About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 2008)
Sports: IB BCHS completes summer baseball Community: 3A Lula Post Office named in honor of fallen soldier — www.BanksNewsTODAY.com — Banks voters go to polls Tuesday Advance voting continues at courthouse through Friday this week BY CHRIS BRIDGES Months of hand shaking, mass mail ings and speaking at forums will all come down to one day for local can didates. Voters in Banks County will go to their respective polling places next Tuesday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and cast their ballots dur ing the July 15 primary election. Early voting continues this week through Friday in the Banks County Registrar’s Office, located on the second floor of the courthouse. Any registered voter may cast their ballot during the early voting period from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and those doing so must chose either a Democrat or Republication ballot. The same is required for those voting next Tuesday. The Republican ballot is expected to be chosen more often in Banks County since more local races are involved. The battle for sheriff, county chairman and a school board seat will be decided in the Republican primary. In addition, a contested primary for the District Attorney seat for the Piedmont Judicial Circuit will be decid ed in the Republican primary although with three candidates there is the pos sibility of a runoff. Rick Bridgeman, Donna Sikes and Brad Smith are seek ing the DA's seat. Bridgeman was appointed to the position by Gov. Sonny Perdue in late 2007. Locally, commission chairman Gene Hart will seek a second term on the Republican ballot against primary challenger Milton Dalton. Sheriff Charles Chapman, who switched to the Republican Party for this year’s election, faces challenger Carlton Speed in the primary. Chapman has been sheriff since 1996. In the Post 4 Board of Education race, Republican incumbent John Williams faces challenger David Martin. This race has been extremely low key as neither candidate has addressed voters at any of the local forums. Also on the Republican primary bal lot, 10th District Congressman Paul Broun will look to hold off challeng er Barry Fleming in a primary battle which has seen both candidates try to “out-conservative” one another. The winner faces Democrat Bobby Saxon, an Iraq War veteran, in November. Banks voters will also help deter mine the 50th District state senate race as two-term incumbent Nancy Schaefer has two Republican challengers in Jim Butterworth and Terry Rogers, both of Habersham County. There is no Democrat in the race. There are two state-wide Public Service Commission seats up for vote this year as incumbent H. Doug Everett faces Rick Collum in the Republican primary in one race with Lauren McDonald, Jr., a former Commerce resident and candidate for governor, facing Pam Davidson in another race where there is no incumbent. For those who vote in the Democratic primary, the most appealing race is for U.S. Senate as five candidates look to challenge incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss this fall. Dale Cardwell, Vernon Jones, Rand Knight, Josh Lanier and Jim Martin are com peting in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Washington. Bob Indech and Jim Powell are run- continued on page 7A FrimaftElefltSbn Voters can vote between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at their respective polls. Advance voting continues 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the registrar’s office in the Banks County courthouse in Homer through this Friday. ■ Meet the candidates: Candidate Q&A - pages 6,7&M GETTING READY FOR EARLY VOTING At top, Fred Wendt of the Banks County Registrar’s Office sets up a voting machine for early voting Monday morning. Above, Marion Jordan and Judie Wendt help a Banks County voter prepare to cast his ballot during the first day of early voting. The early voting period continues through Friday at 5 p.m. Photos by Chris Bridges Lula mother sentenced in fraud scheme Molly A. Smith, 50, Lula, was sentenced to prison by United States District Judge William C. O’Kelley on tax-related fraud charges. The sentenc ing of her daughter, Maykie Blevins, 29, also of Lula, was scheduled for July 16, on related charges. United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case, ‘Taxpayers placed a significant amount of trust in Molly Smith. Her business was responsible for seeking reimbursement to day care centers for meals served to children from low income families. It is shameful how she violated that trust. Instead of performing this important work in an honest way, she repeat edly altered documents and submitted false information to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in order to receive excess funds. She then took that money for herself and her daughter, Maykie Blevins.” In Raleigh, North Carolina, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Betty N. Stewart said, “We will aggressively pursue tax fraud wherever it is identified. IRS-Criminal Investigation is proud to provide its financial expertise to investigations of these schemes to defraud the United States and its taxpayers.” Smith was sentenced to four years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $413,847 to the IRS and $777,901 to the State of North Carolina. Smith pleaded guilty to program fraud and tax fraud on February 27, 2008. Blevins pleaded guilty to tax fraud on March 17,2008. According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information present- continued on page 10A STORM FATAILITY Several family members and friends of Loyd Echols, 70, Hickory Flat Road, Gillsville, work Wednesday morning to clear debris off the mobile home were Echols lived with his wife Mary. Shown (L to R) are: Mark Whitfield, Jerry Griffin, Gary Tanner and Kenneth Parsons working to clear the tree and retrieve personal belongings of the couple. Mr. Echols was killed when a large oak tree fell onto the home as he slept in the bedroom during a storm on Tuesday night. Mrs. Echols escaped from the home unin jured. Photo by Sharon Hogan Banks man dies as result of Tuesday storm Baldwin approves tax hike In split vote, council OKs one mill increase BY SHARON HOGAN Baldwin qualifying ahead July 21-23 The City of Baldwin will hold quali fying for the Sept. 16 special election to fill the unexpired term of mayor begin ning on Monday, July 21, and continu ing through Wednesday, July 23. Qualifying will be held Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 .m. to 4:30 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break beginning at 12:30 p.m. The qualifying fee is $35. The last day to register to vote in the election is August 18. Qualifying and the election will be held at the Baldwin City Hall, 130 Airport Road, Baldwin. The election follws the resignation of long-time mayor Mark Reed. News -2-3A • July 4 fire damages Maysville home — page 2A • ‘Voter turnout should be much higher* — page 4A Other news • Social News — pages 8-9B • Public Safety — page 8A • Legal s — pages 6-7 B •Church — page 5B • Obituaries — page 4B BY SHARON HOGAN A 70-year-old Banks County man was killed Tuesday around 10:00 p.m. as storms blew through the county. A large, 100-year-old, oak tree fell on the mobile home of Loyd and Mary Echols, Hickory Flat Road, Gillsville, in the north ern part of the county. Banks County Board of Commission Chairman Gene Hart said Loyd Echols was killed instantly when the tree fell on the bedroom portion of the mobile home. “The tree blew down in the yard and fell on his bedroom,” Hart said. Billy Whitfield, Mr. Echols step son, said it took rescue crews two to three hours to get Mr. Echols out of the rubble. Mr. Echols was asleep in the bedroom of the home when the storm hit. The couple’s Chihuahua, Dolly, was also in the bedroom, but she was rescued unharmed. Whitfield said there was heavy rain, hail and lightning with the storm. He said the power went off in the area before the storm real ly got bad. Whitfield said, “It was still lightning while the rescuers were working to free Mr. Echols.” continued on page 7A In a 3-1 vote, the Baldwin City Council approved a $1.77 million general fund budget and a one mill increase in the city’s millage rate at a called meeting on Tuesday night, July 1. Council member Rodney King voted in opposition to the action. Council members Beverly Holcomb and Robert Bohannon and Interim Mayor Ray Holcomb voted in favor of the morion. Council member Jeff Murray was absent. The general fund budget gives the city’s employees a three percent raise for this year. However, city employees will not receive a Christmas bonus. The one mill increase in the millage rate will bring the total to nine mills. The council has discussed the pro posed general fund budget and the millage rate increase at two public hearings held recently. At the meeting on Tuesday, when Holcomb called for a motion on the proposed budget, Phyllis Marshall, Baldwin property owner, said, “I have some additional information that I think you need to see.” Holcomb said it was a voting item and not an open discussion. “You are out of order,” he said. “We have already had the public hearings on this.” Marshall said, “I think Mr. King and Mr. Murray would like to see this.” “We have held two public hearings on this and heard folks comment on this.” — Interim mayor Ray Holcomb Marshall continued to state she had information they needed to see. At this time, Holcomb asked Baldwin Police Chief Daren Osborn to escort Marshall out of the build ing. Osbom walked Marshall to the door. As she was leaving and some other residents were entering the meeting, she stated that she had been kicked out of the meeting. After the meeting was officially adjourned, Baldwin resident Jeff Harris said, “I myself was not aware of the public hearings on the budget. This appears to have been a cut and dried situation.” Holcomb explained that the meet ing times were published in the local newspaper. “We have held two public hearings on this and heard folks comment on this,” Holcomb said. Harris said, “You know what that makes it appear like? You don’t want to hear what the people have to say.” Holcomb said, “You come to one meeting a year and you can’t solve everything in one meeting.” LOYD ECHOLS
