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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023
Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
Vol.57 No. 47
Lula
Ladies plan
meal; to
honor area
veterans
The Lula Ladies will be
holding a free community
meal veterans celebration
from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on
Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Lula
Depot, located at 5911 Wall
Street, Lula.
The Lula Ladies will be
cooking up chili and hot
dogs with all the fixings.
“Come out and join us at
the Lula Depot for a free
community meal and help
honor our veterans,” orga
nizers state. “Please bring
chairs, blankets, an empty
stomach and an open heart.”
Legion
to hold
breakfast
for veterans
Breakfast will be served
for all veterans on Novem
ber 8 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
at the American Legion Hall
in Homer.
All area veterans are in
vited to attend.
BASKETBALL
SEASON PREVIEW
Lexie Ayers tries to dodge
Addison Hoard’s block while
running a practice drill. See
page 7 for a preview of bas
ketball season.
MAILING LABEL
B USY WEEK FOR FIREFIGHTERS
The Banks County Fire Department has been extremely busy the past week with four structure
fires, which included two residential fires, a shop fire and a chicken house fire. Firefighters are
shown in the chicken house fire. For more on this fire and photos on other fires, see page 6 in
this week’s edition of the Banks County News.
GBI arrests former
detention officer, BOC
member for violation
of oath by public officer
The GBI has arrested and charged Sammy Reece, age
67, a former detention officer with the Banks County Sher
iff’s Office, with three felony counts of Items prohibited
for possession by inmates and one felony count of viola
tion of oath by public officer.
On September 27, 2023, the Banks County Sheriff’s Of
fice asked the GBI to investigate the allegations that Reece
was providing contraband to the work release inmates that
he oversaw. The investigation indicates that Reece had pro
vided prescription medication, alcohol, and unauthorized
use of a cell phone to the inmates on his work crew. . Once
the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to
the Banks County District Attorney’s Office.
Reece is a former member of the Banks County Board of
Commissioners.
New mayors elected in Baldwin, Alto
Incumbent wins in
close race in Maysville
BY ANGELA GARY
Two new faces will be
serving as mayor following
Tuesday’s election, with
an incumbent winning in
a close race in another
town.
In the Maysville may
or’s race, incumbent Rich
ard Presley won with 171
votes, while challenger Wil
liam McLeish Jr. had 167
votes.
In the Maysville Ward 4
race, Brodriche D. Jackson
had 42 votes, while Roy
Dean had 36.
BALDWIN
In Baldwin, Stephanie
Almagno will be the new
mayor. She has served on
the city council.
Almagno had 134 votes,
while challenger Tom Whit
ney had 78 votes.
ALTO
In Alto, Patricia Armour
was the winner in the may
or’s race over incumbent
PJ. Huggins.
Armour had 27 votes,
while Huggins had 19 votes
and John Smith received 3
votes.
LULA
In the Lula City Council
District 4 race, incumbent
James Garnett Smith won
over challenger Roy Hall Jr.
Smith had 277 votes,
while Hall had 54.
In the Lula City Council
District 5 seat, which was
vacant, Juliette Talley was
the winner with 268 votes.
Debbie Parker-Presley
had 35 votes, while Joseph
Headrick had 26 votes.
Barnes to serve as
Election Supervisor
Banks County Rotary Club
holding Thanksgiving food drive
Kelsey Barnes has been named Banks County Election
Supervisor, to replace Andra Phagan, who is retiring at the
end of this year.
Barnes has served as elections coordinator in Jackson
County since June 2020. Prior to that, she was an account
ing technician in the finance department for Jackson Coun
ty government.
She is a graduate of Commerce High School and the
University of North Georgia. She has Georgia Election
Official Certification and Georgia Registrar Official Cer
tification.
Homer planners to
meet on zoning request
The Town of Homer Planning Commission will hold a
public hearing at Town Hall on Thursday. November 30,
at 6 p.m. to receive public comments on the application
of Leigh Scales Allen and Douglas Allen for a proposed
amendment to the zoning ordinance of the Town of Homer
to zone property located at 125 Waco Drive, Homer, from
R-l to Highway Business (HB). Copies of the application
are available for public inspection at the Homer Town Hall.
The public hearing of Homer Town Council on this
request will be on Tuesday, December 12, at 6 p.m. The
Town Council will consider adoption of the zoning request
at the regular meeting immediately following the public
hearing.
The Banks County Ro
tary Club is sponsoring a
Thanksgiving food drive.
‘We are calling all citi
zens with a heart for service
to assist with the food drive
events and/or donate food
to our project,” Rotary Club
president Doug Cheek stat
ed.
Volunteers are needed
to staff collection events,
assist with organizing and
transporting food donations.
Email sandrag5959@gmail.
com to sign up as a volun
teer.
Food collection will be
held at the Homer Fire De
partment, 217 Sycamore
Street, Homer, on Wednes
day, November 15, from
1 p.m. to 6 p m. and on
Wednesday, November 22,
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
DONATION
BARRELS
Donation Drop-Off Bar
rel Locations include the
following:
•Banks County Chamber
CVB Office - 106 Com
merce Commons, Com
merce.
•Michael Housworth Ed
ward Jones Office - 1953
Homer Road, Commerce.
•Bountiful Hills Senior
Living - 200 Bolton Drive,
Commerce.
•Rock Springs Baptist
Church - 747 Rock Springs
Road, Lula.
•Banks County Tax Com
missioner’s Office - 150
Hudson Valley Drive, Ho
mer.
•Document Destruction
Services - 2160 Damascus
Road, Homer.
•Banks County Middle
School - 712 Thompson
Street, Homer.
•Town of Homer - 943
Historic Homer Highway,
Homer.
“With food prices soar
ing, our focus is on support
ing our neighbors in need to
ensure that food is available
for everyone as we go into
the holiday season,” Cheek
states.
Homer Fire Department Ladies
Auxiliary plan yard sale on Nov. 11
The Homer Fire Depart- fire department located at will be inside if there is rain,
ment Ladies Auxiliary will 243 Sycamore Street Ho- All proceeds from the
be hosting a yard sale on mer. event will benefit the Ho-
Saturday, November 11, The event will be held mer Volunteer Fire Depart-
from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the “rain or shine. The yard sale ment.
TAX COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE ON A ROLLERCOASTER FOR HALLOWEEN
The Banks County Tax Commissioner’s office dressed as a rock and rolling roller coaster on Halloween Day last week.
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