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JULY 7, 2016
Madison County Journal
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Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumalTODAY.com
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Vol. 31 No. 25 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 20 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements
EDUCATION
School
employees
get 3% raise
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
For the first time in
nearly a decade, Madison
County school system
employees will get a
three-percent salary
increase.
The system hasn’t
awarded an across-the-
board pay increase since
the 2007-2008 fiscal year.
The state government
has not funded schools
at its own established
formula in 13 years, with
Madison County falling
$30 million short in state
funding during that time.
This shortfall is recog
nized as “austerity cuts.”
This year, Gov. Nathan
Deal reduced the “aus
terity cuts.” That means
Madison County is getting
a $1.2 million increase
over last year in state
funding.
Assistant superintendent
Bonnie Knight noted that
Deal suggested systems
grant three-percent pay
increases for employees
with the additional funds.
The increases totaled
roughly $1.3 million in
Madison County.
“We’ve done that,”
she said. “We’ve given
all of our employees a
three-percent raise across
the board on everything.
Anything you make in
Madison County (schools)
is increasing by three per-
— See “Pay” on 2A
INSIDE
Index:
News — 1-3 A
Opinions —4-5A
Crime — 6A
Socials — 7-1OA, 12A
Schools — 10A
Obituaries — 11A
Sports — 2-3B
Churches — 4B
Classifieds — 5-6B
Legals — 7B
Contact:
Phone: 800-795-2581
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, Ga. 30633
Web:
MadisonJournalTODAY.
com
Senior
League All
Stars capture
district title
— Page IB
Early voting now underway: Early voting for
the July 26 runoff elections is now availabe at the Mad
ison County Board of Elections and Registration Monday
through Friday during business hours.
Oh say can you seeP
Avery large crowd showed up behind Master Basters Barbecue Saturday
evening for a Fourth-of-July Fireworks show. See Pages IB and 8B for
more photos. Zach Mitcham/staff
Kids wave from atop a Colbert Volunteer Fire Department truck during
the annual Colbert Fourth of July Parade Saturday morning.
SCHOOLS
Madison County will replace its regular grass
turf with synthetic turf between the upcom
ing football and soccer seasons.
Turf
decision
Raider Field to get artificial grass; change
is part of larger energy efficiency plan
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County’s
football and soccer field
is going the way of the
New England Patriots,
the Ohio State Buckeyes
and FIFA soccer. It’s
getting synthetic turf.
School leaders say it
will actually be cheaper
over the long haul to pay
for the always-green turf
than to maintain grass at
Raider Field. The new
turf will be installed
in the winter between
the football and soccer
seasons. This means no
more re-sodding, fertil
izer treatments, water
ing. grass cutting, paint
costs and maintenance
of mowers for the field.
“This will also make
the field far more acces
sible,” said superinten
dent Allen McCannon,
noting that many more
activities can take place
on a synthetic field,
since grass maintenance
won’t be an issue.
The new synthetic
field will be “cool turf,”
which keeps the playing
surface 30 degrees cool
er in hot weather than
normal. The turf won’t
be in place for this foot
ball season but will be
installed between foot
ball and soccer seasons.
— See “Turf” on 2A
Mailing
Label Below
HEALTH
Danielsville boy to be featured
on upcoming Atlanta radio
fundraiser for childhood cancers
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
Trenton Spann, of Danielsville, will be
featured in the upcoming WSB Radio’s
Care-a-Thon, a 37-hour radio event bene-
fitting research and programs at Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta’s Aflac Cancer and
Blood Disorders Center, beginning on
July 11 at 5 a.m. and running through 6
p.m. on July 12.
Trenton and his family are new to
Madison County and he will attend
Madison County Middle School starting
next month.
The Spann family lived in Villa Rica
prior to moving to Madison County, where
Trenton and his younger siblings, sister
Kambree, 9. and brother Gavin, 7, attend
ed Sand Hill Elementary.
“On Sunday, June 14, 2015, our lives
were turned upside down,” Trenton’s
mom. Kristy Spann, said of Trenton’s
illness.
She took Trenton to Tanner Medical
Center’s emergency room in Villa Rica
after he complained of a severe headache
and back pain.
Following a CT scan the ER doctor told
— See “Spann” on 2A
Trenton Spann is pictured with his siblings,
Kambree, 9, and Gavin, 7. They are the children
of Kristy and Jeremy Spann. The family recently
moved to Danielsville from Villa Rica. Trenton
will be featured on the upcoming WSB radio
Care-a-Thon to raise money and awareness for
childhood cancers. Photo courtesy of Kristy Spann
