Newspaper Page Text
Features: I2A and I0B
Sports: IB
Leopards open region
with home victory
Get away to Gatlinburg
March 12,2008
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. 31
— Former D.A. —
Madison
transferred
Monday
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Former Piedmont Judicial Circuit
District Attorney Tim Madison was
transferred Monday morning to the
Georgia Diagnostic Center in Jackson,
located in central Georgia.
Madison, who was sentenced to
serve six years
following a
guilty plea in
Banks County
Superior Court
last week, turned
himself in at the
Banks County
Jail Saturday
morning, sheriff
Charles Chapman
said. On Monday
morning, two BCSO deputies trans
ported Madison to the Butts County
facility to begin serving his term.
Chapman said it is possible he could
be transferred again.
“There were no incidents here
this weekend,” Chapman said of the
former district attorney’s stay in the
Banks County jail. “He was isolated
from other prisoners and when he
went outside the rest of the jail was on
lock down.”
Chapman said the extra precaution
was necessary since Madison pros
ecuted some of the inmates in the
Banks County jail.
In addition to his six-year sentence,
Madison was ordered to pay $40,000
in restitution for the money he took
from the Piedmont Judicial Circuit,
the majority of which was taken from
Banks County. The circuit also includes
Jackson and Barrow counties.
Madison resigned last June as dis
trict attorney following a series of
investigative articles published by
The Jackson Herald and Mainstreet
Newspapers. The Georgia Bureau of
Investigation Special Agent in Charge
John Cagle and Special Agent Brian
Whidby handled the investigation.
Madison’s wife, Linn Jones, and
former assistant district attorney Brett
Williams have also been charged in
the case. Their court dates will be held
March 25 in Banks County.
Chapman said Madison thanked
Banks County law enforcement offi
cials for his good treatment during his
brief incarceration there.
MADISON
News - 2-3A
•Baldwin seeks fire,
police grants — page 2A
•Lula honors former
mayor Talmadge Pless
— page 2A
Op/Ed
• ‘Representing
extreme side of politics’
— page 4A
Other news
•Social News — pages 9-11A
•School News — pages 8-9B
•Public Safety — page 7A
•Legals — page 5-6B
• Church — page 7B
• Obituaries — page 8A
34 volunteer firefighters
SPEAKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
John Creasy served as spokesman for 33 volunteer firemen who turned in their resignations Tuesday
night during the Banks County Board of Commissioners meeting. The volunteers have several issues
of concern with current chief Gary Pollard who they say does not respect the work of the volun
teers. Photo by Chris Bridges
Issues arise
over concerns
with chief
Gary Pollard
BY ANGELA GARY
AND CHRIS BRIDGES
A large percentage of the county’s
volunteer firemen officially turned
in their resignation Tuesday night
during the Banks County Board of
Commissioners meeting.
Following the reading of a pre
pared statement from John Creasy,
spokesman for the volunteers, 33
volunteers, along with members of
their families and supporters stood
up and left the full Banks County
courtroom where the meeting was
being held.
Originally Richard Crowder was
on the public comment portion of
the meeting but he turned his time
over to Creasy, who also resigned
his position following the reading of
a prepared statement.
Creasy said since Dec. 5, 2007,
the volunteers have tried to resolved
what they consider “significant
safety issues over demotion without
cause of all volunteer officers as
well as training problems and over
all poor management of the depart
ment.”
In his statement, Creasy also said:
“We see the current fire chief Gary
Pollard as being at the heart of all
our major concerns. Commission
chair Gene Hart has made it clear
that Gary Pollard will remain as chief
of this department. In a recent letter
to all personnel we were advised to
quit if we felt we couldn’t work with
Chief Pollard.”
Following his statement, Creasy
said he was sad to see the issue reach
this point.
“We also hate this,” Hart said.
“However, we aren’t going to get
into a debate about this tonight.”
resign
Creasy said he and the other
volunteers had each turned in their
radios and other related equipment.
He handed a stack of resignations
letters to the BOC.
Creasy also spoke of a “failed
audit” by the Banks County depart
ment by the Georgia Firefighter
Standards and Training Council.
“It is our hope and prayers that
the citizens of Banks County will
now step up and ask the commis
sioners what is really going on,”
Creasy said.
The firemen have been meeting
behind the scenes with county offi
cials, as well as corresponding by
letter, since December and decided
to take this drastic step when their
issues were not addressed.
“We’re deeply concerned about
the safety of the firefighters — both
paid and volunteer,” Creasy said
before the meeting. “We are also
concerned about the safety of citi
zens. We’re not doing this because
we’re angry. We’ve been unable to
fix what we see as an obvious prob
lem in a good department. We’ve
tried to bring the problem of poor
management to the commission
ers.”
continued on page 3A
GILLSVILLE DISCUSSES SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS
Gillsville City Council members are shown at the meeting on Tuesday as they discuss subdivision
regulations being proposed for the city. Shown (L to R) are: council members Richard Ferguson, Roy
Turpin and Todd Dale, Mayor Larry Poole, council members Keith Segars and Tim House. See page
3A for the story. Photo by Sharon Hogan
Authorities searching
for missing teenager
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Banks County Sheriff’s Office offi
cials are still looking into the disap
pearance of a 17-year-old female who
was reported missing by family mem
bers Monday.
Sheriff Charles Chapman said
Tuesday morning the teenager was
last seen late Sunday afternoon
when she left from her residence
off Highway 63 with an unidentified
white male to go to a movie theatre.
Family members told law enforce
ment authorities the teenager was
supposed to be home by midnight but
never arrived.
The following day, family members
said they received a text message from
her stating she was in Florida and that
she could not call.
“We are still looking into the case,”
Chapman said. “We are not sure why
she could send a text message but not
call.”
The sheriff said it is not clear if the
juvenile is actually in Florida or still
in the area.
“We are still following up several
leads,” he said.
The missing teenager left her resi
dence in a red Chevrolet Cavalier with
one busted headlight.
Comprehensive plan
meeting set Thursday
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Banks County officials have scheduled a public
hearing on the comprehensive plan update for
Thursday, March 13.
The meeting will be from 6-8 p.m. at the Banks
County Senior Citizens Center at 700 Thompson
Street in Homer. The meeting is the first of four
public workshops that Banks County, in associa
tion with the city of Baldwin, will hold in an effort
to update the comprehensive plan.
Officials said the purpose of the kickoff meeting
is to:
•announce the beginning of the planning pro
cess.
•show a presentation on the project purpose and
approach.
•provide an opportunity for participants to voice
their initial concerns for future development and
help the planning team define the key issues and
opportunities.
Stakeholder opinion questionnaires will be avail
able for the public at the meeting and can be down
loaded from the Banks County website at www.
co.banks.ga.us.
— Local, State and National Election Updates —
Taylor to run for tax commissioner
Becky Taylor has
announced that she will seek
election as Banks County
Tax Commissioner. She will
run as a Republican on the
2008 ballot.
“There are many Banks
County citizens who have
asked me to consider running
for this office,” she said. “I
am convinced that the time is
now. I have been privileged
to provide honest and consistent service
to this county for the past 12 years hav
ing been deputy tax commissioner for
the most recent three years.
“I have the knowledge, experience and
passion to successfully serve the citizens
of Banks County. Thank you for the posi
tive support I have already been shown
and I look forward to many opportunities
of working with you in the near future.”
Taylor is married to Jeff Taylor and
they have three children and three grand-
children. They live in the Grady
community of Banks County
where she is an active member
of Damascus Baptist Church.
She has worked with the
young people of the church
as a Sunday School teacher,
a Discipleship Training teach
er, and Vacation Bible School
Director and teacher. She is
currently the secretary/treasurer
and is a member of the adult
choir.
She served as a co-leader for the Banks
County Girl Scouts for over 10 years and
has been involved in Boy Scouts and
other volunteer opportunities over the
years.
“I look forward to seeing you face-to-
face as I campaign to proudly serve you,
the people of Banks County, as your tax
commissioner.”
More information will be available on
Becky Taylor’s website soon.
TAYLOR
U.S. Congress
Nancy Schaefer,
who has represent
ed Banks County in
the state senate for
four years, will run
for U.S. Congress
in 2008.
- see page 3A
State House
Michael Harden of Eastanollee has
announced his candidacy for State House
District 28, which includes Banks County.
- see page 3A
