Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A- THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 20. 2023
Ag
continued from 1A
is what has helped them
the most, they say.
Both are members of
the Ladies Homestead
Gathering. That group
has helped them with lo
cal resources to trouble
shoot problems and learn
skills.
They’re building com
munity in other ways,
too. Wilson is planning
to buy a dairy cow to
share with her neighbors.
Her family is active with
the Cattlemen’s Associa
tion. She says she often
collaborates with fel
low meat seller, Iron Pin
Ranch, to refer custom
ers without a competitive
attitude.
Starr and her daughter
are on the lookout for
more classes and want to
get more involved with
trading for local goods.
She mentions obtaining
lumber for her fencing
from a neighbor when
she first bought goats.
Neighborhood and
community connections
are only some of the
old-fashioned agricultur
al traditions these newer
residents are learning.
Starr and Wilson are
also passing their skills
and love for the lifestyle
to new generations.
Michelle has three gen
erations living on their
property. Her mother,
uncle, daughter and her
family live on the land
they purchased.
“It’s a playground for
the grandkids,” she says.
Her six grandkids reg
ularly help her with the
goats and picking the
garden as she watch
es them during the day.
With the multi-genera
tional living, her daugh
ter’s family has also
eliminated the need for
costly day care.
Barbara’s children are
also grown and they are
expressing interest in a
homesteading lifestyle.
She thinks one or both of
her children will contin
ue the farm and stay in
the county.
Staying in the county
they have intentional
ly chosen is important.
Both say they hope the
county will maintain its
rural nature and would
actively participate in
protecting their new way
of life.
“I love it,” Starr ex
plains in saying the
county is exactly what
her family wanted in the
quality of life they have
built.
Their growing love of
agriculture may be new
compared to the seasoned
farmers who have lived
in the county for gener
ations. Their knowledge
may be growing, too.
What is the same is the
growing connection with
the local community and
a conviction to give an
inheritance of self-reli
ance and welfare associ
ated with farming.
Death
continued from 1A
he lost control traveling
off the north shoulder
of the roadway. At some
point during the depar
ture from the roadway,
Epps reportedly suffered
a self-inflicted gunshot
wound to the temple.
He then traveled across
Hwy. 59 and off the
south shoulder travel
ing through a chain-link
fence and into the side of
a metal shop. Epps suc
cumbed to his injuries on
scene.
The crash is still under
investigation at this time.
PLEASE READ THEN
REYCLE THIS PAPER
NOTICE
The Mayor and Council for the City of Hull will
resume regular monthly council meetings on the
4th Thursday of each month beginning, Thurs
day, July 27, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Until
further notice said meetings will take place at the
meeting room at the Hull Fire Department.
Sandra Pou City Clerk
Is it the right time
for you to Buy or
Sell a home?
Let us help you to make an informed decision.
GEMSTONE REALTY, INC.
770-883-4527
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TlclXOS continued from 1A
SCHOOL
SYSTEM
The Madison County
School System is still in
talks about its proposed
millage rate and may
look to do a rollback,
superintendent Michael
Williams said. He added
that he doesn’t know how
much of a rollback that
would be yet.
The current rate is at
15.49 mills, which is 1.846
mills (13.53%) higher than
the rollback millage.
Since there could be an
increase over the rollback
rate, Georgia law requires
three public hearings to be
held to allow the public
an opportunity to express
their opinions.
The BOE will have three
public hearings at 800
Madison St. in Daniels-
ville. Hearings will be held
on August 1 at 7:30 a.m
and 6:30 p.m. An addition
al public hearing will be
held at the same location
on August 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Lost art database joins search for church bell
An intemation- been registered
al lost art data- with the Art Loss
base has joined Register (ALR),
the search for the which is regard-
Waggoners Grove ed as the largest
Baptist Church private database
bell that was sto- of lost, stolen and
len in March. looted art, antiques
The bell has and collectibles.
According to the
ALR’s website,
items are added to
the database on be
half of victims, in
surers, police forc
es and others. The
database is then
used to identify sto
len items as they
move through the
art market to secure
their recovery.
“I am grateful that
the lost art database
reached out to me,”
Madison Coun
ty Sheriff’s Office
Investigator Chris
Guest said. “[Wag
goners Grove] is a
good church with
good people.”
There are no new
leads on the bell’s
whereabouts at this
time.
County VFDs seeking volunteer firefighters
Madison County vol
unteer fire departments
are looking for volun
teers to become quali
fied firefighters.
Madison County does
not have any paid fire
fighters and communi
ties in the county rely on
citizens to volunteer to
help each other during
emergencies, home or
business fires, automo
bile accidents, and natu
ral disasters, like winter
storms or hurricanes.
“When you volunteer
to become a firefighter,
you serve and protect your
family, your friends and
your neighbors, while sav
ing our Madison County
taxpayers hundreds of
thousands of dollars each
year,” VFD leaders said.
They noted that is not
your average volunteer
opportunity because
during and after training
you must attend up to eight
hours of training a month,
and when available, you
respond to emergency —
fire calls at all hours, day
or night and any weather
conditions.
“These are physically
challenging and some
time dangerous jobs, but
the rewards of service to
others in the community,
outweigh the risks and
time commitments,” VFD
leaders said.
Afirefighter must be able
to pass a physical, a back
ground check, a firefighter
agility test and complete
over 100 hours of training
in the first 18 months of
service to become a state
registered volunteer fire
fighter. There are also op
portunities to become sup
port volunteer firefighters
that require only 40 hours
of training.
So, if you have the de
sire to help others, don’t
mind working hard to
serve your community and
potentially earn a pension,
email madisoncountyres-
cue.ga@gmail.com.
Madison County Board of Commissioners
NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The Madison County Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted a millage rate which
will require an increase in property taxes by 0.00 percent in the unincorporated area and
8.36 percent in the incorporated area.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held in the
Public Meeting Room of the Government Annex in Danielsville on July 31, 2023 at 9:00 AM
and 6:00 PM.
Time and place of an additional public hearing on this tax increase is in the Public Meeting
Room of the Government Annex in Danielsville August 7, 2023 at 6:00 PM.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 9.777 mills, an increase of 0 mills
for the unincorporated area and a millage rate of 10.9280 mills, an increase of 0.843
mills for the incorporated area. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will
be no more than 9.777 mills for the unincorporated area and 10.9280 mills for the incor
porated area. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $100,000
is approximately $0 in the unincorporated area and $32.03 in the incorporated area. The
proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $100,000
is approximately $0.00 in the unincorporated area and $33.72 in the incorporated area.
City of Comer General Election
The City of Comer will hold a General Municipal Election on Tuesday November 7, 2023.
The following offices are scheduled for election:
Mayor- - Incumbent: Jimmy Yarbrough - - Term of Office: 4 Years
Council District 2 - - Incumbent: Ron Farren - - Term of Office: 4 Years
Council District 3 - - Incumbent: Vacant - - Term of Office: 4 Years
Candidates for Mayor must be at least 18 years of age, must be a resident of Comer and a
registered voter. Candidates for Council must be at least 18 years of age, must be a resident
of Comer, and a registered voter for the district for which they qualify. Qualifying will be
gin on Monday, August 21, 2023 at 8:30 A.M. and will close on Friday, August 25, 2023 at
4:30 P.M. at the Comer City Hall at 70 Hwy 72 E, Comer, Georgia, from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30
P.M. each day. Section 21-2-131 (a)(l)A of the State of Georgia Municipal Election Code re
quires a qualifying fee of $60.00 for Mayoral candidates and $45.00 for Council candidates.
Early voting will be held at the Madison County Board of Elections and Registration Office
located at 20 Albany Avenue, Danielsville, Georgia as follows:
October 16 - 20 • 8:00 A.M. - 5 P.M.
October 21 • 9 A.M. - 5 P.M.
October 23 - 27 • 8 A.M. - 5 P.M.
October 28 • 9 A.M. - 5 P.M.
October 30 - November 3*8 A.M. - 5 P.M.
Absentee ballots will be available at the same location beginning October 16, 2023. The
polls will be open on Election Day, November 7, 2023, at the Comer Travel Museum at
1984 Center Street, Comer, Georgia, from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Electorates who wish to vote in the November 7, 2023 City of Comer General Municipal
Election must be registered on or before October 10, 2023.
Questions should be directed to Donna Hawks, City of Comer Elections Superintendent,
at (706) 783-4552.