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PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. DECEMBER 31. 2009 Madison Co. BOC to meet Monday The Madison County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 4, in the county government complex. Agenda items include: •Approval of minutes. •Business involving guests, groups or multiple visitors. •Chairman’s report (Chairman Dove ZONING HEARINGS: •Brenda Meeler request to rezone 6.7 acres from B-l to B-2. The property is located on Map 19 Parcel 21 on Hwy. 106 in District 3. •Zoning board chairman Wayne Douglas — change to section 7.3.1.4 of the zoning ordinance to be amended for farm animals in a RR zone. •Chairman Douglas — change to section 14.3.8.2 of the zoning ordinance to be amended for fail ure of the applicant to appear at the board of commissioners’ public hearing. •Chairman Douglas - codifica tion of the Madison County Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Regulations. •Statements and remarks from citizens on agenda items. OLD BUSINESS: •Consider replacement of three (3) vehicles for the sheriff’s depart ment. (Chairman Dove) •Discuss 2010 personnel and general policies. (Donna Sisk) •Consider bids on Sims Kidd Road. (Chairman Dove) •Consider maintenance on Farm Road. (Commissioner Scogin) NEW BUSINESS: •Consider approval of the quali fying fees for each office up for election during the 2010 election cycle. (Probate Judge Cody Cross) •Roads update. •Urgent matters. •Statements and remarks from citizens. •Closed session to discuss land acquisition, personnel matters and/ or potential litigation (if needed). Industrial authority issues report to BOC The Madison County Industrial Development and Building Authority issued the following report to the Madison County commissioners Monday: "Tire Harrison Water Project is coming along despite the wet weather. We are working on Dove Hill Road to Hwy. 29 to tie to the Franklin County Water System. Griffin Brothers is filling the lines, pressure testing and chlo rinating. We should soon have water on Hwy. 281. Cheek Pulliam Road, Hannah's Creek Church Road, Aaron Brown Road and Okl Harrison School Road. We plan to add Bud Freeman Road, Faith Valley Church Road, Hwy: 281 to Osley Drive and part of Dove Drake Road with the grant funds we have left. Brewer Phillips Road section is complete. We will be adding service on this line shortly for Madison County Recreation Park and other customers on this road. We plan to add Neese-Diamond Hill Road from Hw y. 29 to Sanders Road, along with Spratlin Pond Drive and Jackson Sharp Road in the next 60 to 90 days. Tire Seagraves Mill Dam has siphon pipes installed to meet EPD Safe Dams temporary requirements. We found the drain pipe needs to be replaced. Carter Engineering is working with Safe Dams to get the plan approved to replace this drain pipe. The lake le\’el will need to be kept low until this can be approved and replace the drain through tire dam. Tire Hull-Sanford Waste Water Plant is approximately 2 weeks behind schedule due to rain delays. Tire concrete tanks are in place and plumbing should start in January. Tire mailt line piping for the drip system has been installed and the drip field should be completed in early February. We will be installing the Force Main from Ingles to the plant in the next 60 days." Cross ... sure they were a match and that they were both physically and mentally prepared for the surgery. Cody was found to be an “almost- perfect” candidate to be a living donor for his dad, and he says now that it was all worth it to see the dramatic difference in his dad. "That’s what it’s all about it,” Cody said of his gift to his dad. And Cody said he will never forget the Christmas Day “dance” Glenn treated him to as he (Cody) was preparing to leave the hospital to go home. "He just came bouncing into my room, just a dancing and snapping his fingers - and I could barely move,” Cody said chuckling. “It was wonderful and amazing to see.” And Glenn, who followed his son home on Saturday, said he has continued to jokingly “mb it in" on how well he is doing every time the pair talk. "He (Cody) said Monday was the first day he could get out of bed by himself, and I told him I could do that the first day,” Glenn said chuckling. “I’m gonna mb it in every chance I get. He told me to stop making him laugh, ‘cause it hurts.” cont’d from 1A Cody surgery required a deeper incision, Glenn said, since doctors went in from the front to retrieve the kidney from near the back. And all the pair could eat for several days was several varieties of broth, Glenn said. There was chicken broth, vegetable broth and beef broth - not very appetizing. But since his release, Glenn said he’s been told he can eat anything he wants, but he’s trying to take it slow. Cody said he plans to return to his work as probate judge some time after Jan. 7, when he will go back to Piedmont for a follow up visit. “It was amazing how nice every one at the hospital was and how nice they continue to be,” Glenn said. Cody agreed. "We met so many nice folks,” Cody said. He especially remembers one nice lady who brings gift bags every Christmas Day to living donors at the hospital, telling the story of how she received a liver trans plant. “We just want everyone to know how much we have appreciated their prayers for our family and their love and support,” Glenn said. “It's been wonderful.” Dr. Neelagaru, M.D. (Dr. Neel) Dr. Neel is: • Associated with Northeast Georgia Heart Center in Gainesville, Georgia. He performs all invasive cardiology procedures at the Ronnie Green Heart Center at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Clinic. • Affiliated with BJC. • Accepts most insurances. Commerce Cardiology Clinic Call for appointment. 706-335-2000 Decade ... cont’d from 1A staff in 2004, part of a year long conflict between the BOC/ chairman’s office and those who assess and appraise the county's taxes. The state found problems in appraisal practices but made no suggestions on personnel issues that fueled the ongoing tension between the two county offices. The GBI was also called in to investigate after former assessor chairman John Bellew — who had resigned — alleged that someone had tampered with property tax records. The GBI determined that no tampering occurred. •Tornado strikes Madison Co. A tornado ripped through Madison County in September 2004, leaving significant prop erty damage and injuries but no fatalities. The wreckage included dam age to the recreation department, the library, the senior center and the historic Strickland House. •County bargains with major oil company Years after spilling con taminants in Madison County, Colonial Pipeline agreed to pay for a water line from Madico Park to the 87-home contami nant zone in the Colbert Grove Church Road area. 2003 •Voters approve millions in SPLOST Madison County voters over whelmingly supported two sales tax renewals — one four county schools and one for the county government — in March of 2003 to generate $19 million for projects over a five-year period. •School athletic complex construction begins The Madison County School System broke ground on a long- awaited sport complex across the road from Madison County High School in 2003. The com plex included a football practice field, a track, a baseball field, tennis courts and a soccer field. •Old courthouse reopens Madison County completed renovations of its old court house — vacant since 1997 — in February 2003, allowing the county chamber of commerce to move into the refurbished downstairs of the building. 2002 •IDA land use purchase sparks controversy A government purchase of land off Hwy. 72 for an indus trial park sparked controversy throughout 2002. As the months passed, the county industrial authority's focus turned to the contentious, yet challeng ing issue of rehabilitating an old well on the property and expanding the Hull water sys tem. •Animal shelter opens A 10,000 square-foot animal shelter opened in December 2002 off Colbert-Danielsville Road, providing space for stray animals from both Madison and Oglethorpe counties. The facil ity was not built with taxpayer money, but with private dona tions instead. •Jail construction mired in trouble The Madison County Board of Commissioners fired the original construction crew for the new Madison County jail in 2002 after an independent inspection firm found over a 100 flaws in the building’s con struction. A new crew took over in October 2002. The build ing was eventually completed in 2003. 2001 •Madison Co., nation shocked by 9-11 The 9-11 terrorist attacks on the world trade center in New York topped all news sto ries, both local and national, in September of 2001. Madison County reeled with the rest of the nation as two highjacked planes crashed into the twin towers, while another hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Local agencies — law enforcement, E-911 and the health department — readied for the threat of terrorism in the wake of the attacks, while Madison County citizens donat ed blood and money to aid relief efforts in New York. •Comer principal resigns after allegations Comer Elementary School principal Mac Almond resigned in March 2001 amid allegations of embezzlement. The Almond controversy came to a close in 2002 with no criminal charges filed. •Construction of new jail begins Construction of a long-awaited new Madison County jail began in 2001. The 60-bed facility on Hwy. 98 would replace the old jail, which was one of the most overcrowded detainment facili ties in the state. Voters approved $2.3 million dollars for the con struction back in 1998. •Fortson convicted of Benton murder The sensational murder trial and conviction of Tracy Lea Fortson was the major crime story of 2001. Forston, a for mer Oglethorpe County deputy, was convicted of murdering ex-boyfriend Doug Benton in his Colbert home, encasing his body in cement and hiding it in a wooded area in Oglethorpe County. The case attracted national coverage. The National Enquirer ran a story over the murder, while Court TV sought to provide live coverage of the trial, but was denied access. Fortson was later awarded a new trial but was convicted again for the murder. 2000 •Madison Co. Schools near ly broke Madison County Schools Superintendent Dennis Moore resigned in September 2000, shortly before it was revealed that the system had a $369 cash balance. The Madison County Board of Education took out a $895,000 loan and approved a 26 percent property tax increase to help offset a projected $2 mil lion shortfall. Allen McCannon was installed as interim super intendent. Keith Cowne took over in 2001. •Nash wins second term Wesley Nash narrowly defeat ed distant relative Nelson Nash in November 2000 to win his second term as Madison County Board of Commissioners chair man. •Hull-Sanford Elementary opens Madison County gained its fifth elementary school when Hull-Sanford Elementary opened its doors in August 2000, drawing its student body of three of the four existing elementary schools. •New Hull water system dedicated Madison County installed a new water system in 2000 to serve Ingles and Hull-Sanford Elementary. Bank... cont’d from 1A business comes through con sumer lending. Because of that. Commercial hasn't suffered the commercial development and real estate acquisition develop ment loan losses that have hin dered larger banks. Through the third quarter. Commercial had posted a net income of $262,000. It is antici pating around $500,000 in prof its this year. The Comer branch will be a full-service bank. Those services will include safety deposit boxes as long as there’s enough space in the vault area after the retrofit ting of tire Windstream building. Commercial will employ five to six people at the Comer site and is interested in hiring local bankers, Townsend said. This will Commercial Bank's third branch. The other two sites are located in Crawford and Winterville. According to a press release. Commercial has filed applica tions with the state's Department of Banking and Finance and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to open tire Comer branch. Townsend said in the press release that Commercial is “con fident that our regulators will approve our application and allow us to branch our strength and stability within Madison County.” oud to be part of >ur most special moments It is our privilege to be part of the most special moments of your life. 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