Newspaper Page Text
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JANUARY 2, 2020 - PAGE 3A
2019
continued from 2A
•Walter Wayne LeCroy,
20, Lexington, was charged
with child molestation and
statutory rape.
•The Madison Coun
ty Journal launched a new
website at MadisonJournal-
TODAY.com.
•The Lewis and Clark Cir
cus performed at the Comer
Fairgrounds.
•Benny Nathaniel Mize
was sentenced by Judge
Lauren A. Watson to serve
15 years in confinement,
with the first five years to
be suspended upon the suc
cessful completion of a res
idential treatment program,
and pay a $1,500 fine on a
charge of sale of metham-
phetamine.
•Miracle Armstrong was
named the 2019 Madi
son County High School
Homecoming Queen. Jakiah
Hitchcock was named Mad
ison County Homecoming
Princess.
•Madison County High
School announced its high-
est-ever graduation rate at
94.64 percent for the MCHS
four-year cohort that gradu
ated in the spring.
OCTOBER
•Ricardo Espinoza Arel
lano, 29, was charged with
cruelty to children in the
first degree, cruelty to chil
dren in the third degree,
simply battery under the
family violence act, DUI,
open container violation and
driving while unlicensed.
•Law enforcement and
emergency response em
ployees held a practice drill
for school shootings.
• The Shiloh Community
Volunteer Fire Department
opened a new fire station,
thanks to citizens’ donations
and Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
funds approved in 2014.
•Madison County’s new
REACH scholars were rec
ognized with a scholarship
signing ceremony. The
scholars, from the class of
2024, are Charlese Howard,
Thaw Htoo, Erika Hull and
Taylor Maxwell.
•Madison County Indus
trial Authority chairman
Bruce Azevedo submitted a
letter of resignation to coun
ty commission chairman
John Scarborough Sept.
30. He cited organizational
changes as the reason for his
departure.
•The county school
board got a breakdown on
2018 HOPE funds: Madi
son County had 557 HOPE
scholarship recipients in
2018. They received $1.69
million in financial sup
port from the state. Mean
while, the county had 197
Pre-K students last year.
The HOPE fund allocated
$819,148 toward Pre-K ser
vices in the county in 2018.
•The Journal ran a lengthy
article on Georgia Renew
able Power’s new plant in
Colbert and the burning of
creosote-treated railroad ties
as a fuel source.
•Franklin County resi
dents who live near the GRP
power plant in Carnesville
attended the Madison Coun
ty IDA meeting to learn
about the GRP plant in Col
bert.
•One of Carlton’s historic
homes burned early Sunday,
Oct. 20. And the blaze was
investigated as suspicious.
•Danielsville officials
called a meeting Oct. 18
with county, industrial au
thority and school represen
tatives to ask, once again,
for financial assistance with
badly needed sewer infra
structure upgrades.
•Kevin Eugene Vaughn, of
Belton, S.C., was sentenced
by Judge Jeff Malcom to
serve 20 years, with the
first three years to be served
in confinement and the re
mainder on probation and
he was also ordered to pay
$3,000 in fines on charges of
two counts of identity fraud,
financial transaction card
theft, possession of a finan
cial transaction card forgery
device and giving false in
formation to an officer.
•The Journal featured
Madison County Coroner
Julie Harrison.
•Madison County com
missioners heard Oct. 28
from concerned neighbors
of the new biomass power
plant in Colbert. They are
upset about emissions that
could harm their health, pos
sible water pollution and the
loud noises coming from the
plant.
•The manager for two new
biomass power plants spoke
with Mad- ison County Ro-
tarians Oct. 25 about the
new facilities.
•The Hull City Council
dedicated its October busi
ness meeting to a discussion
with Hull Volunteer Fire De
partment (VFD) members
about issues funding for the
Hull VFD.
NOVEMBER
•Andy Felt, a long-time
Madison County science
teacher and site administra
tor of Foothills Charter High
School in Danielsville, was
arrested on two charges of
unlawful surveillance.
•Madison County schools
fared well in the College
and Career Ready Perfor
mance Index (CCRPI),
ranking third among the 13
Northeast Georgia Regional
Educational Service Agency
(RESA) school districts.
•County commissioners
agreed that more bunkhouse
trailers used at emergency
sites around the country can
be stored at a property on
Lem Edwards Road.
•Madison County’s one-
cent sales tax for local im
provements has been re
newed for six more years.
And the county voted to
allow Sunday alcohol sales
after the new year.
•Artie and Christy Kerns
visited the Hull Volunteer
Fire Department to meet
with the firefighters who
911
continued from 2A
coming in functionally at
this moment after having
been rerouted by Wind-
stream. AT&T has gotten
involved and identified a
problem with their service
connection with Wind-
stream but they don’t have
a location, specific diagno
sis, or (estimated time) for
repairs but they are at least
working with Windstream
to see whom the problem
belongs to.”
The terrible reception
has been a source of frus
tration for dispatchers,
callers and Baird.
The director said Wind-
stream has a problem trans
porting calls, which leaves
dispatchers unable to call
out from the 911 center to
other land line customers,
regardless of the carrier.
“They also have a prob
lem with incoming calls
here, the non-emergency
lines frequently won’t ring
through to us, callers will
get busy signals, inval
id number messages, and
empty air on the lines.”
wrote Baird. “AT&T has
a problem with the 911
transport/routing of calls
to our center and only
one of our three 911 trunk
lines were working, so all
the 911 calls were rout
ed through our cell phone
routers.”
Baird said Windstream,
AT&T and the Federal
Communications Commis
sion (FCC) are all working
on a resolution but do not
have an estimated time on
a resolution or a specific
diagnosis.
“But for the moment, the
system is working from
an end user perspective.”
wrote Baird. “If someone
calls 9-1-1 now, we can re
spond appropriately.”
saved Artie’s life during a
major heart attack on Oct.
26.
•A Madison County dep
uty was charged with mur
der following a domestic
incident in Clarke County
Nov. 10. Winford “Trey”
Adams III, 32, was charged
with murder after Benjamin
Lloyd Cloer, 26, Athens,
was found shot multiple
times at the 6000 block of
Old Jefferson Road. Cloer
was transported to a local
hospital where he was pro
nounced dead.
•Superintendent Michael
Williams told board of ed
ucation members that the
school system plans to de
velop ways to help inform
parents and the community
on the importance of partici
pating in the upcoming 2020
Federal Census.
•“Child Safety Day” was
held Nov. 16 at the Ila Vol
unteer Fire Department off
Hwy. 98.
•Madison County Little
League has a new home,
Colbert Community Park.
The organization has moved
its operation from the coun
ty recreation facilities to two
fields owned by the City of
Colbert.
•An armed robbery was
reported at Tiny Town con
venience store off Hwy. 72
in Carlton at 10:18 p.m.,
Nov. 13.
•Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger visited Mad
ison County, where he met
with election board chair
person Tracy Dean, to dis
cuss the implementation of
new voting machines for
2020 elections.
•The industrial authori
ty discussed past due water
bills by GRP.
•A 5-month-old male has
died from injuries sustained
in a two-vehicle accident on
Hwy. 98 Tuesday, Nov. 19.
A 5-year-old female also
suffered life-threatening in
juries. An 8-year-old boy
was seriously injured and a
34-year-old Madison Coun
ty resident, Tela Wood, was
also injured in an accident
that occurred shortly after
3 p.m. Tuesday when Wood
turned her 1998 4Runner
in front of a 1998 Peterbilt
truck.
•The City of Comer an
nounced Michelle Strick
land as the 2019 Comer
Christmas Parade Grand
Marshal.
•The Journal ran a “day-
in-the-life” feature on Mad
ison County Sheriff’s Office
Lieutenant Jason Ring.
Madison County commis
sioners named Steven Sin
gleton to the board of asses
sors. He replaced Lynn Hix.
•A Madison County wom
an who pulled into the path
of a truck on Hwy. 98 in a
wreck that killed her infant
son and seriously injured
her other two children, ages
5 and 8, was arrested on sev
eral charges, including ho
micide by vehicle in the first
degree, two felony counts
of serious injury by vehicle,
misdemeanor driving under
the influence (DUI)/drugs
and failure to yield the right
of way.
DECEMBER
•County commissioners
agreed that six more chick
en houses can be placed on
property adjoining 12 ex
isting poultry units just off
Hwy. 98 at the Madison/
Jackson county line.
•Laura Minish was elect
ed the new Comer District
3 city council member. She
defeated Tommy R. Appling
in a Dec. 3 runoff by a 28-25
vote.
•Two-term Danielsville
Mayor Todd Higdon bid his
farewells at the city council
table, telling the group he
was proud of them for what
they have accomplished
over the past eight years.
•A number of neighboring
property owners of the new
power plant in Colbert feel
like their health and quality
of life are being negatively
impacted by Georgia Re
newable Power’s decision
to bum creosote-soaked rail
road ties in its biomass facil
ity. And a large crowd turned
out Dec. 5 in the Madison
County High School cafe
teria to hear from a citizens
group that is studying the
issue.
•Citizens concerned about
emissions and noise from the
power plant in Colbert once
again approached Madison
County commissioners, ask
ing that the group to stand
up for those affected by the
business.
•Madison County com
missioners gave the green
light to a three-percent cost-
of-living wage increase for
county employees, while
also approving pay adjust
ments for 30 employees.
•Madison County 911 di
rector Brenan Baird report
ed that many callers from
Windstream land lines in
Madison County can’t reach
911 due to a bad phone con
nection. Conversations are
often unintelligible due to
the static. It’s a Windstream
problem, not a county issue.
And it doesn’t occur on cell
phones.
•County industrial au
thority director Frank Ginn
reported that Georgia Re
newable Power (GRP) is
up-to-date on its water pay
ments to the county.
•State environmental of
ficials issued water runoff
violations to power plants
in Colbert and Carnesville,
while mandating that cor
rective action be taken.
•Madison County resident
Anna Strickland was named
the new executive direc
tor of the Madison County
Chamber of Commerce.
•Georgia Renewable Pow
er (GRP) missed the Dec. 20
deadline to pay its $1.65
million property tax bill to
Madison County, but the
company said the payment
is on the way.
•The Madison Coun
ty Clean Power Coalition
(MCCPC) held its first reg
ular monthly meeting at the
Madison County Library
and about 50 people attend
ed.
•The Journal reported on a
lawsuit in federal court that
claims owners of Greenfuels
Energy misrepresented the
capabilities of their power
plants while seeking foreign
investment, then terminated
those who pointed out the
factual problems in their ap
plication for assistance in a
federal foreign investment
program.
Fun By The Numbers
6
3
4
7
2
9
7
2
1
4
4
8
6
5
8
4
9
1
7
2
5
3
6
2
7
3
8
7
4
5
8
9
6
1
2
9
5
County commissioners
to meet January 6
The Madison County
Board of Commissioners
will meet at 6 p.m., Mon
day, Jan. 6 in the county
government complex.
Agenda items include:
•Chairman’s report
•Hearing and actions on
zoning matters
•Paul Metz is request
ing a conditional use for
an event venue on his 20-
acre parcel, zoned A-l.
The property is located on
Map 98 Parcel 33-01 at the
comer of Russell Road and
Cooper Road in District 4.
•Chris Jones is represent
ing Calwood Properties.
They are requesting to re
zone their 1.53-acre parcel
from B to R-l. The prop
erty is located on Hwy. 72
East, Comer, in District 4.
•Zoning ordinance
amendments if needed.
•Statements and remarks
from citizens on an agenda
item
•Consider an additional
homestead exemption for
senior citizens
•Discuss filling a vacant
position on the planning
and zoning commission
•Discuss a $1,500 salary
increase for the administra
tive assistant position at the
county extension office
•Consider creating a
$5,000 education and train
ing line-item in facility 01.
•Roads update
•Urgent matters
•Closed session to dis
cuss land acquisition, per
sonnel matters and/or po
tential litigation (if needed)
Meeting on Seagraves
Lake set for January 7
The Madison County Industrial Development and
Building Authority will hold a meeting at 6 p.m., Tues
day, Jan. 7 in the historic county courthouse in the
center of Danielsville to discuss the dam at Seagraves
Lake. The public is invited to attend the meeting and
offer input.
GRAHAM RETIRES AS HULL CITY
ATTORNEY AFTER 30 YEARS
Pat Graham retired Dec. 31 with over 30 years of
service to the City of Hull as city attorney. Graham
received an award from Mayor Paul Walton and the
council on behalf of his service Thursday, Dec. 19.
Qualifying to be held in March
Those seeking local elected offices in 2020 can throw
their hats in the ring in March.
Qualifying begins at 9 a.m., Monday, March 2, and
will end at noon Friday, March 6. Primaries and non
partisan elections will be held May 19.
All candidates who wish to qualify for all races will
qualify at the Board of Elections and Registration Of
fice, 94 Spring Lake Drive. Danielsville.
For information, contact Tracy Dean at the Board of
Elections and Registration Office at 706-795-6335.
Qualifying fees are as follows: Sheriff, $1,943.28;
Clerk of Superior Court, $1,591.05; Tax Commission
er, $1,591.05; Probate Judge, $1,591.05; Chairman,
BOC, $1,943.28; BOC, District 1 and 2 Commission
ers, $216; Board of Education, $94.62; and Coroner,
$351.81.
The Madison County Journal is
your source for local news. Call
800-795-2581 to subscribe or visit
MadisonJournalTODAYcom.
Select Fence Group
Select Fence Group: (678) 201-6548