Toombs County, Georgia News Radio

Toombs County, GA Archives News Radio Stories

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Archives News Radio Stories: June 2002 - July 2002 - August 2002 - September - November 2002

School Tax Hearing in Montgomery County

Oct 31--  The combination of increased property values and Governor Roy
Barnes education reform program is wreaking financial havoc on small
rural school systems like the one in Montgomery County.  Almost 50 people
attended a public school board hearing Thursday night in Mount Vernon, and
from those on limited incomes to large property owners, they learned there's
a price to pay which many systems can't afford.  School board chairman Randall
Morris says smaller class sizes are good, but more state money is needed to
pay more teachers.  Because the school system's tax digest is up some 29
percent this year, taxpayers will be paying more, but the irony is that the state
is reducing its support, and that means Montgomery County school officials
will still be facing deficit budgeting in the coming year.  Some at the hearing
mentioned consolidating Montgomery schools with the Vidalia system, however,
Morris said it would still cost about the same with less local control of the
schools.  He did, however, admit that all options are worth considering.

J.D. Dickerson Impresses Tour Group

Oct 29--  If your kids attend J.D.Dickerson Primary School in Vidalia, you
should be feeling pretty good about the education they're getting.  The school
is one of 13 in the state visited this week by the Georgia Partnership for
Excellence in Education, and Dr. Stephen Dolinger, the group's president,
says its because of the successful reading instruction at the school.  The 90
visitors to the school Tuesday morning included Stan Williams, president of
the Atlanta Committee for Public Education, and Williams says he was most
impressed with the amount of family and community support for the school.

Traffic Deaths

Oct 28--  One person was killed  and two others injured Monday afternoon in a two-car
wreck in Montgomery County.  Sheriff Clarence Sanders reports 70-year-old
Gene Faulkner of Jeff Davis County was killed in a head-on collision on a curve just
south of Peterson's Nursery on Highway 130.  His wife, Janice, and the driver of the other car,
18-year-old Constant Galbreath of the Sadie Galbreath Road in Toombs County,
were taken to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah in critical condition.  The
sheriff says the girl was headed north when she ran off the shoulder of the road,
ovcr-corrected and crossed the center line into the path of the Faulkner's car. Constance Nicole Galbreath Obituary - Savannah Morning News - posted Thursday, November 3, 2002, page 3C.

The state patrol in Helena also reports another traffic fatality Monday evening
midway between Glenwood and Lumber City on highway 19.    Sixty-five-year-
old Pumpy Tobler of McRae was killed, and two Baxley residents, Bonnie and
Edward Lawrence, were injured.

MRMC Wins State Honor

Oct 28--  Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia has been named
the 2002 Hospital of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Hospitals.  The
alliance includes 75 rural and urban not-for-profit hospitals in the state.
Meadows competed in the less than 150-bed category and was chosen for
its outstanding community service, outreach and operational results.  John
McNames, chairman of the medical center holding board, says the award
recognizes the hard work of many people who are trying to bring the
Vidalia area the kind of medical care it deserves.  Alliance executive director
Monty Veazy says Meadows best exemplifies the qualities that should be
found in a community hospital.

Not Guilty Plea

Oct 28--  A Vidalia woman has entered a not guilty plea to stealing money
from the office of the Tattnall County commission.  Forty-six-year-old
Cleo Hansley is accused to taking over $900 from the petty cash fund
while working as a clerk and receptionist.  She was arrested by the GBI
last March a few days after resigning from the job.  A trial date is expected
in Tattnall Superior Court around the first of the year.

STC Opens Economic Development Center

Oct 27--  Southeastern Tech opened its new 27,000 square foot
Economic Development Center in Vidalia Friday.  The $2.5 million project
rennovated the old Piggly Wiggly Southern headquarters building on Brinson Road
and now houses the state's Quick Start Job Training Program for south Georgia,
as well as STC's adult literacy program, continuing education courses, and
customized training programs for area industry and business.  The new facility
also frees up space for credit courses at the school's campus on highway 280.

Former Teacher Sues Principal

Oct 24--  A former teacher at Vidalia High School has lodged a sexual harassment
suit against the school's principal, and is also suing the Vidalia school board in the
case.  Language arts teacher Melanie Campione claims that school principal Mitch
Harrington regularly made comments of a sexual nature to her, and that in October
of last year he grabbed her with both arms, dipped her backwards, and kissed her
on the neck numerous times in the school hallway in front of students and staff
at the school.

In a complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Campione
alleged that Harrington threatened to end her teaching career if she made any
objections about his actions.  When she pursued the complaint, Campione said
the principal begin frequent monitoring of her classroom and documenting of
performance issues.  She also alleges that several female teachers have complained
of similar conduct on Harrington's part and that the board of education condoned
his inappropriate behavior.

Campione's suit says the continuing pattern of retaliation caused her to leave
Vidalia High School where she had been employed since 1997.  She now teaches
at Toombs County High School.

In their response to the suit, attorneys for Harrington and the school board
denied Campione's allegations and requested the case be removed from Toombs
County Superior Court to the U.S. Federal District Court in Statesboro.

Earlier, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission sent an investigator to
Vidalia in response to a letter of complaint filed with the commission by Campione
friend, Marsha Suber of Vidalia.  The commission issued a letter of warning to
Harrington, according to school superintendent Dr. Tim Smith, who said he
conducted his own investigation and found no evidence to support Campione's
claims.  She is asking the court for a jury trial where she can seek compensation
for emotional pain and suffering under provisions of the U.S. Civil Rights Act.

Streat Asks Feds to Investigate Thompson

Oct 23--  Senator Van Streat and his Atlanta attorney are asking the
U.S. Justice Department to investigate the motives of U.S. Attorney
Rick Thompson in his bid to review the dismissal of a state indictment
of Streat by a special prosecutor appointed by the governor.

Thompson filed Open Records requests with the governor, the attorney
general and the special prosecutor after it was announced Streat would not
be tried for allegedly taking money to help a convicted murderer get transferred
to a minimum security prison.  Governor Barnes said Thompson's request was
"blatantly political" and his office responded to the request for records by saying
it would only release those materials not deemed covered by attorney-client
privilege.

Streat's letter claims he met with Senator Tommie Williams of Lyons early
this year and that Williams told him he had a friend who was a U.S. Attorney who
would start a federal investigation of Streat if the state charges were dismissed.
Senator Williams denys ever saying that to Streat or ever asking Thompson
to investigate the case.  Williams and Streat are running against each other for
the newly created 19th senatorial district seat.

Streat's attorney, Craig Gillen, asked the Justice Department's office of
professional responsibility to consider if Thompson has a non-law enforcement
motive for reviewing the case.  He notes Thompson is a lifelong friend of Williams
and that he contributed $1,000 to Williams in 1999 and $400 in 2001.  Gillen also
alleges Thompson was informed personally by the special prosecutor that
charges against Streat were being dismissed and that Thompson stated no objections.
As an U.S. Attorney, Thompson is limited in how he can respond regarding an on-going
investigation, however, his news release announcing the open records request said
it was "of paramount importance that the public be assured that an appropriate law
enforcement agency is reviewing the entire series of events."

Operation Fair Election

Oct 22--  A history of voting irregularities in South Georgia is prompting
U.S. Attorney Rick Thompson in Savannah to station federal observers
in each of the 43 counties which comprise the Southern District of Georgia.
And Georgia's Secretary of State, who is responsible for overseeing elections,
says the help is welcome.  Chris Rigal with the Secretary of State's office
wants the public to be assured of fair elections, and notes that vote buying
charges are often hard to prove.  Rigal is urging citizens with information about
voting irregularities in the upcoming election to notify authorities.  U.S. Attorney
Thompson says his representatives will be in each courthouse on election day
to assist those with complaints about election law violations.

Judge Dismisses Warrant Applications

Oct 21--  A superior court judge has dismissed applications for warrants
taken out by two Treutlen County elected officials on each other.  Judge
Faye Martin held an evidenciary hearing Monday morning at the courthouse
in Soperton.  Treutlen County commissioner William Baker had sought an
assault warrant on Treutlen County Sheriff Wayne Hooks, and Hooks had
subsequently sought a warrant on Baker for defamation of character.  Judge
Martin ruled there was insufficient evidence in both cases and refused to
issue the warrants.  The court hearing resulted from an incident between
Baker and Hooks on September 30th where Baker alleged he was warned
by the sheriff to cease making negative comments about him.

Montgomery Commissioners Vote Tax Rollback

Oct 21--  Montgomery County commissioners spent Monday morning
discussing the county's tax rate for the coming year, and finally voted for
a two-and-a-quarter mil rollback.  The decision means the county will
not profit from a windfall tax increase due to the recent property tax
revaluation and subsequent increase in the county tax digest.  County
manager Keith Hamiliton projects a budget deficit of about $200,000
and says the county will sell surplus equipment, delay purchase of new
equipment, and perhaps seek a short term loan to balance the county's
2003 budget.  Commission chairman Arnie Calhoun cast the deciding
vote against the tax increase after the commission split two for and
two against.  Commissioners Wyman Morris and Brandon Braddy
voted against the increase, commissioners Harold Mobley and Clarence
Thomas voted for it.

Local Cooks Qualify for Nationals

Oct 21--  Two local guys who love to canoe, camp and cook have qualified
for the National Dutch Oven Cookoff next March in Salt Lake City.  Carson
Randall of Lyons and Craig Adams of Vidalia won the Georgia Cow Camp
Cooking Contest in Douglas County with their dutch oven creations of
quail and creamy wild rice, cheesy cornbread and an apple crisp for dessert.
Adams says their love of dutch oven cooking started with canoe and camping
trips on local rivers.  Eight U.S. teams and two international teams will compete
in the national dutch oven cookoff with an estimated 25,000 spectators expected.

Huge Drug Find in Vidalia

Oct 20--  Imagine the surprise of workers at Stanely Farms in Vidalia
Friday morning when they opened a truck container shipped from Peru
and found two suitcases among the onions.  They immediately called
Vidalia police who notified drug and customs agents, the GBI and Toombs County
Sheriff Junior Kight.  Inside the two suitcases police found some $9.3
million worth of drugs.  Sheriff Kight says they found 29 kilos of cocaine
valued at nearly $3 million, and eight kilos of heroin valued at over $6 million.
The heroin was contained in two car batteries inside the suitcases.

Sheriff Kight says customs agents told him the shipment came through the
port of Charleston where the container was picked up without being opened
by the trucking company which delivered the container to Vidalia.  Customs
agents think drug smugglers planned for the suitcases to be taken from the
container in Charleston, according to Sheriff Kight.  He says customs and drug
agents are investigating and will track the shipment back to its origin in Peru.

Big Plant Coming to South Georgia

Oct 17--  Some good economic news for south Georgia broke Thursday
afternoon.  Daimler-Chrysler's van division chose Pooler, Georgia over
Summerville, South Carolina as the future home of a $700 million van plant.
The location is on 1500 acres near the intersection of Interstate's 95 and 16,
and the new plant is projected to have an annual economic impact in the
area of $180 million.  The company says the plant will employ 3,000 workers.

Officials in Toombs County are hopeful that suppliers to the new plant will
consider locating production facilities in the new Toombs Industrial Park
on U.S. One north of Lyons.  Bill Mitchell of the Toombs County Development
Authority believes the timing is right for the new industrial park, and further
notes the promised four-laning of U.S. Highway One in the next two years will
provide excellent transportation access from suppliers to the manufacturing
plant near Savannah.

Montgomery County School Taxes Going UP

Oct 16--  Montgomery County commissioners held a working budget meeting
Tuesday morning but reached no decision on the county tax rate.  They'll try
again Monday morning at nine.  If they don't vote for a rollback to compensate
for the increased value of the county tax digest, Montgomery County property
owners will get a double whammy on their tax bills.  That's because the county
school board voted Tuesday to keep the county school tax at 13.9 mils, and
county school superintendent Dale Clark says even that will just barely keep
the school system in the black.  The value of each mil in the county went up
by nearly 25 percent due to revaluation and that will increase school tax revenue
by about $396,000.  However, reductions in state support of $305,000 nearly
wipe out the increase.  Unbudgeted increases in insurance and building maintenance
amount to another $33,000, reducing the net school revenue increase to only $57,000.

US Attorney Seeks Info on Streat Situation

Oct 15--  The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia is
seeking information to determine if there is federal jurisdiction in the
case of state senator Van Streat of Nicholls.  U.S. Attorney Rick Thompson
has filed three seperate Open Records requests with the Georgia Attorney
General, the governor, and the special prosecutor appointed by the governor.

Streat was indicted last year in Fulton County on four felony counts of violating his
oath of office by allegedly accepting money to help a convicted killer get moved
to a minimum security prison in the state prison system.  Governor Roy Barnes
later appointed special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis to review the case and he
recommended the indictment be dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Thompson says he wants the feds to review any contact which may have been
made between the governor's office and the special prosecutor, and he also
is seeking all documentary evidence which was provided to the grand jury
which indicted Streat.  The federal prosecutor says it's "of paramount importance
that the public be assured that an appropriate law enforcement agency is
reviewing the entire series of events."

Streat is running for re-election in the newly created 19th senatorial district
against Senator Tommie Williams of Lyons.

Treutlen BOE OK's "Bare Bones Budget"

Oct 15--  The school board in Treutlen County Monday night approved a bare
bones school budget for next year which keeps taxes at the current millage rate
of just over 9 mils.  School superintendent Marion Shaw says cuts of over
$166,000 were made and there are very little funds for emergency situations.
Earlier, the school board had refused to consider a budget which would have
increased school property taxes by about a quarter-mil.

The school board also heard a complaint by parent Brenda Jackson that band
director John Newsome had called her after she had complained to school officials
about him.  Jackson claimed Newsome was negligent at a band marching competition
when several band members were overcome by heat.

Vidalia City Council

Oct 14--  The stalled construction of the new terminal building at the
Vidalia Airport will soon resume.  The Vidalia city council was told
Monday night the project bonding company has approved a new contract
with Harry Moses Construction of Vidalia to finish the job hopefully before
next year's Onion Festival Air Show.  The original contractor defaulted.

Vidalia got bigger Monday night.  The city council annexed 22 parcels of
land in southwest Vidalia including fourteen lots in the Bob Sharpe Road
area, five around Julie Drive, and three on Forest Lake Drive.  At the same
time, city manager Bill Torrance says talks with developer C.V. Mosley are
going nowhere because Mosley would like city water and sewer east of the
Green Acres area but refuses to annex the land into the city.

Torrance also told council the state highway department has assured him
the perennial flooding problem at the corner of Green Stree and Highway 280
will be corrected when the state does its one-way pairing construction in the
city.  Meanwhile, the city and the New Jersey owner of the old Bilo shopping
center have agreed to split the $14,000 cost of repairing sink holes caused by
flooding in and behind the shopping center.

Vidalia remains in sound financial condition.  City sales tax collections are
ahead of last year, and your city property tax rate for the coming year is
expected to be the same as this year, just under five-and-a-quarter mils.

Toombs Commissioners Working on Budget

Oct 14--  Toombs County commissioners held a working budget meeting
Monday night.  Commissioner Louis Powell, who is the point man on
developing next year's county budget, says the only action was to recommend
that the court system consider reducing the number of county magistrate's from
three to two-and-a-half.  Commissioners also took no action on state solicitor
Dustin Tapley's request for a $5,000 raise next year.  The $7,000,000 annual
budget could get final approval at a called meeting later this month or at the
commission's monthly meeting in November.

Statesboro Judge to Consider Warrant

Oct 11--  A superior court judge in Statesboro will consider whether a
criminal arrest warrant will be issued against the sheriff of Treutlen County.
The case was referred to senior judge Faye Martin of the Ogeechee Circuit
after Judge Gibbs Flanders of the Dublin Circuit recused himself from the
case.  Treutlen County commissioner William Baker is seeking the warrant
alleging assault in an incident between him and Sheriff Wayne Hooks on
September 30th in Soperton.  Judge Martin will decide if a warrant will be
issued and could hold a pre-issuance hearing before making her decision,
according to court officials.

Treutlen Commissioner Wants Sheriff Charged

Oct 10--  Treutlen County Commissioner William Baker says he was threatened
by county Sheriff Wayne Hooks and he wants the sheriff arrested for assault.
Baker filed an application for a criminal arrest warrant Monday alleging that
the sheriff drove up in his truck on Railroad Avenue in Soperton and called
Baker over and said "never make a negative statement about me again."  The
incident happened on Monday, September 30th, according to Baker's complaint.

Because the charge is against a law enforcement officer, Magistrate Grace Braddy
says the application must be signed by a superior court judge and it was faxed to
Judge Gibbs Flanders of the Dublin Judicial Circuit.  Judge Flanders recused himself
from the case and has asked the 8th Judicial District administrative judge in Eastman
to appoint another judge to consider the application.  He says a pre-issuance hearing
may be held before any action is taken by the new judge.

Toombs Middle School Construction Progress

Oct 10--  Construction of the new Toombs Middle School in Lyons is
about nine percent complete, according to a progress report from school
superintendent Dr. Kendall Brantley at the school board's monthly meeting.
The board also voted to contract with Altamaha EMC for electrical service
to the new school after it submitted a bid which was nearly a half a cent
lower per kilowatt hour than the bid from Georgia Power.  Officials are
projecting an opening date of January 1, 2004 for the new school.  The
board also approved an after-school program at Toombs Central
Elementary and Lyons Elementary to provide tutoring starting October 15th.

Montgomery County School Tax Hearings

Oct 10--  The school board in Montgomery County has scheduled three
public hearings to allow county taxpayers to voice their feelings about a
possible increase in county school taxes.  The county property revaluation
has increased the county's tax digest which means property owners will
pay more unless school tax millage in rolled back.  If the board plans to
maintain the current tax rate, it's required by state law to hold public
hearings.  The hearings are set for October 24th at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.,
and November 1st at 9:30 a.m.

Coursey Wins Runoff

Oct 10--  A vacant city council seat in Mount Vernon has been filled with
a runoff election.  Jay Coursey defeated Marty Robinson 252 to 213 in Tuesday's
runoff to fill the seat formerly occupied by Joey Fountain who resigned to run
for mayor.

Williams Questions Prosecutors Decision

Oct 9--  Are Georgia democrats trying to help one of their own get
re-elected by quashing criminal charges?  Senator Tommie Williams,
republican of Lyons, thinks so.  A special prosecutor appointed by
Governor Roy Barnes has thrown out an influence-peddling indictment
against democrat senator Van Streat of Nicholls who is running against
Williams in the newly created 19th senatorial district.  A Fulton County
grand jury had indicted Streat on four counts of violating his oath of office
and making a false statement regarding his efforts to help convict Ronald
Gaither get transferred to a minimum security prison.  He took $4,500 from
Gaither's associates, but later said it was not for his help and he returned
the money.  Williams says Streat should be cleared in a court of law just
like any other citizen who is indicted.  He suspects democrat prosecutor
Pete Skandalakis ruled insufficient evidence in the case because of politics
during the election season.

Traffic Death

Oct 8--  A Vidalia woman has died of injuries received in a Saturday wreck.
Fifty-eight-year-old Sandra Jean Caraway of Woodhollow Road died early
Tuesday at the Medical Center of Georgia in Augusta.  State trooper Keith
Gundy of the Dublin state patrol post reported she was injured in a two-car
collision at the intersection of highways 29 and 86 about five miles southeast
of Dublin.

Shot Youth Improving

Oct 8--  The ten-year-old boy who was shot Friday night in a shooting
spree in Lyons is reported improving at Memorial Medical Center in
Savannah.  According to police, Blair Jones was shot in the face by his
stepfather, Manvestur Evans, who also is charged with the murder of
14-year-old Rodney Mobley of Vidalia, and the wounding of three other
people.

Commission Accepts Grant

Oct 8--  A $500,000 grant to build a new Headstart Center in Toombs County
has been accepted by Toombs County Commissioners.  Commission chairman
Charles Rustin says the new building will accomodate 150 pre-school children.
He's says they're still looking at potential sites for the new building which will
replace the old J.D. Dickerson school building on Martin Luther King Avenue
which is now used to house Headstart.

In other actions at their Tuesday meeting, commissioners awarded a contract
to re-roof the Ross Bowen Building to Beasley Roofing for $6,250, and heard
a report that the county landfill has been inspected and approved by the state
Environmental Protection Division.

Treutlen BOE Wrestles With Budget

Oct 7--  The board of education in Treutlen County is walking a tightrope
between complaining taxpayers and the needs of the county school system
as reflected in the school budget.  The board has held public hearings geared
toward raising the county property tax for schools by one-quarter mil, however,
at a called meeting Monday morning, the board refused to vote on the budget.
School board chairman Chester Kight says the board has received lots of
negative feedback from property owners.  He says school superintendent Marion
Shaw is being asked to see if more cuts can be made to the budget which would
preclude a tax increase.  Shaw says he hopes to have a new budget ready for
consideration at the board's October meeting Monday night.

Shooting Spree in Lyons

Oct 7--  A Friday night shooting spree in Lyons has left one boy dead,
another hospitalized, and three other people slightly wounded.  Lyons police
investigator Ricky Newsome reports 29-year-old Manvestur Evans was
allegedly jealous of his estranged wife, 32-year-old Cheryl Evans, and was
waiting in her home at 256 South 10th Street when the family returned from
Friday night's football game.  He opened fire with a small caliber handgun
and fatally wounded a family friend, 14-year-old Rodney Mobley, son of
Chandra Stovall of Vidalia.  He shot his stepson, 10-year-old Blair Jones,
in the face and the boy is hospitalized at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah.
Also wounded with flesh wounds to the face were the wounded boy's mother,
Cheryl Evans;  her mother, 66-year-old Mary Jones; and an aunt, 41-year-old
Cathy Mann.

Newsome says Evans left the scene of the shooting and turned himself in to
the Toombs County Detention Center Saturday night.  He has since been transferred
to an undisclosed location for security.  Police say he is charged with the murder
of the 14-year-old boy and will face additional charges in the wounding of four
others.

A year ago this week, on October 10, Evans himself was the target of an assailant who
entered his family's residence on Wesley Avenue and opened fire killing eight-year-old
Shakela Jones and wounding her brother, Kenny. The man who's been accused in that
shooting, Charles Adam Gay of Lyons, has been indicted and remains in the Toombs
County jail awaiting trial.

Prescott Accepts Chief's Job in Lyons

Oct 4--  The city of Lyons will have a new police chief as of November
1st.  Police lieutenant David Prescott of the Thomaston police department
was selected for the job Tuesday night by the city council, met with Lyons
Mayor John Moore Thursday afternoon, and agreed to take the job starting
in November.  The 32-year-old officer says he plans to put emphasis on
community relations and hopes to increase the size of the force and the
salaries of its officers.

Man's Death Deemed an Overdose

Oct 4--  The state crime lab has filed its report on the death of a man
who died several hours after being released from the Toombs County jail.
Lyons police chief Jack Caves says Carl Rodney Oliver of Dade County,
Florida died of a cocaine overdose.  Oliver had been stopped for a traffic
violation in Lyons the evening of August 8th and was taken to the county
jail where he made bond three hours later.  Police say he went to a friend's
house at 222 East Liberty Street and was later taken by private vehicle
to Meadows Regional Medical Center where he died the morning of August 9th.

PMT Boss Bows Out

Oct 4--  The major shareholder in Precision Manufacturing Company in
Vidalia for the past three-and-a-half years has sold his interest in the company.
In a letter to community leaders, Rich McCloskey said he sold to a former
minority shareholder from Atlanta who hopes to keep the company afloat
during the recession.  Nearly half of PMT's customers are in the aeropace
business which has been devastated in the aftermath of 9/11.  Plant manager
Millen MacEwen will continue to oversee the plant's 50-plus employees.
Investor Tony Aszaly will be non-salaried and that will help the bottom line,
according to McCloskey.

ACLU Sues Local Library

Oct 2--  The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Ohoopee Regional
Library System.  The ACLU filed suit in federal district court in Savannah
Tuesday seeking an order that the library return the Gay Guardian newspaper
to its library in Vidalia and all other libraries in the system.  Legal director Gerry
Weber of the ACLU claims the paper was banned because of its homosexual
nature. The suit is an outgrowth of an incident several months
ago when Ronald Marcus, also known as Ron Mangum of the now defunct
Bubba Pig BBQ in Lyons, sought to have his gay newspaper retained among
the library's supply of free reading materials.  Library director Dusty Gress admits
some library patrons objected to the content of the Gay Guardian, but insists Marcus
could have maintained his publication in the library by following libary policy and
filing a written request with the library board.  Weber says it'll be some time before
the case is heard in federal court.

Governor Barnes Visits Vidalia

Oct 2--  Georgia Governor Roy Barnes made a noontime visit to a Vidalia
fundraiser Wednesday and said next month's election comes down to "can
a leader who makes tough decisions get re-elected."  Barnes supporters
contributed $40,000 during his one-hour visit to the Ladson Foundation
Reception Room in downtown Vidalia, while outside a Barnes opposition
group silently waved the former Georgia flag.  Barnes says he's convinced the
decisions he's made on education reform and the new state flag were in the
best interest of all of the people of the state.

Lyons Police Chief Selected

Oct 1--  The Lyons city council is offering the city's police chief job
to a police lieutenant from Thomaston.  After interviewing four candidates
for the job, the council voted Tuesday night to hire 32-year-old David
Prescott who has seven year's experience in police departments in Franklin,
Newnan and LaGrange and holds a master's degree in public administration.
Lyons mayor John Moore commended the council on their selection and
says Prescott has "outstanding credentials."  The job came down to Prescott
and Lyons police investigator Ricky Newsome.  The council voted three to
two to hire Prescott, however, Newscome's backers, councilmen Drayton
Oliver and Carlton Robbins, said they would fully support the new chief
if he accepts the job.

In other actions, the council started the ball rolling to pass a city ordinance
regulating adult entertainment and nude dancing at nightspots in Lyons;
approved a two-mil city property tax rate for the new year (that's the same
as last year), and approved Halloween trick or treating in the city on
Halloween night from six til eight p.m.

Montgomery County Budget Workshop

Oct 1--  Fine tuning is almost complete on the county-wide property tax
revaluation which was conducted in Montgomery County this year, and
county officials plan to get started on the county budget for 2003 once they
get the final tax digest.  A budget workshop meeting has been called by the
county commissioners for October 15.  At the same time, the school board can't
set its tax rate until it has an approved digest.  That means if you live in
Montgomery County, your county property tax bill, which normally goes out
in October and is due in December, will be late arriving.  You have 60 days to
pay once you get the bill.

Meanwhile, Montgomery County commissioners have voted to transfer
ownership of the county board of education building to the county school
board.  Commissioners say the move will give the school board leeway to
make improvements and changes to the building without having to consult
with the county.

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