Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. APRIL 16. 2009
Layoffs ..cont’dfrom 1A
take any action on those three employees until the next BOE
meeting.
“We’re hopeful that we won’t have to RIF anyone,” Madison
County Schools Superintendent Mitch McGhee said.
However, if no teaching spots come open, the BOE will be
forced to cut those jobs.
Once faced with the elimination of 15 jobs due to a lack of
state funding, Madison County has gradually decreased that
number by sliding existing teachers into the spots of those
who have opted not to return to Madison County Schools for
2009-2010.
“It’s certainly not good news for those three folks, but,
overall, to take the 15 number down to three is quite a bit of
progress,” McGhee said.
The three teachers still subject to layoffs have been notified.
“We started talking to them when the list was about 10
(people),” he said.
Deficit ..cont’dfrom 1A
increased that deficit to $3.18 million.
Had stimulus funds — American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) money — not been available,
Madison County would have been looking at severe cuts on
top of cuts its has already made.
If state revenue continues to decline, the state will call a
special legislative session this summer and make cuts across
the board.
“Education will, of course, be part of that,” McGhee
said.
McGhee said he’s heard rumors that further cuts to educa
tion might force the state to furlough teachers.
Security .cont’dfrom 1A
house. It is better to have a deterrent in place than to
second guess ourselves if anything ever happens at the
courthouse.”
Thomas said that in the first day of metal detections,
110 knives and one pistol were barred from the court
house.
“Even my deputies who are not in uniform and do
not have their county ID card will go through the metal
detector,” said Thomas.
The sheriff said a second metal detector will soon be
installed at the back door so citizens can enter from the
other side of the building.
“We are working to get another metal detector and
X-ray for the back door so eventually there will be two
entrances to the courthouse," said Thomas.
Runoff ..cont’dfrom 1A
Patton Power has lived within the city limits of Colbert
for about 70 years. She follows in the footsteps of her
father who was once a Colbert city councilman.
Waggoner, who has known Patton Power since grade
school, said he’s happy to have her as a colleague now.
“Of course, we’d been just as happy to have had Ellyn,”
he added. “When you have two good people running like
they were, it’s bad that someone has to lose.”
For a small city holding a runoff to decide a special elec
tion, Colbert enjoyed a somewhat high voter turnout.
Participation in the runoff far exceeded voter turnout in
the original election. Just 58 voters cast ballots in March,
compared to 88 on Tuesday.
Runoffs usually don’t garner as many votes as the
first election, but Waggoner wasn’t surprised that Patton
Power and Trinrud generated more ballots the second time
around.
“Not really, because I think they worked harder on this
one than they did on the other one,” Waggoner said.
The runoff also lured far more early and advanced voters
(26) than the March 17 election (six).
This was easily the city’s most eventful election in
years.
Since multiple candidates haven’t often sought the same
office, Colbert hadn’t held a contested election since
1996.
However, three candidates - Patton Power, Trinrud and
Dennis Moon - opted to run for this empty seat at the
council. Since Patton Power didn’t garner a majority of
the vote in the March 17 race, it forced the first runoff in
Waggoner’s 40-year stint as Colbert mayor.
With Patton Power winning the open seat, Colbert has
now its first full council since September.
Waggoner is happy the process to fill the spot is now
over.
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “We can get down to business again,
maybe.”
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65 apply for MCHS principal’s post
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
So far, 65 educators wish
to be Madison County High
School’s next principal.
That’s how many applica
tions the MCHS vacancy
has generated since cur
rent principal Tommy Craft
announced in March that
he was leaving at the end
of the year to take a job as
superintendent of Emanuel
County Schools.
Madison County Schools
Superintendent Mitch
McGhee reviewed the prog
ress of the new principal
search at Monday’s Board
of Education meeting, not
ing that the deadline for
submitting applications is
Friday, April 17.
After that, a committee is
set narrow the field to candi
dates to be interviewed.
The school system will
conduct interviews the final
week of April, leaving the
first week of May available
for additional interviews if
needed.
McGhee said he’ll submit
a name for the board at its
May meeting.
“I fully expect to bring
a recommendation to the
board at that time,” McGhee
said.
McGhee will interview
each candidate, as will the
committee. Candidates will
then take a student-led tour
of MCHS.
Applicants must have at
least three years of admin
istration experience, some
experience in grades 6-12
and certain degree require
ments.
“It’s a pretty broad crite
ria,” McGhee said.
School board mem
bers weighed in with their
thoughts on the qualities that
the ideal candidate should
possess.
Robert Hooper, among
other things, wanted some
one who would locate
within the community and
commit to staying at MCHS
for several years. Chairman
Jim Patton said the ideal
candidate would focus on
curriculum improvement.
McGhee noted that each
committee member will
rank the candidates in a
number of areas, based on
the interviews, and compile
a composite score.
Those scores will play a
significant role in his deci
sion, McGhee said.
Snow days won’t be made up
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County students
won’t have to make up two
snowed-out school days from
last month.
Students missed three days in
early March after eight inches
of snow blanketed the county,
but made up one of the days
later that month.
However, the Madison
County Board of Education
decided to excuse the remain
ing two.
Up to four days can be
excused without makeup
dates.
Teachers, however, must
make up the remaining two
days, May 25 (Memorial Day)
and May 29.
The BOE made that offi
cial Monday night, voting to
amend the school calendar.
The school board also voted
to shorten the final day of
class. May 22, to an early-
release day.
Attendance generally lags
in the afternoon anyway with
students checking out earlier
in the day.
Madison County Schools
superintendent Mitch McGhee
said many other school sys
tems have altered their sched
ules similarly for the final day
of class.
Though half a day of
instruction is lost, “there
really isn’t that much instruc
tion going on that last day,”
McGhee said.
STATE WILL
RELEASE
REMAINDER OF
CONSTRUCTION
FUNDS
With “substantial comple
tion” documentation signed
and verified by the Madison
County Board of Education,
the school system will have
more dollars flowing its way.
The state releases certain
money it has withheld once
it receives the substantial
completion certificate for
a project. Madison County
stands to see a “fairly sig
nificant” amount of cash by
completing this step, accord
ing to McGhee, allowing it
to complete projects at the
Colt Academy/Freshmen
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Pallet Jack 125.00
Metal Barrels 10.00
1/2” Plywood 7.00
3/8” Plywood 5.00
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McGhee notes that this
money can only be applied
toward construction.
The new building on Hwy.
172 has, of course, been in use
for nearly a year, but McGhee
said it’s not unusual for the
state to request this documen
tation long after a facility is
completed.
FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH,
YOU CAN UST YOUR GROUP'S MEETINGS!
Let your members know when your group is meeting!
Call (706) 367-5233 to advertise your
meeting time, place and date in...
• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce to
• The Braselton to • The Banks County to
• The Madison County Journal
Citizens Organized for
Pipeline Safety
investigating the health risks to citizens from
underground pipelines and booster stations in
Madison Co. Meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Colbert
Grove Baptist Church the 2nd Thurs. of each
month. 706-783-4702. Pd.04/09
JEFFERSON
ip AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 .no
BANKS COUNTY
fg| AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.06/09
HI VETERANS OF
IP FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4thTuesdasy, 7:00 p.m.
Lamar Langston, Commander
Phone 706-652-2627 263
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m.-(706) 387-1156
Mack Cates, President
542
A UNITY LODGE
F & A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwayne Potts • 706-367-4449
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m.-(706) 367-7696
Gina Mitsdarffer, President
547
MM BANKS COUNTY
iygAMERICAN LEGION
Riders Post 215
Meets each 2nd Thursday 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 pd.02/10
Georgia Real Estate Investors
Association, Inc. - Athens
Meets the third Thursday each month
6:30 pm at the UGA Conferen ce Center
1197 South Lumpkin Street,
Athens, GA 30601
Tom Hewlett - Chapter President
thewlettl@charter.net Pd.12/09
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pd.-07/09
St. Catherine Laboure
Catholic Mission
Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:00 p.m.,
Sun. 11:00 a.m., Wed. 12:10 p.m.
Parish Council meetings: 2nd Sunday of the month
after 11:00 mass
First Friday Adoration 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org
706-335-2622 pd.04/09
2435 Shoal Creek Road
Colbert, GA 30628
Minimum Bid: $106,689.00
(or best offer above minimum bid)
20% non-refundable downpayment
required on day of sale
(certified funds)
5 Room Ranch, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths.
This description is believed to be
correct to our best understanding.
DATE & TIME OF SALE:
05/05/09 at time 10:00 a.m.
PLACE OF SALE
Madison County Courthouse
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT
1-800-349-5097 ext 4500
For further foreclosure sales and
inventory property access our
website: www.resales.usda.gov
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OPPORTUNITY