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FRIDAY July 29, 2005 Volume 135, Number 405 / (i //yvA\w \ Award-Winning Newspaper 2005 Belter Newspaper Contest Inside TODAY P*m i I lJhpP' t -jm Hr '' ■k- £ -*.l * OK .. # H . *- ; Bbl__ Softball teams continue preparations Teams worked on speed as their coaches timed the players. Sports, page 7A Happy BIRTHDAY! July 29 Dalton Crofutt Dakota Crofutt Laura Loewen Lynn Trice (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 DEATHS - - None were reported for this edition INDEX CLASSIFIED 13A COMICS 10A CROSSWORD ...10A FAMILY&FAITH .. .11A OPINION 4A SCHOOL NEWS . .14A SPORTS 7 A TV LISTINGS ... .10A WEATHER 2A PERIODICAL 5 Georgia newspaper Protect Man Library UNiV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 AU. FOR ADC 301 July 29, 2005 Serving Houston County Since 1870 Y f ITcmstcru JTcrrni' jf Qim journal 9 LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville County millage up, but tax bill going down By RAY UGHTNER HHJ Staff Writer While the county tax rate went up Wednesday, the result may be a decrease in the bill for residents in the unincorporated areas. The Houston County Board of Commissioners voted 3-1 Wednesday night to raise the county’s portion of property tax bills, and lower the fire tax. Commissioner Jay Walker voted against the increase, “because it’s an increase. pP> *\j '-'S, k/v ' • t ••- {eLgarcxS; HHJ Mike George Peggy and Ed Vesely hold up her portrait of Ed at the Perry Arts Center Thursday morn ing. Peggy’s painting was modeled after the cubist style of 20th-century artist Pablo Picasso. The Houston Arts Alliance sponsored a weeklong program of art and story telling called ‘‘Meet the Masters," where students learn about the lives of famous artists including Rembrandt, Monet and Van Gogh. RIGHT: Shana Lehrmann of Warner Robins works on a portrait of Tish Mims, vice president of the Houston Arts Alliance, at the Perry Arts Center Thursday morning. More photos, page xA HHJ/Mike George Friends unite to support Wetherington Fund-raisers being held to offset medical costs after freak accident By RAY UGHTNER HHJ Staff Writer Chris Wetherington’s friends have organized sev eral benefits to help him out following a freak accident that put in the Shepherd Center. Warner Robins Police Lt. Joe Wetherington, said his brother was “clothes-lined” by a deer while riding his motorcycle. “The bike continued on down the road,” Joe Wetherington said. The only injuries were to his head and that impact “crashed his face and gave him a mas sive concussion.” He was taken to the Medical Center of Central Georgia, in Macon, and was several weeks before doctors were able to complete facial surgeries to repair the bro ken jaw and multiple facial fractures. “It’s not that I disagree with the entire budget, just parts of it,” he said. “This vote is up or down on the whole thing so I have no choice.” Walker noted he was the lone vote against the last increase in the budget and millage four years ago. Commission Chairman Ned Sanders said the net tax would raise roughly $27.4 million or about a $3.1 million increase over last year. See MILLAGE, page 3A 'X * ■. *.. - • . L ■ j*P I JKB ***&*.* ± \Of. JPiIBMPMBis $ ■ I ’ s'} ■ Jiliiiidl * ■ •« “Amazingly, he didn’t lose any teeth,” his brother noted, “and speaks really well.” Wetherington said Chris has been staying at the Shepherd Center. “He’s got a tough road to go,” he said. Friends and family have been of great support to Chris and his wife Monica through their ordeal, said Wetherington. They have organized hot dog sales, a motorcycle poker run, a Boston butt sale and a raffle - and have raised about SIB,OOO so far. “That’s a lot of friends selling a lot of tickets,” Joe Wetherington said. The next event is The Chris Wetherington Relief Fund Golf Tournament. “They need at least 20 teams for the golf See WETHERINGTON, page 3A www.hhjnews.com The Houston County Board of Education has set the millage rate for school taxes at 13.48 mills - a 0.15 reduction from last year’s rate. According to Stephen Thublin, the board’s assistant superintendent for finance and business operations, the rate will generate approximately $36,590,283 in Houston County property taxes, which is about 21 percent of the total cost of opera tions for the year. The lion’s share of operational funds are made up by state and federal revenue and, r . submitted Chris Wetherington hugs his wife, Monica and their two daughters, Vally and Shelby, in this Christmas photo prior to his motorcycle accident. School millage rate down from last year in the case of school construction, sales tax revenue. A mill is 1/10 of one cent, or $1 per SI,OOO dollars of taxable value. Property taxes in Georgia are generally assessed at 40 percent of the fair market value. For example, if the market value of a house has been determined to be SIOO,OOO, 40 per cent (or $40,000) of that value is taxed. With a millage rate of 13.48 mills, the school property tax on a SIOO,OOO house would be approximately $539. - Charlotte Perkins 116th proves successful Robins wing enters third year since becoming ‘blended unit’ By Tech. Sgt. BEVERLY ISIK and Airman Ist Class PAUL RYAN USAF Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE - The first Future Total Force wing, the 116th Air Control Wing, is nearing its third birthday since merging active-duty Air Force, Army and Air National Guard units to Authority buys land, OKs renovations Also, Houston Medical Center 'Sees record number of births By TIMOTHY GRAHAM HHJ Staff Writer The Hospital Authority of Houston County approved two renovation projects at Houston Medical Center and pur chased a property behind the hospital. The authority approved a renovation of the pharma cy at Houston Medical an Evans Family Newspaper 50c li null. ONE SECTION • 14 PAGES form a “blended wing.” In October 2002, America’s first total force wing took flight as the 116th ACW and made his tory by combining active duty airmen and soldiers from the 93rd ACW, along with Georgia Air National Guardsmen from the 116th Bomb Wing. The two wings formed one cohesive unit, See 116th, page 2A Center. The project will be supervised by the authority and the work done through subcontractors. The project is budgeted at SBO,OOO. The impetus of the project is a requirement that the mix ing of IV fluids be done in a sterile environment in a separate room. The second renovation See AUTHORITY, page 3A