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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023
Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Sections Plus Supplements
Vol.57 No. 36
DAVID DUNSON
Homer
councilman
Dunson dies
Homer city council mem
ber David Dunson died. He
had been on the city council
for nine years. Dunson, age
67, died Friday, August 18
at his residence.
Mayor Doug Cheek
states, “David and I were in
the Boy Scouts and band to
gether. He was always giv
ing back to the community
as a member and president
of the Banks County Jay-
cees. His whole career was
about helping others. We
were fortunate to have him
on our city council in Ho
mer.”
Dunson was a member of
Bethany Christian Church
and Phi Delta Lodge #148.
Mr. Dunson was retired
from Banks County as a
sheriff’s deputy and para
medic. He was also a retired
volunteer fireman with the
Homer Fire Department.
Mr. Dunson is survived
by his wife, Jane Hooper
Dunson of Homer; daugh
ters, Angie Campbell (Sta
cey) of Lula, Kassie Suggs
(Jeff) of Homer and Heather
Chapman (Justin) of Alto;
sister, Kathy Turpin (Steve)
of Homer; sister-in-law,
Margaret Ausbum (Willard)
of Homer; and grandchil
dren, Leeroy Chapman and
Charlotte Chapman.
Labor Day
festival
planned
Sept. 1-2
The Homer Labor Day
Festival will be held Sept.
1-2 in downtown Homer.
The event will begin
with a pep rally on Friday,
Sept. 1. On Saturday, Sept.
2, there will be a parade at
10 a.m.
There will be conces
sions, booths and entertain
ment throughout the festi
val.
MAILING LABEL
Banks Crossing-Commerce area
facing a slew of DOT road work
By Mike Buffington
mike@mainstreetnews.com
The Commerce-Banks
County area has four major
road and bridge projects tak
ing place with three of those
four in the Banks Crossing
corridor near Commerce.
In addition to the ongoing
widening of 1-85 through
the area, Banks Crossing is
also dealing with two other
projects.
The first is the extension
Faulkner Rd. and realign
ment of Steven B. Tanger
Blvd. That work is ongoing
with tons of dirt being grad
ed on the hill just north of
East Ridgeway Rd. (near
the Home Depot). (That
realignment may eliminate
left turns off of Hwy. 441
north at the RaceTrac.)
MEDIAN WORK
The largest project in the
area, however, is that work
has begun on a long-antici
pated median on Hwy. 441
at Banks Crossing.
The median will limit left
turns along the area and will
force both cars and large
trucks to do U-turns unless
they’re at a signaled inter
section.
Barrels have been put into
place on the south side of
1-85 along Hwy. 441 and
grinding work has begun on
existing pavement where a
raised median will be built.
The move has created
some chaos in the area, es
pecially for large tracks ex
iting the TA Travel Center.
Rather than crossing Hwy.
441 as tracks have in the
past to access 1-85, those
vehicles will now have to
make a right turn onto Hwy.
441 south, then do a U-turn
further down the road to go
back to 1-85.
There has also been some
confusion at the intersection
of Hwy. 441 and Industrial
Park Dr. Initially, the DOT
left the median open for left
turns of southbound traffic
into Industrial Park Dr., but
without a turning lane, that
backed up Hwy. 441 south.
The DOT later last week
closed that point of the me
dian to left turns.
Dirt is being moved for the Faulkner Rd. extension and Steven B. Tanger Blvd. realignment
project at Banks Crossing.
Although not in the works
yet, the Georgia DOT also
plans to make changes at the
nearby intersection of Steve
Reynolds Blvd. and Hwy.
441 just inside the Jack-
son County line that would
also force track traffic to go
south on Hwy. 441 to make
a U-turn to go back north to
ward 1-85.
BRIDGE
In addition to work at
Banks Crossing, the Geor
gia DOT is also replacing
the bridge on Historic Ho
mer Highway/Hwy. 51 over
the Hudson River just north
of Homer. That bridge re
placement project comes
on the heels of two other
bridge replacements in the
county recently completed;
a bridge replacement over
the Hudson River on Hwy.
59 that was finished earlier
this year and a bridge re
placement over the Grove
River on Hwy. 441 that was
finished last year.
BOE approves millage rate after
hearing from concerned citizens
By HANNAH CAUDELL
The Banks County Board
of Education met Thursday
for the third public hear
ing to discuss the proposed
millage rate. The board
members said they would
like to keep the millage rate
the same as it is, while com
munity members voiced
their concerns, including
tax breaks for the elderly
and the general increase in
the cost of living.
After the hearing, the
BOE voted to keep the mill-
age rate the same at 14.00.
The board members said
that keeping the millage rate
at 14.00 would increase tax
revenue for the school that
would go toward helping
support staff, providing for
increased insurance rates,
and paying certified staff
higher wages according to
step increases and obtaining
higher educational degrees.
Keeping the millage rate
the same would also qual
ify the school system for
equalization funds, which
are provided by the state of
Georgia to ensure that dis
tricts across the state can
offer similar opportunities
to students regardless of
property wealth.
During the public hear
ing, Dr. Daniel Oldham,
the director of finance at
the Banks County School
System, explained that roll
ing back the millage rate
would still increase tax
revenue for the school, but
they would be sacrificing
equalization funding of up
to $750,818 from the state.
A millage rate of 14.00 is
the minimum number that
the school can tax in order
to receive those funds.
The budget has not been
approved but estimates are
that it will be up over $2
million dollars this year for
step increases, degree up
grades, state health insur
ance increases, fuel costs,
and competitive raises for
certified and support staff.
Community members
who attended the public
hearing shared their griev
ances concerning the mill-
age, and offered potential
solutions that could provide
the school with the funds
needed while also giving
residents tax breaks. Many
of the solutions proposed
involved tax breaks and
exemptions for seniors on
fixed income and giving the
special purpose local option
sales tax (SPLOST) fund
more flexibility to include
school system expenses.
Board member Atha Dal
ton asked the residents to
consider more growth with
in Banks Crossing, to which
she was met with mixed re
sponses.
Some citizens were op
posed to the idea, claim
ing that the industry Banks
Crossing was already mov
ing toward the historical
district. Others agreed, but
with the stipulation that the
growth is controlled.
Randall Davidson, a
resident who attended the
public hearing, said that he
wants to see the school suc
ceed, but not at the expense
of people with low and fixed
income.
“I have friends who are in
their 80s who have to take
on a second job just to pay
for these, and they shouldn’t
have to do that,” Davidson
explained. “I understand
why tax exemptions are
hard to implement, because
that places the burden on
other citizens like me who
are able to work full time.
However, I do believe that
there is a way for this mon
ey to come from somewhere
else.”
Before the hearing con
cluded, the board thanked
the residents and asked
them to call their legislators
to ask for legislation on tax
breaks for senior citizens.
MEETS WITH
PRINCIPALS
Also at the meeting on
Thursday, the BOE met with
the principals of the school
system to get an update and
improvement plans.
Primary school princi
pal Dr. Michael Boyle laid
out the goals for student
achievement before the
board, including an increase
in the percentage of stu
dents reading on or above
grade level by three percent,
an increase in the percent
age of students in first and
second grade scoring in
ranges of expected growth
or high growth, increase in
parent and community in
volvement in the school set
ting, and an increase in stu
dents’ ability to write using
correctly spelled words and
correct writing mechanics.
Elementary school princi
pal Dr. Leigh Ann Perry said
that the school is preparing
to begin their after-school
clubs soon, which will in
clude niches such as art,
gardening, music, cooking,
and more.
Perry wants to see student
improvement in English
language arts, math, and at
tendance this year, while re
warding individual students
and teachers for attendance
on a weekly, monthly, and
nine-week basis.
A representative for the
middle school spoke to the
board on behalf of middle
school principal Lisa Sax
on. Administrators at the
middle school plan to move
their newsletter to an online
format and have also updat
ed the school’s cell phone
policy.
At the high school, Prin
cipal Mike Brown wants an
increase in the percentage of
proficiency from students in
end-of-course assessments
by five percent, as well as
increase the graduation rate
by five percent.
Brown also announced
the name of the new alterna
tive school, Leopard Learn
ing Center, with the hopes
of changing the mindset
surrounding it. Along with
Perry, Brown is also plan
ning to work on incentives
for student attendance.
Community raising money for Mizes due to house fire
The community is raising funds for Ken and Kathy
Mize, retired Banks County Sheriff’s Office employees,
whose home was recently destroyed in a fire. Mr. Mize
served for 52 years on patrol, investigations, corrections
and as a school resource officer. In retirement, Mr. Mize
continues to serve the schools as a substitute teacher.
Bethany Christian Church, 312 Historic Homer Hwy.,
Homer, is accepting donations on behalf of Mr. and Mrs.
Mize. Anyone wishing to help the couple may write a check
made payable to Bethany Christian Church and mailed to
312 Historic Homer Hwy., Homer GA 30547.
Donations are also being collected via the following Go-
FundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/..,/ken-and-kathy-
Ken and Kathy Mize are shown with Jackson County sheriff Janis Mangum (center).
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