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Gfi 3060 _. jps Please see Page 3A Houston Times -Journal Perry, Ga. this week Volume 124-No. 62 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3,1994 50 CENTS News Magazines irk resident Magazines aimed at homo sexuals on display at he Perry Library have raised the ire of a local resident, who says kids can easily get hold of them to read. Page 3A. in and out of business The Perry Airport is getting out of the gasoline business, just months after it went into selling airplane fuel. Page 3 A. Candidates supported Supporters of political can didates in Tuesday's runoff election write their views on those running for office. Page SA. Sports Fall practice begins The Perry Panther football team has 53 players out for fall practice. Among the positions Coach John Stephens is look ing to fill is quarterback, where he has to replace Shawn Bass. Also of concert to the coach is his offensive and de fensive lines. Page 6A. Seeking replacements The Westfield Hornets were GISA state runnerups in 1993. However, only 11 players re turn for Coach Ronnie Jones, who must find replacements foralmost every position. Forty two players on th first day of practice should make his job easier. Page 6A. Finding the way GPS is not a new gimmick fresh out of the box, but is a locater systemf ew know about. The system, used by the mili tary for years, can help sports men find their way home, or back to that favorite fishing hold. Page 7A. Family Get on stage If you've got a yen to act on stage, you have an opportu nitycoming up soon. The Perry Players will be holding audi tions for "Strange Bedfellows" Aug. 14 and 15. Page 18. Couples announce Angela Michele Rowland and Thomas Wesley Conner, Jr. are among local couples who are planning to be married soon. Page 28. In Sympathy The community’s sympathy is extended to the families of those wno recently died. They include ;Cynthia Spinks "Cindy" Bridges and Lillie E. "Dell" Kight. Complete obituaries appear on Page 2A. Index to features JIMMY SIMPSON 4A OBITUARIES 2A CLASSIFIED LSB EDITORIALS 4A LEGAL NOTICES &B LOCAL CALENDAR 22 SPORTS §JA SOCIETY h 22 Official Legal Organ for Houston County, City of Perry and the State of Gerogia H | r Jpßi T '*#U BHr «jHk ’yrW.', J! t 6» . I *• <^r aj■fT . *v «T m-' 4 y| /\ . / v <M| E ■ a*- ? ■ff Wrr 1 : ▼ MM wl ;H . Workers survey a portion of the bridge on U.S. Highway 341 that Is undergoing reconstruction. DOT officials said crews remain at the site dally, hoping to meet a Dec. 31 deadline. Houston will replace damaged bridges By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer The effects of the flood are still hitting Houston County. Tommy Stalnaker, public works director, told the Houston County Commission at its regular meeting Tuesday that several bridges around the county would have to be replaced because of flood damage. After meeting, Van Etheridge, Georgia DOT district engineer at Thomaston, con firmed that the bridge on Highway 341 over' Big Indian Creek at Clinchfield, the bridge om Highway 41 over Mossy Creek, and the bridge: Candidates face runoff Tuesday By JIMMY SIMPSON Staff Writer Two of the four candidates trying to earn a seat on the Houston County Board of Commisioners will see their political bids come to an end next Tuesday. That’s the date when voters here return to the polls to cast their deciding ballots in the primary runoff. The two surviving candidates will represent either the Republican or Democrat party in November’s General Election. Wayne Ragin will square off against Billy Hunter to decide the Democratic victor. Jim Carter faces Jack Wylam in a battle of Republicans. The latest round is actually the second bid to grab the county seat. Just two weeks ago on July 19, voters turned out in small numbers to choose a preferred candidate. Wayne Ragin garnered 3,032 votes (43.39 percent) to Billy Hunter’s 2,499 strikes (35.76 percent) to set up a Democratic showdown. Jim Carter grabbed 1,139 votes (48.83 percent) to outdistance Jack Wylam, the rcceipicnt of 730 votes (31.29 percent), on the Republican side. But despite those four men’s success, Democratic candidate Randy E. Wynn and Republican candidate Nora Rccsc-Laughlin Program in trouble Please see Page 6A on Highway 241 Spur over Big Indian Creek will be replaced over the next 180 days. The Mossy Creek bridges on Interstate-75 in both directions will also be replaced. The work on the Highway 247 Spur bridge across Big Indian Creek, Interstate 75 bridges and Highway 41 bridge across Mossy Creek will be bid out Friday, Aug. 5, said Etheridge, with the work to be completed in four-to-six months. The bridge on Highway 341 at Clinchfield did not have a bid date as of press time. Etheridge said that time was very important in getting the bridges rebuilt, since all work Republican county commission candidate Jim Carter (left) and Democratic county commission candidate Ronald Ragin (right) hand Rotary Club president John Smalley campaign literature. The two spoke at a forum during the Rotary Club's meeting Monday, Aug. 1. failed to gather enough votes to make it into the runoff. The four candidates who did make it into the semi-final round earned the right to do so after being the top two vote-getters from both the Republican and Democratic sides. Because none of the candidates successfully received a majority vote (50 percent, plus one vote), they must face another elimination round. Candidates have to be hoping that the forthcoming election has more voter participation than the previous one. A very slim crowd of about only 25 percent of the county’s 40,397 registered Bridge linking Perry-Ft Valley Out 'til Dec. 31 By JIMMY SIMPSON Staff Writer Motorists traveling towards Fort Valley on U.S. Highway 341 will be rerouted longer than they may have anticipated, according to the DOT. That’s because a vital two-lane bridge which connects Perry and Fort Valley remains under construction and is not scheduled to be open until Dec. 31 of this year. The bridge was washed out during recent flooding. “Two spans had completely sunken in, and one of the support beams had completely fallen away from the bridge,” said Van Etheridge, a district engineer with the state Department of Transportation. “In addition, other foundations were found to be eroded and undermined. And although they hadn’t fallen, they were on the verge of giving away,” he continued. Bids were let immediately after the flood, with Mitchell Construction Company of St. Simons, Ga. submitting a low bid of $611,592. The bridge is in the process of being completely dismantled, according to the engineer, and rebuilt again. Crews have been working daily in an effort to meet the deadline for completion. Etheridge said that while the DOT realizes the importance of the bridge, he said no immediate plans are in the works to widen any parts had to be done within 180 days of the flood to qualify for complete reimbursement by F.E.M.A. "The design of the bridges, and getting the contract have been expedited," said Etheridge. "The contractors are going to have to do this also." Etheridge said that traffic will be main tained on Interstate 75 while the bridges across Mossy Creek are being replaced. However, he added that the DOT had not come up with a plan for the detour routes at this time. Local routes will be used for the detours around the bridgework on Highway 341 at voters made it to the polls. Elections officials say they are optomistic that this election will show higher figures. “Personally, I expect to see at least 28 percent (of voters at the polls,” said Shirley Collins, deputy registrar for the county. Three precincts will be operating on election day. Registered voters should have received a card prior to the general primary that designates cither Morningside Elementary, Tucker Elementary, or Heritage Hall at the Georgia National Fairgrounds. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Back in school Please see Page 1B Clinchfield, Highway 41 across Mossy Creek and Highway 247 Spur across Big Indian Creek, said Etheridge. However, Stalnaker said, at the commis sioners meeting, that the county would be op posed to using Highway 41 Circle as a detour route for Highway 41 because of the level of traffic on the road. Stalnaker also told the commissioners that most of the county's roads were open, with only three being closed because of bridge dam aged. The roads that are still closed are Moss Oaks Circle, Highway 41 Circle and the dirt portion of Thompson Mill Road. Two candidates discuss issues By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Houston County commission hopefuls Jim Carter, Republican, and Ronald Ragin, Democrat, may disagree on many things; but, they told the Rotary Club Monday, Aug. 1, that they did agree on the county tax cap, the repeal of freeport taxes and the base. "I support the tax cap," said Ragin. "It allows the county to operate efficiently." "The people have spoken on the tax cap," said Carter. "There is no need to end the tax cap. You have got to make decisions and stay within what the people allow us to do." On Freeport, Ragin said it was a "done deal." "Freeport taxes do put us off the short list," he said, adding that the in Houston County worked to overcome obstacles to growth in the county. Carter declined to say that it was a done deal, noting that the county would make a decision on freeport by the end of December. He also said that freeport taxes were hurting the county’s bid to grow, saying that many companies never considered the county because of freeport taxes. "I believe that the best way I can serve the county is by fostering and encouraging business opportunities,” said Carter. "We've Please see ISSUES, Pag* 2A of the highway. “We don’t have any plans for that (widening) in our short, or long-range, programs,” said Etheridge. “I do sec the possibility (of converting the road to four lanes) in 10 years or so, but not in the near future.” Etheridge explained the reasoning for not putting the project on DOT’s immediate goals stems from a car count that is conducted periodically. “There’s about 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles that travel that road on a daily basis, and whjlc that may seem like a large number, we’ve found that the two-lane roads do fairly well until 8-10,000 vehicles start traveling the road,” said Etheridge. Additional bridges and roads throughout other parts of Georgia are also facing repairs. Many bridges initially thought to be okay from flood waters are now being added to repair lists. “As we made our inspections, we found many bridges we thought were okay... in need of work,” Etheridge said. “The list continues to grow longer and longer...” That can only mean one thing— finding additional funding in the state’s already-appropriated budget. “We’re in the millions of dollars, as far as damage is concerned, and it doesn’t look like it’s getting any belter.”