Newspaper Page Text
ssr
Volume 134, Number 195
Award-Winning
Better Newspaper uwSMiy
Contest xQctfjj? l '
Perry prepares
for sectionals
Perry High School’s
fastpitch team is plan
ning to qualify for the
Elite Eight.
Coach Christi Wheeless
puts it succinctly: “We’ve
got to win three games
before we lose two to
advance to state.”
Sports, page 1B
7—-
S
Mayo's 2nd book
funnier than Ist
Warner Robins writer
Marcia Mayo’s comic
mystery books have good
storylines. But Mayo’s
humor would be reason
enough to read them even
with no plot at all.
Entertainment, page 8A
NASCAR driver to
visit Robins AFB
ROBINS AIR FORCE
BASE - Ricky Rudd, driv
er of the Air Force spon
sored N 0.21 Winston Cup
car, will sign autographs
at the base enlisted club
today from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
The No. 21 car will be
on display at the club at
noon for several hours.
Rudd has 23 victories in
763 Winston Cup starts.
He has also captured the
pole position 28 times in
his career.
- From staff reports
Hazel Dancer
Thelma B. Flournoy
Dollita A. Keller
Obits, page 5A
CLASSIFIED 5B
CLUB NEWS 7A
COMICS 4B
CROSSWORD 4B
ENTERTAINMENT ,8A
LEGALS 1C
OBITUARIES 5A
OPINION 4A
TV LISTINGS 4B
WEATHER 2A
PERIODICAL
Serving Houston County Since 1870
If <Tff Manstort JMame if
CLLJrfe
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city oe Centerville
County cuts tax
Property tax rate drops by 6.8 percent
By Emily Johnstone
HHJ Associate Editor
WARNER ROBINS
Houston County commis
sioners OK'd lowering the
county millage rate from
9.94 to 9.31 mills in Tuesday
night’s meeting.
That makes for a decrease
in millage of 6.8 percent.
With the rollback this year
from 9.94 mills in county
property tax for 2002 to the
9.31 mills for 2003, a resi
Over 4,000 attend
band night
***** 4 < y ~ 'fjl|
fISRiP /t w li JxSHftTl
1 “ Hk i Cfc X% X nßfc* jt , 4 1
■ mSMBI Si *
HBSP-. m „
gßrareanßl SHRURf
WSm HK . imt js9£ JBR..: - .WBjF&f :i -XE BhHF
HHJ. Luci Joullian
Northside High School’s color guard was part of the school band’s colorful Tuesday night performance.
Houston students 'band' together
By Luci Joullian
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS -
Houston County’s middle
and high schools came
together Tuesday night to
showcase their marching
bands’ musical and creative
talents at Houston County’s
10th Annual Band Night.
The free event, which was
originally intended as just a
high school showcase and
was later expanded to
include middle schools, was
attended by over 4,000 peo
ple.
Held at McConnell-
Talbert Stadium, over 2,100
students from all four of the
county’s high schools and
seven middle schools per
formed at the exhibition
event. The night began with
all of the schools taking the
field to perform a rendition
of the “Star Spangled
Banner.” The middle
schools then performed, fol
lowed by the high school
See BAND, page 6A
Peppy Public VUopks suffers sampling woes
By Jon Suggs
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - Two samples of city
drinking water recently tested posi
tive for coliform bacteria.
During it regular work session
Tuesday evening, the Perry City
Council heard from Public Works
Director Harold Deal, who
explained the problem as a sampling
H’ h’ w. h hjn e ws. com
dent with a house valued at
SIOO,OOO will pay $279.30
for 2003.
Last year, that would have
come in at $298.20.
Total millage rate paid by
taxpayers for 2003 will be 25
for unincorporated and
23.23 mills for residents of
incorporated areas.
Residents of incorporated
areas are not required to
pay the fire levy, which
comes in this year at 1.77
I- ,U. -A IKIeIL IB I
HHJ Luci Joullian
“Austin Powers” (Brock Baltzer) and his mod friends (from left) Hayley Bacon, Jacque
Miller and Heather Hathcock were all part of Perry High School band’s performance.
error.
Deal explained the testing is
required by the state
Environmental Protection Division.
The procedure calls for the city to
designate 30 sites at various points
around the water system. Once each
month, the city randomly tests the
water at 10 of the 30 sites.
During August testing, two sam
ples tested positive for coliform bac
mills.
Commission Chairman
Ned Sanders pointed out
that a person with a proper
ty valued at SIOO,OOO would
receive a tax bill of $696.90
for 2003.
For 2002, that bill would
have been about $658.50,
using a formula that
includes the taxpayer claim
ing a homestead exemption.
In 2001, the total millage
See COUNTY, page 6A
teria.
Deal said he suspected one of the
samples was contaminated after it
was drawn. The other sample
appears to have been contaminated
at the faucet, he said.
He emphasized that the problem
was with the testing, not the water.
Samplers now clean the faucet
with a chlorine wipe and let the
water run for a while before taking
HHJ Emily Johnstone
Houston County Commission Chairman Ned Sanders
congratulates Houston County Fire Chief Jimmy Williams
for his recent recognition as state Fire Official of the
Year.
an Evans Family Newspaper
THREE SECTIONS • 24 PAGES
Peppy
drops
taxes
slightly
By Jon Suggs
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - Perry taxpayers
will feel a little relief in their
next city tax bills.
At its regular meeting
Tuesday evening, the Perry
City Council voted to lower
the city’s millage rate from
13.44 to the suggested roll
back rate, 13.38.
The new rate is based on
the value of property within
the city as reassessed in the
latest tax digest.
Despite the rollback, the
city will still see an increase
in the net tax dollars raised
compared to last year, due to
growth.
The city expects to collect
$3,120,600, a $190,627 (6.5
percent) increase from last
year.
To put it another way:
Individual taxpayers pay
less, but there are more of
them, so the city still man
ages a gain.
To the individual, the new
millage rate means a slight
tax decrease.
For example, the owner of
a SIOO,OOO home, who
would pay $537.60 at the
13.44 millage rate, will pay
$535.20 at the 13.38 millage
rate.
(These figures are based
on one mill generating one
dollar per SI,OOO of taxable
value, which is 40 percent of
the total property value.)
At a public hearing at the
start of the council meeting,
no one made comment
about the change.
With Mayor Pro Tern Joe
Kusar presiding, the
remaining five council mem
bers all voted for the new
millage rate.
In other business, the
council:
• Approved rezoning five
city parks - Hugh Lawson
Park, Elizabeth Nunn Park,
See PERRY, page 6A
a sample, Deal said.
Mayor Pro Tern Joe Kusar ques
tioned whether this is an acceptable
testing method. Deal said he think it
is but agreed to check with the EPD
to make sure.
There is no fine associated with
the positive sampling, Deal said, but
the city is required to publicize the
test results.
nil