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PAGE 2A — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. DECEMBER 31,2020 2020 ..cont’d from 1A session. •The Danielsville City Council postponed action on a rezoning for a proposed facility for the Department of Family and Children’s Ser vices. •Josh Kincaid captured his second state wrestling tide. •A federal Racketeer Influ enced and Corrupt Organiza tions (RICO) lawsuit against GRP was dismissed. •Former Madison Coun ty deputy Trey Adams, who admitted to shooting a man he believed was having an affair with his wife, was indicted on felony murder charges in Clarke County. •Madison County was rec ognized by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusi ness and Economic Devel opment for having the top farm gate value in the state for 2018. •National Salvage and Ser vice Corporation, which man aged railroad ties at the GRP plant in Colbert, received a “notice of violation" Feb. 5 from the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) for failure to adhere to state regulations on handling the crossties at the GRP’s Colbert facility. •The City of Danielsville offered the county govern ment its sewer system. •Edward Lee Wessinger, Jr., 42, of Amoldsville, was arrested after allegedly pull ing a knife on a bus driver and a store clerk. MARCH •County commission ers considered a proposal to make Madison County a "Second Amendment Sanc tuary” county. •County elections official Tracy Dean asked commis sioners for more storage space for new voting equip ment. •A man suffered a medi cal emergency and drove his vehicle into the Bread Bas ket in Comer. No one was injured. •Commission chairman John Scarborough re-entered the 2020 race. •City, county and school officials met in the Danielsville City Hall and discussed a proposed county DFCS facility. •Friday the 13 th — the day it all changed. Businesses shut down, schools closed, government offices closed. Panic buying ensued over the spread of COVID-19, leading to toilet paper shortages. •Madison County had its first confirmed case of COVID-19. Citizens were urged to stay home, keep their distance and help stop the spread of the virus. APRIL •The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) reported the first COVID-19 death in Madison County, a 71-year-old man with pre-ex isting conditions. •The Journal highlighted 10-year-old Kaytlin Thorn ton, who worked to sew face masks for health care work ers. Trinity Baptist quilters also busied themselves with the same task. •Madison County teachers discussed the challenges of trying to educate children in a completely online way. •Gov. Brian Kemp announced a shelter-in-place order through April 13 and announced that school would not return in person through the end of the school year. He then extended the shelter-in- place order until April 30. •Madison County deputies discussed policing in a pan demic with The Journal. •Primary elections were pushed back to June 9 due to the pandemic. •Danielsville Baptist Church Pastor Robert Burt was back home on Eas ter weekend after battling COVID-19 in intensive care. •County commissioners approved a contract to replace the leaking roof at the old county courthouse in the cen ter of Danielsville. •Gov. Kemp ordered that gyms, fitness centers, bowl ing alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, aestheticians, their respective schools and massage thera pists to re-open their doors April 24, with theaters, social clubs and restaurant dine in services able to open April 27. •Brian Dellinger, 44, of Colbert was killed in a skid steer accident April 22 at a property off Hwy. 172 in Col bert. •The Danielsville City Council approved a rezoning for a proposed new DFCS facility off Hwy. 29 at the site of the old school board office. •The Madison County Journal featured Cortney Gunter and her COVID-19 experience. •A staff member at the Comer Nursing Home tested positive for coronavirus. •The Madison County Chamber of Commerce held a virtual state-of-the county event. •The Journal featured Danielsville Baptist Church pastor Robert Burt and his recovery from COVID-19. MAY •The Journal focused on how businesses search for normalcy during strange times. •The Madison County Chamber of Commerce host ed an online political debate for local candidates. •The industrial authority discussed county water sup ply concerns. •The Journal featured Mad ison County High School valedictorian Taylor Evans and Salutatorian Aidan Rus- sell-McCorkle. •A group of about 20 peo ple attended a two-mile run/ walk in Comer in honor of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed as he jogged through a Brunswick neigh borhood in February. •A man attacked Broad River kayakers, threatening to kill them •County commissioners approved a nine-percent increase over the next year in insurance premium payments for county employee health care coverage. •Comer Health and Reha bilitation officials confirmed that 56 residents and nine staff members tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, with one hospitalized. •Willie Andrea Howard, 48, Athens, drowned when his boat sank while he fished on Seagraves Lake May 12. •Madison County High School held a virtual gradua tion for the Class of 2020 on May 22. •State investigators deter mined that a fire around 2:10 a.m„ Wednesday, May 20, at a Madison County residence, was intentionally set. JUNE •A Minneapolis police offi cer was charged with murder ing George Floyd, who died with his neck under the officer's knee. This death sparked unrest in the country not seen since 1968. •The county industrial authority forgave GRP’s con struction debt of $346,887 in exchange for $1 million in escrow money to improve water system. •Four Madison County residents were among 68 people charged in a large- scale drug trafficking inves tigation dubbed "Operation Wu Block,’’ which yielded the seizure of kilos of meth- amphetamine and heroin. Madison County residents charged included Benjamin Bray, 23; Ashley Davis, 26: Bruce Hicks, 39; and Ronald Kelley, 49. •County primary elections were held. Winners of con tested elections included Dennis Adams, BOC Dis trict 1: Katie Cross, Clerk of Court; and Cindy Nash and Brenda Moon, county school board. Runoffs were set between Terry Chandler and Grant Gillespie, BOC GOP District 2; Todd Higdon and John Scarborough, BOC chairman; and Tripp Strick land and Rob Leverett, House District 33. •City leaders met in the Comer Travel Museum and voiced dismay with a county bond resolution plan to allo cate Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds. •Two Madison County school mentors, Ryan Melton and Jane Fitzpatrick, were recognized for seeing their mentees from kindergarten through graduation. •Madison County depu ty Mason Bennett and Cpl. Zach Brooks pulled two teens from a burning Jeep after they crashed it head on into a tree inside Clarke County. •Colbert icons John Wag goner, long-time mayor, and Jack Fortson, former county sheriff, both passed away on June 16. •An in-person graduation was held for Madison County Class of 2020 graduates on the Red Raider football field June 20. •The Madison County Journal featured Eric Keen, a former shift supervisor for Veolia, the company manag ing GRP plants in Camesville and Colbert, who spoke of company practices at the Car- nesville plant. •Darrious Showers plead ed guilty in Madison County Superior Court to the 2019 murder of retired Marine vet eran Samuel David Jordan. He received a life sentence and will be in prison until at least 2049. JULY •Paul Aaron Poss, 72, died in a fire at 107 South Sixth Street in Colbert. •Legislators unanimously passed HB857, which bans the burning of creosote-treat ed wood as a fuel source at biomass energy facilities, such as the ones in Colbert and Camesville. The action followed months of protests from citizens about the nega tive effects of the practice on their health and well being. •The Madison Coun ty School System released guidelines on returning to school. Masks were man dated in classroom settings and whenever social distanc ing was not possible. Online school options were given to those who were uncomfort able returning to in-person instruction. •The state cut the Madi son County School System budget by $3.4 million for 2020-21. •Madison County com missioners voted 3-2 — with Lee Allen and Theresa Bettis voting "No” — to purchase the old Brown funeral home building on Albany Avenue in a $325,000 lease/purchase agreement to be paid over three years. •William Martin, who lived alone at 7668 Wildcat Bridge Road, died in a fire at his home July 10. •The Georgia Supreme Court extended a statewide judicial emergency. •A Commerce teenager, See ‘Hindsight’ on 3A Madison Co. BOC to meet Jan. 4 The Madison County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 4 in the public meeting room of the county government complex Social distancing protocol will be followed and masks are required. Agenda items include: •Chairman’s report •Hearing and actions on zoning matters •Shirley Lightner is representing Judd Theryl in his request to rezone his 1.8-acre parcel from B to R-l. The property is located on Wesley Chapel Road on Map 23 Parcel 127 in District 1. •Ken Scoville is requesting to rezone his 7.83-acre property from A-l to R-R to combine with his adjoining property where he lives. The property is located off of Lem Edwards Road on Morris Creek Drive on Map 47 Parcel 85-A in District 5. •Amy Dowell is requesting to rezone 1.86 acres of her 11.86-acre property from A-1 to R-1 to give to her niece for a home site. The property is located on Brickyard Road on Map 84 Parcel 45 in District 5. •Joshua Pruitt is representing Anita Evans in her request to rezone approximately two acres of her 4.98-acre parcel from A-2 to R-R. The remaining 2.98 acres will be combined with the adjacent property. The property is located on Evans Drive on Map 52 Parcel 123 in District 2. •Eugene Knight is representing Debra Hanson in her request to rezone 2.4 acres to give to her nephew to add to his adjacent property. The property is located on Della Slaten Road on Map 102 Parcel 33 in District 4. •Ned Butler with Reliant Homes is representing Pridgen Enterprises in their request to rezone 64.419 acres from A-2 to R-l for phase two of Woodbury Subdivision. The property is located on Spratlin Mill Road on Map 32 Parcel 62 in District 3. •Adam Swann is requesting to rezone his 39.3-acre parcel from A-l to R-l to combine with his adjoining property for a major subdivision. The property is located on Garnett Ward Road on Map 31 parcel 12 in District 3. •Adam Swann is requesting to rezone his 35.3-acre parcel from A-l to R-l to combine with his adjoining property for a major subdivision. The property is located on Garnett Ward Road on Map 31 Parcel 11-01A in District 3. •Statements and remarks from citizens on the agenda item •Consider authorizing payment of vacation leave in excess of 240 hours in year 2020 due to reduced staffing with COVID-19 pandemic. •Roads update •Urgent matters •Closed session to discuss real estate acquisition, personnel matters and/or potential litigation Fatality ..cont’d from 1A State Patrol Lt. W. Mark Riley, "the investigation found that a silver Volkswagen Jetta was in operation in the left travel lane and a gold Chevrolet Traverse was in opera tion in the right travel lane. While traveling westbound on State Route 72, the gold Chevrolet Traverse struck the pedestrian with its front left bumper while operating in its lane of travel. Shortly after, the silver Volkswagen Jetta struck the pedestrian, who was lying in the roadway at that time. The pedestrian did not survive their injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene. Neither driver of the vehicles complained of injuries. No charges are expected to be filed in this investigation.” Fox, who was the mother of a 9-year-old boy who was not in her custody, was originally from Florida, said Harrison. Her address was listed as Watkinsville. but she had recently living off Jack Sharp Road. Call 245-2695 24 Hour Obituary News Compliments of tf'nrill ^Funeral f/Come, f/nc. “Locally Owned and Operated Since 1905” 47 Franklin Springs St. RoystomGA3066^^^^^^^(706)24^234 Worship regularly at the church of your choice! For more information on becoming a church page sponsor, please call 706-367-5233 5265 For all your Printing needs Ginger armour 1 Rapid- plumbing | ROOTER. 543-9850 U«| 543-1234 V® at Plumbing & Septic Service 706-654-8449 Gary H. Armour & Staff 539 General Daniel Ave., N. Danielsville, GA 30633 (706)795-3144 GEORGIA METALS, INC. GeorgiaMetals.com 12403 ^fiMedidne ROWE INSULATING CO. 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