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FRIDAY June 24, 2005 t Volume 135, Number 380 Award-Winning Newspaper 2004 Better Newspaper Contest Inside TODAY " '' ,&&& Junior golf clinic Local chilcren have been taking part in a golf clinic. Sports, page 1B God's Grace at work Thirteen members of Grace Church of Perry tried to live up to that rule in early June on a Service Works mission trip to North Carolina and it wasn’t easy. Family&Faith, page 8A Happy BIRTHDAY! Jan Carter Chris Thomas Ray Thomas Jr. Susan Webb Happy ANNIVERSARY! Ronnie and Bonnie Bryant Area DEATHS Marie F. Barrett Sadie Gray Camp Maxine C. Girdner Katherine Jane Peacock Thomas Mary Ellen Wood Obits, page 5A INDEX CLASSIFIED 5B COMICS 7A CROSSWORD ... .7A FAMILY&FAITH .. .8A OBITUARIES 5A OPINION 4A SCHOOL NEWS .. .6B TV LISTINGS 7A WEATHER 2A PERIODICAL IL siai tiuiUkuli s* u&nsrv Utm OF GEORGMt A.iTife#*S .itihGA-iMuLC I-OK3ET 306 June 24, 2005 Serving Houston County Since 1870 (" 7>t ' i HHoustnn Jinnte|f (Lite JJmmral * LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville WR councilman Simms dies By RAY LIGHTNER HHJ Staff Writer Warner Robins City Council Member Tom Simms died Thursday morning in Macon at Regency Hospital. “At 8:50 this morning he passed on, easily and in no pain,” said his son, Thomas Simms Jr. “I am happy I was with him.” Simms, 81, had been hospitalized since a March 10 auto accident at Wood Street and Russell Parkway. He was first taken to Houston Medical Center, and transferred to Regency for recov ery. “He was doing good initially, but things turned quickly,” his son said. Simms said the family had “tremen dous support from the city and council. Happy Hour dedicates new homes Assistecbliving facility for developmentally disabled opens in Warner Robins HHJTimothy Graham Members of the Board of Directors and local dignitaries helped cut the ribbon at Happy Hour’s new assisted living facility on Myrtle Street in Warner Robins. Agencies replace body armor after warning Perry, HCSO get new vests in response to manufacturer’s notice on vests containing Zylon By RAY LIGHTNER HHJ Staff Writer The Houston County Sheriffs Office and Perry Police Department are having to replace body armor vests following notice from the man ufacturer about possible failure of Perry FD gets grants By MIKE GEORGE HHJ Staff Writer A The Perry Fire Department has secured a $5,000 safety grant for new equipment and gear that will help them fight fires in smoke filled buildings. m The fire department secured the grant J through the city of Perry from the Georgia Municipal Association. Fire Chief Freddy Howell said the depart- i ment has been working to secure the grant for three months. The money will be used to buy a SCBA, or self-con- | tained breathing apparatus, filling sta tion, which will be used to refill oxy gen tanks used to feed air to fire- M fighters wearing masks to breathe. I Howell said the grant will also be ™ used to buy new turnout gear for the department, which See GRANTS, page 10A www.hhjnews.com 'My Daddy would have liked us to thank the citizens tor their prayers and support. ' He loved this community.' - Thomas Simms Jr. “My Daddy would have liked us to thank the citizens for their prayers and support,” he said. “He loved this community.” Mayor Donald Walker said Thursday that he had known Simms almost from the day he came to Warner Robins, and that he had grown up with Simms’ children. “He truly wanted to serve the public, as much as he served his country,” vests containing Zylon. The Perry Police Department had to replace 22 bulletproof vests said Perry Police Chief George Potter. The chief said the department got in at the start of the recall, which man ufacturer Second Chance Body m W “SPARKY THE FIRE DOG” Walker said. “He truly loved Warner Robins, almost as much as I do. It’s a big loss for the community.” Walker described Simms as a gentle man who always conducted himself with honor and dignity. “He was a big supporter of the (city) employees and they always loved him,” Walker said. Although he and Simms occasionally See SIMMS, page 3A Armor issued in May. Potter said the city did not have to pay to replace the vests. “We contacted our vendor,” he said. “They replaced them, no prob lem.” The city goes through a vendor Hospital revenue up, as is indigent care By TIMOTHY GRAHAM HHJ Staff Writer The Hospital Authority of Houston County made a powerful argument for a bimonthly meeting schedule as they breezed through Wednesday’s session in less than ten minutes. Chief Financial Officer Frank Powell reported that inpatient volumes rose more than 11 percent at Houston Medical Center through the first quarter of 2005. Net patient revenues for the month of May for Houston Healthcare were in excess of sl3 million as opposed to a budgeted figure of $11.6 million. Through the first quarter, net patient rev- TWO SECTIONS • 16 PAGES H *JSm JUr '■ 1 TOM SIMMS By TIMOTHY GRAHAM HHJ Staff Writer A large crowd gathered Thursday morning in the hot sun to help dedicate Happy Hour’s new assisted living facility, Falcon Park 111, in Warner Robins. “Every decade since the ’6os there has been a major building campaign for Happy Hour and that shows the growth and strength of Happy Hour,” said Executive Director Steve Smith. “I want to thank our community partners for helping to make this com plex a reality. Happy Hour started out to serve children who were not being served in the community. Now the school system does a great job with exceptional chil dren, and Happy Hour has expanded its goals to include adults with special needs. “We are helping these peo ple become productive tax payers by giving them a leg up,” said Smith. The new facility is located See HAPPY HOUR, page 10A and did not buy directly from Second Chance Body Armor, the nation’s leading supplier of body armor. Potter said most of the cus tom-fitted vests were purchased through a federal grant. See VESTS, page 3A enues were $38.9 million compared to a budgeted fig ure of $35.6 million. Powell also reported that during May, Houston Healthcare incurred more than $1.9 million in uncol lectible, indigent and chari ty care deductions. The bud geted figure was $1.4 mil lion. “We are qualifying more patients for charity and indigent care,” said Powell. “Basically we are reclassify ing the bad debt into indi gent care. We are just taking care of the paperwork bet ter.” Emergency department visits were up 5 percent at See AUTHORITY, page 3A an Evans Family Newspaper 50c