Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2024
BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
A ribbon cutting was held in September at the latest addition to the training complex at the Banks County Sheriff’s Office. The expansion at the complex has been named the Crime Story of
the Year.
Crime Story of the Year
Training complex at sheriff s office features rappel tower, shooting range
BY ANGELA GARY
A new training complex
opened in Banks County
in this past year, offering
training space for local law
enforcement officers and of
ficers from other agencies.
This has been named the
Crime Story of the Year due
to the impact this has on the
community with training
for the Banks County Sher
iff’s Office staff, as well
as bringing in funds from
those from out of town who
come to the county to train.
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.
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.”
At the ribbon cutting and
open house, Sheriff Speed
stated, “We are proud of this
facility,” 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 fu
ture.”
The rappel tower pro
vides 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 classroom
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.
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 re
ceived material donations
from Jackson EMC and lo
cal businesses.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS CHECK TO CARL MANGER FUND
The Lula Belton Historical Society presented city officials with a $5,535 in support of the Carl Manger Caboose Remodeling
Fund. The society held fundraisers in support of this effort after Manger, a former city employee, passed away in late 2021.
City leaders say, “He loved history and he was obsessed with our little caboose. His dream was to open in during events so that
everyone who visited Lula could see the beauty that he saw.”
Qualifying fees set
for county races
The Banks County Board of Commissioners set three
percent of the base salary as the qualifying fee for each
county race on the ballot in 2024.
The fees are as follows: $1927.65, sheriff; $1,660.32,
tax commissioner; $1,660.32, clerk of superior court;
$1,660.32, probate judge; $1,693.53, magistrate judge;
$313.93, coroner; $1,800, commission chairman; $450
each for BOC District 2 and District 4; $50, county sur
vey lor; $49.50, Board of Education Post 1 and Post 2; and
$34.50, Board of Education Post 4.
Qualifying will be held from 9 a.m. Monday, March 4,
through noon on Friday, March 8.
Unemployment drops
All of Georgia’s Regional Commissions saw a decrease
in unemployment in November.
Highlights include:
•The unemployment rate was down five-tenths to 2.8%
over-the-month, the rate was 2.6% one year ago.
•The labor force was up 1,191 over-the-month and up
9,931 over-the-year, to 333,077, an all-time high.
Qualifying coming up for Alto City Council seat
Qualifying for the March
12,2024, Town of Alto Spe
cial Election for Post 1 will
be held through Friday of
this week. The election is
to fill the unexpired term of
Carolyn Cabe. The hours of
qualifying through Thurs
day will be from 8:30 a.m.
until 4:30 p.m. (except for a
one-hour lunch break each
day), and from 8:30 a.m. to
noon Friday, Dec. 22. The
last day to register to vote
for the March 12, 2024,
Special Election is Feb. 12,
2024. The qualifying fee for
the Post 1 Council seat will
be $35.
Prospective candidates
may qualify at the Office
of the Election Superin
tendent being Habersham
County Office of Elections
and Voter Registration, in
the basement of the Haber
sham County Administra
tive Building located at 130
Jacob’s Way, Suite 101,
Clarkesville.
PUBLIC MEETINGS... FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH
you can list your groups meetings!
Banks County News • Jackson Herald
Madison County Journal • Braselton News
Call 706-367-5233 to list your meetings!
COMMERCE
lllf AMERICAN LEGION
Post 93 • Meets 2nd Thurs., 7:00 p.m.
Wayne Brown, Commander
Phone (404) 310-7177
Commerce Civic Center, Commerce, GA
12971
MADISON COUNTY
DEMOCRATS
Meet Monthly
For Time, Date & Location:
Facebook:
MadisonCountyGaDemocrats
Or mcgaclemocrats.wixsite.com/mcdp
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays 12:00 Noon
Jackson County
Historic Courthouse
85 Washington St., Jefferson
Holly McShane, President
706-768-0456 i 2626
4660
St. Catherine Laboure
Catholic Church
Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:00 p.m. Sun. 10:00 a.m, Tues. 12:10 p.m.
Mon,, Wed, Thurs. & Fri. 10:00 a.m, Spanish Sun. 8:00 a.m.
Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org
706-367-7220
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
Meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks County
Historical Courthouse at
105 U. S. Hwy441 North in
Homer, GA
43k 12972
JL, ROCKWELL
LW\ LODGE F& A.M.
No. 191, Hoschton, GA
2nd Tues. at 7:30 p.m. • Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
www.rockwelllodgel91.com
Two blocks behind Larry's Garage
West Broad at Hall Street
I 129 69 _ .
Tri-County
J Shrine Club
3rd Thurs. of each month
7:30 p.m.
Rockwell Lodge 191
1 12619
Ijk JEFFERS0N
@ AMERICAN LEGION
Post 56 • Meets 3rd Tues., 6:30 p.m.
Joe Ruttar, Commander
Phone (860) 949-4037
309 Lee St., Jefferson, GA
KIWANIS 8
OFJEFFERSON
Meetings every 2 nd & 4 th
Monday at Noon
Cream & Shuga
Contact Darryl Gumz at
770-605-6656 for more info.
Pilot Club of Jefferson
Meets 3rd Tuesday of
each month, 6:30 p.m.
Jefferson City Clubhouse
706-367-9313 or
706-693-4715 12625
NOTICE
TO: ALL CITIZENS AND VOTERS OF BANKS COUNTY
FROM: BANKS COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND
REGISTRATION
SUBJECT: NOTICE OF PREPARATION AND TESTING OF ALL
EQUIPMENT TO BE USED IN THE Presidential Preference
Primary, HELD ON March 12, 2024.
DATE: December 18, 2023
The following notice is hereby given in accordance with State Election Board Rule
183-1-12-.08:
Beginning on Monday, January 8, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. or when database is received
from SOS office, at the Banks County Board of Elections Office, 226 Candler
Street, Homer, GA preparation and testing of the electronic poll books, electronic
ballot markers, printers, ballot scanners to be used during the Presidential
Preference Primary, HELD ON March 12, 2024 will commence. Early Mail Voting
will begin October 10, 2022, and Early In-Person Voting will begin February 19, 2024.
Registration deadline will be February 12, 2024.
The superintendent shall cause the accuracy of the components to be tested by
causing the following tasks to be performed:
A. Check that the electronic poll books accurately look up and check-in voters via both
the scanning function and manual lookup and create a voter access card that pulls
up the correct ballot on the electronic ballot marker for every applicable ballot style.
B. Check that the touchscreen on the electronic ballot marker accurately displays the
correct selections and that the touchscreen accurately reflects the selected choices.
C. Check that the printer prints a paper ballot that accurately reflects the choices
selected on the touchscreen and immediately mark all printed paper ballots as “test”
ballots.
D. Check that the ballot scanner scans the paper ballot, including both ballots marked
by electronic ballot markers and ballots marked with a pen, and that the ballot scanner
scans ballots regardless of the orientation the ballot is entered into the scanner.
E. Check that the tabulation contained in the ballot scanner memory card can be
accurately uploaded to the election management system, and that the tabulated
results match the selections indicated on the paper ballot.
The testing will continue until all units are prepared and tested. This process is open
to the general public.
Kelsey Barnes, Supervisor of Elections
