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Sports: IB Lady Leopards already looking to next season Features: 11 -12A Mardi Gras and more in Houma, La. February 20, 2008 February The Banks County News 504^ Homer, Banks County, Georgia 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • mainstreetnews.com • 26 Pages, 3 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 39 No. 28 BOC buys land for waste water plant BY CHRIS BRIDGES After months of negotiations and closed sessions, the Banks County Board of Commissions purchased land for a future waste water plant. Commissioners purchased 94 acres on an area off Duncan Road from Carolyn Hurst of Buford during the Feb. 12 meeting. The action was announced fol lowing another closed session. The land was purchased for $850,000, Banks County chairman Gene Hart said. No timetable has been set for beginning con struction on the project. “We are working with the EPD on this,” Hart said this week. “We are seeing what type of plant we need. They will dictate which type of plant to build.” Hart said acquiring the land was simply the first step in the process which will be a lengthy one. BOC chairman Gene Hart said Banks County will work with the EPD on a new plant for waste water treatment. News - 2-3A •Chamber recognizes Banks students — page 2A Op/Ed • ‘Keep talking: Maybe someone is listening’ — page 4A Social - 9-10A •Scenes from the Boy Scouts’ Pinewood Derby - page 10A Other news •School News — pages 6-8B •Public Safety — page 6A •Legals — page 5B • Church — page 8A • Obituaries — page 7A Alto general budget up 23 percent Water budget falls 1.2 percent BY SHARON HOGAN The Alto City Council approved a proposed 2008 general fund budget of $545,341 at the council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12. This is up 23 percent over last year’s budget. The proposed 2008 water fund budget total is $542,450. This is a 1.2 percent decrease from last year’s total. City employee wages make up a large portion of the expense amount in the proposed general fund budget at a total of $225,000. The police department wages account for $145,000 of this amount. In the proposed water fund budget, the largest expense item is $121,250 for infrastructure. OTHER BUSINESS In other business at Tuesday’s council meeting, the council: •awarded a contract totaling $8,270 to Blue Ridge Fence Inc., Lula, for fencing at two well sites. The contract covers fencing at both the Cedar Creek and Apple Pie Ridge well sites. The fencing is needed for security purposes. The city received a bid of $7,515 from Gateway Fence Company, Cleveland, on this project also. •adopted an ordinance to estab lish a franchise fee of five percent applicable to holders of cable or video franchises issued by the state of Georgia. •discussed the purchase of .12 acre of land that adjoins city prop- erty at the work house and the water tank. Mayor Audrey Turner said she would contact the property owner about a price on this piece of prop erty. •approved a rate of $16 per month for garbage collection to residents outside of the city limits. The gar bage collection is only being offered continued on page 3A SOCCER TIME The Banks County High School soccer teams have ushered in the 2008 season. The BCHS Lady Leopards, led by first-year coach Michael Boomer, opened the new season against Jackson County High School in Jefferson last week. Photo by Lyn Sengupta — Legislative Update — Sen. Schaefer introduces child services legislation State Sen. Nancy Schaefer recently introduced legislation that provides several directives to the Department of Human Resources (DHR) in regard to child services. “It is painful to see a child taken away from their parent or guardian, and I firmly believe that the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and DHR should make every effort to keep the family united,” Sen. Schaefer said. “We also must do everything we can to ensure that those who have to be placed in the care of DHR are given the best and only the best treatment possible.” Among the provisions set forth by Senate Bill 415, the legisla tion seeks to ensure that before a child is placed in the custody of DHR, every effort is made to find other family members with which to place the child. Discovery must be provided in termination proceedings with sanctions for failure to provide discovery. The bill also limits the amount of time DHR has to provide emer gency care to 72 hours, requir- Sen. Nancy Schaefer said the purpose of her proposed legislation is to reunite children with their fami lies as quickly as possible. ing the department to respond to emergency situations within that specified amount of time. DHR also would be required to obtain a court order to enter the residence of a child’s parent or guardian in order to seize a child under certain circumstanc es. Juvenile deprivation hear ings shall not be closed except upon the written application of the parents or guardian, and for other purposes. “The purpose of this bill is to prevent children from lan guishing in the custody of DHR, from being separated from their families unnecessarily and to reunite them with their families as quickly as possible,” Sen. Schaefer added. Banks County recognized by Progressive Farmer Banks County was recognized as one of the top 20 counties to live in the southeast by Progressive Farmer magazine. The magazine released the list of the “Best Places to Live in Rural America.” Banks County was listed as the number 16 place to live in the southeast. Number one was Kent County, Maryland. Other counties in Georgia that made the top 20 list were: Gilmer County, six; Camden County, nine; Hart County, 15; and Bryan County, 18. To see the list, go to www.progressivefarmer.com/ farmer/bestplaces. — Lula — House votes to rename Lula post office in honor of soldier The United States House of Representatives has voted to rename the Lula Post Office in honor of Army Pfc. Johnathon Millican. Millican, 20, was killed dur ing a January 2007 attack in Karbala, where he was one of five soliders killed. He lived in the Lula area. The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. 'Jr* F ATT* < ^ 2BB8§} ■ 1 ■ - » If MEDLINK ARRIVES IN HOMER MedLink Georgia, Inc., based in Colbert, was recently granted $412,500 to begin a clinic in Homer. MedLink already operates health centers at nine other locations in Northeast Georgia. Those attend ing a recent ribbon cutting for the Homer location included: Dr. Elizabeth Duke, HRSA administrator; Dr. Jackie Griffin, CEO MedLink Georgia; Gene Hart, Banks County Commission chairman, Judge Bobby Blackwell, Nancy McCoy, MedLink nurse, and MedLink board members Robin Trotter, Al Stone and Doug Bridges.