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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2022
• Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements • Vol. 55
No. 49
Veterans events
planned
Breakfast
for to be
held Friday
On November 11. Veter
ans Day, a free breakfast for
all veterans will be offered
in Veterans Park in Homer.
If there is bad weather,
the breakfast will be held at
American Legion Post 215
in Homer.
There will be a drawing
for shotgun raffle at 10 a.m.
Programs
planned
Friday at
schools
Banks County Middle
and Elementary School will
host a Veterans Day pro
gram on Friday. November
11.
The BCMS program will
start at 9 a.m. The BCES
program will start at 1 p.m.
“We invite our veterans
to celebrate with us as we
honor their sacrifice and
dedication to our nation.”
organizers state.
BCES
The guest speaker in the
BCES program will be
Ronald Couch, who served
in the U.S. Army from 1969
to 1972. The program will
also feature remarks from
principal. Dr. Dana Sim
mons and students, music,
an Armed Forces salute by
the high school band and a
Veteran’s Day slideshow.
Lula to hold
celebration
A Veterans Day Celebra
tion will be held at 10 a.m.
on Friday, Nov. 11. at Vet
erans Park in Lula.
The event will be held in
conjunction with the Lula
Belton Historical Society.
Road sales tax gets OK; Congressman
Clyde, State Sen. Hatchett re-elected
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetne ws .com
In Tuesday's election.
Banks County voters sup
ported the renewal of the
one-cent road and bridges
tax. The vote was 3,894 in
favor of renewing the tax,
with 3.226 voting no.
U.S. DISTRICT 9
In other election news,
U.S. District 9 Congress
man Andrew Clyde was
overwhelming re-elected to
serve another term in Banks
County and district-wide.
In Banks County. Repub
lican Clyde had 6,564 votes,
while Democrat challenger
Mike Ford had 697 votes.
DISTRICT 50
STATE SENATE
In the District 50 State
Senate race, incumbent Bo
Hatchet, a Republican, had
6,614 votes in Banks Coun
ty, while Democrat chal
lenger Paulette Williams
had 654 votes.
Banks County had a 55
percent voter turnout with
7,338 people casting a bal
lot.
GOVERNOR’S RACE
In the governor’s race,
incumbent Brian Kemp (R)
had the most votes in Banks
County with 6,638, while
Democrat Stacey Abrams
had 607. Libertarian Shane
Hazel had 68 votes in Banks
County.
State-wide results were
not available at press-time
Tuesday night.
U.S. SENATE
In the U.S Senate rate.
Herschel Walker had the
majority of the votes in
Banks County with 6.348,
while incumbent Rapha
el Wamock had 772 votes.
Libertarian Chase Oliver
had 159 votes.
State-wide results were
not available at press-time
Tuesday night.
OTHER RACES
The results from Banks
County voters for other state
races on the ballot include
the following:
•Lieutenant Governor:
Burt Jones (R). 6,481: Char
lie Bailey (D), 679; and and
Ryan Graham (L). 120.
•Secretary of State: Brad
Raffensperger, incumbent
(R), 6.291; Bee Nguyen
(D), 621; and Ted Metz (L),
317.
•Attorney General: Chris
Carr, incumbent (R), 6.460;
Jennifer “Jen” Jordan
(D),683; and Martin Cowen
ANDREW CLYDE
(L), 126.
•Commissioner of Agri
culture: Tyler Harper (R),
6,562; Nakita Hemingway
(D). 559; and David Raud-
abaugh (L). 151.
•Commissioner of Insur
ance: John King, incumbent
(R), 6,599; and Janice Laws
Robinson (D), 657.
BO HATCHETT
•State School Superin
tendent: Richard Woods,
incumbent (R), 6.604: and
Alisha Thomas Searcy (D),
650.
•Commissioner of Labor:
Bruce Thompson (R), 6508;
William “Will” Boddie Jr.
(D). 614: and Emily Ander
son (L), 145.
Heritage Center to be located
at Fort Hollingsworth site
Fort Hollingsworth-White
House is getting closer to
bringing a new addition to
the historical site to bet
ter serve the Fort Holling
sworth experience and the
Northeast Georgia commu
nity.
The non-profit organiza
tion has a mission of pre
serving the historical fron
tier fort and other 18 th and
19th century buildings.
The organization has been
working to complete a new
Heritage Center building,
designed to serve as place
to gather for classes, pro
grams, demonstrations and
lectures for schools and
groups who visit from all
across the country.
AREA SCHOOLS
VISIT
Many area schools from
surrounding counties, in
cluding the University of
Georgia, Piedmont Uni
versity and Tallulah Falls
School, have used “The
Fort” as a teaching tool, cre
ating an outdoor classroom
to enhance the students’
learning experience.
The new Heritage Cen
ter to be located at Fort
Hollingsworth will be used
for art exhibits, storytelling,
plays, concerts and living
history events.
This building will also be
available for use for events
such as family reunions,
civic group meetings and
other social events.
The Fort’s picturesque
setting has been featured in
several movies and music
videos that have been filmed
on the grounds.
The most recent is “The
Warrant,” starring Neal Mc
Donough, Casper Van Dien,
Steven McQueen and An-
nabeth Gish.
Recently, the site has
been studied by Bill Peter
son, an architect from New
York, who is doing research
on Appalachian architec
ture for a new building to
be built on the campus of
North Georgia University in
Dahlonega.
The Heritage Center
building project was started
in 2019.
Funds had been raised
for the amount quoted by
the contractor to finish the
building.
When the COVID-19 vi
rus hit in 2020, the project
had to be put on hold for
two years due to the short
age of labor and materials,
which generated the rise in
building costs.
When efforts were made
to restart the process, the
cost increases left the fam
ily run non-profit organiza
tion well short of the funds
needed to complete what
was started.
Tentatively, the goal is to
have this project complete
by spring of 2023.
Sets World Record
Banks County High School student Taylor Cheek set
a new World Record when he competed in Orlando at
the Orlando Powerlifting Championships. Cheek set a
new World Record for Bench 42.5 kg, 93.69 pounds and
Deadlift 115 kg. 253.5 lbs. He had a total 252.5 kg, 556.6
lbs.
Request for sporting goods business fails in 3-2 vote
Wilmoth
wins in
Maysville
Kim Wilmoth was elect
ed to the Maysville City
Council in a win over Jim
Saville.
Wilmoth had 37 votes
for the Ward 1 council seat,
while Saville had 13.
MAILING LABEL
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
A request that would al
low a sporting goods retail
business to operate on Ap
ple Valley Road was shot
down in a 3-2 vote Tuesday
night after considerable dis
cussion by the Banks Coun
ty Board of Commissioners.
Wayne Murphy applied
for conditional use for a
home occupation business
in an accessory structure for
sporting goods retail sales
and for the storage of fire
arms and ammo for federal
firearms licenses at 360 Ap
ple Valley Road, Alto.
The request failed in a
3-2 vote, with BOC chair
man Charles Turk and com
missioners Bo Garrison
and Keith Gardiner voting
no. Commissioners Danny
Maxwell and Sammy Reece
voted yes.
Turk said, “I voted no
because I think it (firearms
sales) needs to be online or
you meet them.”
Turk had earlier made a
motion that firearms and
ammo sales be allowed only
off-site.
He said Murphy could
meet customers at another
location for these sales.
“If traffic is a problem, I
think sales should be online
and he can meet someone,
I don’t care if it’s down the
road or wherever,” Turk
said.
After more discussion,
Turk withdrew this motion
and Maxwell made the mo
tion that failed.
Maxwell’s motion in
cluded several conditions,
including that the hours of
operation for retail sales be
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednes
days through Saturdays and
that the sale of guns and
ammo be at gun shows and
online and that these items
be stored at the residence in
a safe and not at the store,
that a tax assessor field au
dit be completed and that
the property plat be stamped
non-confirming use due to
the building being in front
of house.
PRESENTS REQUEST
When Murphy presented
his request he said that traf
fic is not an issue.
“Last week, I had seven
customers, and this is sup
posed to be the busiest time
of the year, and two Inter
net sales and one guy call,”
Murphy said.
When the recommenda
tion was made that sales be
made off-site, Wayne said
this would be a problem.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff,
I can’t lift,” he said. “I can’t
haul it around. Most of my
customers call me. I know
who is coming in and out.
There ain’t no riff raff that
comes down there because I
would throw them out... If
y’all shut me down, I don’t
know what to do. If y’all
let me keep my business, I
will make sure if I sell my
property there can’t be no
business there, I have a lot
invested and I won’t be able
to make it.”
SUPPORT
Three people spoke in
support of the request, in
cluding John Millwood,
who said. “I’ve listened to
this process from start to
finish. Business, not known
to Mr. Murphy, was running
two years in non-compli
ance with no complaints. I
don’t see how it will be an
issue for the business to
continue to run.”
Blake Griffin, who is
building a house on Apple
Valley Road, “This has been
a business for two years. If
there had been a problem,
someone would have noti
fied you.”
He added, “Never has
there been any kind of com
plaint made. It’s low im
pact. There is nothing out of
the way at what he is doing.
It is a home occupation.”
OPPOSITION
Several people spoke in
opposition, including Justin
LaHayne, who lives on Ap
ple Valley Road, who said,
“My biggest concern is the
increase of traffic. Anyone
from you guys to a crimi
nal can be up and down this
road.”
Whitney Lewallen La
Hayne, “I’ve been almost
hit on the drive.”
Mark White said, “I
moved down there to get
out of businesses. I don’t
like having a business, I
don’t care if it’s a hair salon
or what it is.”
Gail Lewallen said, “We
have no one of knowing
who comes up down the
road. My children and their
friends play up down the
road and all over the prop
erty. We shouldn’t have to
worry about who is coming
down the road to the busi
ness.”
ALSO AT MEETING
Also at the meeting:
•during public comments,
the BOC heard from coun
ty resident Sam Moon over
his concerns about trash
on Hwy. 51 and Hwy. 441
coming from trucks going
to the landfill.
Among his comments
were, “I’m tired of picking
up trash on my road, every
day... There is no teeth in
any laws because we’ve got
no one to enforce them...
You aren’t going to run
these people off if you fine
them. They don’t have any
where else to go... Hwy. 51
and 441 are one of the dirt
iest parts of the state right
now.”
•the BOC approved a re
quest for road patching on
Industrial Boulevard.
•the BOC approved to
allocate $20,902 for dig
ital orthophotography for
the county GIS/Mapping
department. This is done
every two years and the
money was budgeted for the
project.
The work will be done in
December and January.
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