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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 16 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements
Vol. 57 No. 41
BOC hires
new firm to
handle audit
By ANGELA GARY
The Banks County Board
of Commissioners agreed
Tuesday night to use Rush-
ton and Company to do the
annual audit.
Finance director Randy
Failyer reported that the
company the county now
uses, Duncan and Kitchens,
is no longer handling audits.
In other business at the
meeting Tuesday, the BOC
discussed a request from
public utilities director
Horace Gee to purchase a
RTV for the use of installa
tion of the sewer lines and
then at the new sewage fa
cility.
Gee presented a bid and
recommended that the
equipment be purchased.
After some discussion,
a vote on the matter was
postponed until the Oct. 10
meeting. Commissioner Bo
Garrison questioned wheth
er the company providing
the work at the sewage
company should be respon
sible for the equipment.
The BOC also met almost
one hour in closed session
to discuss personnel and
litigation. No action was
takne.
‘Legends and
Lore’ event to be
held Oct. 13-14
A “Lula Legends and
Lore” special event is
planned in Lula on Friday,
Oct. 13, and Saturday. Oct.
14. Toms will depart night
ly from 5965 Main Street,
Lula.
Guests will discover why
Lula was once known as a
“bawdy little town reminis
cent of the old west.”
“Boasting tales of gun-
fights, moonshiners, side
show performers, train
wrecks and prison escapes,
Lula has a boisterous and,
at times, dangerous past,”
organizers state. “Join lan
tern-lit walking ghost toms
then linger in the centu
ry-old building with gadgets
and cameras and recording
devices rolling.”
Sally Toole, paranormal
historian, is the producer
of the event. She is an au
thor, guide, investigator and
YouTube creator. Toole first
found herself immersed
in the spirit realm in 2009
when she was asked to of
fer true historic tales for an
emerging Norcross Ghost
Tom. Lula Mercantile and
Vintage Shop is sponsoring
the event.
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TWO REGION WINS
Photo by Hannah Caudell
Bryanna Hernandez touches the ball back over the net with her finger. Hernandez was a pow
erhouse at the net on Thursday with one block solo and two block assists. The Lady Leopard
volleyball team took two regions wins last week. See Page IB for more volleyball news.
Spectrum moves
forward on broadband
expansion in Banks
Spectrum has announced it is bringing gigabit high
speed internet access to nearly 11,000 unserved homes and
small businesses across Banks, Madison and Oglethorpe
counties through the $33.8 million Georgia Capital Proj
ects Fund Grant Program.
Spectrum has committed to invest nearly $42 million on
the expansion project, bringing total investment to more
than $75 million.
Spectrum’s construction teams are in the process of
walking out the area to make sme all unserved locations
are included in its broadband network design. Residents
may see Spectrum crews in their community examining
the terrain and vegetation in order to determine the best
possible route for the new network. Once completed, the
project team will obtain appropriate permits to attach to
utility poles and construct the network.
Once construction is complete, technicians will ensure
connectivity is enabled and the right equipment is installed
to bring service to residents in their homes and small busi
nesses.
“Gov. Kemp, his administration and the Georgia Legisla
ture have shown tremendous leadership in embracing pub
lic-private partnerships as a vital strategy for connecting
unserved communities,” said Marva Johnson, Group Vice
President of Government Affairs at Charter Communica
tions, which operates the Spectrum brand of connectivity
services. “These grants build upon Spectrum’s commit
ments and capabilities to further close the digital divide.”
Georgia Capital Projects Fund Grant Program grants
further expand Spectrum’s rural construction initiative, the
centerpiece of which is the company’s approximately $5
billion investment in unserved rural communities, which
includes $1 billion won in the Federal Communications
Commission’s (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
(RDOF) auction.
“Spectrum is bringing gigabit broadband to unserved
communities across America ,” said Charlie Agius, Spec
trum Regional Vice President. “Our investment is making
it possible to deliver the high-value broadband, mobile, TV
and voice services now available in area. We are providing
local residents and small businesses superior connectivity
at highly competitive prices, backed by a team of skilled
local technicians and U.S.-based customer service.”
Fall festival time:
Events planned in Lula, Maysville, Gillsville
It’s fall festival time
across Northeast Georgia
and special annual events
are planned in Lula, Mays
ville and Gillsville.
LULA
The Lula Fall Festival
will be held on Saturday,
Sept. 30, at Rafe Banks
Park/Lula Ballpark at 5831
Athens Street, Lula, from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The event will will in
clude artisans and crafters,
food, children’s activities
and live entertainment and
music.
The festival is sponsored
by the Historical Society of
Lula Bellton.
MAYSVILLE
The 56th annual Mays
ville Autumn Leaf Festival
will be held Friday-Satur-
day, Oct. 6-7, at Veterans
Park in downtown.
Homs on Friday will be
3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The festival will be open
9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Satur
day.
The schedule each day is
as follows:
FRIDAY
3 p.m. Festival opens
with music
4- 5 p.m. Music
5- 6 p.m. MES Cake Walk
6:30-7:30 p.m. Garrett
Lott
7:45-9 p.m. Richard Grif
fith
9 p.m. Festival closes
SATURDAY
9 a.m. Festival opens
10 a.m. Parade
11 a.m. Opening cere
mony: Welcome by Mayor
Richard Presley, National
Anthem by Lee Hill and
Prayer by Lee Hill
Noon Commerce School
of Dance
1:30-2:30 p.m. William
Dodd
3-4 p.m. Dog contest
5-6 p.m. Rail Town
6:10 p.m. Raffle drawing
7:30-10 p.m. Dirt Road
Revival
10 p.m. Festival closes
For more information on
the festival, email mays-
ville.comclub@gmail.com
or text Brittney at 706-499-
7565.
GILLSVILLE
The Historic Gillsville
Fall Folk Pottery Show will
be held on Saturday. Oct. 7.
The event is hosted by the
Craven-F erguson-Hewell
families, who have a long
history working in pottery
in North Georgia..
The event will be held
from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at
Craven Pottery Inc., located
at 6640 Highway 52, Gills
ville.
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
Wayne Hewell sold his face
jugs at Gillsville’s 20th an
nual pottery festival. Hewell
is a fifth-generation potter.
Baldwin looks at millage rate options; to vote Tuesday
By KARLEE CALDWELL
The Baldwin City Coun
cil was presented with three
options at its meeting Mon
day night regarding the
2023 millage rate for both
their Banks County and
Habersham citizens.
No action was taken but
the matter will be on the
agenda at the next meeting,
set for Tuesday, Oct. 3. A
decision must be made and
submitted to the state by
November 1.
In 2022, Baldwin’s
Habersham millage rate
was 9.342 and Banks Coun
ty was 3.465, leading to a
net revenue of $809,967 for
the city.
One hundred percent of
Habersham County’s local
option sales tax (LOST)
dollars go to its school sys
tem, whereas Banks Coun
ty’s LOST money goes
back to the cities which
helps reduce the millage
rate for their citizens.
Option one is for no roll
back which would result in
a Habersham millage rate
of 9.342 and a Banks Coun
ty rate of 3.549, resulting in
$892,207 in net revenue for
Baldwin.
Option two is a full roll
back, with Habersham’s
rate at 8.400 and Banks’
rate at 1.687, totaling a net
revenue of $760,880 and
$131,327 LOST in revenue
for the city.
The third option would
be a partial rollback, lead
ing to a Habersham rate of
8.990 and a Banks rate of
2.633 for a total net revenue
of $837,078 and $55,129
lost in revenue for the city.
Councilwoman Stephaie
Almagno stated, “I don’t
know how we can advocate
for no rollback. We have to
do something in relief.”
There was debate be
tween a partial rollback,
which would cover the
budget, and a full rollback
with the defense of new
income streams coming to
the city within the next year
that would help make up
some of the difference.
OTHER
BUSINESS
In other business at Mon
day’s meeting, council:
•heard Police Chief Chris
Jones give a report for Au
gust of this year highlight
ing several updates for the
department.
This includes the addi
tion of a new full-time offi
cer and the implementation
of “concentrated patrol”
twice a month along Hwy.
365 and Hwy. 441 to en
sure safety and prevent ac
cidents.
•approved the resolution
for an Entertainment Dis
trict at the Baldwin Farm
ers’ Market for this year’s
Fall Festival for a licensed
business to serve alcohol at
the event. This must be ap
proved for each event and
location wanting to provide
alcohol within Baldwin.
•approved the first read
ing of the Chitwood Devel
opment Ordinance which
calls for the approximate
270 acres of land be one
cohesive development as
opposed to the previous
ordinance in place which
only accounted for roughly
130 acres of the land.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
•Baldwin’s final 2023
Movie in the Market will be
held at 7:30 p.m. on Octo
ber 20. “Bring your chairs
and blankets to the Baldwin
Farmers’ Market for a free
screening of Coco,”’ city
leaders state. Light conces
sions will be available with
all proceeds going to the
“Shop with a Hero” pro
gram.
•The City of Baldwin is
accepting vendors for their
sixth annual Fall Festival
on October 21. Baldwin
welcomes food trucks,
crafters, and non-profits to
sign up for a booth and to
be a part of the yearly cele
bration of Baldwin and the
surrounding community.
The vendor application is
available online at www.
cityofbaldwin.org or by
emailing baldwinevents@
cityofbaldwin.org.
