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WEDNESDAY June 29, 2005 Volume 135, Number 383 Award-Winning Better Newspaper Contest >g>a<gy inside TODAY a. ■> yi - v What to take to the picnic It’s almost time for the fireworks and another celebration of our nation’s birthday. Hearth&Home, page 11A In BRIEF Landfill to be closed Monday The Houston County landfill will be closed Monday, July 4, in obser vance of Independence Day. Happy BIRTHDAY! 1 Jacob Timothy Goddard Billy Gordy Chris Kothe Derry Watson Katherine Weaks (Surprise your friends! Let us know when their birthday or anniversary is, and we'll put their names in the paper that day. Just send the name and date at least a week in advance, and we'll do the rest. E-mail to hhj@evansnewspapers.com, or mail them to us at the address inside. No phone calls, please. Many happy returns!) Area DEATH Guy Wheless Obit, page 2A INDEX CLASSIFIED 10A COMICS 9A CROSSWORD ... .9A LIFESTYLE 11A OBITUARY 2A OPINION 4A POLICE BEAT ... .5A SPORTS 6A TV LISTINGS 9A WEATHER 2A PERIODICAL 6 * Georgia Newspaper Project Main Library UNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 3-DIGIT 306 Serving Houston County Since 1870 EDIMGIAFAD Every Day In Middle Georgia Is Armed Forces Appreciation Day f 33xcme|f (Lite JJmtmal " LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, ; city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville Board approves FY2006 budget Thublin: No property tax increase anticipated; tax digest to be available next week By TERESA D. SOUTHERN HHJ Staff Writer $255,853,920 has been budgeted for the fiscal year of 2006 by the Houston County Board of Education, and it received its final approval at a called meeting Planners mull new district By MIKE GEORGE HHJ Staff Writer The Perry Planning Commission continues to talk about creating a new city zoning district designed to buffer residential homes from commercial develop ment. Commissioners are still working out the details of the new office commercial (OC) district, but hope to have a plan ready to vote on by their next meeting in If approved by the com mission and the city council, the new district will be included in the Perry Land Development Ordinance, the city’s zoning guidelines. A draft of the amendment was first discussed during the commission’s meeting June 13, and was again dis cussed during the meeting Monday. The new district is designed for buildings like dental offices, professional centers, and some small retail businesses and spe cialty shops, based on what the commission finally decides. Perry Building Official Steve Howard said that the city has run into problems recently along growing areas like the Perry Parkway. In April, commis sioners wrangled with homeowners in the Yorktown subdivision over a local developer’s request to rezone a 3.5-acre plot near the entrance of Yorktown from residential to commer cial property. Residents argued that the develop ment could create traffic problems and lower their property values, but real estate agents for the devel oper argued that the land had no real value if it could not be developed commer cially. “You’ve seen the same See OC, page 12A JAN CARY www.hhjnews.com Monday afternoon. Steve Thublin, assistant superin tendent of finance and business operations, said funding for the salaries of 50 additional teachers, raises for classified staff, and a 2 percent raise for teachers are r i '■*. x - : '*"*• iaßi■ ; ■* •• i f MI m mPJ )Bn j ■ ■ j ‘'IV.T TOR Ml HBI . | ' "jIBm ' ... laE 9 w* ** 1 L * faNl** "i'-i kl r C ' 1 « i ? p r 'jp'. v —: —tml ' $ • m * impHBHB re?SZS<liaifppSgj;.. t. ' 1 ! fIMMHHBPIIPTOiPi !*Viliilifli I V* * -/’M- - i *JH>r f >M» • • jjW - *•<*»*** %llr» • , # Friends, family and volunteers gather outside Ana and Jordan Toddings’ new home on Orchard Way in Warner Robins Sunday. The Toddingses’ home was the 30th built by the Houston County Habitat for Humanity since the group was formed in 1991. ffliwp nmram 1 1 * Houston Habitat for Humanity hands over keys to 30th home Article and photos by Mike George Jordan and Ana Toddings have lived in apartments for years, but now they have a home of their own - a place they helped build with their own hands. The Houston County Habitat for Humanity dedi cated its 30th home Sunday See HABITAT, page 12A Cary joins Rainbow House Former Fort Valley police chief to head Houston child abuse facility By TIMOTHY GRAHAM HHJ Staff Writer Jan Cary has been named the new executive director of The Rainbow House. Cary will take over from retiring Executive Director Carol Hanna on July 12. Cary, the former police chief in Fort Valley, comes to the position from a career in law enforcement and man included in this year’s budget. Thublin said that he foresees no property tax increase in connection with the budget the school board adopted. He said, however, he is waiting on the tax digest, a yearly assessment «v * k, .—.. “ 4 ~— " .. •* 3 ■ ■ |®= •'-■ Ana Toddings, her husband Jordan and their daughter Hannah listen as Ray Haggard, president of the Houston County Habitat for Humanity, presents the fam ily with a bible in front of their new home on Orchard Way in Warner Robins Sunday. The home is the 30th built by the group since the Houston County chapter formed in 1991. agement. He has been a child abuse investigator and an elected sheriff. The Rainbow House Children’s Resource Center is an organization devoted to reducing the occurrence of child abuse and to assist its victims. Throughout Houston County, Rainbow House coordinates community efforts in child abuse education, advocacy, treatment, prevention and training. The house itself is a child-friendly ONE SECTION • 12 PAGES of property value in the county con ducted by Houston County Tax Commissioner Marc Kushinka, to confirm whether the board will have to increase or decrease the millage, or tax, rate. See BOE, page 34 facility where children feel more com fortable talking about their situation. Cary comes to Rainbow House with a 21-year career in law enforcement. He is a graduate of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. He and his wife Lourdes live in Peach County, where she is employed by the Peach County Board of Education. They have four children. Cary was born and raised in See CARY, page 12A an Evans Family Newspaper 50c iiiiiin 8 5108*0000 It* 4