About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 2025)
Banks County News www.BanksNewsTODAY.com Banks County’s Legal Organ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2025 $1.00 • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements • Vol. 59 No. 34 Alto festival to be held June 7 The 19th annual Alto Spring Fling will be held on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The pa rade will be held at 10 a.m. Festival entertainment will include the Steadfast Band, Hey Y’all Cloggers and the Steve Bryson Band. For more information, call 706-778-8035. Vendors sought for Maysville festival Vendors are being taken for the Maysville Autumn Leaf Festival. The festival will be held Oct. 3-5 in downtown Maysville. Organizers are seek ing artists, craft and food vendors, entertainers, children’s activities and non-profit groups. For more information, email maysvilledda@ gmail.com or call Aimee Beck at 706-215-4480 or Michelle Farmer, 770-367- 1251. School Sheriff says claims about his residency are ‘personal vendetta’ By ANGELA GARY Banks County Sheriff Carlton Speed has respond ed to the recent questions about his residency that have resurfaced and said it is based on a “personal ven detta.” “I feel it is important to bring to your attention the troubling unrest that sur rounds my office as your sheriff,” Sheriff Speed stat ed. “This turmoil is driven primarily by the current chairman of the Banks County Commission and a disgruntled former rep resentative, Dan Gasaway. Their ongoing attempts to undermine my role and challenge my residency are not only baseless but also deeply rooted in a personal vendetta that blatantly dis regards established facts.” BOC chairman Taylor Griffith recently asked for an investigation into the sheriff’s residency. This is sue has been discussed for at least 10 years and was last settled when a court ruled Speed does live in Banks County. Speed states, “My home is situated on property that has been in my wife’s fam ily since the 19th Centu ry—a legacy that reflects our commitment to this community. Throughout this time, our land has al ways been firmly within the jurisdiction of Banks County. We have never con tributed taxes to Franklin County; our children have consistently attended Banks County Schools. In fact, before building our home, I took the proactive step of consulting the Banks Coun ty Surveyor to ensure there were no doubts about our rightful residence here. I built my family’s home with the full knowledge that we belong to this community.” Speed also points out that several court rulings have backed this up. “This assertion is not just a simple claim; it is a statement backed by mul tiple court rulings,” Sheriff Speed stated. “The Banks County Superior Court has issued two definitive rul ings, and the Banks County Probate Court has issued one conclusive ruling, all of which confirms that my res idence is firmly within the borders of our county.” He adds, “Despite this, Mr. Gasaway continues to pursue this issue as part of his ongoing grudge. His motivation stems from the loss of support he experi enced during his failed cam paigns. My residency was never questioned during his time in office until he lost the election.” The sheriff also address es the BOC chairman using social media to address this issue. Speed said, “It is es pecially disheartening that the current chairman would take to social me dia, that contemporary or acle of public opinion, to echo Gasaway’s unfounded claims. Initially addressing me directly, he then chose to obscure his remarks by referring to me simply as ‘the sheriff.’ This behavior paints a clear picture of a coordinated effort to dis credit my integrity without any substantive evidence to support their accusations. Even the chairman himself has grudgingly acknowl edged that he possesses no proof of any wrongdoing on my part while continuing to raise unfounded questions that have already been firm ly settled in a court of law.” Speed also states that the state elections board has found no validity to the claims. “It is crucial to empha size that while Gasaway has resorted to fantastical accusations against vari ous institutions, claiming conspiracies to manipulate election boundaries, the State Elections Board has found no validity in these assertions,” Sheriff Speed states. “His fixation on un dermining my residency, alongside his attempts to deflect attention from his own electoral shortcomings, only serves to sow discord and chaos within our be loved community.” POSITIVE ACTIONS The sheriff also high lights recent positive ac tions during his tenure as sheriff. “In contrast to the chaos sown by this ongoing nar rative, allow me to highlight the positive strides we’ve Sheriff Carlton Speed is shown with Rep. Chris Erwin when he was presented with the Sheriff of the Year Award. made together,” Speed states. “Importantly, I have managed our budget effec tively, ensuring that we have never exceeded our budget, even during challenging times. This careful steward ship of taxpayer dollars has allowed us to enhance our services, providing better resources for law enforce ment while strengthening our ties to the community we serve.” He adds, “During my ten ure as Sheriff, I have not only served as President of the Georgia Sheriff’s As sociation, building partner ships and sharing best prac tices with my peers, but I have also been honored with the Georgia Sheriff of the Year award, a recognition of my diligence and com mitment to our communi ty’s safety. Moreover, I have successfully navigated our agency through the strin gent processes of state cer tification and accreditation, ensuring that we meet—and often exceed—the profes sional standards expected of us. “As I continue to serve you steadfastly as Sheriff and eagerly look forward to my re-election bid in 2028, I assure you that my dedication to this commu nity remains unwavering. I refuse to be intimidated by this witch hunt, nor will I al low such attempts to distract us from the vital work of protecting and serving our residents. I deeply appreci ate your trust and support during these challenging times. Together, let’s remain focused on the truth and work to keep Banks County moving forward.” summer hours announced Bansk County High School summer office hours have been announced. They are 8a.m. to 4 p.m. from June 2-12,17-19 and July 8-10, 14-31. New student registration is online at https://bchs. banks.kl2.ga.us/. After completing the online reg istration, you must call or email Kelly Patterson at 706-677-2221 or kpatter- son@banks.kl2.ga.us to set up an appointment to complete the registration process. MAILING LABEL k 1 | .0 : Z CELEBRATING END OF SCHOOL YEAR Banks County Elementary School students celebrated the end of the school year with a Bubbles Party. 'Library on the go' program planned this summer 8 0 487 9 1 4 1 4 3 The Banks County Public Library will sponsor a “li brary on the go” program this summer. Books and food boxes will be available every Fri day through July 25.The sc hedule is as follows: • 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at the four-way stop at 224 Damascus Road, Baldwin. • 11 a.m. to noon, Baldwin Farmers Market, 246 Air port Road, Baldwin. • 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Alto Police Department, 3895 Gainesville Highway, Alto. • 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.. Lula Academy parking lot. 6003 Main Street, Lula.
