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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
Vol. 57 No. 39
Haunted
Walking Tour
set in Homer
Training complex at sheriffs office
features rappel tower, shooting range
A tour of the rappel tower was part of the open house and ribbon cutting held last week for the
new training facilities for the Banks County Sheriff’s Office.
The Banks County His
torical Society will hold the
annual Haunted Walking
Tour on Friday, Oct. 20, and
Saturday, Oct. 21.
The tour will begin at the
Historic Courthouse/Muse
um in Homer at 6:30 p.m.,
7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 each and
those under 12 are free.
Tickets will be available at
the courthouse porch.
Meetings set
in Homer,
Maysville on
comp, plan
The Georgia Mountains
Regional Commission
(GMRC) is assisting Banks
County, the Town of Homer
and the City of Maysville
with the updates of their
comprehensive plans, the
state-required documents
that helps shape and coor
dinate local work programs
for the communities.
These planning processes
are designed to ensure that
major projects and policies
for the community are de
veloped with public input,
ensuring a level of coordi
nation between local and
state level interests.
The final public forums
for the respective docu
ments are scheduled for
the dates and times listed
below. These meetings will
be used to review the con
tent of the draft documents,
invite public comment and
questions, and outline how
the communities will work
to implement the plans go
ing forward.
•Homer, Tuesday, Sept.
19, 6-7 p.m., Homer Town
Hall, 943 Historic Homer
Hwy., Homer.
•Maysville, Sept, 18,
6-7 p.m., Maysville City
Hall, 4 Homer Street, Mays
ville.
By ANGELA GARY
A rappel tower, 300-me
ter range and classrooms
are among the features of
a new training complex at
the Banks County Sheriff’s
Office.
An open house was held
last week to unveil the lat
est training facilities at the
Banks County Sheriff’s Of
fice.
The open house was held
in Building 1, which houses
training offices, a classroom
and a lobby area geared to
ward community engage
ment.
Each building honors a
branch of the military and
this building is dedicated to
Banks County veterans of
World War I.
“Each building will fea
ture something from the
military,” Sheriff Carl
ton Speed said at the open
house. “The hallway of
this building resembles a
trench from World War I. It
is something unique and we
think people will enjoy it
when they get here.”
Sheriff Speed spoke to the
crowd gathered in the class
room area of Building 1.
“We are proud of this fa
cility,” the sheriff said. “We
are proud of the people who
put it together. When we
started, we had a vision, and
slowly but surely, our vision
has come to fruition. It is
something the citizens of
Banks County can be proud
of now and in the future.”
The open house also fea
tured toms of the rappel
tower and 300-meter range.
The rappel tower provides
a safe location for tactical
rappel training and includes
a levated shooting platform
for marksmanship practice.
The 300-meter range
features an elevated shoot
ing platform overlooking
the range, which houses 20
lanes. A sand barrier catches
any downrange fire. Behind
the range is a new class
room and storage area.
To better prepare dep
uties, land is open for an
obstacle course, ATV driv
ing course and a woodland
section for scenario-based
training true to the rural set
ting of Banks County.
A maintenance facility is
being constructed to pro
vide in-house oil changes
and perform other equip
ment maintenance.
The current main office
for the sheriff’s office will
soon be dedicated primarily
to the detention center as a
new annex is being con
structed to house adminis
tration, uniform patrol and
criminal investigations.
BUILDING 2
Building 2 is dedicated to
the Navy and memorializes
Banks County veterans of
World War 2. Upon comple
tion, the building will house
a fitness center.
BUILDING 3
Building 3 is dedicated
to the Air Force and com
memorates the Korean and
Vietnam conflicts. Upon
completion, the building
will contain virtual reality
training technology.
Use of force scenarios
will be simulated with life
like equipment and a real
patrol car. A driving simu
lator will also be available
for law enforcement offi
cers, EMS and firefighters
to practice emergency re
sponse. Additionally, Build
ing 3 will have a morale
building recreation center.
Employees can conduct af
ter-action reports, receive
counseling and engage in
fellowship.
BUILDING 4
Building 4 commemo
rates America’s conflicts
in the Middle East and is
dedicated to Marines. The
building will be a two-story
“shoot house,” a special
ized facility used to train for
close contact engagements
and room clearing. Train
ers will use simulated am
munition while traversing
unknown, confined spaces.
The building will feature
adjustable walls and stair
ways to allow for structure
variation.
BUILDING 5
Building 5 is dedicated to
the Coast Guard and law en
forcement’s war on drags.
The building will be an au
ditorium for larger classes
and events. A kitchen will
also be included.
KEEPING
COSTS LOW
Over the span of seven
years, the project has kept
construction costs low by
primarily using the labor
of sheriff’s office employ
ees and inmates, as well
as sourcing lumber from
cleared land. The project
has also received materi
al donations from Jackson
EMC and local businesses.
Inside this
issue:
Homecoming
court named...
See Page 7
MAILING LABEL
A ribbon cutting was held at the new training complex at the Banks County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Carlton Speed cut the ribbon with elected officials and
representatives of the Banks County Chamber of Commerce joining him. See more photos on Page 6.
Homer planners to hear request
to increase number of homes
at Chimney Oaks Subdivision
The Homer Planning
Commission will hold a
public meeting on the ap
plication by Banks County
Golf, LLC to amend the
Planned Community Devel
opment (PCD) District for
Chimney Oaks Subdivision
to increase the number of al
lowed residences 367, being
an additional 97 units above
the current allowed 270.
The public meeting for
the planning commission
will be held at the Homer
Town Hall, 943 Historic
Homer Highway, Homer, at
6 p.m. on September 27.
The Homer Town Coun
cil will also hold a public
hearing on the proposed
rezoning ordinance and
subsequently take action on
the proposed rezoning ordi
nance at the public meeting
to be held at Homer Town
Hall, 943 Historic Homer
Highway, at 6 p.m. on Octo
ber 17 immediately follow
ing the public hearing.
Deputy struck directing
school traffic gives update
Banks County Sheriff’s
Office deputy Joe Williams
gave an update on his con
dition last week, stating he
is recovering but still has
issues with his knee.
Williams was directing
school traffic on the morn
ing of Aug. 23 when he
was struck by a motorist.
He stopped by the sheriff’s
office last week to make a
video, which was posted on
social media, giving an up
date on how he is doing.
“I appreciate all the con
cerns for me,” he said.
“Hopefully, I will be back
directing traffic soon.”
Williams said he will have
a MRI to find out what treat
ment is needed for his knee.
The driver of the vehicle
that struck Williams, Fran
cis Small Jr., was charged
with failing to comply with
a lawful order.
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Live entertainment by Rail Town will be presented at a spe
cial event planned in Maysville.
Food truck, entertainment
coming up in Maysville
The Maysville Downtown Development Authority will
hold a Food Track event from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept.
19.
The food track will be WNB Factory.
Live entertainment by Rail Town will be presented at
The Soundboard at 8 Homer Street, Maysville.
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