Gov. Nathan Deal will be in Winder on Saturday, March 31, to welcome home the National Guard's 185th Black Hawk unit that has returned from Iraq. The event will be from 1-4 p.m. at Winder-Barrow High School's W. Clair Harris Stadium.
To open the event, the Silver Wings demonstration parachute group from Fort Benning will make a jump into the stadium. Also participating in the ceremony will be Brig. Gen. Joe Jarrard, a colonel from Fort Gordon, U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, state Sen. Frank Ginn and state Rep. Terry England.
The ceremony will conclude with food, music and activities for children. The public is welcome to attend the free community event.
Entries by Susan Norman
Governor to welcome home local Guard unit
Friday, March 23. 2012
Chairman tries to bypass mayors in sales tax talks
Thursday, March 22. 2012
Danny Yearwood on the evening of March 13 told the Barrow County Board of Commissioners — and the public — that he had been working closely with the county’s mayors on using sales tax proceeds to pay for the federally mandated narrow banding of the county’s communications system.
“I’ve tried to stay real close to the municipalities to let them know the position we are in and what we would like to do,” he said during the BOC’s televised discussion of a proposal to refinance about $37 million in general obligation bonds that were issued in 2006 and to use the savings for the narrow banding project. [Full Story »]
“I’ve tried to stay real close to the municipalities to let them know the position we are in and what we would like to do,” he said during the BOC’s televised discussion of a proposal to refinance about $37 million in general obligation bonds that were issued in 2006 and to use the savings for the narrow banding project. [Full Story »]
England criticized over abortion remarks; Website says he compared women to farm animals in debate
Wednesday, March 21. 2012
In a reaction sure to reaffirm his standing among Barrow County conservatives, Rep. Terry England is incurring the wrath of liberal bloggers from across the United States over comments he made during the Georgia House’s debate of a bill that would narrow the window for legal abortions in this state.
[Full Story »]
[Full Story »]
Winder getting new city hall
Saturday, March 3. 2012
The city of Winder is getting a new city hall.
At an Atlanta auction Saturday afternoon, Mayor David Maynard placed the winning bid to purchase the 2003 Operations Center of the former Peoples Bank.
The bid of $460,000 did not meet the minimum reserve price that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation had placed on the sale, but after several minutes of negotiations, FDIC representatives agreed to sell the building to the city government for $475,000 plus a standard 4.25-percent premium assessed on all winning bids. That brought the total price to about $495,187. [Full Story »]
At an Atlanta auction Saturday afternoon, Mayor David Maynard placed the winning bid to purchase the 2003 Operations Center of the former Peoples Bank.
The bid of $460,000 did not meet the minimum reserve price that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation had placed on the sale, but after several minutes of negotiations, FDIC representatives agreed to sell the building to the city government for $475,000 plus a standard 4.25-percent premium assessed on all winning bids. That brought the total price to about $495,187. [Full Story »]
Tornadoes spare Barrow, but homes damaged by lightning
Friday, March 2. 2012
The massive storm that destroyed homes, communities and many lives in the South and the Midwest spared most of Barrow County.
In an email Saturday morning to local officials, Barrow County Emergency Services Chief Dennis Merrifield said no tornadoes touched down locally despite two tornado warnings issued Friday night by the the National Weather Service. [Full Story »]
In an email Saturday morning to local officials, Barrow County Emergency Services Chief Dennis Merrifield said no tornadoes touched down locally despite two tornado warnings issued Friday night by the the National Weather Service. [Full Story »]
Pat Graham announces candidacy
Former Braselton mayor Pat Graham announced Tuesday that she wants to be the next chairman of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners. "I am seeking the office of Chairman to provide the positive leadership our County needs in order to secure a brighter future for our citizens,” she said in a press release.
[Full Story »]
[Full Story »]
Alexis Redmond (01-04-12)
Alexis Michelle Redmond, 4, of Auburn died Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012.
She was a native of Winder and the daughter of Bradford Paul and Darlene J. Edge Redmond, both of Auburn. Her grandparents, Richard Redmond and Mary Sue Edge, preceded her in death.
Survivors in addition to her parents include her brother, Mitchell Gibbs; sisters Heather Gibbs, Maleah Redmond and Katelin Redmond; grandparents Dorissa Shackelford of Auburn and Louis Edge of Winder; and great-grandparents Elsie and Walter Redmond of Transfer, Penn., and Kenneth Redmond of Greenville, Penn.
Visitation is Saturday, Jan. 7, both from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-9 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home in Winder.
The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, in Smith Memory Chapel with the Rev. Phil Williams officiating. Interment will follow at the Auburn City Cemetery.
The family has requested memorial contributions be made to Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329-4010.
Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
She was a native of Winder and the daughter of Bradford Paul and Darlene J. Edge Redmond, both of Auburn. Her grandparents, Richard Redmond and Mary Sue Edge, preceded her in death.
Survivors in addition to her parents include her brother, Mitchell Gibbs; sisters Heather Gibbs, Maleah Redmond and Katelin Redmond; grandparents Dorissa Shackelford of Auburn and Louis Edge of Winder; and great-grandparents Elsie and Walter Redmond of Transfer, Penn., and Kenneth Redmond of Greenville, Penn.
Visitation is Saturday, Jan. 7, both from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-9 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home in Winder.
The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, in Smith Memory Chapel with the Rev. Phil Williams officiating. Interment will follow at the Auburn City Cemetery.
The family has requested memorial contributions be made to Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329-4010.
Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Death of 9-year county paramedic reported
A nine-year veteran of Barrow County Emergency Services died Dec. 7 from a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home.
[Full Story »]
[Full Story »]
Total forfeited EMS billings over $293,000
Thursday, December 8. 2011
Barrow County’s forfeited ambulance billings during the 32-day lapse of its state license in late August were almost twice the net of $150,000 disclosed this week by Barrow County CFO Rose Kisaalita.
According to a breakdown of the lost revenue figures she provided for the Dec. 13 meeting packets of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners, the total billings during the period were $293,629.
Medicare should have been billed for $110,195; Medicaid for $23,297; and other insurers or patients $160,138.
But based on actual anticipated payments of the invoices, Kisaalita said the projected loss to the county government’s General Fund in FY2011 would be $159,120.
“Both Medicare and Medicaid have stated we cannot bill for this period when the county did not have a license,” she wrote. “The County Attorney advised not to bill the private companies.”
Kisaalita said $4,875.27 would have to be refunded to patients or insurers who had already paid their invoices.
ALSO ON THE DEC. 13 MEETING AGENDA
• An application by Walton Georgia LLC, a Canadian-based land investment company, to rezone a small portion of a 292-acre site and to obtain a Special Use Permit for a master planned development called Barrow Landing that will be within the Highway Corridor Overlay at the corner of Highway 81 and Highway 316 and off Carl-Bethelehem Road. [Full Story »]
According to a breakdown of the lost revenue figures she provided for the Dec. 13 meeting packets of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners, the total billings during the period were $293,629.
Medicare should have been billed for $110,195; Medicaid for $23,297; and other insurers or patients $160,138.
But based on actual anticipated payments of the invoices, Kisaalita said the projected loss to the county government’s General Fund in FY2011 would be $159,120.
“Both Medicare and Medicaid have stated we cannot bill for this period when the county did not have a license,” she wrote. “The County Attorney advised not to bill the private companies.”
Kisaalita said $4,875.27 would have to be refunded to patients or insurers who had already paid their invoices.
ALSO ON THE DEC. 13 MEETING AGENDA
• An application by Walton Georgia LLC, a Canadian-based land investment company, to rezone a small portion of a 292-acre site and to obtain a Special Use Permit for a master planned development called Barrow Landing that will be within the Highway Corridor Overlay at the corner of Highway 81 and Highway 316 and off Carl-Bethelehem Road. [Full Story »]
Winder council poised to approve mid-year raises for employees; vote will be at 6 p.m. meeting tonight
The Winder City Council is planning to vote tonight on giving 3-percent raises in the middle of the fiscal year to all 168 city employees. The raises would be on top of Christmas bonuses that the outgoing mayor reportedly has approved.
The unbudgeted raises would cost $177,000 plus an estimated $13,540 for federal payroll taxes, for a total of about $190,540.
Mayor Chip Thompson proposed the raises at Monday night’s council work session, but the council will vote at tonight's business session, which starts at 6 in the Winder Community Center.
It will be Thompson’s last council meeting as mayor.
Mayor-elect David Maynard said Monday night that he would oppose the raises. He said he could not in good conscience ask local citizens who have lost jobs or been furloughed or lost homes to pay more for the services of city employees who already are making good salaries and getting better benefits than most people in the community.
“It’s not that we don’t care about employees,” he said. “But we are forcibly taking money from people that can’t afford it.”
In fiscal year 2010, taxes comprised one-half of the revenue for the city's General Fund. The other half of the operating fund's revenues came primarily from the sale of utility services to both city and county customers.
Councilman Bob Dixon said he would prefer to award raises based on merit.
However, Thompson’s argument – that most city employees have not had raises in five years – seemed to hold sway over the rest of the council.
Councilman Sonny Morris said that the city has $10 million in “reserves” and can afford the raises. He asked Thompson if that weren’t correct, and the mayor said it is what the city has “now.”
Actually, that figure represents the amount of cash the city has on deposit for the operation of the government for the last half of the fiscal year. Additional revenues will arrive over the next six months from utility profits, though natural gas profits will be directly tied to how cold the winter is.
In response to some of the objections raised – as well as a parting shot to the often-split council he is leaving behind – Thompson noted that the city pays 100 percent of the cost of insurance for council members. He said removing that $120,000 expense would cover most of the proposed cost-of-living raises for employees.
Councilman Bob Dixon and others said they would welcome a full review of compensation and benefits. Dixon and others said they did not realize when they ran for office that free health coverage was a perk. Dixon said he still has to pay about $700 per month for unused Medicare and Medicare supplemental policies that he would lose access to if he canceled them.
Dixon questioned the mayor’s timing in bringing up the last-minute idea of removing the council’s health benefits, since Thompson had been on council previously for eight years and was now winding up his four-year term as mayor.
Thompson said he gets his health coverage through the state’s plan for educators. He also noted that for the current fiscal year, which began on July 1, the financial impact would be about half of the annual cost of the raises.
The unbudgeted raises would cost $177,000 plus an estimated $13,540 for federal payroll taxes, for a total of about $190,540.
Mayor Chip Thompson proposed the raises at Monday night’s council work session, but the council will vote at tonight's business session, which starts at 6 in the Winder Community Center.
It will be Thompson’s last council meeting as mayor.
Mayor-elect David Maynard said Monday night that he would oppose the raises. He said he could not in good conscience ask local citizens who have lost jobs or been furloughed or lost homes to pay more for the services of city employees who already are making good salaries and getting better benefits than most people in the community.
“It’s not that we don’t care about employees,” he said. “But we are forcibly taking money from people that can’t afford it.”
In fiscal year 2010, taxes comprised one-half of the revenue for the city's General Fund. The other half of the operating fund's revenues came primarily from the sale of utility services to both city and county customers.
Councilman Bob Dixon said he would prefer to award raises based on merit.
However, Thompson’s argument – that most city employees have not had raises in five years – seemed to hold sway over the rest of the council.
Councilman Sonny Morris said that the city has $10 million in “reserves” and can afford the raises. He asked Thompson if that weren’t correct, and the mayor said it is what the city has “now.”
Actually, that figure represents the amount of cash the city has on deposit for the operation of the government for the last half of the fiscal year. Additional revenues will arrive over the next six months from utility profits, though natural gas profits will be directly tied to how cold the winter is.
In response to some of the objections raised – as well as a parting shot to the often-split council he is leaving behind – Thompson noted that the city pays 100 percent of the cost of insurance for council members. He said removing that $120,000 expense would cover most of the proposed cost-of-living raises for employees.
Councilman Bob Dixon and others said they would welcome a full review of compensation and benefits. Dixon and others said they did not realize when they ran for office that free health coverage was a perk. Dixon said he still has to pay about $700 per month for unused Medicare and Medicare supplemental policies that he would lose access to if he canceled them.
Dixon questioned the mayor’s timing in bringing up the last-minute idea of removing the council’s health benefits, since Thompson had been on council previously for eight years and was now winding up his four-year term as mayor.
Thompson said he gets his health coverage through the state’s plan for educators. He also noted that for the current fiscal year, which began on July 1, the financial impact would be about half of the annual cost of the raises.
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