 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
NEWSBREAK
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
© 2003-2008, Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or
in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the
expressed written consent of Vidalia Communications Corporation.
This prohibition extends to sharing this publication with clients and/or
affiliate companies. All rights
reserved.
The items on this page are for the current week. To visit our archive page, please click here.
|
|
|
|
|
"Vidalia Communication News Clips”
is an email service early each business day providing you a summary of
top news, business, and opinion from newspapers and media outlets across
the state, i.e., from If you'd like to receive daily "Vidalia Communication News Clips” issues for $5 per month, click here, give us your e-mail address and phone number and we will contact you.
|
|
NEWSBREAK... RADIO YOU CAN RELY ON. (A Note to Readers: The items on these pages are summaries of local radio news stories aired on the three radio stations operated by Vidalia Communications Corporation... WVOP, Goldies 97AM, WTCQ-FM, 98Q at 97.7 FM, and WYUM-FM, Sweet Onion Country, at 101.7FM. Complete reports are aired near the bottom of almost every hour on these stations.) |
Governor Signs Conservation Bill
May 8 -- Governor Sonny Perdue signed The Georgia Forest Land Protection Act of 2008, HB 1211, Thursday afternoon at the Swainsboro Pine Tree Festival and Timber Expo.
“I am pleased to sign this legislation that promotes forest land conservation throughout the state and coincides with the Conserve Georgia campaign that we kicked off two weeks ago,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “These bills would not have made it to my desk without the hard of the many legislators joining us here today.”
HB 1211, sponsored by Rep. Richard Royal, creates a property valuation classification of forest land, which has no acreage cap and allows all property owners including businesses to put their property into covenant and receive the tax benefits. This legislation becomes effective upon the passage of a related constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2008 (HR 1276).
By entering into a covenant to utilize the forest land for conservation purposes for at least 15 years, Georgia’s private property owners will have the advantage of a lower tax burden on qualifying land for as long as the land is kept in its natural state.
Governor Perdue and Rep. Royal were joined at the bill signing event today by Rep. Jim Cole, Rep. Jay Shaw, Rep. Butch Parrish, Rep. Jimmy Pruett, Sen. Ross Tolleson, Sen. John Bulloch and Sen. Jack Hill.
Fugitive Captured in Vidalia
May 8-- Local lawmen captured an escapee from the Wheeler County jail in Vidalia Thursday. According to Toombs County Sheriff Junior Kight, Kiri Datron Lovett was arrested after a brief stand-off. Deputies plus officers from Vidalia, the GBI, FBI, the State Patrol and the East Central Georgia Drug Task Force all converged on an apartment on Morris Street in Vidalia. Lovett escaped Tuesday. He has been indicted in connection with a bank robbery in Cobbtown and is charged with several convenience store holdups, according to the sheriff.
Candidate Appealing Tax Liens
May 8-- The unopposed candidate for the District 5 County Commission Seat in Montgomery County says he is appealing over $300,000 in unpaid federal and state income taxes. The Georgia Constitution says candidates for public office can't be in default on their taxes, however, the exclusion doesn't apply until the case has been finally adjudicated by a court that the taxes are owed.
Candidate John Carpenter of Uvalda qualified to run in the July 15th Democratic Primary for the seat being vacated by Charles Truett. No one else is running for the post in either the Democratic or Republican primaries.
A federal tax lien says Carpenter owes $281,673.95 in federal income taxes for seven years dating back to 1993. He has two liens filed by the Georgia Department of Revenue for unpaid state income taxes totaling $27,621.34 for four years dating back to 1998.
Help Needed for Teen Funeral
May 7-- An effort is underway to raise money for the funeral of a student at Toombs County High School. The Georgia State Patrol says 17-year-old Roy Garcia of Lyons was killed Tuesday afternoon when the pickup truck he was driving ran off Tom McDonald Road and hit an oak tree.
Meanwhile, a member of the Southeast Georgia Community Project is appealing to the public to help Garcia's family with his funeral expenses. Corina Florez says the boy's family has no money or insurance for the funeral. She says they need to raise $4,800 as soon as possible. If you can help, call the Project office at 526-5451.
Appeal Helps Animals
May 7-- A public appeal Wednesday to help save animals at the Vidalia Animal Shelter apparently worked. Shelter manager Cat Miller says people responded when they heard an announcement from the Sweet Onion Animal Protection Society that at least four cats may have to be put to death at the shelter.
"We had a great response to the announcement this morning on the radio. We actually have adopted out seven of our cats and four kittens," she said.
Miller also says she wants the public to know the Shelter does everything it can to avoid killing the animals. However, sometimes it's unavoidable when the animal is sick. "We can't have ill animals out here because of the possibility of transmitting it to other animals. There are times we don't have any choice, but we do our best not to put any down out here," Miller reported.
Now is a good time to adopt a dog or cat because the Sweet Onion Animal Protection Society is paying most of the $45 adoption fee. Your share is only $20 during the month of May.
Counties Consider Starting Ambulance Service
May 6-- County commissioners in Toombs and Montgomery counties are considering starting a joint ambulance service. MedStar, which currently serves both counties, is not renewing its contract which expires in early July.
Toombs County commissioner Louie Powell attended Tuesday's meeting of the Montgomery County commission and proposed the two counties work together to start an ambulance service owned and operated by the two counties. Toombs County earlier solicited bids from five ambulance companies. Powell says three companies submitted bids in the $600,000 range to cover Toombs County only.
Under the MedStar contract, both counties paid a subsidy to Medstar to help pay expenses. Toombs paid the company $470,000 a year and Montgomery paid $85,000. The company reported Toombs County revenue of over $2 million and a net annual profit of just over $144,000. It wrote off $426,000 in bad debts.
Powell says he has no idea what it will cost the counties to operate the ambulance service, however, he feels the counties can operate the service for less than MedStar. The counties already provide the ambulances and Toombs County owns the permit to operate the service.
Montgomery commissioner Dr. Ronnie Smith was appointed to help Powell prepare a budget and plans for the joint ambulance service. They have less than two months to avoid a lapse in ambulance service to the two counties.
In other medical-related news, Montgomery Commissioners voted to provide a letter of support to East Georgia Healthcare regarding construction of a medical clinic on the square in Mount Vernon. The company is seeking a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to open the clinic to serve primarily low income patients in Montgomery and Toombs counties.
Commissioners approved the letter after Montgomery Development Authority director Joe Filippone told them he had an email from Howard Holman at Meadows Regional Medical Center objecting to the clinic. Commission chairman Charles Truett said he considered Holman's reaction a slap in the face. Later, Meadows CEO Alan Kent told us his main concern is the impact a government-subsidized clinic would have on local doctors. Montgomery commissioner Dr. Ronnie Smith told the commission he favors competition in medical care.
East Georgia Healthcare CEO Jennie Wren Denmark says her company is already operating clinics in Emanuel, Tattnall, Treutlen and Candler counties. She won't know until August or September if the grant is approved.
Canadian Snowbirds Visit Vidalia
Canadian Snowbird Major Robert Mitchell (left) is greeted by Vidalia Mayor Ronnie Dixon at Vidalia Regional Airport Tuesday. The Snowbirds made a refueling stop in Vidalia and joined Onion Festival Air Show officials for lunch. Air Show chairperson Marsha Temples says the Snowbirds are being invited to headline next year's air show.
Slight Year-End Surplus in Montgomery County Schools
May 5-- The Montgomery County school system expects to end the year with a slight surplus, according to Superintendent Dr. Lynn Batten. Despite unexpected administrative overhead due to the Dale Clark/Carrie O'Connor fallout, Dr. Batten expects to end the fiscal year in June with a $600,000 surplus.
Dr. Batten told the county school board Monday night next year's budget will be a challenge, but he expects it to be manageable due to reorganization of the central office. The school system will get about a quarter-million dollars less from the state in fiscal year 2009 because the school board rolled back school taxes this year due to property revaluation. Also, the loss of 112 students in the school system earns less money from the state.
Dr. Batten also told the board he has sent the state audit of the school system to District Attorney Tim Vaughn for review. Dale James of Alston claims the audit shows violations of state law. He addressed the board and reminded members they took oaths of office to uphold state and federal laws and constitutions.
The school board also approved the hiring of six employees including a new finance director, Lynda Greene, who comes to Mount Vernon from Rome, Georgia, and a new head coach and athletic director, Greg Busby, who is coming from B.B Comer High School in Sylacauga, Alabama.
Luminaries make a walking track on Brogdon Field in memory of cancer victims at the 2008 Montgomery County Relay for Life.
May 6-- Friday evening through Saturday morning, the 2008 Montgomery County Relay for Life was held at Brogdon Field on the campus of Montgomery County High School. According to Co-Chair Wanda Fountain “the relay was fantastic. We came into the evening with $25,000 against a goal of $41,500 and at 5:30am had surpassed the goal with a total of $43,400, which yesterday would have looked almost impossible.”
People of all ages were on hand to raise money and awareness and to Montgomery Co. High School Sophomore, Daniel Lawrence, the Relay for Life is personal. Lawrence commented that he “had grandmothers and great-aunts lose the battle to cancer.” He credits their lives, battles, and memories to his participation in the relay.
There was no time for sleeping as participants walked throughout the night and although the turnout was good, 13 year old Jordan Lewis of Alston says he’d like to see more teenagers at the 2009 Relay. Lewis urged his peers to come out by saying, “I’d like to take this opportunity to urge more people my age to come out and help us support the fight against cancer. That is what it’s all about, fighting back.”
The American Cancer Society Relay for Life Teams will continue raising money through August of 2008.
Candidates Qualify in Toombs, Montgomery and Treutlen Counties
May 2-- There are four contested races in Toombs County in this year's primary and general elections.
In the July 15th primaries, five people have qualified to succeed County Commission Chairman Charles Rustin who is not seeking re-election. In the Democratic primary, former chairman James Thompson is opposed by long-time Vidalia educator Steve Weeks. In the Republican primary for chairman, candidates are Bob Bass, Butch McLendon and Buddy West.
In the District 2 commission race, incumbent Republican Louie Powell faces no primary opposition but will be opposed in the general election by Lorenzo Folson of Vidalia.
The District 3 commission seat being vacated by longtime commissioner Durward NeeSmith has three candidates. Johnny Moser and Harry "Skeeter" Toole are running against each other in the Republican primary with the winner facing unopposed Democrat Adam Moore in the Fall.
And there's a non-partisan special election July 15th to elect a new Toombs County Probate Judge. Qualifiers are Stan Bazemore, Duston Tapley and Larry Threlkeld.
Vidalia lawyer Paul Threlkeld is running unopposed for state court solicitor. Incumbents with no opposition are Sheriff Junior Kight, Clerk of Court Chess Fountain, Tax Commissioner Julie Reaves and Coroner Ron Hall.
Montgomery County Qualification
In Montgomery County, incumbent Sheriff Clarence Sanders is opposed in the Democratic primary by Ladson O'Connor. The winner will face the winner of the Republican primary race between Kenneth Clark and Marty Collins.
Two Montgomery Commissioners are not running for re-election. Chairman Charles Truett will be succeeded in District 5 by John Carpenter who is running without opposition. The District 2 seat held by Dr. Ronnie Smith will be decided in the Fall election between Democrat Jerry Powell and Republican Franklin Brantley. Incumbent District 1 commissioner Mark Burns has Democratic primary opposition from Vernon Sumner. District 3 incumbent Brandon Braddy will face general election opposition from Van Thigpen. The county clerk of court, tax commissioner, probate judge and coroner are all unopposed.
Treutlen County Primary Qualifiers
Five races are contested in Treutlen County. Sheriff Tommy Corbin is challenged in the Democratic Primary by Lance Hooks, Luke Kicklighter and Mike Kight. In the Republican primary, only Toombs County deputy sheriff Danny Phillips has qualified.
Also in the Democratic primary, probate and magistrate judge T.J. Hudson is challenged by Laurianne Pullen. Clerk of Court Buddy Rogers faces former deputy Don Rotton and county commissioner Hugh Beasley.
Beasley's vacated District 3 County Commission seat is being sought by Jeff Kight, Tom Phillips and Alvin Wheeler. Longtime commissioner George L. McLendon is leaving his District 4 seat to a four-way race between Gary Dickens, Kimberly Edge, Sidney Manning and Cecil Moore.
And attorney Keith Pollette is running for the state court solicitor's job being vacated by Jimmy Garner. Tax Commissioner Marie Sumner, coroner Green Higgs and board of education members Leo Gillis, Jeff Raiford and June Mason are unopposed.
District Attorney Faces Opposition
May 2-- The District Attorney in the five-county Middle Judicial Circuit is facing opposition in the Democratic primary election. Steve Askew of Vidalia will face Swainsboro attorney Hayward Altman.
Also, State Representative Butch Parrish of Swainsboro will have opposition in the general election. He will face Democrat Jonathan McCollar of Statesboro for the 156th District House Seat.
Unopposed in this year's elections are State Representative Greg Morris of Vidalia, and State Senators Tommie Williams of Lyons and Jack Hill of Reidsville.
Warrant Issued for Suspect
May 1-- An arrest warrant has been issued for a Lyons man wanted in connection with the injury of a Toombs County deputy sheriff. Toombs County Sheriff Junior Kight says police are looking for 32-year-old Shadrick Neal of 106 South Hall Street in Lyons. Neal was allegedly driving the car that struck Deputy Sheriff Terry Smith Wednesday night in Lyons following what police say was a drug sale. Smith suffered leg injuries, but was not hospitalized. Neal has yet to be arrested, according to the sheriff.
Mother & Daughter Charged with Prostitution
Teresa McClelland, one of two arrested for prostitution. No photo available for Terri McClelland.
May 1-- A Vidalia woman and her daughter are being charged with prostitution by Vidalia police. Chief Frank Waits says 40-year-old Teresa McClelland and her 21-year-old daughter, Terri McClelland, were operating a house of prostitution at 213 Pine Street. Complaints from concerned citizens in the neighborhood several months ago launched the investigation, according to Chief Waits.
Career Fair at Southeastern Tech
Cheryl Gay (left) from Meadows Regional Medical Center and STC student Heather Beasley discuss career opportunities at Thursday's Career Fest. Over 300 attendees, many from area high schools, had an opportunity to meet with 50 potential employers.
Deputy Injured in Attempted Drug Arrest
May 1-- A Toombs County deputy sheriff was injured in an attempted drug bust Wednesday night in Lyons. Sheriff Junior Kight says a suspect hit Deputy Sheriff Terry Smith with a car. Smith suffered leg injuries, but no broken bones, and was not hospitalized.
Sheriff Kight says his deputies and Lyons police observed a drug sale in the Sav-A-Lot grocery store parking lot in downtown Lyons. When they approached a young black male in his automobile, he backed into a sheriff's pickup and then hit the deputy. Another deputy fired a shot and hit the rear door of the car as the driver drove off. Sheriff Kight reports the car has been recovered and is in GBI custody.
He says a helicopter was called in to help with the search Wednesday night, but the suspect has yet to be found.
Lyons Mayor John Moore says this is the second incident in a few weeks where shots were fired in Lyons. Earlier he said a suspect fired shots at police during a traffic stop. He also remains at large. Mayor Moore says he has told his police department to do whatever it takes to keep the pressure on drug dealers in Lyons.
Lyons Citizen President-Elect State FFA Alumni
April 30-- A Lyons businessman is the state president-elect of the Georgia Future Farmers of America Alumni. Johnny Jones has long been an active supporter of the FFA chapter at Toombs County High School. "We're out trying to promote education. We want the kids to understand what kind of future there is. I think one out of every six jobs in Georgia is ag-related," he said.
Jones takes office in two years, meanwhile, he plans to learn all he can about how FFA alumni can make a difference. "This is kind of a learning deal for two years. I will be representing Georgia at our national leaders conference this July in Washington," he said. He also wants to educate members of Congress about the importance of agriculture to our food supply.
Three Qualify for Toombs Probate Judge
April 29-- Three people have qualified so far for the Toombs County Probate Judge position vacated in March by Jackie Driskell. Throwing their names in the hat are former Vidalia auto dealer Larry Threlkeld, attorney Duston Tapley of Vidalia and Stan Bazemore of Lyons. Qualification continues until noon Friday.
Child Restraint Push
April 29-- Recent deaths of young children in the local area have drawn the attention of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. Child restraint expert Amy Edwards says traffic checkpoints are being held in the area this week.
"We came in response to the three-year-olds who have been killed recently in Toombs, Tattnall and Appling counties and who were unrestrained," she said Tuesday at a Vidalia press conference.
According to Edwards, a child up to one-year old and weighing no more than 20 pounds should be in an infant seat facing to the rear. After that they can go forward-facing in a child restraint seat. When they reach four years and 40 pounds, they'll be ready for the booster seat. They want to stay there until they are at least four feet, nine inches, usually around the age of eight, when they'll be ready for the adult seatbelt.
Range Fuels Plant Proceeding in Treutlen
April 28-- Rumors in Treutlen County that Colorado-based Range Fuels is pulling out of building its $200 million ethanol plant north of Soperton are false. John Lee of the Soperton-Treutlen Joint Development Authority says, in fact, the company poured the foundation for its first building in the complex last week. He also says negotiations are underway with the One Georgia Authority and Range Fuels to extend high speed fiber optic cable from Dublin to Soperton to make high speed Internet available to the company and other customers in the area.
Near-Record Crowds at Onion Festival
April 28-- Officials of this year's Vidalia Onion Festival say it was a great weekend with near-record crowds. "We couldn't be more pleased with the 2008 Vidalia Onion Festival. The air show was a huge success, the weather held up and we're just well-pleased," reported Festival chairman Phillip Williams who also thanked the 300 or so volunteers and city-county employees who worked on the festival.
One official estimated as many as 30,000 people were at the air show Saturday. Chairwoman Marsha Temples said, "the crowds were phenomenal, and the show was terrific, it all just went so smooth."
There was also a Sunday morning surprise when the Air Force Thunderbirds buzzed Vidalia Regional Airport to have some fun with the Navy's Blue Angels. "They were leaving Charleston on their way to a show over in Texas and they couldn't resist coming over and zapping the Blues one time," Temples said.
She hopes the Blue Angels will be back in two years. Meanwhile, the Canadian Snowbirds are making a refueling stop in Vidalia this weekend and Temples hopes they'll accept an invitation to perform at next year's Onion Festival air show.
Onion Festival Attracts Left Coast Visitors
April 27-- Thousands of people attended this year's Vidalia Onion Festival, and some came from thousands of miles away. We found Bill Lucie and his wife at the Tales of the Altamaha, "We saw the Vidalia Onion Festival advertised on one of the TV channels about a year ago. My wife and I decided this would be something we'd like to do. So, from San Juan Capistrano, where the swallows come back every year, we're here to do everything onion." Lucie said.
Also in attendance this year, a real American hero. Army Sergeant Jason Mike won the Silver Star in Iraq in 2005. "I was with a Military Police company and our main job was to provide security on the main supply routes. We were ambushed by 50 insurgents. My vehicle was surrounded by 25 insurgents and we had to fight our way out in a battle that lasted about 45 minutes. Three of my guys were wounded, but we all got out," he said. Sergeant Mike is a combat medic who joined the Army National Guard after 9/11.
He came to the Vidalia Onion Festival with an Army exhibit called the "Virtual Army Experience" which attracted large crowds to an arena loaded with computer-assisted war games. Among them, a young man from Macon who scored a direct hit with a TOW missile. "It was awesome," he said.
A first-time sponsor for this year's Onion Festival was the Georgia Lottery. Margaret DeFrancisco, the lottery president, visited Vidalia a few days before the festival. She told the Kiwanis Club that the lottery, in addition to helping fund education, provides local economic development. "Robert and Tonya Harris of Portal won the Megamillion's $275 million jackpot. What they have done is purchased vehicles in Statesboro, they have bought a huge tract of land, they've employed banks and accountants in that area, but they're also employing home builders. So a lot of their money is staying right there and it's a great thing for that community," she said.
Blue Angels Headline Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show
April 25-- Marine Corps Major Russ Campbell is completing his three-year tour of duty with the Navy Blue Angels. He's off for a year of schooling at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS before his next Marine Corps assignment. The Blue Angels are performing at Vidalia Regional Airport Saturday and Sunday afternoons at three p.m. Gates open at nine o'clock both days and the Air Show starts at noon with multiple other acts leading up to the Blue Angels.
Fuel Costs Put Squeeze on Vidalia Onion Crop
April 24-- "Our country's in a mess, but I've always farmed and I hope I can continue to do that because that's what I love to do," says Bo Herndon standing in a Vidalia Onion field surveying this year's crop.
Herndon is chairman of the Vidalia Onion Committee. As the Sweet Onion City celebrates the 31st annual Vidalia Onion Festival, Herndon says this year's crop should be good. "We've had a little problem in the early onions we dug, but I think these later onions we've got in the field are going to be a good crop," he predicted.
Fewer acres of onions were planted this year, and prices are down. "The prices are not as high as they were last year, but we're hoping to make a good crop to make up the difference," he said.
Meanwhile, like all farmers, higher prices for fuel and fertilizer are hurting onion farmers. "It's killing us. Everything we buy is higher, and we're selling for less than last year, so that tells you where we're at. I don't know how much longer the American farmer can make it. If something is not done pretty shortly, we're going to be without food suppliers," Herndon warns.
Food Favorites at Onion Festival Recipe Contest
A Tough Job, But Somebody's Got To Do It. Onion Recipe judges work their way down tables loaded with some of the best Vidalia Onion Recipes in Sweet Onion Country. The Vidalia Onion Committee sponsors by the annual contest.
April 24-- Creative local cooks got to show off their tastiest Vidalia Onion creations at Thursday night's Vidalia Onion Festival Recipe Contest sponsored by Vidalia Onion growers.
In the main dish category, Ron O'Neal won with his "Vidalia Onion-Cabbage Casserole, "The onions and the cabbage combined give it a complete taste," he said. How'd he come up with that combination? "Just imagination," O'Neal said.
Among competitors for the best Vidalia Onion side dish, Charlene Darley put some of the skills she's learned at Steeplechase to work with her "Vidalia Onion and Tomato Pie." "Well I saw one on TV and I just sort of modified it to how I wanted it. I got the good Vidalia Onions in mine," she noted.
The largest category of dishes, miscellaneous, goes to perennial favorite Jan Williams for "Onions and Olives Festive Dip." "I don't like olives and I had a friend who had me to taste it. So I improvised by adding the Sweet Vidalia Onions and left out some of the chili's and kind of made it up," she admits.
And a new category this year for young people was swept by members of the Toombs County 4-H according to coordinator Leslie Garrett. "We had six of our kids who were interested and five of them came up with some great recipes and they won all the prizes," she said.
Children's Onion Parade in the Sweet Onion City
Onion Festival Queens and a young Mister Vidalia lead the way down Meadows Lane in Thursday's Onion Festival Children's Parade.
Robbery Suspects Nabbed in Vidalia
April 23-- A police chase in Vidalia Tuesday ended with the apprehension of two men suspected of robbery in Montgomery County. Toombs County Sheriff Junior Kight reports 18-year-old Kiri Lovett of Morris Street in Vidalia and 21-year-old Andrew Weaver of Collins are being held on multiple charges including the Saturday night holdup of the Uvalda Package Store. Montgomery County Sheriff Clarence believes Lovett entered the package store and Weaver drove the getaway car. The two are also wanted for questioning by the FBI in some other robberies and Lovett has drug charges pending in Treutlen County, according to Sheriff Kight.
More Arrests in Burglary Spree
April 23-- Toombs County Sheriff Junior Kight reports four more arrests in connection with weekend burglaries in the Cedar Crossing area. The sheriff says four Emanuel County teenagers have been picked up. They join a juvenile and 17-year-old Clinton Scarborough in police custody. According to the sheriff, Scarborough recently moved to Cedar Crossing from Emanuel County and was joined by his friends who came down for the burglary spree which included thefts from a church and three businesses.
Sales Tax Projects Identified in Montgomery County
April 23-- Officials in Montgomery County are hoping voters will approve a $5 million dollar sales tax referendum when they go to the polls to vote in the July 15th primary elections. If approved, the one percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax would be collected for a six-year period starting in January.
Nearly $3 million in collections would be spent by the county commission on ambulances, solid waste equipment, fire protection, and roads and bridges.
The city of Mount Vernon projects spending $1.3 million on water and sewer, streets and recreation. Ailey would get about $327,000 for water and sewer; Uvalda an estimated $334,000 for streets and water and sewer; Higgston nearly $201,000 for a fire station; Alston $100,000 for water works; and Tarrytown about $63,000 for water works, city hall restoration and city park expansion.
Meadows To Build New Hospital in Vidalia
Architect's conceptual drawing of the new Meadows Regional Medical Center building.
April 22-- Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia announced plans Tuesday to build a new hospital. Chief Executive Officer Alan Kent made the announcement at a gathering in the Meadows Wellness Center. "The project will be $75 million, it will be about 170,000 square feet, and ultimately the site will give us the ability to expand in the future. As of today, Meadows Regional Medical Center is the owner of a 72-acre site which sits directly across from the Wellness Center on Highway 280," Kent announced.
Meadows bought the property from the Minnie Thompson estate and Gaston Wilkes, both of whom owned 36 acres. Kent says they plan to extend Harris Industrial Boulevard northward across the railroad tracks in order to connect Highway 280 to Highway 292 and allow hospital access from both roads.
The two-story building will include up to 70 acute care beds and will be paid for by the hospital at no cost to taxpayers. Kent expects work to start by the end of this year and to be completed by mid-2010.
The chairman of the medical center holding board, Michael Calhoun, thanked physicians, nurses and the community in general for support of the hospital. "I'm just thankful we're at this point where we can begin to build a new hospital that will benefit generations for many years in the future," he said.
Calhoun also said no decision has been made regarding disposition of the current hospital building. He said there's a possibility it could be torn down.
Citizens Dispute Superintendent's Pronouncements on School Audit
April 22-- Some citizens in Montgomery County disagree with a quote from school superintendent Dr. Lynn Batten that a state audit of the school system revealed no criminal intent or wrongdoing.
Dr. Batten, meanwhile, told a called meeting of the school board Monday night he's sending the audit to District Attorney Tim Vaughn for review. "I understand the public concern about the audit findings, especially those associated with questioned costs. After reflecting on these findings and the public concern, I think it's in the best interest of the school system to forward the FY07 draft audit findings to the District Attorney for his review," he said.
Dale James of Alston, who first revealed the issuance of school system cell phones to relatives of school employees, has little confidence that Dr. Batten's referral of the audit to the criminal justice system will have much effect. He says, "With the message that's been sent contradicting the audit, I say it's a weak messenger sending a weak message and I fear we will not have a strong response."
James has examined the audit report and and says there are numerous instances where the auditors noted violations of state law. "The auditors spent a lot of time and went into a lot of detail quoting the laws which had been broken. They left little or no room for personal interpretation of this audit. I don't why anyone would want to contradict or refute findings that were so detailed. They quoted the law, O.C.G.A 20-411, which says school funds must be used for educational purposes. At the end of that sentence, they highlighted in black, 'and for no other purpose.' Cell phones for children, grandchildren, in-laws and other non-school personnel do not meet the definition of legal per 20-411," James points out.
James says the audit points out school credit card charges for things such as shoes, gas and motels need further investigation. He's also calling for reimbursement of salary overpayments which he believes should be repaid to the school system.
"The auditors also say there was $35,000 overpaid, including $10,000 plus to the former superintendent. These are not the only funds missing. Montgomery County belongs to the Tri-County Connection. There's over $61,000 missing due to overpayments. No one has said how this money is going to be paid back, when or if," James reports.
Vidalia Pipe Company Sold
April 21-- A local pipe company with roots in the late 1930's has been sold to an international company. John Somers, Jr. says Southern Drainage Products in Higgston closed the sale to Old Castle Pre-Cast earlier this month. Old Castle is a subsidiary of a publicly-traded company called CRH which is based in Ireland.
The company's vice-president for development, George Heusel, says he expects the local company to grow under its new ownership. "We certainly intend to invest in and expand the capacity of Southern Drainage. We see it as being an anchor in our operations in south Georgia and northern Florida," he said.
Somers has signed a four-year contract to continue running the local company. Heusel says that's important to Old Castle's acquisition policy. "We believe very much in finding well managed and well operated family businesses. Where it's practical we try to convince the ownership to stay on and help us manage. We can add value and they bring their experience and market knowledge, and together we can improve the business," he noted.
Good Year for Toombs Relay for Life
Many miles were walked around Buck Cravey Field Friday night during the Toombs County Relay for Life at Vidalia High School.
April 21-- The latest tally on Friday night's Relay for Life in Toombs County is $99,572.46 according to campaign chairperson Cheryl Gay. Gay says the amount is not quite as much as last year, but she's still happy with the results. Last year's campaign raised more than $100,000, Gay says.
Weekend Stickup and Burglaries
April 21-- Local lawmen report an armed robbery and a rash of burglaries over the weekend.
Montgomery County Sheriff Clarence Sanders says a black man wearing a mask and a hooded jacket robbed the Uvalda Package Store about nine o'clock Saturday night. He says the robber held a gun on the attendant while he stole money from the cash register and took money from two customers in the store. He has yet to be arrested.
In Toombs County, Sheriff Junior Kight says his department has solved four burglaries in the Cedar Crossing area Friday and Saturday nights. A church and three businesses were burglarized. The sheriff says a juvenile and 17-year-old Clinton Wayne Scarborough of Cedar Crossing have been arrested. Four other suspects from Emanuel County are being sought, according to the sheriff.
Onion Festival Ready to Kickoff
April 20-- After months of preparation, the 31st annual Vidalia Onion Festival is ready to roll starting Thursday.
"This festival is for families to enjoy, don't miss it," says this year's festival chairman Phillip Williams. "Come Thursday night to the movie under the stars, come Friday night to the opening ceremonies, and enjoy all of the events on Saturday and Sunday. And I'd just say to local folks, remember we're hosting thousands of people from all over this weekend, so let's show them some real hospitality while they're here," Williams says.
There are some new features this year including a country music concert Saturday night. "We have some headliner events going on, no question. Aaron Tippen is a major performer we've added for this year's festival. This is the third visit for the Navy's Blue Angels, they love to come here, and a lot of people follow them around on the air show circuit," according to Williams.
A new event at the air show this year is the "Army Experience." "It covers several thousand square fee and is an interactive multimedia experience where you go in and experience some of the duties soldiers experience during Army life, and get a chance to see what it's really like," he says.
And of course, hundreds of volunteers are working to make this weekend a good one for festival visitors. "Tons of folks are involved and this community has one of the best hospitality reputations in the country," Williams observes.
For a complete rundown of festival events, log on to www.vidaliaonionfestival.com.
Treutlen Escapee Nabbed in Dublin
April 19-- One down, one to go in the escape from the Treutlen County jail story. Treutlen County Sheriff Tommy Corbin says Daryl Jordan of Soperton was apprehended without incident in Dublin Friday, two weeks after he and Kelly Carter of Soperton escaped from the now-closed county jail. Carter remains at large. Both were in jail on drug charges, and their escape by kicking down a jail wall prompted Sheriff Corbin to close the dilapidated 90-year old jail. Jordan is now in the Laurens County jail.
Toombs Relay for Life
April 19-- Buck Cravey Field at Vidalia High School was full of people Friday night whose lives have been touched by cancer. Former Vidalia Citizen of the Year Marion Forrest has been fighting the disease for years, "I never gave up hope, you never give up hope or faith. I've had several doctors who told me I would never survive, but God has the last word," he said.
Among the youngest fundraisers this year in the Toombs County Relay for Life are the "Little Indians Relay Team" at J.D. Dickerson Primary School led by Salain Meadows. "They raised a record-breaking $11,090.78. Our goal was $10,000 and we are very proud of them, " she said. Despite their young age, Meadows said the kids understand whey they are raising money. "We explain to them that cancer is a disease which makes people very sick and all this money goes to doctors who are trying to find out how to fix this problem and they understand," she noted.
Vidalia to Benefit From Air Force Contract
April 18-- Earlier this year the Air Force awarded a contract for a tanker, a plane that refuels military jets in flight, to a partnership between Northrop Grumman in California and the French company Airbus.
The $40 billion dollar contract drew criticism because it was awarded to Airbus instead of Boeing which also bid on the contract. However, Northrop Grumman says the fleet of tankers will be assembled in Mobile, Alabama and also bring up to 4,200 jobs to Georgia.
One of the sub-contractors for the project is RCF Seals and Couplings in Vidalia where CEO Dianne Zimnavoda says, "It means more business which translates into more jobs, more money, and more stability." She says it's too early to tell how many more jobs will be created. It's welcome news to her employees, "We are extremely busy as we speak because we are involved on the 787 program for Boeing. I think the major feeling around here is my goodness there's more to do. We're really busy, it's great," Zimnavoda reports.
RCF Seals and Couplings moved to Vidalia from California 14 years ago. Grumman says the contract will also bring work to its suppliers in Dublin, Milledgeville, Atlanta and Chamblee. The company estimates the tanker contract will bring a $180 million annual impact on the state's economy.
Brewton Parker Trustees Meet
April 17-- The Board of Trustees at Brewton Parker College met Thursday on the campus. Board chairman Gary Campbell of Vidalia says a continuing challenge to the college is enrollment.
"The biggest challenge is the same as all small private colleges are facing in Georgia and that's keeping our student count up. We haven't had a major dip. Our student count is down just a bit, but we've been fortunate to have some growth in our external sites and that's been good as well," Campbell said.
School president Dr. David Smith reports most of Brewton Parker's students are from Georgia, but there's a healthy out-of-state and international contingent also.
"About 60 percent of our students come from within a 200-mile radius of Mount Vernon. The other 40 percent come from 14 other countries and 37 other states. It's a pretty eclectic group for South Georgia, and we're very grateful for their involvement," Dr. Smith says.
Chairman Campbell says he's grateful to be leading a board which expects the school to deliver a quality liberal arts education based on Christian teachings. "I've come to really love Brewton Parker College and to really appreciate the call of the college. To educate our young people in a Christian environment is a wonderful thing and I'm thankful to be a small part of it," he said.
Board Chairman Confident in Adult Education System
April 17-- There are 33 technical colleges serving over 150,000 students in Georgia and the chairman of their governing board is confident about their future.
Carl Swearingen says "I'm very optimistic. Our strategic plan is coming together to be the best technical college system in the world, and why not. Let's be the best so others come here to emulate what we're doing, but more importantly, jobs come to Georgia and stay in Georgia."
The board of what's now being called the Technical College System of Georgia met recently in Vidalia. One of its goals is to reduce the high school dropout rate so people will have skills needed to make a living.
According to Swearingen, "1.3 million Georgians don't have a high school degree. It is imperative we find ways to keep kids in school. We can do that through dual enrollments, by introducing new activities with our technical colleges and high schools, and by understanding that in the next 20 years you must have a skilled, knowledgeable work force."
Locally educators and community leaders are working to obtain a charter for a career academy which will offer local students the kinds of job training opportunities Swearingen is talking about.
Groundbreaking for New Boys & Girls Club Building in Lyons
April 15-- Kids in Lyons will soon have a new Boys and Girls Club building to enjoy. Local officials turned out Tuesday afternoon to break ground on the $100,000 building which is part of a new housing development on East Grady Avenue.
"The kids come to this club, they learn a lot, they get the guidance they need, and it's just a part of the community which is needed," says Lyons Mayor John Moore.
Dianne Zimnavoda of Vidalia is the new board chairperson for the Toombs County Boys and Girls Club and thinks it will mean a lot to the boys and girls in Lyons. "It's going to mean they don't have to stay on the street, they have people who care about them, who can help them with tutoring and help them improve themselves for the future," she says.
Looking forward to later this Summer when work is finished, Club Director Tonjai Woodard is excited about growing the Boys and Girls Club in Lyons. "We'll be able to serve about a hundred kids in this area and we're really excited about it. Hopefully it will change some lives and we're just hoping for the best with this new facility," Woodard explains.
Audit Recommends Improved Internal Controls
April 14-- State auditors are recommending the Montgomery County school system develop a documented set of internal controls to improve accountability of the system's money.
After months of examining the system's books, auditors found 18 areas needing improvement, but no criminal wrongdoing or fraud, according to school superintendent Dr. Lynn Batten. "Based on what the auditors shared with us, there was no criminal intent or wrongdoing related to finances in Montgomery County. Certainly we have a lot of work to do because there were 18 findings and there were questions raised along the way, and I'm going to take an additional look to make sure there's not any additional reporting I need to do to any federal or local law enforcement," he said.
Regarding the issuance of cell phones to 17 relatives of school system employees in 2006 and 2007, auditors called it an abuse of power by the school district's upper management. It said the system paid nearly $10,000 in personal phone bills and only sought reimbursement from employees when news of the cell phones became public. Auditors also found a phone possessed by the sister of Dr. Gary Mullis, director of Tri-County Schools, was paid for with federal grant funds which the audit called "inappropriate and illegal."
(Clarification/April 16: Dr. Mullis has informed us via email the phone in question "was purchased by my sister and not Safe School Funds. The statement is false and should be removed.".
The audit report says, "The following non-employee had a Board of Education Verizon cell phone: Debra Tanner (Gary Mullis' sister). It continued, "In addition, $191.03 for Gary Mullis' sister's Verizon cell phone was paid for by the School District for FY2007 with Federal funds. Payroll deductions had been set up for a total of $119.88 to supposedly reimburse the School District for this phone. Nothing was done to recover the additional $71.15 incurred. Even though the amount is clearly immaterial, to pay for a cell phone with Federal grant funds, for the Federal Program Director's sister, whom doesn't even work for the School District, is clearly inappropriate and illegal." School superintendent Dr. Lynn Batten reports the missing $71.15 has now been repaid.
The audit also made these comments regarding the issuance of cell phones.
"The school district spent school funds for non-educational purposes. The School District provided cell phones for relatives of certain employees. The school district paid monthly bills for these non-employees and set up payroll deductions from the employees/relatives that only covered 16% ($1,566.88 or $9,882.10) of the cost of said phones. When news of the cell phones became public, personal reimbursement checks were received to cover the additional charges not covered by the payroll deductions for all but one of the phones. All but one of the phones in question have since been turned back to the Board and are no longer being used by non-employees.
"It appears that the reason that these specific non-employees received phones was because of their relationship to the Ex-Superintendent, fiscal office employees and other members of management. It appears that this was caused by an abuse of power by the School District's upper management.
"This resulted in charges of $9,691.07 for (17) non-employees SouthernLinc phones that were paid by the School District for fiscal year 2007. Fiscal year 2007 payroll deductions had been set up for a total of $1,447 to supposedly reimburse the School District for these charges. At fiscal year end, when the news of these non-employee's phones became public, personal checks were received from the employees related to these non-employees for a total of $11,076.68 (Dale Clark $4,245.83; Ericka Clark $1,888.43; Sandy Allen $870.62; Patricia Adams $1,461.72; Jan Outler $1,228.37; Shelia Atkins $1,056.27; and Kathy Braddy $325.44) to cover this deficit and $2,735.19 from fiscal year 2006. While it appears that the original intent was not to pay back the School District but a small portion (payroll deduction) of these charges, as of the close of the books for fiscal year 2007, the SouthernLinc charges related to these non-employees were paid back in full. The School District has since cancelled service for all of these SouthernLinc phones. However, the School District should not have provided funding for these type of expenditures. They are clearly not for educational purposes and are inappropriate."
The report includes undocumented overpayments to employees; use of general fund dollars to pay for non-educational purchases such as gifts, flowers and banquets for employees; purchases made without purchase orders, payments made without receipts, and a wide array of other deficiencies.
There are also ten findings regarding administration of federal programs funded through Tri-County schools. The director, Gary Mullis, was housed in the Montgomery school system central office even though the fiscal agent was the Wheeler County School System. The audit says he was paid over $27,000 more than the $68,500 budgeted for in the federal grant for the program.
According to the audit, "The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative fund was charged a total of $68,500 for the salary of the Project Director (Dr. Mullis) to carry out his fulltime duties on this program. This was in line with the Federal agency's approved budget for the July 2006 through June 2007 grant period. Although paid a monthly salary to conduct his fulltime duties for the 12 month grant period, we noted that for July 2006 and June 2007 the Project Director was reimbursed $17,368 for time and effort on this program. The reimbursement for these two months was approved by the Project Director and was based on time sheets reflecting the number of hours he worked on this program. We found that while the Board had no written contract with the Project Director, the Project Director viewed his position to be carried out on a 190-day work year. If needed, summer hours could be documented with approved time cards as long as it was within budget. He (Dr. Mullis) advised that he was given verbal approval from the Superintendents of the three participating boards (Montgomery, Wheeler and Treutlen counties) to receive the additional compensation for hours worked during these two months. However, two of the three superintendents who were available during the audit advised that it was their understanding that his compensation would be in line with the budget approved for the Project Director's position for the twelve month grant period. There was no discussion or approval given the Project Director for any further compensation that would be charged to the grant for the two mentioned months.
In addition, the Project Director received a $10,000 local supplement for duties associated with the Adolescent Family Life program. No documentation was provided to support this payment. The Project Director advised us that he was given verbal approval from the superintendents of the three participating school districts. However, an interview with the superintendents did not support his explanation."
Repeatedly the audit notes the lack of documentation and internal checks and balances to account for tax dollars.
A note on the audit cover letter says, "When you lack internal control documentation, it makes it more difficult to discover whether fraud occurred."
Dr. Batten says he will reply to the findings and provide a corrective action plan. Meanwhile, he wants to start training the system's supervisors and bookkeepers, "If they know what the requirements are and expectations, they will perform accordingly," he said.
Money in State Budget for Local Career Academy
April 11-- The state budget approved by the legislature includes money to build a career academy in Toombs County.
"We did get the money in the budget for the career academy which is about $4 million," reports Senator Tommie Williams of Lyons. He also says the legislature passed "some sweeping charter school reforms" which will increase a school's chances of getting a charter.
A regional charter school steering committee is currently working with Southeastern Tech and school officials in Vidalia, Toombs, Montgomery and Treutlen counties to get a state charter for a local career academy.
Additionally, Senator Williams says the legislature provided some more money for education this year. "Both to the low wealth systems and in what were austerity cuts from a few years ago, we put $150 million new dollars. But it's not just spending more money, it's putting it in the right places and demanding performance," he said.
Toombs Schools "A+" on Audit
April 11-- This year's state audit of the Toombs County school system got the system an "A+," according to superintendent Dr. Kendall Brantley. He told the county school board the audit revealed no shortcomings nor discrepancies.
Dr. Brantley also reports the system exceeded the state requirement that 65 percent of funding be applied to direct instruction. However, he cautioned that it will be harder to do in the future because of the rising cost of fuel.
The superintendent says he's discussing the need for another sales tax referendum for education with school officials in Vidalia. Toombs County High School is overcrowded and Dr. Brantley is looking at alternatives including building a new high school. Both the school boards in Toombs County and Vidalia must agree on a local option sales tax resolution before the question can be put to the voters.
Sheriff Closes Jail
April 10-- A breakout last Friday night at the Treutlen County jail was the straw that broke the camel's back for Sheriff Tommy Corbin. He closed down the nearly 90-year-old jail after two men being held on cocaine charges kicked out a wall and escaped.
The sheriff says the old jail is falling in and he invites members of the public to stop by and see its condition. Meanwhile, he's moved prisoners to the five-cell city jail and sent some to Laurens County.
The county expects to get drawings for a 39-bed jail from its architect soon. The cost is estimated at over $4 million dollars.
Legislation Authorized by Senator Williams Signed Into Law
April 9– Governor Sonny Perdue signed groundbreaking legislation Wednesday tol reform Georgia’s certificate of need (CON) laws. Authored by Majority Leader Tommie Williams (R-Lyons), Senate Bill 433 makes significant changes to current CON requirements, which will open the door for an innovative cancer treatment center to come to Georgia.
“With the Governor’s support of this legislation, patients are going to see state of the art cancer care and treatment in Georgia,” said Sen. Williams. “By relaxing current CON restrictions, we can provide citizens with more choices in treatment options and better access to quality healthcare.”
Under the legislation, many of the current restrictions imposed by Georgia’s CON regulations will be lifted, paving the way for Cancer Treatment Centers of America to establish a destination cancer treatment center in Atlanta. Creating more healthcare options for Georgia’s patients will increase competition in the healthcare marketplace, providing some financial relief to those facing rising healthcare costs.
In addition, SB 433 significantly reforms state regulation of medical and hospital care. There has been discussion for years in the medical community that current regulations are considerably outdated. The bill will allow ambulatory surgical centers offering special services like prenatal care and obstetrical care to operate in private businesses, and allow hospitals the ability to build or further renovate their facilities.
Four Plan to Run for County Chairmen
April 9-- Four people say they plan to run for Chairman of the Toombs County Commission when qualifying opens April 28. They are photographer Bob Bass of Vidalia, former county chairman James Thompson, Vidalia educator Dr. Steve Weeks and former Vidalia school board member Buddy West. Thompson and Weeks say they plan to qualify as Democrats, while West and Bass will compete in the Republican primary. The primary elections will be held July 15th with the winners to run in the November general election.
School Bids Sought in Vidalia
April 9-- Bids will be opened next month to start work on adding to and renovating Sally Meadows Elementary School in Vidalia. The Vidalia school board was told Tuesday night the bid opening will be May 13th. School Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith says work will start as soon as possible after the contract is awarded.
Youth Leadership Class Graduates
Erica Moore (center) from Toombs County High School receives a $500 scholarship check as the outstanding graduate in this year's local youth leadership class. Class sponsors Jennifer Mosley (left) and Alicia Durden (right) made the presentation at the class graduation Monday night.
April 10-- Nineteen students from area high schools graduated last week from the Toombs-Montgomery Youth Leadership Class. Graduates from Vidalia High School area Vanessa Adams, Mary Frederick, Justin Harrington, Mandi Kay, Hannah Kennedy, Carson Moncrief, and Melissa Thompson. Members from Toombs County High School are Courtney Campbell, Sarah Coxwell, Devon Hooper, Jessica King, Erica Moore, Trey Mosley III, and Daniel NeSmith. Montgomery County High School was represented by Harley Boone, Shaniqua Doyle, and Jessie Thompson. Graduates from Robert Toombs Christian Academy include Hilary Hammock and Ford Jones.
Sergeant Terry Smith and his new best friend, Ace, the drug dog visiting in the Toombs County Courthouse Tuesday morning. Ace graduated at the top of his class before coming to the Toombs County Sheriff's Office. (photo courtesy Kathy Bradford, The Advance)
April 8-- The Toombs County Sheriff's Office has a new weapon in its war on local drug dealers. Ace, a two-year old drug dog, is a mix between a Labrador and a Golden Retriever. His handler, Sergeant Terry Smith, says Ace is already paying back the $6,000 it cost to buy him from a canine school in Florida. "So far, he's had 15 searches in a week and he's had eleven finds," Smith says.
Ace's latest apprehensions include Sherman Kirkland and Rodney Baldwin, both 31, of Vidalia. He sniffed out marijuana and cocaine during a traffic stop on Jungle Road.
Sergeant Smith says Ace went through six months of training including five weeks with his handler. "I had to go down there and learn how to handle the dog. It took 160 hours of training, but we've accomplished that," he says.
Ace was introduced to Toombs County commissioners at their April meeting. After months of discussion, the commission amended the county mobile home ordinance extending the age of mobile homes which may be located in the county from ten to 15 years.
In other actions, commissioners say they will make a decision at their May meeting on the county's ambulance service. Three companies have bid on providing the service when the county's contract with MedStar expires in July. Commissioners are also considering the option of providing the service in-house, according to Commissioner Louie Powell.
Numerous contracts for county work were awarded including over a half-million dollars at the county landfill, nearly $50,000 for courthouse roof repair, and nearly $15,000 for improvements on the building housing the Department of Family and Children's Service.
April 7-- A Swainsboro teenager has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery in Vidalia. Police say 19-year-old Alonzo Neal Roberts is being charged with the holdup at the Dollar General Store in Vidalia Monday, March 31st.
Vidalia Drug Sweep
April 7-- Vidalia police made a half-dozen arrests in weekend drug sweeps. Officers say they also confiscated $3,000 worth of drugs, $3,000 in cash and two vehicles. Those arrested are Willie Hullender, Clayton Reid, and Quinton Mincey, all of Vidalia; Gregory Douglas of Lyons, Cedrick Ricks of Mount Vernon, and Dedrick Lewis of Glenwood.
Vidalia Paving Delayed
April 7-- The opening of four lanes of Highway 280 in west Vidalia has been delayed. Officials had planned to open that segment of the Vidalia one-way project by mid-April, however, bad weather stopped the contractor from doing the final resurfacing of the roadway. No word yet on when the work will be accomplished.
Montgomery SPLOST Plans
April 7-- A Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) in Montgomery County expired the end of December. On July 15th, local officials are asking voters to approve another SPLOST which they hope will generate about $5 million dollars in sales tax revenue for capital expenditures over the next six years.
At a meeting Friday, county commissioners and local mayors agreed that $330,000 would be used to buy two new ambulances and to pay for solid waste removal. The remaining revenue would be split with 50 percent going to the county and the other 50 percent pro-rated to the towns based on population. Specific projects for the money will be advertised before the election. At least $750,000 will be used to replace the leaking roof on the historic county courthouse, according to commission chairman Charles Truett.
THE NEW GRADS (Alphabetical Order) Wendy Brannen, Steven Dingler, Sandy Dixon, Mitch Johnson, Sheri Keene, Carol Kennedy, Melissa Moore, Lindsey Moore, Alex Muzafarov, Cassie Neal, Linda Page, Denise Powell, Cindy Skaruppa, Amy Sowell, Susan Taylor, Sara Waters, Carmela Williams, Jan Williams, and Tonjai Woodard.
April 7-- Nineteen members of the latest Leadership Toombs-Montgomery class graduated Friday after six months of learning what makes things happen in our community. The new graduates plan to make contributions in the future by organizing mentors at local schools and by raising funds for the Vidalia Onion Museum.
April 5-- The Georgia legislature ended its session without taking any action on tax relief for Georgians. State Representative Greg Morris of Vidalia is a staunch supporter of eliminating property taxes in exchange for a sales tax paid by everybody. However, the idea never got any real traction among the majority of lawmakers. Morris was a member of the House conference committee on tax reductions.
"We felt like we couldn't leave here with any kind of tax relief which didn't include property taxes. We stuck to our guns on property taxes and weren't able to convince the lieutenant-governor to go along," Morris reports.
Lieutenant-Governor Casey Cagle proposed a ten percent reduction in state income taxes over a five-year period. Before that, House Speaker Glenn Richardson had suggested abolition of the car tag tax. Morris says the House members would have agreed to both, but the Senate would not, "I can't speak for them, but we offered to do both, and they would not agree," he said.
Critics of the Speaker's plan have said local governments can't depend on a fluctuating sales tax revenue stream for financing government, however, Morris disagrees, "Regardless of what the revenue may or may not do, we (government) have to adjust to the economic times are just like Georgia families do. That does not give anybody a reason not to change a system that is as unfair as the property tax system in this state. I maintain that's what we ought to do, that's what we should do, and if I have anything to do with it, eventually that's what we're going to do in this state," Morris promises.
April 3-- Toombs County Clerk of Court Chess Fountain is wearing two more hats these days. Starting Tuesday, he became the county's probate judge and election supervisor on an interim basis following the early retirement of Judge Jackie Driskell.
A special election for the probate judge office will be held July 15th in conjunction with the primary elections. Qualifying for eight partisan offices in the county is the week of April 28th and will include the offices of county commission chairman, county commissioners in districts two and three, clerk of court, sheriff, tax commissioner, solicitor and coroner. Qualification for the non-partisan offices of probate judge, state court judge and county school board members is the week of June 23rd.
Apparent Low Bid Submitted on Landfill Expansion
April 3-- A record number of contractors submitted bids to expand the size of the Toombs County construction and demolition landfill. Nine bids were opened Thursday morning by Toombs County commissioners. The apparent low bid of $578,115.02 was submitted by McLendon Enterprises of Toombs County. The contract is expected to be awarded at the April 8th meeting of the commission. The project to add four new cells to the landfill will take about 18 months to complete.
Onions Ship This Month
April 3-- This year's crop of Sweet Vidalia Onions will start shipping to customers April 17th. Chairman Bo Herndon of the Vidalia Onion Committee believes farmers will have another good crop this year in terms of both quality and quantity. Growers planted nearly 1,300 acres less this year than last. The ship date means plenty of Vidalia onions should be on hand for this year's Onion Festival the last weekend of this month.
April 3-- The Telfair Regional Hospital in McRae has closed its doors. Like many rural hospitals, Telfair has been having financial problems for several years and closed after Telfair County Commissioners refused to raise taxes to help the hospital. Hospitals in Candler and Tattnall counties are experiencing similar problems. Conversely, Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia had its most profitable year ever last year, according to CEO Alan Kent.
April 12-- A local oil company executive who's been in the trenches of the gas business for more than three decades is thinking we won't see four-dollar-a-gallon gas this year.
Charles Faulk, general manager of the Shell Oil distributorship in Vidalia, is predicting a high of around $3.50 a gallon in our area unless something major happens in the world to upset the oil market. "I think probably about $3.50 a gallon this year is about as bad as we're going to see it, particularly here in the Southeast," he says.
Faulk says some of the oil companies deserve criticism, but he also notes they are dealing in a worldwide market over which they have little control. "The reality of the situation today is that the oil and energy business is global. With the advent of the futures market and the ability of funds to speculate in fuel and crude oil as a commodity, that segment is out of the control of the oil companies," he notes.
Faulk believes three things need to happen to help keep prices from rising.
*Conservation - "This can take many forms. How many trips to town you make, what kind of vehicle you drive, how you drive the vehicle you have, and how many passengers you transport in that vehicle."
* Distribution - "We need to de-bottleneck our distribution system so that the pipelines can operate in the way they should and ship gallons of gasoline quicker than they do now and at a lower cost."
* Other Fuels - "There are many fuels being talked about now which can reduce our demand for gasoline. Ethanol and alcohol blends are the most prevalent, but hybrids and nitrogen fuel are also being developed.
Even though the oil companies are reporting record earnings, Faulk says the average citizen is spending less of their total income for fuel now than 30 years ago. "It was about six percent of income back then, it's about four percent now," he says.
April 1-- A recent biker's fest in Higgston is drawing the ire of the minister at the Higgston First Baptist Church. Reverend Mark Jones brought his concerns to the April meeting of the Mongtomery County commissioners Tuesday. Jones says he thinks the loud music at the Higgston Hawg-Fest violates the county's nuisance ordinance and that nudity by women at the fest violates state law. Another fest is coming up the end of May and Jones wants the county commission to do something before "something bad happens." Sheriff Clarence Sanders said his office got one call about loud music and it was turned down when a deputy arrived. The commission took Reverend Jones' concerns under advisement.
In other actions, the commission passed a 911 ordinance requiring citizens to display address numbers on their premises to help emergency responders find people in distress. The ordinance takes effect September 11th.
Commissioners also indicated a desire to cooperate with Toombs County commissioners regarding ambulance service in the county. The MedStar contract with both Toombs and Montgomery counties expires in July. Three ambulance companies are considering bidding on the contract.
Commission chairman Charles Truett expressed concern that some insurance companies are not reducing property insurance rates to correspond to the county's improved fire service ratings. Commissioner Ronnie Smith said property owners who don't see a decrease in insurance premiums should shop around with other insurance companies. He said some companies have provided significant reductions in premiums.
In a conference call with the private company which wants to build a new jail in Montgomery County, CEO Michael Croft told commissioners he is feeling very positive about the project. Croft Enterprises is looking for clients such as other states and the federal government to furnish prisoners for the 512-bed jail. Another conference call is scheduled for next week to check on progress.
County commissioners are also looking at how to spend sales tax money if voters approve a special purpose local option sales tax later this year. The tax would raise nearly $6 million in a six-year period. Some of the proceeds would be shared with city governments in the county. The balance would be used by the county. Chairman Truett says $750,000 would be needed for a new courthouse roof. Commissioner Ronnie Smith says the county needs to buy fire trucks.
The items on this page are for the current week. To visit our archive page, please click here.
|
|
Radio You Can Rely On! You'll hear the difference with ABC News and Sports, Paul Harvey News, Georgia News Network, Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Falcons, NASCAR, The Atlanta BRAVES, and Southeast Georgia's only Award-Winning Local News and Sports Coverage. |
|
|
|
Our Radio Stations Get Results! Contact us and we'll customize a Radio Advertising campaign to meet your needs. Call 912-537-9202. |
|
|
|
At Your Service! We're your community radio stations, and we love to hear from our listeners. If you have community information you'd like on the air, classified ads for our radio want ad programs, music requests, or whatever, let's talk. E-mail us at zfowler@vidaliacommunications.com. |
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
on
98Q,
Sunday afternoons from 3 until 6. |
|
|
|
|
Home
| News | Sports
| Events
| Weather
| Staff | Contests
& Winners |
Awards | Advertising |
|
since 03-05-08
