Newspaper Page Text
Community: 9B
Sports: IB
BCHS faces
must-win game
‘Miss Autumn
Leaf crowned
— www.BanksNewsTODAY.com —
5(K • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 24 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 40 No. 10
Election
update
'Meet and
greet' set
The Banks County Chamber
of Commerce will hold a
“meet and greet” with the
candidates in the District 28
House of Representatives race
at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27,
at the historic courthouse in
Homer. Incumbent Jeanette
Jamieson (D) and Michael
Harden (R) have both been
invited to attend.
The election will be held
on Nov. 4.
Early voting
underway
Early voting continues each
day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday in
the Voters Registration office
through October 31.
The voter registration office
is located in the new Banks
County Courthouse Annex,
150 Hudson Ridge, Suite 2,
Homer. Take Thompson Street
to Hudson Valley Drive (across
from the Senior Center) turn
right onto Hudson Ridge and
the new annex building is at the
end of the street.
New MSN
publication
launched
Chris Bridges to
serve as editor
Mainstreet Newspapers
Inc., Jefferson, is launching a
new community newspaper in
Barrow County. The Barrow
Journal will begin publication
Oct. 29. It will be a traditional
weekly broadsheet newspaper
with a focus on local Barrow
County news.
Chris Bridges, who has been
with The Banks County News
for three years, will be editor of
The Barrow Journal.
continued on page 5A
News -2-3A
•DFACS spending up
slightly — page 2A
•Development
Authority, BOC look
at development funds
— page 3A
• ‘Could our state
possibly be contested?’
— page 4A
Other news
• Social News — 8&12A
• School News — 4-5B
• Public Safety — 6A
• Legals — 9-10A
•Church — 11B
•Obituaries — 7A
Five-member BOC on ballot
Banks to decide whether to change form of government
Banks Countians will decide on Nov.
4 whether the three-member board of
commission will be expanded to five
members.
The proposed changes to local govern
ment would result in the following:
•The current board of three commis
sioners would be expanded to five com
missioners, all serving, as do the current
commissioners, four-year terms.
•One commissioner would hold a full
time position as chairman. The other four
would serve as part-time commissioners.
•Banks County would be divided into
four commission districts. Each of these
districts must be represented by one of the
four part-time commissioners, who must
also reside in their respective district.
•The chairman may reside in any dis
trict, representing the county as a whole.
•All of the commissioners would be
elected by a county-wide vote of all eli
gible voters.
•The two new part-time commission
ers would be elected in a special election
held early next year, probably in March.
Thereafter, these two new commissioners
and the chairman would be elected every
four years together in the same year and
the other two would be elected every four
years in the same two year off-cycle that
is currently used.
CHEER FOR THE LEOPARDS
Banks County High School sophomore cheerleader Taylor Ramsey and her fellow squad members are preparing
for the final regular season home game this Friday against Fannin County. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Photo by Randy Crump
Armed robbery reported at T/ A Truck Stop
Banks County Sheriff's
Office investigators are investi
gating an armed robbery early
Monday morning at the T/A
Truck Stop on Highway 441.
Sheriff Charles Chapman
said BCSO deputies responded
to the fuel desk at the track stop
and upon arrival spoke with the
female victim.
The woman told deputies that
a male entered the store around
1:50 a.m. The clerk observed
the man walk around the coun
ter with his head and face cov
ered with a black “hoodie.” The
complainant stated she could
not determine the man's race.
But she said he was wearing a
green and black jacket, possibly
a camouflage jacket.
The store clerk said the man
then came behind the counter
with a knife in his hand and
demanded all the money from
the cash register.
The thief then shoved the
woman into the office behind
the counter and tied her up. The
victim stated the man then left
with an undetermined amount
of money.
The complainant said she
was able to untie herself and
call for help shortly after the
man left, Chapman said.
The complainant stated that
the previous night (Saturday),
she had noticed a white car with
dark tinted windows circling
the building.
Another T/A Track Stop
employee told investigators that
he had observed a white Pontiac
Grand Am or Grand Prix leave
the parking lot just before the
BCSO deputies arrived on the
scene early Monday morning.
The employee stated the white
car had dark tinted windows.
“We do not know at this time
if this vehicle has any involve
ment or not in the robbery,”
Chapman said.
The BCSO is asking any
one with any information that
might assist in this investi
gation to contact the BCSO
Criminal Investigation Division
at 706-677-3133^
Lula council sets date
for ground breaking
BY JUSTIN POOLE
The City of Lula has a date
set for ground breaking of the
Veterans Park.
Following a unanimous
vote at Monday’s meeting, the
ground breaking is scheduled
for November 11 at 11 a.m.
The council had previously
discussed holding the ceremo
ny on Veteran’s Day.
Mayor Milton Turner said
that the park project is out to
bid and should be awarded
to a company in the next two
months.
Also during Monday's meet
ing, the city council:
•approved spending $700
to promote the December
Yard of the Month. Also
for December, residents are
encouraged to decorate with
a Christmas theme for Yard of
the Month. A similar award
will be given to a business
with decorations.
•approved the purchase
of 12 Christmas banners for
$1,306.
•approved covering 50
percent of health insurance
for city employees. Rates
increased by 12 percent so the
city will absorb six percent of
the increase and the employee
absorbs the other six percent.
•approved a zoning ordi
nance amendment which reaf
firms fees.
•approved an exclusive pro
vider ordinance, which allows
BOE split
on budget
BY SHARON HOGAN
In a 3-2 split vote Monday
night, the Banks County Board
of Education tabled approval
of the fiscal year 2009 pro
posed budget.
Financial officer Mike
Beasley presented the pro
posed budget which shows a
total of $23 million in revenues
and $22.9 million in expendi
tures. Beasley said expenses
are up 6.3 percent over the
$21.6 million for 2008.
Salaries make up $20.09
million of the total expendi
tures, or 87.4 percent, Beasley
added.
Board member Bo Garrison
made the motion to table the
approval of the proposed
budget. Board members Ben
Ramsey and Neal Brown
voted in favor of tabling the
matter. BOE chairman Ron
Gardiner and board member
John Williams voted in opposi
tion to the motion.
Garrison did not comment
on why he made the motion
to table the budget. None of
the other BOE members com
mented on the issue either.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
•several students and teach
ers were recognized by the
board. They were: Angie
Wheatley, Banks County
Primary School second grade
teacher, Wal-Mart Teacher
of the Year winner; Scott
Wheatley, Banks County
High School FFA Advisor,
State Award for Chapter of
the Year; Ryan Ayers, Banks
County Middle School FFA
Advisor, State Award for
continued on page 5A
APPROVES SOLID WASTE ORDINANCE
Members of Lula City Council voted Monday night to approve an exclusive provider
ordinance for solid waste collection.
Photo by Justin Poole
the city to enter into a contract
with a private firm for solid
waste collection. Advanced
Disposal was awarded a five-
year contract for garbage col
lection.
•set dates for public hear
ing on the 2009 millage rate.
There will be three hearings
- one in the morning and one
in the afternoon on November
10; and the third before the
November 17 council meet
ing. Times were not set, but
will be advertised.
•approved a cell phone com
pensation plan that reimburses
four city employees $20 per
month after providing proof
of a bill. The reimbursement is
retroactive back to September,
•discussed solid waste con
tract and services and answered
questions from citizens.
•discussed utility policy and
procedure including if the city
should spend money to clean
up vacant or foreclosed prop
erty.
•tabled discussion on water
line replacement and the right
of way issue for water and
sewer.