Entries from August 2011
FOOTBALL: Bulldoggs face big test Friday
As disappointing as the season opening loss to Rockdale County was, Winder-Barrow High School football coach David Wagner knows there is little, if any, time to dwell on it. The reason is simple. No. 4-ranked Flowery Branch is set to pay a visit to W. Clair Harris Stadium this Friday. The Falcons put an old-fashioned beating on Madison County ...
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FDIC sues former Winder banker
Former Winder banker Chris Maddox is being sued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for his alleged role in bringing down a national bank that his father helped found more than two decades ago.
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Creel apologizes for band bus fiasco
Barrow County school superintendent Wanda Creel apologized this week for a snafu last week when the Apalachee High School band didn’t have enough busses to transport it to Friday night’s away football game.
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Qualifying for city posts opens
Based on the first two days of candidate qualifying this week, Winder is likely to be the prime political hot spot in this year’s municipal races.
On Monday, Mayor Chip Thompson and his challenger, Councilman David Maynard, both qualified as candidates.
Also making it official the first day of qualifying were Incumbent Ward 2 Councilman Charlie Eberhart and challenger Jim Cooley. John Perkins qualified to run for the at-large seat being vacated by Maynard.
On Tuesday, political newcomer Travis Singley qualified to run for the Ward 4 seat being vacated by Councilman Frank Dunagan. Singley is likely to face competition from former Barrow County commission chairman Doug Garrison, but as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Garrison had not made it to Winder City Hall to qualify.
In response to an inquiry from the Barrow Journal, he responded in an email that it is “early yet.”
Asked if the deluge of negative blog posts following the announcement of his candidacy had changed his mind about running, Garrison wrote, “Bloggers don’t bother me.” [Full Story »]
On Monday, Mayor Chip Thompson and his challenger, Councilman David Maynard, both qualified as candidates.
Also making it official the first day of qualifying were Incumbent Ward 2 Councilman Charlie Eberhart and challenger Jim Cooley. John Perkins qualified to run for the at-large seat being vacated by Maynard.
On Tuesday, political newcomer Travis Singley qualified to run for the Ward 4 seat being vacated by Councilman Frank Dunagan. Singley is likely to face competition from former Barrow County commission chairman Doug Garrison, but as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Garrison had not made it to Winder City Hall to qualify.
In response to an inquiry from the Barrow Journal, he responded in an email that it is “early yet.”
Asked if the deluge of negative blog posts following the announcement of his candidacy had changed his mind about running, Garrison wrote, “Bloggers don’t bother me.” [Full Story »]
Former AHS coach sentenced to fine for Feb. arrest
A former Apalachee High School coach who was arrested for pandering in February was sentenced to pay a $675 fine after pleading nolo contendere.
Gwinnett State Judge Joseph C. Iannazzone handed the sentence down on Aug. 19 after Thomas Wallace pleaded Nolo contendere to a state court accusation.
Wallace, 40, of Loganville, was arrested Feb. 17 after reportedly responding to an Internet advertisement to meet a woman at a motel on Steve Reynold Blvd. in Duluth.
Wallace was reportedly arrested after he offered the woman money for sex. The ploy was part of a Gwinnett vice sting operation. She was an undercover police officer.
Prior to his arrest, Wallace was a first-year career, technical and agricultural teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at AHS. He was put on administrative leave following his arrest.
He is no longer employed with Barrow County Schools.
Gwinnett State Judge Joseph C. Iannazzone handed the sentence down on Aug. 19 after Thomas Wallace pleaded Nolo contendere to a state court accusation.
Wallace, 40, of Loganville, was arrested Feb. 17 after reportedly responding to an Internet advertisement to meet a woman at a motel on Steve Reynold Blvd. in Duluth.
Wallace was reportedly arrested after he offered the woman money for sex. The ploy was part of a Gwinnett vice sting operation. She was an undercover police officer.
Prior to his arrest, Wallace was a first-year career, technical and agricultural teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at AHS. He was put on administrative leave following his arrest.
He is no longer employed with Barrow County Schools.
Winder family thankful they are OK after house fire
Winder resident Mike Johnson, whose family of five lost all of their belongings in a house fire last Sunday, said this week he thanks the heroes who are the Barrow County fire fighters from the bottom of his heart.
“(They) went inside of the house and that roof could have almost collapsed on them,” said Johnson on a phone interview from the Lilburn Police Department where he works. “They were just heroes trying to go in there. I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
Firefighters initially weren’t sure if anyone was inside the Laythan Court home as it burned on Aug. 16, although luckily, the family wasn’t there. Johnson was at work, his wife, Shari, was in Commerce with friends, and their three children, ages 17, 15 and 11, were in school.
A neighbor alerted the fire department after he saw smoke rising from the house. According to Barrow County Emergency Services spokesman Lt. Scott Dakin, Johnson’s neighbor was driving on Mulberry Road when he spotted the smoke. Then, he called Johnson at work.
“The first thing that came inside my mind is that my kids just started school,” said Johnson. “Ten minutes later, I just raced home to check the status on my dogs.”
By that time, the house was fully engulfed in flames. All firefighters were able to salvage were the vehicles parked in the garage of the Johnson’s home, which itself was completely destroyed.
“It was quite an experience and all the police and fire activity that was going on,” said Johnson. “Someone came and got the kids from school and we met with Red Cross and the fire investigators. The Red Cross helped us out immediately that day. They were right there on the scene as the fire was still burning.”
The source of the fire is still unknown, although there is indication that it could possibly be wiring on the back-end of the house.
There are plans to move into another Winder home in the Treemont subdivision next week.
“We’re planning on rebuilding and putting us back together,” said Johnson. The task has been incredible.”
Johnson, who has made Barrow County his home since 2001, said he and his family are amazed at the outpouring of support from the community, his neighbors and from the school system.
“The school system has been incredible,” said Johnson. “I’ve been contacted by so many people on the BOE in Barrow and they have offered assistance, tutoring and school supplies.”
This week, the family is staying in a hotel, picking up the pieces, happily together – thankful they are all OK.
“We’ve concentrated on that,” said Johnson. “The shock wore off and we are OK and we will stay resilient as a family to get through this.”
“(They) went inside of the house and that roof could have almost collapsed on them,” said Johnson on a phone interview from the Lilburn Police Department where he works. “They were just heroes trying to go in there. I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
Firefighters initially weren’t sure if anyone was inside the Laythan Court home as it burned on Aug. 16, although luckily, the family wasn’t there. Johnson was at work, his wife, Shari, was in Commerce with friends, and their three children, ages 17, 15 and 11, were in school.
A neighbor alerted the fire department after he saw smoke rising from the house. According to Barrow County Emergency Services spokesman Lt. Scott Dakin, Johnson’s neighbor was driving on Mulberry Road when he spotted the smoke. Then, he called Johnson at work.
“The first thing that came inside my mind is that my kids just started school,” said Johnson. “Ten minutes later, I just raced home to check the status on my dogs.”
By that time, the house was fully engulfed in flames. All firefighters were able to salvage were the vehicles parked in the garage of the Johnson’s home, which itself was completely destroyed.
“It was quite an experience and all the police and fire activity that was going on,” said Johnson. “Someone came and got the kids from school and we met with Red Cross and the fire investigators. The Red Cross helped us out immediately that day. They were right there on the scene as the fire was still burning.”
The source of the fire is still unknown, although there is indication that it could possibly be wiring on the back-end of the house.
There are plans to move into another Winder home in the Treemont subdivision next week.
“We’re planning on rebuilding and putting us back together,” said Johnson. The task has been incredible.”
Johnson, who has made Barrow County his home since 2001, said he and his family are amazed at the outpouring of support from the community, his neighbors and from the school system.
“The school system has been incredible,” said Johnson. “I’ve been contacted by so many people on the BOE in Barrow and they have offered assistance, tutoring and school supplies.”
This week, the family is staying in a hotel, picking up the pieces, happily together – thankful they are all OK.
“We’ve concentrated on that,” said Johnson. “The shock wore off and we are OK and we will stay resilient as a family to get through this.”
BOC adopts tentative mill rate after error fixed in calculations
Last week's discovery of a solution to Barrow County's budget impasse for fiscal year 2012 led Monday to the tentative approval of a $31.8 million spending plan that can be balanced by raising the property tax rate only enough to keep property tax revenues level.
Pending final adoption after a public hearing in September, the BOC agreed to a tentative increase of .592 mills in the ad valorem tax. An earlier proposal would have raised the rate nearly 2 mills. But late last week, a reporter for the Barrow Journal found an error in the county's tax calculations where officials had underestimated tax revenues by around $2 million.
The .592 mill increase is a 5.7-percent increase to the current rate of 10.338 mills and compensates for a similar drop in the overall value of the tax digest.
Because the so-called "rollback" or "roll up" rate would not generate additional property tax revenues for the county, it does not constitute a net tax increase.
The rate everywhere other than Winder would rise to 10.930 mills. In Winder the rate would be 8.708 mills in addition to the 3-mill fire tax in that city.
Tax Commissioner Melinda Williams told the BOC that she randomly selected several properties Monday to see how the .592-mill rate hike would impact their tax bills, and she found that their bills would not rise due to their recent drop in property values.
All properties in the county lost value in this year's countywide reassessment by the Barrow County Tax Assessors Office. However, any properties that did not drop by at least 5.7 percent in value will have slightly higher tax bills if the BOC adopts the tentative budget in late September.
The BOC's vote was 4-2, with commissioners Larry Joe Wilburn and Isaiah Berry voting no.
The vote followed robust debate and the failures of competing budget-cutting proposals by Wilburn and BOC Chairman Danny Yearwood that would have included major cuts to funding of public safety services.
Pending final adoption after a public hearing in September, the BOC agreed to a tentative increase of .592 mills in the ad valorem tax. An earlier proposal would have raised the rate nearly 2 mills. But late last week, a reporter for the Barrow Journal found an error in the county's tax calculations where officials had underestimated tax revenues by around $2 million.
The .592 mill increase is a 5.7-percent increase to the current rate of 10.338 mills and compensates for a similar drop in the overall value of the tax digest.
Because the so-called "rollback" or "roll up" rate would not generate additional property tax revenues for the county, it does not constitute a net tax increase.
The rate everywhere other than Winder would rise to 10.930 mills. In Winder the rate would be 8.708 mills in addition to the 3-mill fire tax in that city.
Tax Commissioner Melinda Williams told the BOC that she randomly selected several properties Monday to see how the .592-mill rate hike would impact their tax bills, and she found that their bills would not rise due to their recent drop in property values.
All properties in the county lost value in this year's countywide reassessment by the Barrow County Tax Assessors Office. However, any properties that did not drop by at least 5.7 percent in value will have slightly higher tax bills if the BOC adopts the tentative budget in late September.
The BOC's vote was 4-2, with commissioners Larry Joe Wilburn and Isaiah Berry voting no.
The vote followed robust debate and the failures of competing budget-cutting proposals by Wilburn and BOC Chairman Danny Yearwood that would have included major cuts to funding of public safety services.
Guy Cooper (8-28-11)
WINDER – Guy M. Cooper, 84, died Sunday, August 28, 2011. Born in Jackson County, he was the son of the late Ira B. and Willie L. Cooper. He was a retired transportation director for Barrow County Schools after 20 years and served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Mr. Cooper was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce E. Cooper. ...
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Errol John (8-26-11)
WINDER – Errol P. John, 64, died Friday, August 26, 2011. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he was the son of Josephine Allison of Brooklyn, N.Y. and the late Ralph William John. He was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and was a self-employed contractor. Survivors in addition to his mother include his wife, Rufena John White, Winder; ...
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BRIDGES: Professionalism set McGee apart
David McGee was probably the second Barrow County School System employee I met when arriving here in 1997. (If memory serves, Jeff Beggs was the first.)
McGee was a teacher and coach at Winder-Barrow High School at the time. I ventured to the softball field at Victor Lord Park early one morning where McGee was conducting a preseason practice with his team.
Despite being involved with the task of preparing his squad for the upcoming season, he took the time to walk over, shake my hand and talk with me for several minutes while his assistants directed the practice session. From that simple beginning came a strong working relationship that I am glad to say has continued all the way until the year 2011, almost 15 years later. [Full Story »]
McGee was a teacher and coach at Winder-Barrow High School at the time. I ventured to the softball field at Victor Lord Park early one morning where McGee was conducting a preseason practice with his team.
Despite being involved with the task of preparing his squad for the upcoming season, he took the time to walk over, shake my hand and talk with me for several minutes while his assistants directed the practice session. From that simple beginning came a strong working relationship that I am glad to say has continued all the way until the year 2011, almost 15 years later. [Full Story »]
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