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Sports: IB Linemen test their strength Community: 6B Local man shares gardening skills Paper launches new website BanksNewsTODAYcom to provide news updates Today has arrived. A new source of community infor mation is being launched this week by The Banks County News — www. BanksNewsTODAY.com. (The site is not case sensitive; capital letters are used only for clarity.) The new website is also part of one of the most sophisticated news paper web networks in the state and operates under the umbrella of www. MainStreetNews.com which aggre gates Northeast Georgia news from Banks, Jackson, Madison and Barrow counties. “This is an exciting new develop ment in how we can keep the local community informed,” said Mike Buffington, co-publisher of Mainstreet Newspapers, Inc., the parent company of The Banks County News. Mike Buffington said the BanksNewsTODAY site and its sister sites will all have real-time updating on election night July 15. “We’ve been developing this site over the last 18 months and wanted to give it a real test run for the July elec tions,” Mike Buffington said. The new BanksNewsTODAYcom site will allow viewers to add com ments to articles and to subscribe to e-mail or cell phone updates. SISTER WEB SITES In addition to new individual news sites in the counties, the new system also aggregates local sports and obitu aries onto free-standing sister sites. “If you follow sports in the coverage area, the new www. MainstreetNewsSPORTS.com will be the place to look for a broad overview,” said Mike Buffington. From an on-line advertising stand point, the multiple linked sites offer advertisers an unlimited number of combinations for reaching various niche audiences. “These new cross-linked sites give advertisers a new way to reach cus tomers,” said co-publisher Scott Buffington. Scott Buffington also said the new system of cross-linked sites is just in its beginning stages and more features are scheduled to be added in the com ing weeks. NEW WEBSITES www.MainstreetNews.com (The parent site which aggregates news and information from all of its linked sites.) www.MainstreetNewsSPORTS .com (Regional sports website that aggre gates sports news from all the newspa per websites.) www.MainstreetNewsOBITS.com (Regional website that aggregates death notices and obituaries from all the newspaper websites.) www.BanksNewsTODAY.com (Website with news and views from The Banks County News.) www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com (Website with news and views from The Commerce News.) www.MadisonJoumalTODAY.com (Website with news and views from The Madison County Journal.) www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com (Website with news and views from The Jackson Herald.) www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com (Website with news and views from The Braselton News.) www.BarrowJournal.com (Website with news and views from Barrow County.) Early voting to begin Monday Chairman, sheriff races to be decided in primary BY CHRIS BRIDGES Registered Banks County voters may cast their primary ballots beginning Monday during early voting which will last through Friday. Those wishing to take part in advance voting may do so Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the Banks County Registrar’s Office on the second floor of the county courthouse. Voters must chose a party ballot. A photo ID is required for those wishing to vote, Banks County officials said. Some local races will be decided in the primary including the battle for the commission chairman’s seat and the sheriff. The race for District Attorney, which covers Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties, will also be decided in the primary. Voters will have to take part in the Republican primary to take part in deciding these offices as no Democrats qualified to run. The actual primary is July 15. Attorney: Test results clear assistant principal Parents still have questions involving water fountain incident BY CHRIS BRIDGES The awaited test results on a water fountain at Banks County Elementary School have been received and while one side of the controversy says the issue has been “put to bed” the other says questions remain. PathCon Laboratories of Norcross conducted tests for bacteria using collected water samples from the fountain which several fifth grade male students were allegedly forced to drink from after a substance had been poured into it. The incident, which took place in May, involved assistant princi pal Lori Rylee who remains on leave as of this week. The test results, which were completed June 5, indicated there were no bacteria present although the report also stated “it is not the intent of this report to make any suggestions of associations concerning poten tial health effects of building occupants, nor to suggest any remediation procedures. There are no governmental regulations concerning permissible num bers of bacteria in environmen tal samples.” “Although I am not a chemist, it is my understanding that the district has been informed that these results establish that there is no evidence of any contami nants and that the water in all samples tested from all foun tains tested is perfectly safe to drink,” said Phil Hartley, attor ney for the Banks County Board of Education. One question Chan Caudell, who is representing the parents of the fifth grade students who were allegedly forced by Rylee to drink from the fountain, has is why did it take so long to get the test results back. Caudell filed an open records request with the BOE on June 19 for any test results but was told none were available. However, once the test results were released they were dated June 5. “I just received a faxed copy of the test results, but no expla nation about why it took so long to secure them,” Caudell said Monday. “The copy is difficult to read. We have not had an opportunity to closely review the results of the methodology used to obtain them.” Caudell also said initially the parents question why the samples were submitted almost a week after the incident hap pened and why are the results just now being received. continued on page 6A True test of strength TIRE TOSS Banks County High School’s Thomas Baker displays his strength dur ing the tire flip during a line man challenge competition held last month at Gilmer High School. BCHS finished sec ond overall at the event which allowed linemen to compete in numerous unique tests of strengths. See more informa tion in today’s sports section on page 1B. BCN office closed Friday The Banks County News The office will re-open office in Homer will be on its regular schedule closed Friday, July 4, in on Monday, July 7, at observance of the holiday. 8:30 a.m. Homer fireworks planned July 4 The annual fireworks display in Homer will be held on Friday, July 4, at dark (approximately 9:30 p.m.). The Homer Fire Department is the event sponsor. The new location for the fireworks will be at Banks County High School, located at 1486-A Historic Homer Highway in Homer. News - 2-3A • BOC works on budget — page 2A •Baldwin approves per sonnel policy changes — page 3A Op/Ed - 4-5A • ‘Assuming can make you look mighty foolish’ — page 4A Other news • Social News — pages 5-7B • School News — pages 11A • Public Safety — page 7A • Legal s — pages 4B • Church — page 9A • Obituaries — page 8A Despite objections, mud bogging facility receives BOC approval CONCERNS OVER MUD BOGGING FACILITY Rick Bennett (standing at left), Beaver Creek Drive resident, addressed the Banks County Board of Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting con cerning the request for a special use permit for a mud bogging facility on Brown Bridge Road. Bennett said, “Please don’t take away my dream house.” Photo by Sharon Hogan BY SHARON HOGAN Despite the oppostion of sev eral citizens who live in the area, mud bogging will officially come to Banks County on Saturday following action of the Banks County Board of Commissioners last week. The BOC approved a rezoning request Tuesday, June 24, that will allow Sloppy Joe’s Mud Bogging to open in the county. The first day of business will be Saturday. Michael and Linda Cline filed a request for a conditional use per mit to operate a recreational mud track on their 38-acre tract on Browns Bridge Road. The prop erty is currently zoned CAD. BOC chairman Gene Hart recused himself from the vote on this issue. Commissioners Rickey Cain and Joe Barefoot voted in favor of the request. Cline spoke to the commis sioners during the public hearing and said he would continue to keep livestock on the property and operate the mud bogging facility as well. Cline said the vehicles would be cleaned before they leave the facility. This is done to help keep the mud out of the road. Cline said the personal vehicles that attend the events would not be near the bogging site. Police, fire and EMTs will be on hand for the events at the site, Cline said. The plan for the facility is to be open only on Saturdays and Sundays with no events starting prior to noon on Sundays. Several residents of the area spoke in opposition to the request during the public hearing portion of the meeting. Joe Peyton, Beaver Creek Drive, said he lives in a blind curve and he is concerned with the narrow two-lane road. Peyton was also concerned with the noise and the issue of people being on the premises consuming alcohol. Peyton said Madison County cur rently has one of these facilities that draws 500 people per day in attendance. Peyton said, “Cline has already come in and dammed up the creek. He goes by the old adage, it is bet ter to ask for forgiveness than to ask permission.” Winship Reece, Hwy. 326, said, “It has the potential to be a nui sance.” continued on page 10A