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AUGUST 31, 2023
Merged with The Corner News and The Daniclsvillc Monitor, 2006 4 MadisonJoumalTODAY.com
Vol. 40 No. 30* Publication No. 1074-987* Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. *16 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements $1.00
CHAMBER
DFCS
Scarecrows
coming to cities
By Alison Smith
In its latest initiative in
the county, the Madison
County Chamber of Com
merce recently announced
a new event called “Scare
crows in the Cities.” The
goal of the event is to
engage the community,
showcase local businesses
and add fall decor to the
county’s cities.
The Chamber has orga
nized the new celebration
in coordination with the Pi
oneer Harvest Festival be
ing held on Saturday, Oct.
21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
at the Madison County
Fairgrounds in Comer.
To participate in the
Scarecrows in the Cit
ies event, the Chamber
invites local and nearby
businesses to register for
a scarecrow that they will
construct and decorate in
an agriculture or Pioneer
Harvest theme. Businesses
can include their logos and
signs near their scarecrows
for advertisement.
A spokesperson from the
City of Comer said “[the
city] is excited to collab
orate with the Chamber in
this endeavor to promote
local businesses.” Officials
are encouraging all local
businesses to participate.
The Chamber requests
that the community partic
ipate in multiple ways.
The Chamber will host a
scarecrow decorating con
test on Facebook where
community members can
view each entry and vote
for the favorite with the
most likes. The business
that builds the scarecrow
with the most likes will re
ceive a prize.
In addition, the Cham
ber will host a one-day
See Scarecrows, page 2A
Index
News —1-3A.7A
Opinions — 4A
Crime — 6A
Socials — 3 and 5A, 3B
Schools — 7-8A
Churches — 3B
Obituaries — 4-5B
Sports — 1-2B and 8B
Classifieds — 6B
Legals — 7B
Contact
Phone: 706-367-5233
Email: hannah@mainstreet
news.com
Web: MadisonJoumalTODAYcom
MAILING LABEL
DFCS director out after presentation to BOC
By Alison Smith
Kristy Daniels has accepted a
new role within the Department
of Family and Children’s Services
and will step down as DFCS direc
tor for Madison County. Daniels
has worked in Madison County for
10 years.
The move comes after the Madi
son County Board of Commission
ers invited the former director to
stand before the board at its meet
ing on Aug. 7 to address ongoing
issues with the county DFCS ser
vice.
In the past few years, DFCS divi
sions state-wide have faced multiple
budget cuts and staffing issues. In a
May 2020 article Daniels reported a
14% budget cut in 2020 and 6% cut
in 2019 that were mandated at the
state level.
In that same article, Daniels told
a reporter, “our numbers (child
abuse/neglect) have gone down.”
“With school being out, teachers ar
en’t seeing kids to tell them what’s
going on at home. They’re seeing
them on the computer. But the cases
we’ve been getting have been more
severe.”
At that time, the county DFCS
employed 23 staff to serve 18 fos
ter families and 20 foster children
in addition to serving families who
utilize federal and state assistance
programs and the investigation of
other family issues.
Since the reopening of in-person
school days, the DFCS office has
maintained a two-day per week
schedule and the school system
has had issues with communicating
with the office for reporting, refer
rals and meetings. The office hours
are dictated by the state office.
Superintendent Michael Williams
said local families need a physical
place to go for help. He said that
the system realized internet and
technology issues with COVID
See DFCS, page 2A
EXTENSION
COMER
Photo submitted
Travis Tankersley
Travis Tankersley named
new Extension coordinator
By Hannah Barron
hannah@mainstreetnews. com
Travis Tankersley will be
the new Madison County
Extension Office coordina
tor, effective Sept. 1.
Tankersley has been the
Agriculture and Natural
Resources agent since July,
with his work mainly fo
cusing on weed/insect iden
tification and management.
The transition to the coordi
nator position will include
more responsibilities such
as interpreting and commu
nicating policy, preparing
budgets, organizing and
allocating resources and
maintaining relationships.
In transitioning to be
coordinator, he says he
has attended a variety of
meetings in the county to
meet new people and get
involved. He also has job
training over the next few
months to prepare for the
role.
“I am excited to take on
the responsibilities of coun
ty extension coordinator,”
he says. “I look forward to
finding new ways to reach
more people in the county
to make a greater impact. I
want to make sure that our
office is efficient and effec
tive in what we do.”
Tankersley adds that the
University of Georgia Coop
erative Extension has been
a resource of free, reliable
and research-based informa
tion to citizens for over 100
years. He wants to continue
to serve the community by
being that resource for Mad
ison County as an agent and
coordinator.
When not sharing Exten
sion resources, Tankersley is
a “jack of all trades” and en
joys learning new skills and
working with his hands to
build or fix things. He says
he has dabbled in everything
from remodeling a house
to doing a complete rebuild
on a Duramax engine. In
cluded in his trade knowl
edge is experience in animal
science with a bachelor’s
degree from UGA in that
field. He plans to enroll in
a master’s degree program
in a to-be-determined field
in 2024 to expand his skills
even more.
He also enjoys spending
time with his family. He and
his wife, Rachel, have iden
tical twin girls who are sev
en months old.
Tankersley can be reached
via email at lt73907@uga.
edu, or by office phone at
706-795-2281.
HULL
Hull continues admin moves
By Alison Smith
Despite multiple issues
in the process of re-estab
lishing full government
function in Hull, the city
council made several ac
tions to help move it for
ward at its meeting last
Thursday.
City clerk Sandy Pou
provided a complete finan
cial report for the month of
July 2023 and up-to-date
balances for each of the
city’s accounts. Pou said
she typically does not pro
vide mid-month balance
reports but felt it prudent
with the general fund just
over $12,000 and several
expenses still outstanding.
Pou also reported that
she had obtained access to
the city’s Verizon account,
which includes internet and
cell service to equipment
the city does not have in its
possession.
Pou said that one cell
phone account original
ly had a $965 balance that
someone outside of the city
government paid during
the month of July. The cell
phone service has been
suspended by the city as a
precaution to prevent fur
ther charges and misuse of
city property. In addition,
she explained that Veri
zon had contacted her on
the Wednesday before the
meeting because someone
had attempted to reinstate or
change that service.
Without access to the
mayor’s phone number, the
council briefly discussed
purchasing another cell
phone for the current mayor
John Barber to use in his of
ficial capacity. That decision
was tabled, as the members
See Hull, page 2A
TAX: Comer holds
millage rate steady
By Alison Smith
The Comer City Coun
cil voted Monday to keep
its millage rate for next
year at 4 mills. The may
or cited increased revenue
from rising property as
sessments as the primary
reason not to increase the
rate. The millage rate in
the city has been the same
since 2017.
The increased revenues
are helping with sever
al infrastructure projects
within the city. Utilities
superintendent Scott Por
ter reported that one of the
sewer improvement proj
ects to repair 2,800 feet of
disintegrated sewer pip
ing will begin in the next
week. The other project to
upgrade the sewer pond is
also moving forward.
In other infrastruc
ture project updates, the
mayor announced mul
tiple road paving plans.
Arnold Park Drive will be
paved from Laurel to Clover
streets. Several new homes
have been constructed along
Arnold Park Drive, and the
city has been waiting to
pave it until the completion
of those homes. Hill Street
will be repaired from Sunset
to the railroad tracks. That
street had been damaged by
large truck traffic. The may
or received a bid from Gar
rett Paving in the amount
of $88,000 for the paving
projects. Garrett is contract
ed through the county and
will extend a lower rate to
the city as part of that agree
ment.
The next Christmas in
Comer planning meeting is
scheduled for Sept. 14 at the
Travel Museum at 6 p.m.
More information on the
celebration may be found
at https://www.cityofcom-
er.com/christmas-in-com-
er-2023.
ELECTIONS
Qualifying results
Madison County candi
dates tossed their hats in
the ring last week for the
2023 general municipal
election. Qualifying for
local elections ended on
Friday, Aug. 25.
Here’s a look at who
qualified:
CARLTON
Incumbent Cynthia
Hobbs was the only one
to qualify for the Carlton
mayor seat. Tim Seymour
and Amanda Willis will
also run unopposed for the
respective council member
post 1 and post 2 seats.
Carlton will have a battle
to fill the remainder of the
unexpired term for the post
5 seat, which is currently
vacant after the resignation
of Pete Wagenaar. The two
candidates facing off are
Ed Soto and Mark Staley.
Carlton residents will
also have a question up for
vote on November’s ballot.
Voters will be asked if they
support the stopping of the
addition of fluoride into the
water produced through
the city’s water treatment
system.
COLBERT
In Colbert, all three rac
es will be uncontested.
Incumbent Tim Wyatt
was the only one to quali
fy for the mayor seat. For
the council member post
1 seat, incumbent Roger
Fortson was also the lone
qualifier.
Michelle Cole is slated
to run unopposed to fill the
council member post 2 seat
that was left vacant after the
resignation of Jonathan Pou.
COMER
Comer will see a battle for
two positions.
Joey Wilbon will face
off against incumbent Jim
my Yarbrough for Comer
mayor. There will also be a
race against Henrietta Gantt
Browne and Tommy R. Ap
pling for the council member
district 3 seat.
For the council member
district 2 seat, incumbent
Ron Farren will run unop
posed.
DANIELSVILLE
Danielsville’s election will
have a battle for the mayor
seat with Michelle Cleveland
facing off against incumbent
Michael Wideman.
Incumbent Nancy Federi
co will run uncontested for
the council member post 1
seat and Cyle Cox will also
ran uncontested for post 2.
Danielsville residents will
have a question up for vote
on the ballot. Voters will be
asked if they approve the
issuance of licenses for the
package sale of distilled spir
its.
ILA
For Ha’s races, only the
incumbents qualified. They
are: Michael Coile, mayor;
Brian Kelly, council mem
ber; and Troy Butler, council
member.