About The Madison County journal. (Hull, Ga.) 1989-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 2025)
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2025 - PAGE 7A State News State audit of Georgia Family Connection produces mixed results By Ty Tagami Capitol Beat News Service A program that was intended to improve Georgia’s ranking on indicators of child “well-being” has produced mixed results, ac cording to a state audit. Georgia lawmakers asked for an examination of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, which received $30 million in funding in fiscal year 2024, more than a quarter of it from the state. The special examination by the Georgia Department of Au dits and Accounts found evi dence of positive impact on the high school graduation and teen birth rate measures. But the agency found no evidence of a positive impact on three others: child abuse and neglect, low birthweight babies and children in poverty. The partnership told auditors that the results should be char acterized as “promising” instead of “mixed,” but the auditors dis agreed, saying it would be “mis leading” to do so. “We also considered that there is limited support in the aca demic literature to demonstrate collaborative-type entities lead to improved outcomes,” the au ditors wrote. The review was requested by the Georgia House Appropria tions Committee, which has a leading role in writing the annu al state budget. Georgia Family Connection (GFC) is a statewide initiative that was established in 1991 af ter Georgia ranked 48th out of 50 states on the child well-being indicators created by an organi zation called Kids Count. The GFC grew as state law makers allocated funding. Then, in 2001, a new state-level orga nization called Georgia Family Connection Partnership was cre ated. By the next year, all 159 Georgia counties had joined the partnership. In addition to state funding — $8.3 million in fiscal 2024 — the program gets federal, local and private money. “Although the Partnership and collaboratives receive a state ap propriation, there is no statute outlining their responsibilities,’ the auditors noted. They fount that the partnership’s strength is also a weakness: it operates or a unique, decentralized model This allows for local decisioi making but “creates challenges for ensuring impact,” the audi tors wrote. Their report makes no rec ommendations to state lawmak ers. It notes that the progran is unique in the United States but three states have programs with similar elements: Alabama Florida and Tennessee. Courts deliberate over how to incorporate AI into the justice system By Ty Tagami Capitol Beat News Service It started harmlessly enough, with kids using artificial intelligence to cheat on their writing assignments, but the technology has become a palpable threat to society as law yers and others in the justice system have conducted novel experiments with it and even clearly misused it. In the five years since OpenAI unleashed Chat GPT-3 on the public, people have found creative and sometimes unwise uses for the technology, including attorneys who harnessed it to write briefs with fake cita tions. Recognizing the risk, the Georgia Su preme Court undertook a 10-month review in August and released new recommenda tions on Thursday. The state’s high court proposes a three- year process to adapt to AI. It will start with establishing leadership and governance and conclude with new policies and processes for all the courts in Georgia’s judicial system. There will be community engagement, process reviews, education and training, and the establishment of business and tech nology architectures along the way. The committee behind the new report, “Artificial Intelligence and Georgia’s Courts,” was led by Justice Andrew A. Pin son. It incorporates observations by the State Bar of Georgia’s Board of Governors, who produced their own report on the risks of AI in early June. The bar’s report said revisions to a rule of conduct for lawyers was “particularly criti cal” because it was about their competence and proficiency with technology. “It is the committee’s assessment GenAI tools will in short order become ubiqui tous,” the bar report’s authors wrote. Pinson’s committee cited numerous ex amples of AI uses that occurred just during the 10 months of their review process, such as the Indiana Supreme Court’s introduc tion of AI for voice-to-text transcriptions, the Arizona Supreme Court’s use of AI av atars to deliver news about rulings by their justices, and a family’s use of AI to create a victim impact statement by their dead rela tive during the sentencing phase of the trial over his road rage death. “A key challenge the committee faced during its work is the rapidly evolving nature of a technology new to courts and organizations across the country,” Pinson’s committee concluded. The panel noted acceptable uses for AI such as for research and scheduling, unac ceptable uses such as for jury selection and “black box” sentencing algorithms, and po tential uses that need more study and testing such as language translation and sentencing and risk assessments. A INICTDECET I A CCICIE DC Place Classified Ads Online MVAIND I Ktt I CLASSIFIEDS MAINSTREETNEWS.COM 160 NOTICES 280 WANT TO BUY NOTICE OF AUCTION. Pursuant to the Georgia Self-Service Storage Facility Act, Ga. Code Ann. 10-4-210 et seq., due to default in payments, Sunshine Self Storage 2250 N Hwy 129 Bus, Jefferson GA 30549, 706- 387-0025, will perform an online auc tion on iBid4storage.com ending 5/9/25 at 6p.m. The following units will be auctioned to the highest bid der: #530 Daniel Levine: Furniture, Clothes, misc items. See website for photos 7/18. Subject to cancellation. LOOKING TO BUY Pottery & Folk Art. Any quantity. 706-963-0811. LAND FOR SALE Madison County 111 acres 1/2 woods, 1/2 pasture, small pond, double creeks flowing through property for wager recre ation or farm land. 10K acre 706- 621-0172 daytime only 600 HOME CARE SERVICES 180 FOR SALE IS YOUR AMERICAN FLAG OLD AND FADED? American flags (without pole kit) for sale at The Jackson Herald office in Jefferson, $17. Proceeds go to local Boy Scouts. 220 YARD SALES GARAGE SALE 406 Hidden Lakes Trail, Jefferson, Saturday, 8am-3. Dishes, lamps, books, plants, linens, patio set, clothes, shoes. Lots of things to choose from! 300 ESTATE SALES MARTHA ABERNATHY ESTATE SALE 17 St. Germaine Place, Winder, Paris Pointe Subdivision. Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, July 11, 12, & 13, 10am-3 everyday. Cain & Cain Estate Sales ESTATESALES.NET JACKSON COUNTY DOUBLE- WIDE 3/2 off of new cut road outside Braselton on 2 acres very private owner financing 8k down 1076 mt plus 155 mt escrow 3.49 percent fixed 30 yrs or 248k cash 770-882-8419 AFFORDABLE JUNK REMOVAL APPLIANCES • LAWNMOWERS • Furniture. Also available for clean up and haul out of Basements • Attics • Garages • Barns • Out buildings. Please call Jimmy & Jen at 770-601-8989. Veteran Owned. SAVE $350 when you transform your patio into an outdoor oasis. 380 HELP WANTED EMPLOYEE WANTED FOR small horse farm located in Statham, Ga. Feed/Groom Horses. Fur nished living quarters available on property plus weekly pay. 404- 290-1142. 440 REAL ESTATE, FARMS & LAND FOR SALE JACKSON COUNTY NICHOLSON 3/2 double wide on 1 acre full length covered porch owner fi nancing 8k dn 1076 mt plus 150 mt escrow 3.49 percent fixed 30 yrs or 248k cash 770-882-8419 580 BUSINESS SERVICES PLUMBING SERVICE TECHNI CIAN. GEORGIA Plumbing Ser vices, Inc. is hiring experienced plumber for this position. Top pay and benefits. Contact John Mc Daniel; 404.694.8886 / gaplumb- ing@comcast.net The Secret of Success Is To Look Cool And Calm On The Surface And To Be Paddling Like Heck Underneath! At MainStreet Newspapers, our "success" means doing whatever it takes to Help our advertisers fee successful. Let us help you with your print and online advertising needs! Call 706 367 5233 www. M ainStreetNews.com INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR paint ing and repair, minor roof repair. Over 20 years experience in house washing. Call Danny Maxwell 706- 202-8796. 640 YARD/LAND SERVICES BUILT ON YOUR Property an 8’ x 12' Shed for $2,100. ph 470-941- 8076. LOCAL MATTERS Call 1-877-740-0337 now to SAVE $350 TODAY! America’s #1 Awning • Instant shade-at the touch of a button. • Enjoy more quality time with family and friends. • Up to 10-Year Limited Warranty. America’s #1 Awning! Seven Hills auction showcase TA GEORGIA PROPERTIES ,Homes & Land in Atlanta, Douglasville, St Marys, .. . Ranger, & Rabun Gap ITalking Rock www.7hauctions.com Seven®Hills online bidding ends 800-742-9165 DAUgOTdONS JULY 15, NOON (EDT) GA: AU-C003134, GA: AU-003505, GA-77326, GA-319468 I 10% Buyer’s Premium, Visit Our Website For Full Details Georgia STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS Publish your classified ad in more than 60 Georgia newspapers for only $350. Call Georgia Newspaper Service: 770-454-6776 Strong, recent work history need- ed. Call to start your application or appeal today! 877-627-2704 We don’t knowingly accept adver- tisements that discriminate, or intend to discriminate, on any illegal basis. Nor do we knowingly accept employment advertise- ments that are not bona-fide job offers. All real estate advertise- ments are subject to the fair housing act and we do not accept advertising that is in violation of the law. The law prohibits discrimi- nation based on color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status. STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS FOR THE WEEK 7/6/25 CELLULAR Consumer Cellular - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more informa tion, call 1-833-446-1847 HEALTH CARE Don't let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solu- tion for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-877-871-3210 HEARING AIDS!! High-quality rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee ! 866-797-5642 ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-833-661-9339 Stroke and Cardiovascular dis- ease are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can pro- vide peace of mind or early detec- tion! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer - 5 screenings for just $149. Call 1-855-391-2065 HOME IMPROVEMENT WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP: A small amount of water can lead to major damage to your home. Our trusted professionals dry out the wet area and do repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! If you have water in your home that needs to be dried, call 24/7: 1-833-871-2090. Have zip code of service location ready when you call! ELECTRICAL SERVICES: Reliable & experienced. Competitive rates. From simple household problems to installing a brand new electrical system, we can take care of it all! Call now and have the zip code of the ser vice location when you call! 1-833- 399-6566 NEED NEW FLOORING? Call today schedule a FREE in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring. Call Today! 1-833-641-6602 Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting mate- rial - steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer - up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-866-939-2151 PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-833-406- 0231 Have zip code of property ready when calling! BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & pro- fessional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-833- 781-0206 HOME BREAK-INS take less than 60 SECONDS. Don’t wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets NOW for as little as 70c a day! Call 1-833-890-1269 MISCELLANEOUS BANKRUPTCY RELIEF! Help stop Creditor Harassment, Collection Calls, Repossession and Legal Actions! Speak to a Professional Attorney and Get the Help You NEED! Call NOW 855-968-5222 BEHIND ON YOUR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS? Threatened with foreclosure? Denied a loan modification? Let us help! Call the Homeowner Relief Line to speak with a mortgage specialist. 844- 797-7162 Wesley Financial Group LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 866-411-5215 SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! Moving Out of State? Licensed and insured, full-service nation- wide movers. Call now to get a free, instant price quote on your next move. 1-866-590-6443 DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS. Your donation helps fund the search for missing children and preventing abduction. Accepting Cars, Trucks and Vans. Fast Free Pickup - Running or Not Maximum Tax Donation - Call (888) 515- 3813 TV/INTERNET Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-369-1468 COMPUTER ISSUES? FREE DIAGNOSIS by GEEKS ON SITE! Virus Removal, Data Recovery! 24/7 EMERGENCY $20 OFF ANY SERVICE with coupon 42522! Restrictions apply. 844-739-4842 WANTED We Buy Houses for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-877-399-2113 TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 1-833- 641-6792
