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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2023
Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
Vol.57 No. 29
Banks firefighter
dies while rescuing
swimmers at Panama
City Beach, Fla.
Richie Alford, who was employed with the Banks Coun
ty Fire & EMS, died after assisting two distressed swim
mers in Panama City Beach, Fla.
“We received a phone call that no one wants to get,”
a post on the Banks County Fire & EMS Facebook page
states. “We lost a friend and brother — not just a coworker.
We are devastated and heartbroken.”
Alford assisted two swimmers who were caught in a rip
current.
“Unfortunately, Richie was not able to make it back to
shore,” the Facebook post states. “Richie died doing what
he loved which was helping others in their time of need. He
is a true hero. Please keep Richie’s family and friends in
your thoughts and prayers in the days and weeks to come.”
Alford’s son, Michael, is an investigator with the Banks
County Sheriff’s Office.
“Richie was an incredible selfless servant in all he did,”
Sheriff Carlton Speed states. “A true hero, to his end on
this earth. We ask as you remember Richie, please keep his
family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. Our own,
Investigator Michael Alford, is his son. They both were ex
tremely close. As we all know the seconds, minutes, horns
and days ahead will be extremely difficult, we also know
they all will need a team of support surrounding them.”
HONOR GUARD
Members of the public and public safety workers lined
Hwy. 441 from Banks Crossing to Highway 365, and Busi
ness 441 in Cornelia from the Highway 365 northbound off
ramp to the Walmart traffic light Sunday afternoon as the
escort for Alford on the way to McGahee-Griffin & Stew
art Funeral Home on VFW Post Road in Cornelia.
EVENT PLANNED
The Richie Alford Memorial 5k/One Mile Fun Run has
been planned in honor of Capt. Alford. It will be held on
Saturday. July 22. The fun run starts at 8 a.m. with the 5k
beginning at 9 a.m. All public safety participants are asked
to wear their gear for the race but this is not a requirement.
“The goal of this day is to celebrate and remember the
life of our friend and colleague,” organizers state. “We
want to support his family as much as possible so all pro
ceeds raised will be presented to the Alford family after
the race.”
Banks BOE approves
personnel issues
By ANGELA GARY
The Banks County Board of Education approved the fol
lowing personnel items when it met Thursday night:
•hiring Jill Cash, Whitney Tatum, Kelsey Coffey, Sherri
Cain and Hope Patterson, all paraprofessionals; Mitchell
McGhee, Dacia Hulsey, Crystal Hamrick, Dena Voyles,
Katie Cape, Chrissy Cosper and Marcus Shockley, all
teachers.
•resignation of Angela Winters, bus driver, and Gina
Williams, teacher.
Homer Farmers Market
set on Saturdays
The Homer Farmers Market will be held in downtown
Homer from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The Farmers Market is held on third Saturday of each
month.
MAILING LABEL
Mobile library
to make stops
in county on
Fridays
A mobile book mobile
will make stops at several
locations in Banks County
in June and July.
“Purl,” the pop up rolling
library, will be at locations
throughout Banks Coun
ty on Fridays during both
months.
LOCATIONS
•4 Way Stop in Homer,
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
•Baldwin’s Farmers Mar
ket, 11 a.m. to noon.
•Alto Police Department,
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
•Lula Academy parking
lot, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
RECIEVES ROTARY AWARDS
Local heroes were celebrated at the fourth annual Rotary Salutes Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon held last week at
the Hidden Acres Wedding & Event Barn in Gillsville. Recipients shown are: (L-R) Henry Banks, Jerry Boling, Julie Jackson,
Cary Way, Tim Harper, Mark Savage, Mike Brown, Harly Ledford, Tricia Chitwood, Kandy Parks, JaQuon Chamblee, John
Kytle and Kim Bales. See more photos on Page 3.
Community leaders recognized
at Rotary Salutes program
By ANGELA GARY
Local heroes were cele
brated at the fourth annu
al Rotary Salutes Distin
guished Service Awards
Luncheon held last week at
the Hidden Acres Wedding
& Event Bam in Gillsville.
Those recognized were:
Flag Day Ceremonial Pre
sentation: Henry Banks;
Robert Stubbs Guardian of
Ethics Award: Jerry Boling;
Community Leadership
Award: Julie Jackson; Dis
tinguished Service Award:
Investigator Cary Way; Lee
Arrendale Award for Voca
tional Service: Tim Harp
er; Public Safety Supporter
of the Year: Mark Savage;
Education Community Im
pact Award-Faculty: Mike
Brown; Brother Jim Mc
Lendon Memorial Rotary
Scholarship: Harly Led
ford; Education Communi
ty Impact Award-Faculty:
Tricia Chitwood; Education
Community Impact Award-
- Staff: Kandy Parks; Public
Safety Professional of the
Year Award: Corporal Ja
Quon Chamblee; Award of
Merit: Deputy John Kytle;
and Award of Merit: Inves
tigator Kim Bales.
President Rick Billing-
slea presented a flag that
was flown over the U.S.
Capitol Building in Wash
ington, D.C., to World War
II U.S. Navy Veteran Henry
Banks.
BOC approves rezoning for catering
business; Kona Ice to locate in county
ByANGELA GARY
The Banks County Board
of Commissioners approved
a rezoning request when it
met last week that will pave
the way for a business to lo
cate in the county.
The BOC approved a re
quest from Paul and Mor
gan Kleiber to rezone 22.78
acres at 154 Moccasin Gap
Road to locate a food ca
tering establishment, Kona
Ice.
The business has been lo
cated in Gainesville for nine
years.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
meeting, the BOC:
•heard a request from
Charles Purcell that the
county replace voting ma
chines with paper ballots.
Election supervisor Atha
Dalton spoke on the issue
and said the county is re
quired by the state to use
voting machines.
•heard that a request from
Seabrook BLC Develop
ment to rezone property
from ARR (Agriculture
Rural Residential) and C2
(General Commercial) to
Ml (Industrial District) has
been withdrawn.
•denied a request from
John Phillips for a condi
tional use for 63.91-acres
located on Ervin Chambers
Road to allow for a poultry
farm with reduced setbacks.
There was some discussion
on the owner not being the
applicant of the request,
which is required under the
county code.
•approved the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit 2023 Indi
gent Defense Contract, at a
cost of $9,700 per month.
•approved the ACCG
2023 Property and Liability
Insurance Renewal.
•approved spending
$17,400 to KCI Technolo
gies for additional engineer
ing for road projects.
•met in closed session for
20 minutes to discuss po
tential litigation. No action
was taken when the meeting
opened to the public.
Mountain Education graduates recognized
Banks County Mountain Education Charter High
School graduated seven students on May 31. The grad
uation was held at Banks County High School with a
room full of parents, grandparents, students and Moun
tain Education staff.
The night began with a senior celebration and dinner
to honor the graduates and concluded with the gradua
tion ceremony.
Principal Dr. Randi Sagona and Carol Wiley awarded
the following students diplomas: Destiny Renea Amer-
son, Kayla Marie Brock, Ruby Jean Amette Campbell,
Ethan Bailey Guess, Natalie Lona Rose Hogan, Ricardo
Montoya Garcia and William Allen Perry (honor grad
uate).
The campus will continue to serve students this sum
mer and next fall.
The following students received scholarships for at
tend a technical or lour year college: Destiny Amerson,
Mountain Ed graduates are shown marching in for the grad
uation ceremony. See more photos on Page 2.
Mountain Education High School graduates are shown at the recent graduation ceremony held at Banks County High School.