Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Election 2008
Sikes to seek district attorney position
D onna Golden Sikes, a
Jefferson attorney, has
announced her intention
to seek the seat of District Attorney
for the Piedmont Judicial Circuit in
July’s elections. Sikes has been an
attorney for 17 years and has rep
resented clients in many different
areas of the law, from family mat
ters, such as divorce, child support,
custody and adoption, to criminal
and bankruptcy matters, as well
as disputes in non-litigation areas
such as contracts, wills and real
estate. Sikes served as the attor
ney for the City of Arcade from
1993 through 1997 and success
fully appealed cases on behalf of
the voters to the Georgia Supreme
Court. She also served as the attor
ney for the Jackson County Water
and Sewerage Authority from 1996
through 2001.
In addition to her legal career,
Sikes has served as a member and
president of the Jackson County
Industrial Development Authority,
Georgia Municipal Association,
Northeast Georgia Legal Services,
DONNA SIKES
Jackson County Chamber of
Commerce, Child Care Advisory
Council on Mental Health and the
Georgia Citizens Committee on
Child Care.
“I decided to run for District
Attorney of the Piedmont Circuit
in 2006, after witnessing the abuse
of power and utter contempt for the
justice system from then District
Attorney Tim Madison. I believe
now — as I did then — that
the people in Barrow, Banks and
Jackson counties need a chance to
select their own District Attorney
in a free and fair election — not a
political appointment.”
“I believe the people want a
chance to choose their own District
Attorney, and not just settle for
what somebody has selected for
us,” she said. “I have run and
managed my law office as a solo
practitioner for 17 years, and have
learned the difference between
delegating authority and accepting
responsibility. I bear the respon
sibility for the ethical and profes
sional behavior of everyone in my
office. That’s exactly the kind of
experience our District Attorney
should have.”
Sikes received her law degree
from the University of Georgia
School of Law in 1991, and was a
summa cum laude graduate of the
University of Georgia in 1978. She
lives in Jefferson with her husband
and has one daughter and one
granddaughter.
Legacy Link provides job training for seniors
Legacy Link offers free job train
ing for Banks County residents age
55 and older.
The senior community service
employment program offers part
time on-the-job training positions
for qualified people. The qualifi
cations include: age 55 and older,
must be a resident of the state
and must meet federal low-income
guidelines.
“The purpose of the program is
to offer a temporary stepping stone
back into the work force,” officials
say. “Positions are not meant to be
permanent employment.”
On-the-job training means that
the participants will be assigned to
train at a government or non-profit
agency for 20 hours per week. The
pay will be minimum wage for
any time spent training, attending
approved classes or program meet
ings or any other related training
activities.
Program participants perform a
wide variety of duties, including
clerical/office support, providing
social services to other seniors and
members of the community, help
ing in the kitchen of senior nutri
tion sites and other tasks.
The participants will also undergo
assessment, testing and counseling
while in the program. Participants
will also be referred to jobs in the
area as they become available.
The program is funded by a grant
from the United States Department
of Labor through the National
Council on the Aging Inc. For more
information, call 770-538-2650.
Georgia Fund Scholarship assists GED students
The new Georgia Fund Scholarship
pays the $95 testing fee for all adult
learners who live in designated rural
counties across Georgia, including
Banks County.
To qualify for this scholarship, par
ticipants must:
•reside in Banks County.
•be enrolled in GED classes at
the Banks County Adult Learning
Center.
•meet the minimum attendance
requirement (12 hours).
•achieve the status of “Test
Readiness” (Level 6) on a skills test
and GED practice test.
For more information, call the
Banks County Adult Learning Center,
706-677-4302, or drop by during regu
lar, business hours (Mondays through
Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.,
and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.
to 8 p.m.
The Georgia Fund Scholarship will
be offered to qualifying students one
time only. Students must pay for sec
ond attempts at passing the GED.
Medicare aid offered monthly at senior center
A GeorgiaCares representative from The Legacy
Link, Inc., is available for Medicare Part D assis
tance at the Banks County Senior Center on the
fourth Thursday of each month from 12 - 1 p.m.
For help with specific issues, bring all related
correspondence. Appointments are not required,
but are encouraged, and can be made by calling
GeorgiaCares at 1-800-669-8387.
Let us know your story ideas
Have an interesting story to share?
Do you have a unique hobby?
Have a family member or friend
with an interesting story to share?
If so, The Banks County News
Banks County News, at706-367-2490
or e-mail story idea information to
her at AngieEditor@aol.com.
Keep Banks
County
beautiful!
would like to know.
Contact Angie Gary, editor of The
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Election fees set for 2008 county races
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Banks County voters will go to their respective
voting polls this summer for another primary elec
tion with 11 county posts up for vote.
Candidate qualifying for the General Primary
Election will begin Monday, April 28, at 9 a.m. and
continues through Friday, May 2, at noon. Candidate
qualifying for the General/Non-Partisan Election
will begin from June 23-27.
Offices which can be contested in the primary elec
tion and the qualifying fee for each is as follows:
•sheriff, $1,616.40
•tax commissioner, $1,392.24
•clerk of superior court, $1,392.24
•probate judge, $1,392.24
•magistrate judge, $1,392,24
•coroner, $72
•county chairman, $1,080
•county surveyor, $25
•board of education, post 1, $64.50
•board of education, post 2, $60
•board of education, post 4, $60.
The qualifying fee for each office is based on three
percent of that office’s base salary.
Alto budget continued from page 1A
to residents on the city’s water
system. The charge will appear
on the water bill. Council
members Jacki Bosco and
Kathy Clark voted in favor of
this, Margaret Beaupre voted
against this motion and Gary
Terrell abstained from voting.
Council member Cathy Armour
was absent from the meeting.
Beaupre said she did not feel
comfortable doing this and she
felt like “we could be open
ing up a can of worms.” Alto
resident Rosalynn Mason said
she also opposed this action.
Mason said, “How far do we go
with this?” Turner said, “The
service will only be available to
customers already on the city’s
water system.”
•heard from Police Chief
Robin Krockum that part-time
police officer Jeremy Eller
began working full-time for the
city on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Eller’s move to full-time status
was approved at the council
meeting on Jan. 8.
•approved Krockum to pro
ceed with an application for
a United States Department of
Agriculture grant in the amount
of $55,000 for vehicle acquisi
tion. If received the money will
be used to purchase two new
police vehicles.
•approved the sale of a 2000
Ford Crown Victoria police
car. The sale will be advertised
and sealed bids will be taken
through March 7. The bids will
be opened at the next council
meetings scheduled for 7 p.m.
on Tuesday, March 11.
•heard from Alto resident
Dennis Wade about someone
prowling around his house on
Friday night. Wade said his wife
was home alone at their house
on Nix Street when the incident
occurred. No police officer was
on duty in Alto and an offi
cer had to respond from Banks
County and this took some
time. The council told Wade
with another full time officer
now working there would be
more police protection for the
residents.
The council held a work ses
sion before the council meeting
on Tuesday to discuss annexing
property into the city. The coun-
cil said they have annexation
applications available to resi
dents and they will be contact
ing residents around the current
city limits to seek annexation of
their property.
Donald Wade, city adminis
trative assistant, told the coun
cil the annexations would help
to grow the city’s tax base.
Wade also told the council that
an open house on the com
prehensive plan is required by
the city to be held in April.
The city is working with the
Georgia Regional Development
Commission on this.
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