and
unique quality products.” It will be part of a new devel
opment at the same location planned for the fall of 2008
or spring of 2009.
Another headline from 2007 relating to Craven
that will also impact the economy came in January
when 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 development will be the first of its kind for Banks
County — with commercial and residential mixed use.
A total of 768 homes is proposed for the 230 acres of
the property located in Banks County. The total acreage
for the development is 1,400, with the majority being
CRAVEN
LONG-TIME CUSTOMERS
Sonya Hancock (front), Gainesville, and
Margaret Needham, Rhode Island and Florida,
were among the last shoppers at The Pottery.
The ladies, who said they had spent many hours
shopping at The Pottery through the years,
sorted through the remaining silk flowers a few
days before the Banks Crossing store closed for
business on November 12.
located in Jackson County. The breakdown for the 230
acres in Banks County is 35 acres for multi-family hous
ing, 23 acres for commercial development, 172 acres for
single-family housing and 34 acres of open space.
The homes proposed for this resort-style development
will range from $350,000 to $800,000. Amenities will
include an 18-hole golf course, pool, clubhouse and
equestrian center. The homes will be marketed to the
55 and older age group. For some of the homeowners
this will be a second home and for others it will be their
retirement home.
The project is estimated to cost $50 million in initial
investment and will be a 10-year built out period.
— Environmental Story of the Year —
Record drought tops headlines in 2007
BY ANGELA GARY
Water bans, an order from the gover
nor to reduce water use by 10 percent
and even the canceling of the long-time
fireworks celebration in Homer can all
be attributed to the drought that domi
nated headlines across North Georgia
in 2007.
The drought has been named as
the Environmental Story of the Year
for 2007. While the rain at the end of
the year brought some relief, it was
still one of the worst droughts in the
county on record.
The situation first got serious in some
nearby counties over the summer but
it was not a major concern in Banks
County until late fall. Local officials
were informed by the Environmental
Protection Division and the State
Department of Natural Resources
that the amount of water use must be
reduced by 10 percent. The BOC set
fines for those found violating the water
bans.
In November, in an effort to get a bet-
ter grasp on the ongoing water crisis, the
Banks County Board of Commissioners
held a meeting with local school, public
safety and county municipality officials.
The City of Homer and the BOC both
announced plans to reduce water use.
Banks County leaders and city offi
cials continue to urge citizens to cut
down on water use. The rain did give
some hope that the historic drought
might be relenting, but experts warned
that it would take more rain to refill the
area reservoirs.
— Education Story of the Year —
Banks test scores among top in state
BY ANGELA GARY
For the second year in a row,
Banks County schools have brought
home test scores that top those
from around the state.
Writing test scores and SAT
results at the high school and CRCT
scores at the middle school are just
a few of the top headlines of the
year in Banks County. The efforts
of the administration, faculty and
staff, students and parents all led to
the successes of the school system
this year. These test scores indicate
the high level of education students
are receiving, which will benefit the
county for years to come. For these
reasons, the top test scores reported
in 2007 have been selected as the
Education Story of the Year.
In January, it was reported that
Banks Country High School stu
dents excelled on the Georgia High
School Writing Test taken this past
fall as 96 percent of the high school
students taking the test passed. The
school outperformed the state aver
age, as well as the average of other
local systems.
In July, the Banks County
School System announced that it
had received 100 percent on the
Adequate Yearly Progress report.
In September, it was reported that
Banks County High School’s SAT
scores averaged second among
the region following only Dawson
County High School. The aver
age verbal score for Banks County
students was 493 and it was 503
for math. The most recent writ
ing scores averaged at 484. The
composite total of 1,480 was shy
of last year’s high mark of 1,528
but above the 2007 state average
of 1,427.
' ' ^ "
RUCKER ROAD
Paul Rucker was murdered at his home on this rural
road in Banks County. Rucker Road is located just
off of Hwy. 326. Many members of Rucker's family
also live on the dirt road.
— Crime Story of the Year —
Murder dominates headlines in 2007
Also in September, the Georgia
Department of Education released
state-wide comparison scores of
last spring’s Criterion Referenced
Competency Test (CRCT). When
comparing systems within the local
RESA area, Banks County School
System took first place in the three
areas of seventh grade science, sev
enth grade math and eighth grade
math. Leading the pack of schools
within the Pioneer RESA area was
BCMS in many subjects.
BY ANGELA GARY
Murder dominated the crime headlines in 2007
in Banks County. The year started with the week-
long emotion-filled trial of three young people
accused of brutally murdering a Banks County
man. They were sentenced to spend the rest of
their lives behind bars. By the year’s end, another
murder was reported with the sister of the victim
being one of those accused of committing the
crime.
The murder trial of Paul Rucker and the murder
of Randy Rylee have been selected as the Crime
Stories of the Year for 2007.
The Rucker murder trial got under way in late
January. Donald “Donnie” Murphy, 21, Arcade,
pled guilty to the crime and agreed to testify
against the three others charged in the September
2004 murder of Rucker, 64. Murphy will have
to serve at least 50 years in jail before he will be
eligible for parole which means it is likely that he
will be in jail for the rest of his life.
Roderick “Rock” Cooper, 23, Athens, Terrell
Young, 34, Athens, and Carla Simmons, 24,
Jackson County, went to trial for the murder
of Rucker. During the five days of testimony,
Simmons and Young both testified. Cooper did
not.
Before announcing the verdict at 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 31, after an eight-day trial, Judge
Motes said it had been a “long, complicated, emo
tional” trial.
“It will be an emotional verdict,” he said, as he
cautioned the 100 or more people in the courtroom
to remain quiet as the verdict was announced.
Young was found guilty on one count of malice
murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of
burglary, one count of armed robbery, two counts
of attempted armed robbery, one count of aggra
vated battery, three counts of aggravated assault,
three counts of tampering with evidence and one
count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Young, who showed no emotion when the ver
dict was read or when he was sentenced, was
given two life in prison sentences, two 20-year
sentences, one 10-year sentence and one five-year
sentence. Since this is his third felony conviction,
he will not be eligible for parole.
Cooper, 23, Athens, was found guilty on the
same charges as Young. He was given two life
sentences and a 45-year sentence. He will not be
eligible for parole for 95 years, which means he
will spend the rest of his life in jail. Cooper also
showed no emotion as the verdict was read and the
sentence given.
Simmons, 24, Jackson County, was found guilty
on two counts of felony murder, two counts of
burglary, one count of armed robbery, one count
of attempted armed robbery, two counts of aggra
vated assault, two counts of tampering with evi
dence and one count of conspiracy to distribute
cocaine. Simmons, who cried as the verdict was
given and she was sentenced, was found not guilty
on one count of malice murder, one count of
attempted armed robbery, one count of aggravated
battery, one count of aggravated assault and one
count of tampering with evidence.
RYLEE MURDER
In late August it was reported that the death of
a Banks County man was being treated by law
enforcement officials as murder. Randy Lynn
Rylee, 47, of a Carson-Segars Road address, was
found dead by his sister in a small trailer he was
residing in.
Banks County sheriff Charles Chapman said a
call was received at the 911 center at 1:48 p.m. at
which time BCSO officials responded to the scene
off Hwy. 98 outside of Homer at 384 Carson-
Segars Road.
Officers cleared the scene and discovered Rylee
dead inside the trailer lying in his bed with his
legs hanging out. He had been shot once in the
head. Chapman said evidence gathered at the
scene appeared to rule out suicide.
In early October, two people were arrested last
week in connection with the murder, including the
victim’s sister. William Thomas Mason, 52, and
Kathy Elaine Rylee, 49, both of Maysville, were
arrested. The case has not gone to trial yet.
Courthouse annex groundbreaking set Jan. 10
An official groundbreaking cer
emony for the new Banks County
courthouse annex is scheduled
for Thursday, Jan. 10, at 11:30
a.m. at the site near Eagles Nest
Drive, off Thompson Street.
The new courthouse annex is
being funded through Special
Local Option Sales Tax Funds.
A total of $8 million has been
designated for the courthouse
annex as well as renovations of
the current Banks County court
house.
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Weekly Health Tip From Kim Bost
Pharmacist - Owner
Happy New Year!
Well, the holiday season is officially
behind us. WHEW! We now turn our
attention to (no, I’m serious this year)
keeping our New Years Resolutions.
Resolutions come in all sizes and types.
At Tiger Town Pharmacy and Homer
Drug Co, we can help you keep your
resolutions related to your health.
Whether your goals relate to weight loss,
weight gain, exercise, diabetic control,
smoking cessation or better health in
general, we can help. Call us and begin
2008 with realistic, attainable, goals for
better health!
706-677-3223 wy. • Homer, Ga.
Monday-Friday 9 - 6; Saturday 9 - 12 Noon; Sunday Closed
Banks County
Board of Commissioners
REQUEST FOR BIDS
Bid Number (208-0107)
Sealed bids will be received at the Commissioner’s
Office, Banks County Courthouse, 144 Yonah-Homer
Road, Suite 1, Homer, GA 30547 up to 10:00 A.M. on
January 7, 2008, at which time they will be opened for
the following:
BANKS COUNTY FIRE DEPT.
BREATHING AIR MODULE MODEL BAM06HE1
Bid packets may be obtained from:
Banks County Commissioner’s Office
144 Yonah-Homer Road
Suite 1
Homer, GA 30547
706-677-4407
All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope and
marked with the words, Bid Number 208-0107,
Opening 10:00 A.M. January 7, 2008. Any bid received
after 10:00 A.M. will be rejected.
The Banks County Board of Commissioners reserves
the right to accept or reject any and all bids and to
waive any formality or informality in the bid process.