Newspaper Page Text
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JUNE 22, 2023
Merged with The Comer News and The Daniclsvillc Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumalTODAY.com
Vol. 40 No. 20* Publication No. 1074-987* Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. *12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
$1.00
PUBLIC SAFETY
Madison
County
man
charged
with
burglary,
arson
Insurance and Safety Fire
Commissioner John F. King
announced today that James
Tarpkins, 66, of Commerce,
has been charged with bur
glary and arson.
On June 2, investigators
from the State Fire Marshal’s
Office responded to a fire loss
on Minish Rd. at the request
of the Madison County Sher
iff’s Office. At the time of
the fire, the property owner
had not resided in the dwell
ing for more than a year. The
residence was completely
destroyed as a result of the
incident.
“After speaking with wit
nesses, investigators learned
that Mr. Tarpkins was seen
lurking around the home
for several days prior to the
fire,” said King. “Multiple
articles of jewelry and a per
sonal sword collection were
reported stolen by a visiting
family friend on the day of
the incident, who also saw
the suspect near the property.
Additionally, responding fire
fighters spotted Mr. Tarpkins’
ATV in the nearby woods,
which suspiciously disap
peared during the blaze.”
In conjunction with infor
mation from the Madison
County Fire Department and
the property owner, Tarpkins
was identified as the primary
suspect. Tarpkins was taken
into custody by the Madison
County Sheriff’s Office on
June 11.
Index
News — 1-3A
Opinions — 4A
Crime — 6A
Socials — 3 and 5A
Schools — 7A
Churches — 5A
Obituaries — 8A
Sports — 12A
Classifieds — 9A
Legals —10-11A
Contact
Phone: 706-367-5233
Web: MadisonJoumalTODAY.com
Email: hannah@mainstreenews.
com
MAILING LABEL
COLBERT
Final design plans for Red Canna Park presented
By Hannah Barron
hannah@mainstreetnews.com
Red Canna Park, formerly
known as Colbert Community
Park, is getting revamped after
the site has largely become un
derused and neglected.
The 21-acre site saw its heyday
in the 1970s and could use reno
vation to be utilized in the best
way possible for the area’s grow
ing community.
The Colbert City Council
budgeted to get the project go
ing last year and the Red Canna
Park Committee, who recently
started a 501c3, has been tasked
with creating the new vision. The
committee has been working with
Smith Planning Group out of
Watkinsville to redesign the site.
In a presentation to the Mad
ison County Rotary Club last
week, committee president Josh
Combs said the revamped park
would take full advantage of the
site, provide recreation facilities
for the Colbert side of the coun
ty, give kids a safe place to play
away from the busy traffic cor
ridor and act as another location
for community events.
“I would really like to try to
take something that’s kind of got
a little bit of tradition there but
has been neglected by city offi
cials over the past 20 years, and
really revamp it and turn it into
something that the community
could use and that the community
wants,” he said.
The finalized plan includes a
pavilion, perimeter walking trail,
multi-use field, ADA-accessible
playground, fenced-in dog park,
skate park, updated restrooms
and convertible courts for tennis,
basketball and pickleball.
According to Combs, the
ADA-accessible playground and
dog park are key as there aren’t
See Park, page 2A
SKATE PARK
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OPEN PLAY AREA
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ACTIVE PLAY AREA
"Overflow parking area
Peometor Fooco
DOG PARK AREA
PICNIC PAVILION AREA
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aleoiate Community Garden
PARK ENTRANCE
Perimeter Fence
8IKE TRAIL AREA
NATURE DISCOVERY TRAIL
SMITH
PLANNING
GROUP
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MISIC
i e Woodland Trail
CITY OF COLBERT PARK
CONCEPTUAL PLAN
i ntuwii.PMir •
2022 conceptual plan
Photo submitted
HULL
Barber elected as next Hull mayor after special election
John Barber, a for- ment, will be the next
mer city councilmem- mayor of Hull,
her and current fire- In the unofficial re
fighter with the Hull suits from Tuesday’s
Volunteer Fire Depart- special election, he
defeated Paul Walton next Post 3 coun-
39-9. cilmember after she
In other Hull elec- defeated Jerry Wil-
tion results, Kathy loughby 38-10. Cindy
Connell will be the Bozeman will be the
Post 4 councilmem- be the Post 2 coun-
ber after defeating cilmember.
Marilyn Walton 39-9. 22.75% of regis-
Shawn Bozeman, who tered voters in Hull
ran unopposed, will cast a ballot.
COUNTY
Kennel issues take center stage at county meetings
By Hannah Barron
hannah@mainstreetnews.com
Animal kennels recently
took center stage at county
meetings.
During the Board of Com
missioner’s June 5 public
hearing, property owner
Marcia Young requested
to rezone her two adjoin
ing properties of 6.48 and
7.07 acres from A1 to A2 to
combine into one parcel and
bring into compliance with
zoning regulations.
The properties, located at
6274 and 6278 Hwy. 191 in
Comer, are currently the site
of Little Heart’s Kennel.
Young said the request
was to help the business
maintain its livelihood and
that it would not adversely
affect the community, but
her request was opposed
by several neighboring res
idents.
One item of concern men
tioned was the volume of
dogs. Planning and Zon
ing Commission chairman
Conolus Scott noted that
the owner reports having
around 200 dogs on the
property.
Residents’ concerns in
cluded the possibility for fe
cal matter runoff and noise
related to the high volume.
They were also concerned
about the welfare of the
dogs at the kennel.
“200 dogs is an outrage
— nobody can take care of
that many dogs,” Meredith
Patterson said. “My concern
is for the animals, so I want
to speak on their behalf and
I just hope that we don’t
legitimize a puppy mill by
giving them permission to
continue operating this ken
nel.”
She noted that the high
volume could impact the
ability to feed dogs well,
properly care for them and
give them access to the out
side area.
Lisa Milot, an Ath-
ens-Clarke County resident
and professor on animal
welfare law, has worked
with jurisdictions on animal
welfare cases before and
spoke about documented
issues at Little Heart’s Ken
nel.
According to Milot, Little
See Kennels, page 2A
FEATURE
Beekeeper club abuzz with activity and helping hands
By Alison Smith
On the fourth Monday evening of every
month, a hive of activity surrounds a large meet
ing room in Danielsville. At the center of that
event are several men, but Tom Hankins leads
the swarm at the moment.
The Beekeepers of Madison County meet on
those Mondays and Tom is serving as president
of the group.
The group started with five members in his
home about six years ago and has multiplied to
over 200 paying members. On a recent Monday
meeting, the room contained well over 100 peo
ple. Tom says it is one of the biggest in the area.
It’s the biggest because of the community Tom
and the founding members have built in the past
six years. The meetings include an instructional
seminar, but the night buzzes with activities.
The club’s secretary, Angie Meyers, greets
members and guests by name. Tom’s wife, April-
la, helps organize a pot-luck supper. The group
has so much food, ladies travel from table-to-ta-
ble at the end of the night asking participants to
“make another plate.” The hottest event of the
night is a raffle, where participants bring items
from home to give away.
Some bring eggs and home baked items. Oth
ers have searched through sheds and garages to
bring tools and gadgets.
But the biggest noise is the constant chatter
among the tables. Young and older men, young
ladies and older women discuss like old friends,
even when many have just met.
Tom and the founders have built a true com
munity around their love of caring for bees
and that is what he says sets it apart from other
groups.
“I teach about all I know so that when the time
comes, [others] can teach someone else,” he ex
plains, then admits he sometimes neglects his
own bees to help others.
Any given day, Tom invites new beekeepers
to his house for instruction. He even brings out a
model hive and honeycomb to illustrate. A visit
to his house will be interrupted with calls from
See Beekeeper, page 2A
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