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FRIDAY January 9,2004 Volume 135, Number 5 Award-Winning Better Newspaper Inside TODAY II -\ Symphony coming back lor encore Lora Arledge of the Houston Arts Alliance recently updated Perry’s Beltista Club on the HAA’s various upcoming events, including the return of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Ufestyie, page SA Ep : i d iSKs&sk±j. ' *V: ■: 1 The advancing Mob It will not be “just another game” when the Warner _ Robins Demonettes meet the Northside Lady Eagles today at 7 p.m. Bragging rights, but more impor tantly a region win, will be at stake. Northside will also be looking to reversing an unfortunate trend in the overall series. Warner Robins coach Tom Mobley can attest that this year’s battles will be significant. According to him, Northside’s talent and athleticism will be a major factor in their first matchup. Sports, page 11A Area DEATH TSgt. Warren W. Frotton, USAF (Ret.) Obit, page 2A INDEX CLASSIFIED 14A CLUB NEWS 6A COMICS 10A CROSSWORD ...10A LIFESTYLE 8A OBITUARY 2A OPINION 4A SCHOOL NEWS . .15A TV LISTINGS ... .10A WEATHER .2A PERIODICAL 9 Photographic Services 200 D W BROCKS OR ATHENS GA 30602-5016 3-0K3T306 Serving Houston County Since 1870 Y Mtmsitm 'Msmve i (LLlje LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville 800-meg system installation nears f k ; jMfBTTTii J 1 .■!» ‘ '] W \ „ ■ — *4 IPS - *y wmomß ■ y+ , t .. u MB I, j' r l ■* m -jr fe ‘w-^U JEWEL -.mill’ . ■L ***ttfr m |" Jtl " HHJ/Emily Johnstone Houston County 911 Director Ricky Harlowe and electrician Dewey McCormick inspect the spot where a new generator system wii! he installed today as part of the 800-megahertz project at the Emergency Communications Center. Expect posturing under the dome Jockeying for political position could take front-row seat this year By Doug Gross Associated Press Writer ATLANTA - In a legisla ture where members are elected every two years, pol itics is never far from the forefront. But in the first election year in more than a century where control of state gov ernment is divided, the political stakes may be high er than ever in the General Assembly session that starts Monday. “Both Democrats and Republicans see tremendous symbolism coming up in the 2004 elections,” said University of Georgia politi cal scientist Charles Bullock. Last year, Sonny Perdue became the first Republican to take the Georgia gover nor’s office in 130 years. Weeks after his election, he helped convince four Democratic state senators to switch parties, throwing their chamber into Improving the Georgia vote Georgia Sec’y. of State Cox visits Middle Georgia, addresses students By Jon Suggs HHJ Staff Writer FORT VALLEY Stepping to the podium, Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox was the guest lec turer in Fort Valley State University’s Wednesday night lecture series, “Georgia on My Mind: Critical Issues in the Peach State." Cox, whose responsibili ties include overseeing the state’s elections, warmed the crowd a bit before focus ing on her topic - how the fate of Georgia is See COX, page 04 www.hhjnews.com Republican hands. Despite ( the newly divided governmeht - and a session last year marked by partisan wrangling and gridlock - some state leaders are hope ful that members of both parties will be able to work together during this year’s 40-day session. “I expect it to be a session where Republicans and Democrats come together,” Perdue said. “There are a number of Democrats who have expressed to me over the summer they want to work with me in making Georgia move forward.” House Speaker Terry Coleman, arguably the legis lature’s top Democrat, has publicly pledged to work with Perdue when they agree and offer constructive alternatives when they dis agree. With so much at stake in this year’s elections, observers say it’s almost impossible to believe See LEGISLATURE, page 64 ' CATHY COX Local authorities just returned from trip to Chicago, where they tested the system By Emily Johnstone HHJ Associate Editor WARNER ROBINS - The count down is on and Houston County emergency officials plan to flip the switch for a new 800-megahertz sys tem in a few weeks. Capt. Ricky Harlowe, director of the Emergency Communications Center, said the sl2 million system, being funded with special purpose local option sales tax revenue, is about 70 percent complete. With five towers now in place around the county and a new build ing to house new equipment adja cent to the center on Carl Vinson Parkway just about finished, Harlowe and others in the realm of public safety are getting excited. Harlowe, along with representa tives of local public safety agencies, recently visited the Motorola site in Chicago to take a look at the system tailor-made for Houston County. f ii . V y* wfflh jHHHH iTv M M U ■ M *.. . . ■ rr. . J HHJ/Heathrr Faaciocco Pearl Stephens Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year Carleen Webb goes over lan guage arts skills with student Abby Johnson. The school was recently selected as a 2004 Georgia School of Excellence in Student Achievement Pearl shines Stephens Elementary School named 2004 Georgia School of Excellence in Student Achievement By Heather Fasciocco HHJ Staff Writer WARNER ROBINS - Just minutes after receiving the news, administrators dis persed among the hallways and appeared in each class room announcing Pearl Stephens Elementary School’s state recognition. The school was selected as one of 26 Georgia schools - and the only Houston County school - named a 2004 Georgia School of Excellence in Student Achievement. This is the first time Pearl Stephens Elementary has been named a school of excellence, said principal Dr. Marion Ford. PSES, with a student pop ulation of 386, was selected, along with 12 other schools, for demonstrating the great est continuous gains in read ing/language arts and math over a three-year period. Ford said many factors contributed to the school’s recognition. She said teacher training sessions with consultants allowed education providers to study various technologies and programs and be surveyed HHJ'HuUwr FWtnoco Dr. Marion Ford, principal of Peart Stephens Elementary School, commended PSES teachers for benchmarking the school’s standards. PSES Is the only Houston County school to be selected as a 2004 Georgia School of Excellence In Student Achievement by the consultants at a later date in measuring the appli cation in classroom settings. She commended the after school-tutoring program, an Evans Family Newspaper 50$ 11*1 8 — 5510W0001 bi 4 ONE SECTION • 16 PAGES They were able to see, touch and operate the system. While they were not able to bring the new baby home with them just yet, they are antici pating its arrived in the near future. “It is a heck of a system,” said Perry Fire Chief Gary Hamlin, one of those who attended the presenta tion in Chicago. “It will take emer gency services in Houston County well into the future.” Hamlin said he and the others were able to use the system via portable radios and were also given a preview of how it will work. Capt. Steve Lynn of the Warner Robins Police Department was there, too, and was impressed with what he saw. The group performed over 100 functional tests on the system - and it passed each one, Lynn said. With the ability to channel radio traffic into various talk groups and, from the touch of a button, alert a See SOO MEG, page 6A which provides students with hands-on assistance outside the normal class room. “The teachers have a See SCHOOt, page 84