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Sports: IB BCHS soccer teams usher in new season Saddle club plans 'Vet Day' Sat. February 27,2008 mt f| 1 f> . \t Feb ^ ary The Banks County News 504^ Homer, Banks County, Georgia 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • mainstreetnews.com • 22 Pages, 3 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 39 No. 29 TANKER TRUCK OVERTURNS Banks County fire and EMS responded to a tanker truck that was overturned and leaking Friday afternoon at Hwy. 59 and Ledford Road. The truck, which was ruptured and leaking, was carrying 7,700 gallons of diesel. The Hall County Hazardous Material Team was called in to assist. Approximately 4,000 to 4,200 gallons of product was released. “The product was contained and did not reach any water ways,” reports chief Gary Pollard. “The EPA and all other agencies were notified. We responded with three engines and one med unit. We had 15 people responding.” Accident on Hwy. 59 causes diesel spill BY CHRIS BRIDGES A tractor-trailer accident in Banks County Friday caused a diesel fuel spill which in turn caused passage in the area to be blocked for several hours. A tractor-trailer driven by David Joseph Clark of Dacula was traveling north on Hwy. 59 approximately half a mile from the intersection of Hwy. 164 when he lost control and eventually ran off the roadway, ran into a telephone pole and overturned. Clark told investigators he was reach ing down to pick up some papers he had dropped, but his truck began exiting the road as he went around a curve. The trailer, owned by Rock and Tank Lines of Florida, was filled with diesel fuel and there was some spill on the roadway and nearby ground. Clark was not seriously injured in the accident and did not require transport to a hospital, Banks County sheriff Charles Chapman said. Fire fighters from Banks County and Hall County responded to the scene to assist with the cleanup. Initially, it was not known whether the trailer was filled with gasoline or diesel fuel. Representatives of the phone com pany and power company were also on hand. The area around where the accident occurred was not accessible for several hours. The Georgia State Patrol Office in Gainesville investigated the accident. Clark was charged with failure to main tain proper lane. “The accident involved several man hours to clear,” Chapman said. Rep. Jamieson cited for not paying state taxes JAMIESON Rep. Jeanette Jamieson has been cited by the Georgia Department of Revenue for not paying her state taxes for the past eight years. She has reportedly agreed to pay $45,734 by the March 15 deadline. Rep. Jamieson, a Toccoa accountant, represents Banks and Stephens counties, as well as part of Franklin County. News - 2-3A •Crowd opposed to development proposal for Lula — page 2A •Outdoor watering OK in Baldwin — page 2A Op/Ed • ‘No such thing as per fect timing’ — page 4A Other news •School News — pages 6-8B •Social News — pages 8-10A •Public Safety — page 6A • Legals — page 4B •Church — page 5B • Obituaries — page 7A County leaders in Washington, D.C., this week Banks County leaders are in Washington, D.C., this week meeting with the nation’s leaders about issues concerning the county. The 15-mem ber Banks County group will be in the nation’s capitol Wednesday and Thursday of this week meeting with legislators who represent the coun ty. This is the fifth year the Banks County Chamber of Commerce has organized the trip. Those county leaders going on the trip include: Gene Hart, board of commission chairman; Robin Trotter, Family Connections director; Angela Sheppard, county administrative offi cer; Tara Fulcher, chamber of com- continued on page 3A First K-9 officer on job for BCSO Officer Jo Jo rated 'one of best' at the K-9 academy BY CHRIS BRIDGES The newest member of the Banks County Sheriff’s Office is sleek, lean, strong and ready for duty. He’s also approximately two years old and has four legs. His name is Officer Jo Jo and he is the first K-9 officer the Banks County Sheriff’s Office has employed. A full-blooded German Shepherd, Officer Jo Jo is a native of Texas where he was brought up at a kennel which trains police K-9 officers. Banks County Sheriff Charles Chapman said the Texas kennel is considered “highly respected” in the field. Officer Jo Jo was shipped from Texas to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department in Savannah for additional training. During this time he met his new partner in Banks County, deputy Mike Wood. The new partners spent four weeks training together and now are on patrol on the highways and byways in Banks County. Officer Wood is now a certified K-9 handler and he and his partner were on display earlier this week at the BCSO. Officer Wood demonstrated the com mands Officer Jo Jo abides by and continued on page 3A MAKING IT POSSIBLE A donation from Wayne and Heather Abbs, owners of Wayne Neal Chevrolet, allowed the Banks County Sheriff’s Office to obtain Officer Jo Jo. The new K-9 officer was on display this week along with the Abbs and his partner Officer Mike Wood and sheriff Charles Chapman. Photo by Chris Bridges Madison plea hearing set March 4 A plea hearing has been set for 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 4, in Banks County for for mer District Attorney Tim Madison, who was indicted in August on theft charges. Madison and two others, his wife Linn Jones and former ADA Anthony Brett Williams, were charged with diverting public funds while the three worked in the Piedmont Judicial Circuit DA’s office. Jones and Williams will also be present for Tuesday’s hearing, but it is not known whether they will be entering a plea. All three pled not guilty to the charges in December, but next week’s hearing could see a change in those pleas. A pretrial conference was held earlier this month between state prosecutors and the defendants. DeKalb County Judge Robert Mallis is hearing the case after all three judges in the Piedmont Circuit recused themselves. Madison resigned last June as district attorney following a series of investigative newspaper articles published in The Jackson Herald. GeorgiaAttorney General Thurbert Baker subsequently launched an investigation into the DA’s office. That probe led to the theft indictments in Banks County last August. MADISON Land talk held behind closed doors The Banks County Development Authority met Wednesday, Feb. 20, with most of the 40 minutes spent in closed session to discuss land acquisi tion. No action was taken when the meeting was opened to the public. The authority will hold its next reg ularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19, in the meeting room at the courthouse. New graduation requirements Current Rule 4 tiers, each with different requirements: College Preparatory (CP) and College Preparatory with Distinction (CP+), Technology/Career (TC) and Technology/Career with Distinction (TC+) Proposed Rule 1 common set of requirements for all students 22 total units required for CP and TC 24 total units required for CP+ and TC+ 23 total units required for all students 4 units of English Language Arts required for all students 4 units of English Language Arts required for all students 4 units of Mathematics required for CP and CP+; 3 units required for TC and TC+ 4 units of Mathematics required for all students 3 units of Science required for all students 4 units of Science required for all students (the 4th science unit may be used to meet both the science and elective requirements) 3 units of Social Studies required for all students 3 units of Social Studies required for all students, all courses are specifically identified 1 unit of Health and Physical Education required for all stu dents 1 unit of Health and Physical Education required for all students; 3 units of JROTC may be used to meet the require ment 1 unit of Computer Technology and/or Fine Arts and/or Technology Career Preparatory and/or Foreign Language required for all students A total of 3 units required from: CTAE and/or Foreign Language and/or Fine Arts for all students (students plan ning to enter or transfer into a University System of Georgia institution or other post-secondary institution must take two units of the same foreign language). 2 units of Foreign Language required for CP and CP+ stu dents 5 - 6 additional elective units depending on tier (CP, CP+, TC, TC+) 4 additional elective units for all students BOE sets new graduation requirements The Banks County Board of Education passed a new set of gradua tion requirements Feb. 19 at the regular session that will assure Banks County’s students graduate high school ready for college and work. The new graduation rule, similar to the rule adopted by the state last September, eliminates Georgia’s “tiered” diploma, in which there were different expecta tions for different students. The major changes in the new Georgia rule call for four units of math ematics and an additional unit of sci ence required for all students. The current Georgia rule allows for four units of mathematics and three units of science for students prepar ing to go to college and three units of mathematics and three units of science for students graduating with a “tech prep” seal. continued on page 3A