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WEEKEND June 25, 2005 Volume 135, Number 381 Award-Winning Newspaper 2005 Better Newspaper Contest in BRIEF Are you being SBIVed? This week the Warner Robins Police Department kicked off Operation SERV (Stopping Every Redlight Violation) to combat the increasing number of accident that occur at or near intersections. The increasing number of red-light violations in general prompted the operation. Maj. John Wagner said officers will be monitoring various intersections through the city for red-light viola tions and will conduct traffic stops for the viola tions as well as for seat belt and child restraint violations. While loca tions will vary through out the city, focus will pri marily be on the most See SERV, page 3A Happy BIRTHDAY! June 25 Joe Hogues Dick Kistler Shirley Rowan Sandy Williams June 26 Debra Cralley June 27 Barbara Flynt Vickie Malone Lisa Wicker Happy ANNIVERSARY: ■ June 27 Johnny and Susan Sammons Area DEATHS Marie F. Barrett Katie Green Catherine A. Lupton Thomas L. Simms Sr. Obits, page 3A INDEX CLASSIFIED 7B COMICS 4B CROSSWORD ... .4B HOMETOWN 5B HONOR ROLLS . .11A LIFESTYLE 8A OBITUARIES 3A OPINION 4A SCHOOL NEWS . .11A TV LISTINGS 4B WEATHER 2A PERIODICAL f'tii.ii't*. Mr.il .....i.iii...M,.,M...,.i.M...ii s * Georgia newspaper PtcsccJ Manrt l ibrary UNfV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 XJfGfT 306 Serving Houston County Since 1870 EDIMGIAFAD Every Day In Middle Georgia Is Armed Forces Appreciation Day Y JMxmstot plumes (Hire .TjmmiHi 9 LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY \ city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville Committee denies full refund to Perry couple Residents with septic tank erroneously charged for 17 years of sewer service By TIM HOSKINS HHJ Student Writer Dell and Joyce Emerson of Cedar Ridge Drive in Perry have faithfully paid their sewer bills to the city for 17 years. Last fall, their pipes backed up and a plumber came out to investi gate. The plumber found a clog in the pipes and chased it all the way to ... Perdue event set for Monday From staff reports A fund-raising reception honoring Gov. Sonny Perdue is planned for Monday at the home of Dawne and Draper Watson, 2009 Tucker Road, Perry. The event is designed to raise funds for the gover nor’s re-election campaign. Giving levels are “co-chair” (give or raise $10,000) and “host” ($5,000). There will be a reception for co-chairs and hosts at 6:30 p.m., which includes a photo opportunity. A general reception for those contributing SI,OOO per couple will follow at 7 p.m. Organizers ask that checks be made payable to: Perdue for a New Georgia PO. Box 12369 Atlanta, GA 30355-2369 Contributions are not See PERDUE, page 3A Leadership to change at WR Salvation Army Corbitts accept assignment to Evangeline Booth College By TIM HOSKINS HHJ Student Writer Maj. Barry Corbitt’s office is almost empty. The shelves of the book cases are bare, the walls are free of pictures, plaques and certificates, and his desk is now an expanse of dark wood with only a single manila folder on it. “Welcome to my packed up office,” said Corbitt, the Salvation Army local com mander for Warner Robins. Corbitt’s office is sand wiched between the famil iar Salvation Army Thrift Store on Green St. and the vast warehouse and load ing bay where all manner of donate items and food are sorted, weighed and stored. www.hhjnews.com the septic tank. “We had no indication that we weren’t on city sewer,” Joyce Emerson told the Public Works Oversight Committee at its regular meeting Thursday night. The couple’s home is now connect ed to the city sewer, but now they want to be refunded for almost two decades of payments. “We feel that a refund is due to us -*«£V ■PSkUmL ' K hH - 1 f ■’ *^| , v 's HB 2!rMAW' nOIQCMAUIim * jipßW^**-!3W*r%.-'?.*j?^^^^>*:.^! , V,'<-^wSißHg^B^iillP , V>• ■- -• ■’ • v £i ’*-' • ! V. »■'-. tj'kmij-'' ,•/•'■ HHJ Teresa D. Southern Holly Brooks and Emily Toliver watch their robot perform a task as Starbase Robins instructor Andrew Dennis records their time. Students attended a robotics academy this week in which they designed and built robots with gears, sensors and motors using Lego Mindstorm activity sets. See page 6A Along with his wife, Maj. Cindy Corbitt, he has been leading the Warner Robins mission of the Christian service group for three years. The couple was transferred to the area in June 2002 from Athens, where they held the same position. The Corbitts are being transferred to Atlanta - to Evangeline Booth College, the Salvation Army’s southern training center. The Salvation Army divides the U.S. into four administrative territories - North, South, Central and West. Each one of these has a headquarters and a col lege that trains its cadets - the term used for those who are training to enter the Salvation Army’s lead- for these fees paid in error,” said the couple in a May 12 letter to the mayor. The Emersons, who have sewer payment records back to 1991, esti mate that they have paid $3,780.87 to the city since they moved into their home in 1987. Georgia law requires that the city repay the fees, but sets the statute of limitations at four years, far less than the 17 years Starbase robots jmmm r • * v y- '% msnm W Qgggp 4*?’~ y£|?;*, , „ Maj. BARRY CORBITT ership - which is organized along military lines. Evangeline Booth is the southern region’s training center and is named for the United States’ first national commander, the daughter of the movement’s founder, William Booth. The college offers associ ate’s, bachelor’s and mas ter’s degrees in subjects such as Practical Ministry, See CORBITTS, page 14A an Evans Family Newspaper 50c mm. TWO SECTIONS • 22 PAGES the Emersons have been paying. Because of this, the city is only legal ly required to pay $1,141.49 to the couple. The City of Perry Code also estab lishes a monthly fee for anyone within the city limits who chooses not to connect to the city sewer. The Emersons were charged this fee retroactively for the past four years, See DISPUTE, page 34 HHJ wins 9 awards From staff reports ATLANTA - The Houston Home Journal received nine awards in the 2005 Georgia Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. “I am extremely proud of these awards but even more proud of the editorial staff that made them possible,” said Billy Lacey, editor and general manager of The HHJ. “I feel it shows that our goal of producing the best local newspaper possi ble for all of Houston County is being met.” Two of the awards were for first place: Lifestyle Writer Joan Dorsett won first place in the Feature Photograph category, and Columnist Steve Tesseniar won first place (the Joe Parham Trophy) in the Humorous Column catego ry- See AWARDS, page 14A