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Sports: IB
Community: 8A
Regular season
nears end
FFAers earn
honors at shows
— www.BanksNewsTODAY.com —
5(K • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 22 Pages, 3 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 40 No. 6
Safety Day
set Mon.
Banks County Emergency
Services will hold a Safety
Festival in front of the his
toric courthouse in Homer on
Monday, Sept. 29. The festival
will be held from 5 p.m. to
dark.
“We want to invite and
encourage all of our neighbors
and friends in the community to
attend,” said 911 director Deidra
Moore. “We will have many fun
and educational events.”
Plans include:
•Children can learn safety
with house fires by visiting the
Smoke House.
•Adults and children can learn
basic first-aid and safety tech
niques (such as properly using a
fire extinguisher) by visiting the
fire and EMS booth.
•Adults and children can
learn about 911 and pick up lots
of stuff by visiting the Banks
County E-911 booth.
•Adults and children can learn
more about law enforcement
safety by visiting the sheriff’s
office booth.
•Adults and children can learn
more about emergency man
agement, learn how to prepare
a disaster kit and learn different
ways that you can volunteer and
help your community.
Also planned at the meet
ing: Meet Georgia Forestry
Commission and Smokey the
Bear, meet Sparky the Fire
Dog, visit the dunking booth
and soak the fire chief, eat free
hot dogs, see the fire trucks, see
the ambulances, see the new-
ly-operational mobile support,
watch the responders compete
and register for door prizes and
more.
The event is being held
because September 2008 marks
the fifth annual national pre
paredness month. The month
was identified as National
Preparedness Month to remind
everyone that is the “perfect
time to prepare for emergen
cies.”
To support this at a local
level, Banks County Emergency
Management in conjunction
with Banks County Fire and
EMS, Banks County Sheriff’s
Office, Banks County E-911
and the Town of Homer are
coordinating efforts to bring
the citizens of Banks County
together in a “fun-filled and
educational day on becoming
better prepared to face emer
gencies and disasters.”
News -2-3A
•Trotter named to
housing board — page 3A
• ‘Arrival of fall brings
needed change for the
soul’ — page 4A
Other news
• Social News — 6-7A
• School News — 8-9A
• Public Safety — 5A
• Legals — 4-6B
•Church — 11A
•Obituaries — 10A
Baldwin’s new mayor, Mike
Kelley, was sworn in at the
city council meeting Monday
night.
InterimMayorRay Holcomb
reported that the mayor’s elec
tion results have been certified
and that Kelley received the
most votes with 122.
The breakdown for the
other candidates was: Tom
Loudermilk 11; Jerry Neace,
57; and Mark Reed, 14.
After Holcomb announced
the certified election results,
city attorney David Syfan per
formed the swearing in cer
emony for Kelley. Holcomb
then passed the gavel to Kelley
to begin his first council meet
ing.
“I want to thank Ray and
the council for the good work
they have done and will con
tinue to do,” Kelley said. “We
are at the nexus of some great
things in the city. I’ll only
PASSES THE GAVEL
Baldwin’s Interim Mayor Ray Holcomb (R) is shown on
Monday night as he passes the gavel to newly-elected
Mayor Mike Kelley (L) to begin his first council meeting.
Kelley received 122 votes for mayor in the Sept. 16 elec
tion. Photos by Sharon Hogan
congratulate you. Mr. Mayor,
in your election and I wish
you the very best and I pledge
you my support and support
for the city. If there’s anything
I can do, I am here.”
BALDWIN SWEARING-IN CEREMONY
Baldwin City Attorney David Syfan (R) is shown con
ducting the swearing-in ceremony for Mayor Mike
Kelley (standing at right) at the council meeting on
Monday. Also shown are council members Rodney
King and Ray Holcomb (seated L to R).
speak blessings of our citi- meeting open for citizens’
zens.” concerns, former mayor Mark
During the portion of the Reed said, “I would like to
Baldwin's new mayor sworn in
BY SHARON HOGAN ,
SENIOR MEMBERS OF BCHS HOMECOMING COURT
Banks County High School senior members elected to the Homecoming Court are: (Lto
R) Lauren Kennedy, Samm Kennedy, Lacey Saxon and Shelby Eller. Not pictured: Tori
Heu. The homecoming queen will be crowned during half-time of the football game on
Friday, Sept. 26. See page 6A for more court members. Photos by Sharon Hogan
Hodgkins fills seat on
Development Authority
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Banks County
Development Authority wel
comed Gram
Hodgkins as
its newest
member at
the monthly
meeting on
Wednesday,
Sept. 17.
Hodgkins
fills the seat
vacated by Dennis Brown.
Hodgkins, a retired engi
neer from Georgia Power
with 33 years of service,
has been a Banks County
resident since 1992. He has
two children and five grand
children.
In other business at the
meeting on Wednesday,
Sept. 17:
•chairman Wayne
Abernathy said Dr. Keith
Ash is working on some
issues concerning his prop
erty located in the indus
trial park. This issue was
discussed at the meeting in
August and the authority
approved a letter to be sent
to Ash concerning the cov
enants on this property and
the time frame for construc
tion of a building.
•Carol Ciriacks, regional
project manager, Georgia
Department of Economic
Development, reported that
business has slowed down
across the state. She said
budget cuts have led grants
to be cut out and a hiring
freeze be put in place.
The authority will hold
its next regularly sched
uled meeting at 9 a.m. on
Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the
Banks County courthouse
annex.
HODGKINS
Banks County DFACS
feels state budget cuts
Early voting available for general election
BY SHARON HOGAN
Banks County Department
of Family and Children
Services Director Kenny
Jarvis said at last Wednesday’s
monthly meeting that the
office is being impacted by
state budget cuts.
County directors are look
ing at a two-day layoff each
month and social services
staff members are facing a
one-day layoff each month,
Jarvis said.
“We anticipate cuts in some
program funding,” Jarvis
said.
Jarvis also spoke on the
funds being cut for a new
DFACS building for Banks
County.
“All buildings have been
hit by DHR (Department of
Human Resources) budget
cuts,” Jarvis said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at
Wednesday’s meeting:
•Jarvis presented the coun
ty expense report. A total
of $1,715 was spent out of
county funds in August. A
total of $5,342 has been spent
thus far, Jarvis said. This is 16
percent of the total budget.
•Jarvis presented the August
economic support services
report. Banks County had
1,958 total active cases, 643
Food Stamp cases, 37 tem
porary assistance for needy
families (TANF) cases, 751
family Medicaid cases and 16
childcare cases. The depart
ment handled 91 Food Stamp
applications, 14 TANF appli
cations, 89 family Medicaid
applications, four childcare
applications and 23 ABD
applications for the month of
August.
•Jarvis presented the
August social services report.
Banks County received 11
continued on page 3A
Georgia voters can now
cast their ballots in person for
the general election at their
county registrar’s office without
providing a reason.
A new law allows voters to
cast ballots 45 days prior to
an election, either by mail or
in person without providing a
reason.
“Georgia will experience
large voter turnout in the
November General Election,”
** * im-f * frfr*
+ + + +
said Karen Handel, secretary
of state. “This change in the
law gives voters more options
to cast their ballot and will ease
wait times on Election Day.”
Voters can request a mail-in
ballot or vote early in-person
through Friday, Oct. 31. All
mail-in ballots must be received
no later than 7 p.m. by the
county registrar on Election
Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.
Photo identification is not
required when voting by mail.
To download a mail-in ballot
request form, visit www.sos.
georgia.gov/ElectionCenter.
continued on page 3A
Information on ballot questions now online
Summaries of the three proposed amendments
to the Georgia constitution are available on a
website, according to secretary of state Karen
Handel.
The amendments will be on the general election
ballot on Nov. 4.
The first proposed amendment would encour
age the preservation of Georgia’s forests through a
conservation use property tax reduction program.
The second proposed amendment would autho
rize local school districts to use tax funds for com
munity development purposes.
The third proposed amendment would autho
rize the creation of special infrastructure develop
ment districts providing infrastructure to under
served areas.
The summaries and constitutional amendments
in their entirety are available at: www.sos.ga.gov/
Elections/2008_amendments.htm.
A copy of the constitutional amendments in
their entirety is on file in the office of the judge
of the probate court and is available for public
inspection.
Printed copies of the summaries are available
at county elections superintendents and the sec
retary of state’s offices. To obtain a printed copy
of the summaries from the secretary of state, call
404-656-2871.