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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2023
Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
Vol. 57 No. 37
Homer
Labor Day
Festival
Banks leaders continue to push
to leave Piedmont Judicial Circuit
set this
weekend
The Homer Labor Day
Festival is coming up this
weekend at the downtown
park in Homer.
The festival will kick off
at 6 p.m. with a communi
ty pep rally celebrating all
Banks County sports.
The parade will be at
10 a.m. on Saturday.
The town is still taking
entries for the parade. Email
Tking@townofhomer.com.
On Saturday, “Dunk a
Deputy” will be held from
noon to 3 p.m. All proceeds
will go to the Banks County
Shop with a Hero program.
On Saturday at 6 p.m., the
University of Georgia game
will be broadcast on the big
LED screen. Dance music
will follow.
On Sunday, a church ser
vice led by the Grove will
be held.
Music will be followed
at 2 p.m. with the gospel
group, Georgia.
Throughout the weekend,
there will be craft vendors,
food vendors and activities
for kids.
Canning
class offered
by county
extension office
The Banks County Exten
sion Office will host its final
canning class of the season
on September 8 at the Banks
County Senior Center from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Participants will leam the
principles of canning safely
at home.
They will also get hands-
on practice with both boil
ing water canning and pres
sure canning.
Each participant will pre
pare and take home a jar
of apple butter and a jar of
cubed pumpkin.
A $20 registration fee
covers all supplies and ma
terials.
Pre-registration is re
quired.
Call the Banks County
Extension Office at 706-
677-6230 or email susie.
burton@uga.edu by Sep
tember 1 to secure your
spot.
MAILING LABEL
State legislators meeting in
Homer hear support for plan
By ANGELA GARY
Banks County leaders
have not backed down in
their push to move out of
the Piedmont Judicial Cir
cuit and into the Moun
tain Judicial Circuit. The
board of commissioners has
sought legislation to make
the change, passed a resolu
tion in support of the action
and even cut county funds
allocated for the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit.
A second state committee
hearing was held Thursday
on a proposed legislative
bill to take Banks out of
the three-county Piedmont
circuit. The earlier legisla
tive meeting was in Atlanta,
but on Thursday committee
members, who come from
across the state, traveled to
Homer to hold the hearing
at the Banks County Court
house.
Banks County leaders say
this is the first time such a
hearing has been held in the
county. State leaders also
said it is rare for legislative
committee hearings to be
held outside of Atlanta.
Ten people spoke in sup
port of the plan, including
Rep. Chris Erwin, Sen.
Bo Hatchett, Banks Coun
ty Board of Commission
chairman Charles Turk and
Sheriff Carlton Speed. Gina
Roy, assistant county man
ager for Jackson County,
and Pat Graham, chair
man of the Barrow County
Board of Commissioners
also offered their support
to Banks County leaders in
making the change.
No one spoke in opposi
tion to the change. At the
earlier legislative com
mittee meeting in Atlanta,
Piedmont Judicial Circuit
judges Joe Booth and Cur
rie Mingledorff spoke in
opposition to Banks mov
ing out of the circuit. They
did not speak at the hearing
in Banks County, however
Judge Mingledorff and dis
trict attorney Brad Smith
were present in the audi
ence.
The hearing began with
committee chairman Stan
Gunter stating, “It is rare to
come out of the committee
room. We want to hear why
we should make a change
or why we should leave it
alone. What we hear will
influence what happens in
January.”
At the conclusion of the
hearing, no action was taken
or any indication given on if
the legislative committee
will move for the proposed
bill to proceed.
Rep. Erwin was the
first to speak and he said,
“Banks fits in better in the
Mountain Circuit. It is more
like our systems. We are
looking at where we fit best
as a slow-growing county.”
He said it “is nothing per
sonal” but that Banks Coun
ty citizens feel their “voice
is not heard.”
“There has never been a
Banks County citizen elect
ed as the district attorney or
judge,” he said. “The peo
ple feel like their voice isn’t
heard. Banks County is a
better, natural fit, geograph
ically and culturally, to the
Mountain circuit.”
Sen. Bo Hatchett said he
has talked to judges in the
Mountain circuit and they
are willing to take on Banks
County’s court caseload.
State leaders said if the
action is taken it would be
“precedent-setting” because
there has never been action
to take a county out of one
Banks County Board of Commission chairman Charles Turk speaks on the reasons to move
out of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit. Rep. Chris Erwin is also shown.
State legislative committee members are shown at a hearing held at the Banks County Court
house.
circuit and put it into anoth
er one.
Among the comments
made by BOC chairman
Turk was to compare the
population to the counties
in both circuits. He pointed
out that Banks is more sim
ilar to Habersham, Rabun
and Stephens counties.
He also spoke on Banks
not having a “voice” in the
Piedmont circuit.
“We can’t swing an elec
tion one way or another so
they don’t care about us,”
he said. “...I don’t think
they care if we are here or
not.”
Sheriff Speed said, ‘This
has been going on for a long
time. Citizens of Banks
County feel like their voices
aren’t being heard.”
Banks clerk of court Tim
Harper also spoke in sup
port of the action, although
he said, “I’m not mad at
anybody. I have a friend
ship with my judges and
district attorney... We feel
we would fit in better with
these people (Mountain cir
cuit) than staying in grow
ing Jackson and Barrow
counties.”
Barrow County Board
of Commission chairman
Graham, stated, “I support
Banks County moving to
the mountains. Barrow has
no concerns with the budget
change due to Banks Coun
ty leaving.”
Jackson County assistant
county manager Roy stated,
“Jackson County does not
have a problem, cost-wise,
with Banks County leav
ing.”
Habersham County BOC
chairman Ty Akins also
spoke in support of the pro
posed change.
Leaders say recent growth due to land prices in area
BY ANGELA GARY
There has recently been
a surge in development in
Banks County along Hwy.
441 between the Grove Riv
er and Habersham County
line.
A medical center, veteri
nary office, retail store and
automotive business have
opened along the route.
“I feel like the growth in
that area is due to the price
of land south of the Grove
bridge,” stated Charles
Turk, chairman of the Banks
County Board of Commis
sioners. “Land at 1-85 and
Hwy. 441 is about a million
to million and a half per
acre.”
While there aren’t any
new commmercial plans in
the works currently along
the route, Turk said he be
lieves this area will continue
to grow in the future.
“I feel as if smaller busi
ness owners will continue
to hunt out the lower priced
property north of 1-85 as
long as it is compatible with
the area,” he said.
As for the businesses al
ready open or being built,
they are:
•a Medlink (primary care
physician, imaging center).
•Banks County Vet Clinic
•Chelsea’s Classic Cars
•Dollar General (behind
Mama Dot’s)
Photo by Angela Gary
A new Medlink office is going in along a route in Banks
County that has seen several new business developments
moving in.
CHANGES AT BCSO
Carissa McFadden (center) has been named the chief deputy at the Banks County Sheriff’s
Office. Shawn Wilson (right) is retiring after serving in law enforcement for more than 30
years. The two are shown discussing the changes with Sheriff Carlton Speed. See Page 3 for
story and more photos.
After school program
offered at high school
Banks County High School is offering an after-school
program to help students stay on track and graduate.
The program is offered from 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mon
days through Thursdays in Room 313 (Goodwin’s).
Snacks are provided.
Transportation is provided at the following drop
off points at Maysville Gazebo at the railroad tracks,
5:15 p.m.; Howard Johnson’s, 5:30 p.m.; Dollar Gen
eral Store, 5:45 p.m.; and Alto Congregational Holiness
Church, 6 p.m.
Registration forms are in the front office, ninth grade
office or Mr. Goodwin’s room (313).
All forms must be returned to the front office or room
313 before attending the after school program.
Call 706-983-1128 or email dgoodwin@banks.kl2.
ga.us for more information.