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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 Fareha Rahim, MD Internal Medicine We are now located at our new office at 613 Hospital Road Commerce, Georgia 30529 Commerce Medical Center' 706-335-9411 \^CRMCD,BaBS,aGmnHMO/PPO)AMERlGR€UP,AARP,UH^^ 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. Need A Mortgage? We Specialize In Making The Loan Work •/ Slow Credit OK </ Bankruptcy Before OK S Prequalification By Phone Mobile Homes with Land Down Payment Assistance Program Purchases, FHA, Conventional y Refinance Your Old Mortgage before it adjusts or get Cash Back Too many programs to mention! Call For Details! JASON BROWN • (706) 498-2719 Your Local Lending Experts! MPlITNAM MORTGAGE & FINANCE, LLC. 2507 Wade Hampton Blvd. • Greenville, SC 29615 E-Fax: (866) 384-2126 • Email: jbrown@putnamfinance.com GA Residential Mortgage Licensee • South Carolina Mortgage Broker Licensee North Carolina Mortgage Lender Licensee NOW OPEN!!! Howell Emily F. Howell, DMD, PC (706)387-0606 Orthodontics for children and adults www.howellortho.com 2614 Hwy 129 North Jefferson, GA OrihodontCoy ATTENTION! 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