Newspaper Page Text
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BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2024
Year in Review
Looking back at top headlines in 2023
Photo by XenaMarie Photography
Among the headlines in 2023 was the announcement that former NFL player Terry Allen
joined the staff at the Banks County School System.
By ANGELA GARY
JANUARY
•The Alto mayor limits
water use for commercial,
industrial use due to a leak.
•The Town of Lula issued
a boil advisory due to a
“cold blast.”
•The Banks County
Board of Commissioners
(BOC) was split in an ap
pointment to the Develop
ment Authority.
•World War II veteran
Theron Ragsdale was rec
ognized by the BOC on his
100th birthday.
•Leaders with the Homer
Downtown Development
Authority announced plans
to add community celebra
tions, as well as adding new
events.
•The Maysville city au
ditor recommended that the
water rates be raised or city
officials look at other op
tions due to water fees not
covering the operation of
the department.
•Andy Crawford an
nounced that he will be
seeking election as Superior
Court judge for the Pied
mont Circuit.
•Author John Almarode
spoke to Banks County ed
ucators.
•The State Route 59
bridge re-opens.
•The Lula City Council
began the search for an as
sistant city manager.
•The Maysville City
Council approved qualify
ing fees for the 2023 elec
tion. The mayor’s position
and two council seats will
be on the ballot.
•The BOC approved a
water line project for a new
vet clinic.
•Medlink announced
plans to expand in Banks
County and open a new fa
cility.
•Lula citizens appeared
before the city council to
complain about the mayor,
code enforcement issues
and accusations of violation
of the open records act.
FEBRUARY
The Maysville City Coun
cil approved a 90-day mora
torium on construction.
•The principal of Banks
County Elementary School
and a teacher at the school
resigned amid allegations of
“unethical” behavior.
•Charles Turk was named
Citizen of the Year at the
Banks County Chamber
of Commerce CVB annual
awards dinner. Peace Place
was named Business of the
Year.
• Baldwin Mayor Joe
Elam unexpectedly resigned
after nearly five years in the
position.
• Gillsville City Council
members unanimously ap
proved a bid for an HVAC
system for the historic Fran-
kum Building.
• Baldwin citizen Joseph
Satterfield announced his
candidacy for a position
on council in the upcoming
November election. There
will be several seats, in
cluding mayor, that will be
up for a vote.
• Lula leaders continue to
open their meetings with a
word of prayer. This issue
was challenged last week
when a resident asked May
or Joe Thomas if he could
open the meeting with a
non-Christian prayer for
invocation, and Thomas de
nied his request.
• Major Carissa McFad-
din was appointed as the
Georgia FBI National Acad
emy Associates Section III
Representative during the
2023 Winter Conference in
Augusta.
MARCH
•The Banks County
Chamber of Commerce sur
prises teachers with Ran
dom Acts of Kindness.
•Homer councilman Jerry
Payne, also a long-time pas
tor, passed away.
•The Baldwin City Coun
cil approved an update to
the fire training facility.
•Smokey Road, near the
Alto prison, was closed
for the installation of new
stormwater pipes.
•The Lady Leopards
made it to the Final Four
and headed to the state play
offs.
•A Lula citizen who com
plained about a Christian
prayer being given before
the town’s city council
meeting reports that three
legal observers with the
ACLU attended a recent
meeting.
•A bill was introduced to
remove Banks County from
the Piedmont Judicial Cir
cuit.
•The Lula Ladies spon
sored a 98th birthday cele
bration for Mordecai Wil
son, a former member of
the Lula City Council and a
World War II veteran.
•The top three scholars at
Banks County High School
were named: Salutatorian
Nayyan Itzel Diaz Halvors-
en, Valedictorian Troy Al
exander Loggins and First
Honorarian Abigail Caro
line Irvin.
•Leaders in the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit appeared
at a state hearing to speak
against Banks County leav
ing the Piedmont Judicial
Circuit.
•Gillsville leaders asked
for public input on a new
comprehensive plan.
•Cliff Hill was named
Homer Mayor Pro Tem.
•Rhett Carroll was named
the new softball coach at
Banks County High School.
•Legislation that would
remove Banks County from
the Piedmont Judicial Cir
cuit and put it in the Moun
tain Judicial Circuit did not
move forward this legisla
tive session.
•Educators from across
the state visited Banks
County schools to learn
about agriculture.
•A recall effort began to
oust Lula mayor Joe Thom
as and council member
Gene Bramlett from office.
•The Banks County Sher
iff’s Office completed a 10-
week beautification project
which included a detail
team picking up 548 bags
of trash, 109 yard signs and
17 tires.
APRIL
•Area churches planning
Easter services and activ
ities, with a community
sunrise service among the
events planned.
•The BOC approved a re
zoning request that will al
low for a truck repair shop
to continue to operate in the
county.
•A Banks County child
was attacked by a bob
cat. The child received 14
stitches from the attack.
•Members of Rehoboth
Congregational Holiness
Church braved the cold tem
peratures and rain to contin
ue their annual “CrossWalk
thru Homer.”
•Kamryn Grier and Caine
Griffith were named Miss
and Mr. BCHS.
•The Homer City Coun
cil took action that could
provide for steeper conse
quences for serious ordi
nance violations.
•Attorney Cory Kirby
reviewed new legislation
impacting the school sys
tem at a planning workshop
meeting.
•The annual Pinwheel
Ceremony was held in
downtown Homer at Veter
ans Park.
MAY
•After plans to move into
the Mountain Judicial Cir
cuit failed, in part due to
opposition from the Supe
rior Court judges serving
Banks County through the
Piedmont Judicial Circuit,
the Banks County Board of
Commissioners made plans
to budget significantly low
er funds in the next fiscal
year to cover court services.
•Terry Allen, a Banks
County graduate who
played in the NFL, returned
to BCHS as a member of
the staff.
•Growth, sewer, water
service topic in joint BOC,
Homer council meeting.
•A Banks Crossing doc
tor, Dr. Lionel Meadows,
was killed in a small air
plane crash in Tennessee.
•It was announced that
the JROTC program will
not be at BCHS due to low
student enrollment.
•A bison farm, school ag
program and hay bale oper
ation were part of the annu
al Farm Bureau tour.
•Sheriff Speed was
named the Georgia Sheriff
of the Year.
•Reve Solutions located
in Baldwin.
•Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger met with
Banks County leaders in
Homer.
•The annual Memorial
Day program was held in
Homer.
•Graduation was held at
BCHS.
•A weather monitoring
system was put in place in
the county.
•Jared Jones was named
the new baseball coach at
BCHS.
•Harley Ledford received
the annual Rotary Club
Brother Jim McLendon
scholarship.
•The Banks County Board
of commissioners denied a
conditional use request that
would locate a new hotel to
locate at the Banks Cross
ing area.
JUNE
Jaemor Farms announced
plans to close the Banks
Crossing location. The Alto
location will remain open
with new services to be of
fered.
•The BOC held a hearing
on the proposed $23 million
budget. The next week, the
BOC approved the budget.
•BOE member Atha Dal
ton served as costume de
signer for the play, “Valley
Voices,” presented at Hard
man Farm.
•The Georgia Environ
mental Protection Division
approved the proposed well
project in Homer.
•The Lula City Council
approved a $1.7 million
budget.
•A Banks County fire
fighter, Richie Alford, died
while rescuing swimmers at
Panama City Beach, Fla.
•Community leaders were
recognized at the annual
Rotary Salutes program.
•The first graduating class
of Mountain Education
Charter High School was
recognized.
JULY
•Banks County deputy
saved a boy at school who
was choking.
•The annual July 4 cele
bration was held in Homer
with a large crowd in atten
dance.
•The Baldwin City Coun
cil approved a pay increase
for the chief administrative
officer.
•Open house was held at
Banks schools in prepara
tion for the start of a new
school year.
•The BOC came to an
impasse on an appointment
to the planning and zoning
appeals board. No action
was taken after two 2-2 split
votes on the issue.
•The Baldwin City Coun
cil approved the bid award
of $938,250.
•The Lula City Coun
cil continued to meet to
fine tune the update of the
town’s building codes.
AUGUST
Classes started at Banks
County schools for the new
year with 2,900 students in
attendance.
•The BOE proposed a
10 percent property tax in
crease.
•The former Jaemor site at
Banks Crossing will be con
verted into a convenience
store that also offers gas.
•Chipotle opened at
Banks Crossing.
•The Banks County Plan
ning Commission tabled a
request for a railway storage
yard after hitting a stale
mate.
•Dale Cash was named
the new code enforcement
officer for the county.
Continued on Page 12
PUBLIC HEARING
CITY OF MAYSVILLE
PLANNING BOARD
The Planning Board for the City of Maysville will have two
Public Hearings on Monday, January 22, 2024.
Jeff Sanders would like to split property located at
61 Homer Street, 1.84 acres, parcel #B32C048.
Lee Rivers Wilkes asking for a Variance
to build a carport, 126 Legacy Drive, parcel #B32D005B.
All meetings are held at 4 Homer Street and open to the public.
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