Entries by Susan Norman

Most of the employees of Auburn’s city government last Friday received a $300 bonus in their paychecks.

The Auburn City Council on Thursday night approved the supplements for 36 workers whose annual salaries are below $50,000. Six employees who earn above that threshold did not receive the extra money. The council’s resolution said employees had saved the city government thousands of dollars in FY2013. The extra pay cost the government $11,626 from existing budgets. The last bonus was paid in FY2011. The vote was 3-0-1 with Councilman Robert Vogel abstaining.

Also during the meeting, the council approved the schedule for the FY2014 budget process. Upcoming public meetings include a council retreat on Saturday, June 8; two called meetings July 22 and July 29; a final review by the mayor and council at a meeting on Aug. 22; a public hearing on Aug. 29; and adoption Sept. 5.

See complete story in May 8 print edition of Barrow Journal.

The owner of a large dilapidated structure in downtown Winder was a no-show in Winder Municipal Court last Friday and is facing additional fines — and potential arrest — if he doesn’t take quick action.

Municipal Court clerk Megan Williams on Monday issued a “Failure to Appear” notice to Phillip Peskin, who resides in Atlanta and owns the Peskin building at 21 E. Athens St. The three-story building has been vacant for more than two decades and has become a fire hazard.

The notice states that the court has added a $100 failure to appear fee to Peskin’s $634 nuisance citation. It gives him until 5 p.m. May 10 to schedule a new court date and to post a bond for $734. [Full Story »] 

Barrow County schools' annual fine arts festival is this week at the Winder Cultural Arts Center. The festival features performances of school choruses and bands, as well as displays of artwork. The daily schedule is as follows:
• Monday, April 22: opening ceremony, 5 p.m.; Holsenbeck Elementary School 4th Grade Chorus, 5:30 p.m.; Winder-Barrow Middle School Chorus, 6 p.m.; Holsenbeck’s 5th Grade Chorus, 6:30 p.m.; Russell Middle School Chorus, 7 p.m., and Apalachee High School Chorus, 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 23: Elementary Schools Honor Chorus Concert, from 6:30-8 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 24: Haymon-Morris Middle School Chorus, 5 p.m.; various schools’ jazz bands from 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Yargo Elementary School Drama and Chorus, 7:30 p.m. [Full Story »] 

A portion of one lane of North Broad Street in downtown Winder will be closed overnights from Monday-Thursday, April 15-18, for the installation of a water line in the area of the road reconstruction project now under way. Weather permitting, the northbound lane from the railroad crossing to Laura Street will be closed during the nine-hour period of 9 p.m.-6 a.m.

A local company, G. P.’s Enterprises, has a $4.9 million contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation to replace the road surface and road bed of North Broad between the railroad tracks and Stephens Street with pre-cast concrete slabs and also to make streetscape improvements along the sides of the same stretch of roadway.

GDOT will explain the project at a community information session at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 18, at the Winder Community Center. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting. The project isn’t scheduled for completion until July 31, 2014.

Law enforcement officers in the Charlotte, N.C., area finally caught up with the suspect who allegedly stole wallets from employees at several businesses around Georgia, including in Winder. Antonio Hornsby, 54, was arrested April 3 and is behind bars in the Mecklinburg County Jail. After he is extradited to Georgia, he will face five charges in Winder alone. “Our investigator took five warrants on this individual last week,” said Winder Police Department officer Chris Cooper. “We have charged him with 3 counts of Theft by Taking and 2 counts of Burglary.” However, exactly when Hornsby will face a Barrow County judge remains to be seen. “With so many other agencies having also charged Hornsby, it will now be a decision for the courts and various jurisdictions to figure out what order he will have to appear in each jurisdiction’s court.”
The alleged serial wallet thief began his weeks-long crime spree in Athens, where he allegedly stole a relative’s car, then hit three Winder businesses en route to other Georgia cities. Because the additional thefts occurred far south of here, law enforcement officials originally thought the suspect was heading back to Florida, where he had previously resided. But he apparently did an about-face and headed north.

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun is hosting a town-hall meeting Thursday, April 4, in Winder. The purpose of the meeting is to hear from constituents about whatever is on their minds, according to a press release. [Full Story »] 

Winder resident Alfonza Brown will be sworn into office as the newest member of the Winder City Council in a ceremony at 5 p.m. today. However, the next Winder Municipal Court judge will not take his oath of office. Top finalist Dale R. Samuels late last week withdrew his application, according to city administrator Don Toms. [Full Story »]