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o o $1.00 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements • Vol. 56 No. 17 Easter egg hunt planned in Homer on Saturday, April 1 The Town of Homer and the Homer Downtown De velopment Authority will sponsor an Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 1, at 145 Oscar Rucker Road. Ho mer. The gates will open at 11 a.m. for games, re freshments and attractions. The egg hunt will begin at 1 p.m. The event will include food, facepainting, helicop ter rides and games. Prizes and trophies will be award ed at the egg hunt. The egg hunt is being held “in celebration of Mack Garrison.” Republican women to meet April 4 The Republican Women of Banks County will meet on April 4 at Homer Town Hall, located at 943 History Homer Highway, Homer. A social gathering will be held at 6:30 p.m.. with the meet ing to start at 7 p.m. Rhonda Thomas, presi dent of Atlanta-based Truth in Education, will be the guest speaker. Alto’s 17th annual Spring Fling planned Alto’s 17th annual Spring Fling will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Satur day, June 2. The parade will start at 10 a.m. The event will include live entertainment with Steve Bryson, antique trac tors, float contest, car show, food and craft vendors and children’s activities. To sign up to be a vendor or parade participant, con tact Alto City Hall at 706- 778-8035 or email altocity- hall @ windstream.net. MAILING LABEL Effort to move out of Piedmont Judicial Circuit doesn’t move forward By ANGELA GARY angela@mainstreetnews.com Legislation that would remove Banks County from the Piedmont Judicial Cir cuit and put it in the Moun tain Judicial Circuit did not move forward this legisla tive session. The bill made it out of the Senate and went to the House Judiciary Commit tee. However, Rep. Chris Erwin said Monday that a committee hearing has not been scheduled. “The bill to move Banks County out of the Piedmont Circuit did not get a com mittee hearing,” Rep. Erwin said. “The only way the bill could move forward this late in the session would be to add the language to an other bill.” The Banks County Board of Commissioners approved a letter in support of the bill. The BOC has been in favor of moving out of the Pied mont Judicial Circuit for four years. The judges serving the Piedmont Circuit are in op position to the move with Judge Joe Booth and Judge Currie Mingledorff speak ing before legislators on the issue. Photo by Hannah Caudell Crystal Rodriguez performs a serve while going up against an East Jackson opponent. See more sports coverage on pages 6 and 12. Educators from across state visit Banks County schools for agriculture lesson Candice Looney speaks about her program at Banks County Primary School when educators across the state visited to learn about agriculture. Educators from across the state recently visited Banks County schools to learn about agriculture. Banks County Elementary and Banks County Primary Schools participated in the Educator Workshop spon sored by the UGA ALEC (Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communica tion Department), Georgia Farm Bureau, the University of Georgia, and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture on Friday, March 17. The program provides teacher collaboration and cooperation to support ag ricultural education across Georgia. Three workshops are scheduled for the Farm Tour this year, and Banks Coun ty Elementary was asked to represent northern Geor gia. Approximately 40 educa tors from around the state visited Banks County Ele mentary and Banks County Primary Schools to learn about the agricultural op portunities K-5 students are experiencing. Dr. Wendy Fushetti led the workshop. “Our students are learning about agriculture through hands-on experiential learn ing opportunities,” stat ed Dr. Fuschetti, who has been instrumental in im plementing the program at Banks County Elementary School. Bank County students re ceive ag education in week ly ag classes and through Ag in Classroom activities. “Recently, our elemen tary students have watched chicks hatch, planted ro- maine lettuce in raised beds, transplanted blueberry plants, and added flowers to the pollinator garden,” Fus chetti said. “K-2 students have cared for strawberry plants, lettuces, broccoli, squash, and cucumbers.” She adds, “ Our goal is to teach our Banks County K-5 students where their food comes from and how agriculture impacts our dai ly lives.” The team visited Banks County Primary and Banks County Elementary School, concluding the day with a workshop held at the Geor gia Farm Bureau. Some Lula citizens looking to oust mayor and councilman By SHERRY LEWIS A recall is underway for Lula Mayor Joe Thom as and Councilman Gene Bramlett. Amanda Browning spoke on the move during the cit izens’ comments section of the Lula City Council March meeting. She stated the reasons for the recall are “maleficent and harass ment.” “We need 100 signa tures; that is the first step,” she said. “Although we are shooting for 200 and we are off to a very good start.” Signatures must come from people living with in the city limits in either Banks or Hall counties. They must also be a reg istered voter, she continued. The recall stems from in vestigations that occurred during 2022. Browning said she has copies of both investiga tions on hand so citizens can make a informed deci sion. She is taking signatures at her place of business: Amanda’s Farm to Fork in Lula. An inmate detail picked up 548 bags of trash on county roadsides. Weather will keep Smokey Road near Alto prison closed for improvements By ANGELA GARY Angie@mainstreetnews.com. The temporary closure of Smokey Road near Alto, set to last for two weeks begin ning March 13, has been ex tended to April 3. Anderson Grading & Pipeline, through a con tract with Lee Arrendale State Prison, is replacing and installing new storm water pipes, but that work is behind schedule due to weather. Smokey Road is closed to through traffic between CM Wilbanks Road and Mt. Zion Church Road. Signage has been placed along the route to detour traffic around the work area. Access to CM Wilbanks Road and Peace Dollar Drive will be maintained and remain open to resi dents of those two roads. Work will occur from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through April 3. The closure affects access to as many as 50 homes and buildings during the pro cess. Drivers are reminded to use caution and obey all construction signs, flaggers, and crews during the pro cess. 548 bags of trash picked up from county roadsides The Banks County Sheriff’s Office has completed a 10- week Banks County Beautification Project. The detail team picked up 548 bags of trash, 109 yard signs and 17 tires. In addition, the project manager has directed the facilities and inmate detail to handle the delivery of firewood to the needy and the cleaning of Banks County buildings, along with coordinating and organizing the progression of the new Law Enforcement Training Center.