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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024
Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
Vol. 58 No. 6
WES WHITFIELD
Whitfield
to seek
re-election
Wes Whitfield announced
this week that he will seek
re-election to the Board of
Education Post 2 position
for which he is currently
serving his third term. Mr.
Whitfield and his children
are Banks County grad
uates, his wife and sister
teach at the primary school
and his mother is currently
working in her 28th year
at the elementary school.
He manages a successful
Banks County business and
also operates a commercial
cattle farm in the county.
When asked about his
motivation for serving on
the school board, he shared
that “as a parent, graduate,
citizen, businessman and
farmer in the community, I
have every incentive to see
us continue to successfully
provide the best environ
ment for our kids to leam
and prosper while keeping
the tax burden on our citi
zens as low as possible with
the lowest tax rate among
our area schools. In my al
most twelve years on the
board, we have experienced
numerous changes and
challenges with extensive
budget cuts from the early
2010s’ recession, long-last
ing impacts from COVID
and an increasing need for
enhanced school security.
Dining this time, we have
made significant school
system improvements for
the kids, staff and taxpayers
of Banks County with the
one-to-one initiative that
provides a Chromebook or
iPad to every K-12 student,
lowering the tax rate to the
lowest that state law allows
to still meet state funding
qualifications, renovating
and making improvements
at each school and adding a
school resource officer for
each school for student and
staff safety. I look forward
to the chance to continue
this work over the next term
and would greatly appreci
ate everyone’s support in
the upcoming election.”
MAILING LABEL
MAKING HISTORY ON THE WRESTLING MAT
Kiera Gilkes concentrates as she tries to pin her Hampton opponent to the mat. Gilkes made
wrestling program history during the Stephens County Arrowhead Tournament as the first
varsity girls tournament champion for the Banks County wrestlers. See more wrestling cov
erage on Page 4.
BOE approves personnel,
hears principal reports
By HANNAH CAUDELL
The Banks County Board
of Education approved two
personnel items when it
met on Thursday, as well
as hearing updates from the
four principals.
The BOE approved the
hiring of teacher Talia Gray,
effective 2024-2025 school
year, and the resignation
of teacher Jessica Haynes,
effective at the end of the
2023-2024 school year.
During the superinten
dent’s report, Dr. Ann Hop
kins gave a commemoration
of the former and current
staff members who passed
away recently, including
second grade school teach
er Carolyn Conner, former
bus driver and monitor Al
ice Day and former assistant
lunchroom manager Juanita
Ledford. She asked those
in attendance to keep their
families in their thoughts
and prayers.
PRINCIPAL
REPORTS
The board heard from
the principals and assistant
principals from the schools
in the system, including Dr.
Mike Boyle, Dr. Leigh Ann
Perry, and Assistant Princi
pal William Foster.
Banks County Primary
School principal, Dr. Mike
Boyle, also honoring the
accomplishments of former
schoolteacher Carolyn Con
ner.
“Carolyn Conner, what a
tremendous person,” Boyle
said. “She was an amazing
lady who loved kids. I have
no words for the amount of
love she had for this com
munity and for her own stu
dents and all of the second
graders. Her legacy is that
those children will always
remember her. We are very
thankful and blessed to have
had her in our community.”
Boyle also updated the
board on benchmark as
sessments and explained
that teacher’s midyear con
ferences will conclude in
January. Programs such
as i-Ready and IXL have
been utilized by the primary
school to collect informa
tion and data from tests that
will aid teachers in adjust
ing their teaching strategies
and help students with their
learning goals.
Boyle ended his report
with the winners of the fall
fundraiser that the primary
school holds annually. The
children who sold 25 items
earned a trip to Pizza Hut
by trolley on Tuesday, Jan.
12, which Boyle said was a
success.
Elementary school prin
cipal, Dr. Perry, also com
mented on benchmark as
sessments and the i-Ready
and IXL programs. Perry
explained that teachers
had collaborated in all
grade levels to adjust their
teaching plans according
to assessment results and
announced that the elemen
tary school would begin to
utilize i-Ready to celebrate
student successes in read
ing and math, developing
a school-wide recognition
every nine weeks for stu
dents who are reaching their
goals.
Perry also met with the
visible learning team at the
elementary school and will
implement learning disposi
tions to emphasize how chil
dren often engage in and re
late to the learning process.
These will be highlighted
on the morning show and
showcased through other
mediums.
High school assistant
principal William Foster
reported that the teacher’s
midyear conferences will
conclude at the end of the
month.
Foster also reminded the
board of the events com
ing up at the high school,
including eighth grade pre
view day, the Class of 2026
ring presentation, and a se
nior assembly to better pre
pare the seniors for gradua
tion and beyond at the end
of the semester.
Eighth grade preview
day will be held on Tues
day, Jan. 30, for upcoming
eighth graders who will en
ter the high school next se
mester.
Teachers will showcase
their courses and curricu-
lums with the aid of juniors
and seniors.
The Class of 2026 ring
presentation by Jostens will
take place on Wednesday,
Jan. 31, and students will
be able to order their rings
beginning Thursday, Feb. 1.
A senior assembly will
be held at the high school
on Friday, Feb. 9, where a
senior counselor will speak
on scholarships and where
students can access applica
tions.
Foster gave the board
an update and winter and
spring sports. Winter sports
are in full swing with the
basketball team competing
for region dominance and
the wrestling team traveling
to the other schools in the
systems to greet the young
er students before the State
Duals and Jeff Davis Coun
ty. Spring sports have begun
practicing in preparations
for their seasons, most of
which begin in less than a
month.
APPROVAL
Also at the meeting, the
BOE approved the follow
ing project and field trip re
quests:
•Banks County Elementa
ry School to visit the State
Special Olympics from Fri
day, Jan. 26, to Saturday,
Jan. 27.
•Banks County High
School Future Farmers of
America to travel to Okla
homa City, OK, from Mon
day, April 29, to Friday,
May 3.
•Banks County Elemen
tary School Art Program to
sponsor Fine Arts Night and
Art Show on Wednesday,
March 20.
Hewell to retire
as probate judge
Helen Hewell, Banks
County Probate Judge an
nounces her retirement as
probate judge effective De
cember 31, 2024.
Mrs. Hewell has served
as probate judge since Jan
uary 1, 2017, and will have
served two terms at the end
of this year.
“The citizens of Banks
County elected me in 2016
as their Probate Judge and it
has been my honor and priv
ilege to serve Banks Coun
ty,” she said. “I am forever
grateful for this experience
and my sincere appreciation
goes out to the citizens of
Banks County for their trust
and support.”
She adds, “During my
service, I have met some
wonderful people from
this county and surround
ing counties, including at-
HELEN HEWELL
tomeys, courthouse staff,
assistant district attorneys,
law enforcement officers,
probation officers and pro
bate judges from all over
this state.
“A special thank you to
my co-workers in the Pro
bate Court, Vicki Dalton
and Dottie Morris, for their
dedication and support.”
TODD WINTERS
New head
BCHS football
coach named
Todd Winter has been named the new head football
coach at Banks County High School.
Winter is the former head varsity football coach and di
rector of football operations at Holy Innocent’s Episcopal
School. Coach Winter most recently led the team to the
Sweet 16 and had the most wins in a season since 2013.
Coach Winter has over 27 years of coaching experience
at the high school and NCAA Division III level. Original
ly from Huntington, Indiana, he holds a B.A. in physical
education with a minor in emotional and behavioral dis
abilities from the University of Evansville. He also holds
a BFS Level III Strength and Conditioning certification.
Coach Winter and his wife, Jill, have two children, Gatlin
and Garrison.
Winter will begin his duties at Banks County High
School this school year.
Judge, attorney get
‘no 5 votes in Maysville
Motions to reappoint Scott Tolbert as the Maysville city
judge and Abbot Hayes Jr. with Hulsey, Oliver and Mahar
as city attorney were not approved at the Maysville City
Council meeting last week.
Council member Richard Parr made a motion to reap
point Judge Tolbert. The motion failed for lack of second.
Council member Brodriche Jackson then made a mo
tion to not reappoint Judge Tolbert. Council member Kim
Wilmoth seconded this. Council members Wilmoth, Jack-
son and Amanda Farley voted in favor of this. Parr voted
against it.
Jackson made a motion to not reappoint attorney Hayes.
Farley seconded this. Wilmoth, Jackson and Farley voted
in favor of this. Parr voted against the motion.
Ajudge and attorney were not appointed.
The following reappointments were approved:
•Auditor Keith Waters, Chip McGaughey, PE with EMI.
•Engineer Chip McGaughey, PE with Engineering Man
agement.
OTHER
BUSINESS
In other business at the meeting:
•Parr was named Mayor Pro-Tem.
•the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement with Jackson
County was approved.
•it was agreed upon by the council to further discuss
the time change for future meetings at the next workshop
scheduled on January 25.
