Newspaper Page Text
WEEKEND
May 27, 2006
I VOLUME 136, NUMBER 104
Closed Monday
B The Home Journal's front offic
es will be closed Memorial Day.
You may still reach a member of
the news department by calling
987-1823, ext. 231.
Take a pause
B Americans will pause from
their activities at 3 p.m. on
Memorial Day for a Moment of
Remembrance to reflect on the
sacrifices of our Soldiers.
The National Moment of
Remembrance, mandated by
Congress and the major initiative
of the White House Commission
on Remembrance, is a way for all
citizens to unite in honor of those
who fought for our freedom and
died to preserve it.
Major League Baseball games will
pause, church bells will ring and
train whistles will blow to signal
the moment when the country will
come together to show its grati
tude and respect for our nation’s
heroes and ensure that they are
not forgotten.
For more information on
the National Moment of
Remembrance, visit their website
at www.remember.gov.
It's an honor
M Wamer Robins Ford will host a
special promotion in honor of U.S.
veterans and their family mem
bers today at the dealership on
Russell Parkway.
During their visit, veterans,
who are asked to come in their
uniform if possible, will sign in
and post pictures on special
boards. There'll be several radio
broadcasts there including Skip
Holmes and special march music
that afternoon.
Vietnam veteran Bob Bovitch will
be on site autographing copies of
his new book. Also, according to
the release, Warner Robins Ford
will give away SSOO every hour.
It’s an honor
B A Memorial Day service will be
held in honor of the nation’s war
dead at 11 a.m. Monday at the
Perry Memorial Gardens. Lelan
R. Callan will be the master of
ceremonies. All are invited to
attend. Water will be provided,
but those attending are asked to
bring their own chairs/tents.
Saturday
W Brian Bowen
Sunday
W Barbara Walker; Al Stewart;
Tian Foss
Monday
B George Neal; Sandra Faricloth
Sunday
W Robert and Shirley Minter
Monday
M Belinda and Clyde Crowe
W Harry N. Foster; Lovenia L.
Teel
RO il 2A
NEEATIIEN .. ..... 3A
SINION . ......... 4A
MEERTYLE. ........ DA
OIS ... 1B
Aw:d- Winning
News
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April 21, 2006
I.‘s’i-im NG Hot '.wi) N County Since' 1870
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The Joiveis
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HoUSTON COUNTY,
CITY OF PERRY, CITY OF WARNER ROBINS AND CITY OF CENTERVILLE
Unemployment falls in April
By RAY LIGHTNER
HHJ Staff Writer
The unemployment rate
in the metro Warner Robins
area declined to 4.0 percent
in April, down one-tenth of
one percent from 4.1 per
cent in March.
The area’s jobless rate
stood at 4.3 percent in
April of 2005 according to
the Georgia Department of
Houston Countyv Idol
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M Commissioner
vl Larry
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ol e Thomson’s life
P i R | has not always
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b) Ry B Us ML " .{,l Sk S
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figf e -' ; ~ a successful sing-
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Bt niiTe R T M er/songwriter, one
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By P , e a star.
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; - @ ol Visiting his home in
‘ R e P’ Perry, one is introduced
b OUNIRE Sfomie 4 to a library of memorabilia
& e\:”fi;gm\%wvw* ; i ' complete with his own paint-
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i ““gfiwlf AR %& ings, writings, playbills from
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RoE : his stint as an off-Broadway actor
B : and old 45s of his own recordings. It
v . is quickly realized Thomson is nothing
short of a true renaissance man.
et B “I wasn’t any kind of a superstar,” he said, “but I had
Story by: ; a pl‘L't.tyNg(md career. I made a little money and had a big time for a
Brian Shreve, | VTR . ; ; : L .
HHJ Intern ! [homson, originally from Centerville and a graduate of Perry High
i School, has served the County Commission since 1999. About 30 years ago,
however, back when he “had much more hair,” he was See SING, page 8A
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WRPD, HCSO to
split $19,160 grant
By RAY LIGHTNER
HHJ Staff Writer
The Warner Robins
Police Department and the
Houston County Sheriff’s
Office will split a $19,160
grant they received recent
ly.
The money, which was
handed down from the
Department of Justice,
is designed to aid in local
law enforcement needs.
Melanie Byer, administra
tive operations manager for
the Warner Robins Police
Department wrote a joint
grant application for both
departments.
R
www.hhjnews.com
R O
Labor. The Warner Robins
Metro Service Area includes
all of Houston County .
In April there were 304
initial claims for unemploy
ment insurance, down from
the 312 in March but up
30.5 percent or 71 claims
from the 233 in April 2005.
In comparison, the unem
ployment rate in the metro
Macon area declined to 5.1
Byer said the U.S.
Department of Justice’s
Edward Byrne Memorial
Justice Assistance Grant
Program is a combina
tion of two local assistance
block grants it replaced.
“The grant is for a year,”
Byer said, then we have to
reapply.”
The JAG program allows
local governments to sup
port a broad range of activ
ities to prevent and control
crime based on their own
local needs and conditions.
The Department of Justice
will distribute the funding
See GRANT, page 8A
percent in April, also down
one-tenth of one percent,
from 5.2 percent in March.
The metro Macon area’s job
less rate stood at 5.4 percent
in April of 2005.
Metro Macon Service Area
includes Bibb, Crawford,
Peach and Twiggs coun
ties. Macon had 1,020 ini
tial claims in April, down
See RATE, page 8A
Citizens learn about police work
By RAY LIGHTNER
HHJ Staff Writer
The latest graduates of
the Warner Robins Citizen
Police Academy included a
councilman, three wives of
policemen, a husband and
wife, a mother and daughter,
seniors and some graduates
of other WRPD classes.
“You are our eyes and ears
out there,” said Maj. John
Wagner. “You can tell people
what’s going on.”
Wagner is very familiar
with the class. “I sat in you
shoes, 17 years ago, as a col
lege student,” he told the
graduates. “My future wife
was in the class as well.”
Wagner later interned
and was then hired by the
See GRADS, page 8A
Warner Robins MSA Employment
{ln Thousands)
| g
+ 200 jobs
s2s %2 533 . S 8 S2B gay 5% 535 638 gaa SO4 8y S 8
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Age Moy v Sl Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
Note: Wermer Robing MSA comprises Houston county.
Sowce Gevrge Department of Labor - Michael L. Thurmsond, Comnissioner
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Warner Robins Police Capt. John Clay speaks to the grad
uates of Citizen Police Academy, which began March 7. “I
won’t know what to do on Tuesday nights,” Clay said.
AN EVANS FamiLy NEWSPAPER]
TWO SECTIONS * 16 PAGES I
ABOVE: Two of
Larry Thomson'’s
45-RPM records,
including a copy
of his first single,
“Country Songs
Really Are True.”
LEFT: Thomson
plays his guitar
among many pieces
of his memorabilia,
including a poster
during his tour in
Asia.
I
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