Entries from June 2018
Roundabout construction to be finished by end of July
Danielsville’s new roundabout is set to be completed by the end of July, just before a new school year begins.
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New school supt. oversees first meeting
The June 12 board of education business meeting marked Michael Williams’ first as the school system’s new superintendent.
And Williams began the meeting by praising the board of education for once again being named an “exemplary board” by the state. He thanked them for their dedication, time and efforts.
He told the board that Madison County is set to receive about $50,000 of $16 million being set aside from the state for school safety. Williams said the money will be used to pay for security cameras and other safety measures already installed. He said the money could not be used for personnel or security resource officers (SROs).
Williams told the board that he held a staff meeting with central office employees and principals where he said they took time to reflect on events over the past year and talk about how they were handled and how they might improve on similar situations in the future. He said he also went to each of the schools and spoke with administration and staff about how they can improve as a system, how can the central office improve and what expectations they have of him as a superintendent.
“There are a lot of changes, but the mission remains the same,” Williams said.
[Full Story »]
And Williams began the meeting by praising the board of education for once again being named an “exemplary board” by the state. He thanked them for their dedication, time and efforts.
He told the board that Madison County is set to receive about $50,000 of $16 million being set aside from the state for school safety. Williams said the money will be used to pay for security cameras and other safety measures already installed. He said the money could not be used for personnel or security resource officers (SROs).
Williams told the board that he held a staff meeting with central office employees and principals where he said they took time to reflect on events over the past year and talk about how they were handled and how they might improve on similar situations in the future. He said he also went to each of the schools and spoke with administration and staff about how they can improve as a system, how can the central office improve and what expectations they have of him as a superintendent.
“There are a lot of changes, but the mission remains the same,” Williams said.
[Full Story »]
OPINION: Good intentions, failed accountability
Government can be easily misguided and a dangerous creature at every level; be it municipal, county, state or federal government.
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OPINION: ‘All in’ as a foreign-policy philosophy
U.S. foreign policy currently feels like a poker game in which the guy at the table is constantly going “all in” with his chips.
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LETTER: It’s time now to bail out the vote
Dear Editor:
I’m told by a local elections board member that turnout in Madison County for the recent primaries was under 17 percent.
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I’m told by a local elections board member that turnout in Madison County for the recent primaries was under 17 percent.
[Full Story »]
IDA sets deadline on power company
Madison County leaders have received deadlines regarding a power plant project. Now, they’re issuing a deadline of their own, June 29.
Either Georgia Renewable Power (GRR) signs a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) with assurances that the county won’t be on the hook for infrastructure costs if the plant fails, or the county backs off its efforts to get water to the facility by April 1, 2019.
GRP plans to open a 58-megawatt power plant at the old Trus Joist wood plant site off Hwy. 72 in Colbert by June 1, 2019. The power plant will be tied onto the Georgia Power electrical grid. And Georgia Power has issued a June 1 deadline to GRP. Failing to meet that deadline could mean fines or a loss of the contract for GRP.
Madison County leaders have expressed welcome to a company into the county that is projected to add $1 million to the tax base annually. So, the county industrial development authority (IDA) tentatively agreed to provide a 12-mile, 12-inch water line from the Elbert County line, down Hwy. 72 to the plant. Madison County plans to purchase water from Elberton, then sell it to GRP at a profit. GRP wants up to 1.2 million gallons of water per day from the county. The company also wants that water capacity by April 1, 2019.
But Madison County leaders want something back: a written contract that takes taxpayers off the hook for infrastructure costs if the company doesn’t hold up its end of the deal. If the company goes bankrupt, if there’s a natural disaster, if anything happens that kills the water deal, then Madison County leaders don’t want taxpayers to suffer.
But GRP has balked, dragging on with negotiations with attorneys for months on the “surety bond,” the agreement that the power company will cover the estimated $4 million water line expense if the plant fails.
[Full Story »]
Either Georgia Renewable Power (GRR) signs a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) with assurances that the county won’t be on the hook for infrastructure costs if the plant fails, or the county backs off its efforts to get water to the facility by April 1, 2019.
GRP plans to open a 58-megawatt power plant at the old Trus Joist wood plant site off Hwy. 72 in Colbert by June 1, 2019. The power plant will be tied onto the Georgia Power electrical grid. And Georgia Power has issued a June 1 deadline to GRP. Failing to meet that deadline could mean fines or a loss of the contract for GRP.
Madison County leaders have expressed welcome to a company into the county that is projected to add $1 million to the tax base annually. So, the county industrial development authority (IDA) tentatively agreed to provide a 12-mile, 12-inch water line from the Elbert County line, down Hwy. 72 to the plant. Madison County plans to purchase water from Elberton, then sell it to GRP at a profit. GRP wants up to 1.2 million gallons of water per day from the county. The company also wants that water capacity by April 1, 2019.
But Madison County leaders want something back: a written contract that takes taxpayers off the hook for infrastructure costs if the company doesn’t hold up its end of the deal. If the company goes bankrupt, if there’s a natural disaster, if anything happens that kills the water deal, then Madison County leaders don’t want taxpayers to suffer.
But GRP has balked, dragging on with negotiations with attorneys for months on the “surety bond,” the agreement that the power company will cover the estimated $4 million water line expense if the plant fails.
[Full Story »]
Sheriff’s office trying to determine cause of death of woman found in creek
A Royston woman was found dead in a creek on private property in Madison County June 8, but authorities still don’t know the reason why she died.
“There was no obvious sign of trauma on the body that we could tell,” Madison County Sheriff’s Captain Jimmy Patton said, so officers are awaiting toxicology reports to try to determine the cause of death.
The body was found by a property owner partially submerged along Hannah’s Creek, which borders Madison and Franklin counties.
Patton said the body had been in the water for a while, likely for at least a week. He said the creek, like other areas, had been swollen since the recent heavy rains and had recently began to come down. Patton said he believes it is likely Hester’s body drifted downstream from Franklin County.
The woman has been identified as Amber Brittany Hester, 28 and though she had a Royston address, Patton said she was last known to be living in a Royston motel.
He said no missing person report had been filed for Hester.
Anyone with information regarding Hester or her disappearance is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 706-795-6202 or the GBI at 706-552-2309.
“There was no obvious sign of trauma on the body that we could tell,” Madison County Sheriff’s Captain Jimmy Patton said, so officers are awaiting toxicology reports to try to determine the cause of death.
The body was found by a property owner partially submerged along Hannah’s Creek, which borders Madison and Franklin counties.
Patton said the body had been in the water for a while, likely for at least a week. He said the creek, like other areas, had been swollen since the recent heavy rains and had recently began to come down. Patton said he believes it is likely Hester’s body drifted downstream from Franklin County.
The woman has been identified as Amber Brittany Hester, 28 and though she had a Royston address, Patton said she was last known to be living in a Royston motel.
He said no missing person report had been filed for Hester.
Anyone with information regarding Hester or her disappearance is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 706-795-6202 or the GBI at 706-552-2309.
Averill hired as new county FACS agent
The new Family and Consumer Sciences agent for the Madison County Extension Service has seen his share of winter snow and summer heat.
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Woman reports alleged child abuse
A woman on Sanford Road met with criminal investigations officers at the sheriff’s office on May 30 to report that she believes her four children are being mistreated and abused by their paternal grandmother who has had custody of them off and on since she (mother) was jailed in 2016.
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Smaller lots given thumbs up
Father and son developers Jay and Jayson Pridgen will be allowed to put more homes on a planned subdivision on 18 acres on Diamond Hill Colbert Road.
County commissioners voted 3-2 June 4 to allow Capital Resource Management to reduce the minimum lot size in the development from two acres to .875 acres. Commissioners Lee Allen, Tripp Strickland and Theresa Bettis voted for the action, while John Pethel and Jim Escoe opposed it.
The BOC voted last June to allow Capital Resource Management, owned by Jay and Jayson Pridgen, to rezone 18.46 acres of land from A-1 to R-1 to develop a subdivision of site-built homes. This was round three for the subdivision, which had been denied a rezone twice.
Pridgen filed suit against the board over its previous denials.
Attorney Victor Johnson, representing the Capital Resource Management, told commissioners that lots with similar lot density had been approved within a mile. He said the conditions the board put on the Pridgens for the subdivision, such as requiring a road and cul de sac, made the development unfeasible economically. He also said the Pridgens could have simply put three manufactured homes on the property without approaching the board.
“The conditions are beyond what was put on other rezones,” said Johnson.
Madison County commissioners heard from numerous opponents of the request Monday. They said concerns about the developers’ financial well-being are “immaterial” and that the BOC should look out for existing property owners in the area who bought rural properties with the expectation that the area would remain rural.
Adam Stewart said he felt disrespected by the BOC and with the fact that area property owners have had to repeatedly show up to oppose the Pridgens’ plan.
“It’s not your position to protect him from a bad business decision,” said Stewart, adding that he felt the 2017 compromise, which allowed for two-acre lots, was “too much of a compromise.” “I’d like you to consider the passion we’ve shown. We do not look forward to becoming Glenn Carrie Road.”
David Hazinski said approving the smaller lots would end up costing the county more in services than fighting a lawsuit. He said he didn’t understand why the board would “compromise the compromise.”
“That’s not a compromise anymore,” he said, adding that the board is “not obligated to make more money for the developer.”
Clark Gulley echoed that sentiment.
“The developer making less money is not a factor for you to consider,” he said, adding that the developers purchased the land out of foreclosure for $70,000 and knew how the land could be used at the time of the purchase.
Linda Hazinski wondered if the developer could build nicer homes on the property instead of squeezing more houses onto the land.
“Why not have $350,000 houses to pay for the overhead?” she asked.
Johnson said the market won’t support houses in that price range.
[Full Story »]
County commissioners voted 3-2 June 4 to allow Capital Resource Management to reduce the minimum lot size in the development from two acres to .875 acres. Commissioners Lee Allen, Tripp Strickland and Theresa Bettis voted for the action, while John Pethel and Jim Escoe opposed it.
The BOC voted last June to allow Capital Resource Management, owned by Jay and Jayson Pridgen, to rezone 18.46 acres of land from A-1 to R-1 to develop a subdivision of site-built homes. This was round three for the subdivision, which had been denied a rezone twice.
Pridgen filed suit against the board over its previous denials.
Attorney Victor Johnson, representing the Capital Resource Management, told commissioners that lots with similar lot density had been approved within a mile. He said the conditions the board put on the Pridgens for the subdivision, such as requiring a road and cul de sac, made the development unfeasible economically. He also said the Pridgens could have simply put three manufactured homes on the property without approaching the board.
“The conditions are beyond what was put on other rezones,” said Johnson.
Madison County commissioners heard from numerous opponents of the request Monday. They said concerns about the developers’ financial well-being are “immaterial” and that the BOC should look out for existing property owners in the area who bought rural properties with the expectation that the area would remain rural.
Adam Stewart said he felt disrespected by the BOC and with the fact that area property owners have had to repeatedly show up to oppose the Pridgens’ plan.
“It’s not your position to protect him from a bad business decision,” said Stewart, adding that he felt the 2017 compromise, which allowed for two-acre lots, was “too much of a compromise.” “I’d like you to consider the passion we’ve shown. We do not look forward to becoming Glenn Carrie Road.”
David Hazinski said approving the smaller lots would end up costing the county more in services than fighting a lawsuit. He said he didn’t understand why the board would “compromise the compromise.”
“That’s not a compromise anymore,” he said, adding that the board is “not obligated to make more money for the developer.”
Clark Gulley echoed that sentiment.
“The developer making less money is not a factor for you to consider,” he said, adding that the developers purchased the land out of foreclosure for $70,000 and knew how the land could be used at the time of the purchase.
Linda Hazinski wondered if the developer could build nicer homes on the property instead of squeezing more houses onto the land.
“Why not have $350,000 houses to pay for the overhead?” she asked.
Johnson said the market won’t support houses in that price range.
[Full Story »]