June 2, 2016
Board of
Commissioners Regular Meetings June 7 at 9:00 AM June 21 at 6:30 PM
New Mt. Carmel Bridge Opens Construction of I-75 South Metro Express Lanes Clears a Significant Project Milestone
Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
In a press release yesterday, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced the completion of the Mt. Carmel Bridge replacement project in McDonough, Georgia. The new bridge, an infrastructure improvement that replaces the previous bridge built in 1957, opened to traffic yesterday, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. “The completion of the Mt. Carmel Bridge is a significant milestone for the South Metro Express Lanes project,” said Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry, P.E. “The existing bridge had to be replaced to accommodate the Express Lanes, and I am very excited that we are able to open this new and improved bridge for the public to begin using ahead of schedule.” The new Mt. Carmel Bridge is an important element in the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes Project scheduled to open in early 2017. It allows for the construction of the Express Lanes that will travel under the bridge. Construction of the new bridge was completed 10-days ahead of schedule and features two 14-foot travel lanes and sidewalks for pedestrians. The new bridge connects thru-traffic between the Mt. Carmel Road intersection at Jonesboro Road and Mill Road. A traffic signal was added at Mt. Carmel Road and Jonesboro Road Continued on page 6
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June 2, 2016 Mt. Carmel bridge from page 1
Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Samantha Watson
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Contributors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Kevin Williams
as part of the project and is also in operation today. “I am pleased with the progress being made on the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes, and we were able to open the new Mt. Carmel Bridge much earlier than promised,” said Congressional District 13 State Transportation Board Member Dana Lemon. “The timely completion of the bridge returns complete access to the people that live and work in the area, and I look forward to the opening of the whole Express system early next year so everyone can take advantage of this mobility option.” The I-75 South Metro Express Lanes project will add two reversible managed lanes along I-75 south of Atlanta. The project corridor extends 12 miles, from exit 216 (SR 155/McDonough Road) to exit 228 (SR 138/Stockbridge Hwy). The Express Lanes will operate northbound in the morning, moving toward the City of Atlanta and southbound in the evening. In coordination with Express Lanes program partner the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), Georgia DOT will work to ensure the lanes are flowing in the direction with the greatest travel demand.
Safety and Protection Night Being Held This Evening The Commissioner Bruce Holmes and Sheriff Keith McBrayer Safety and Protection Night will take place Thursday, June 2 in the Walmart Parking Lot, on 5600 North Henry Blvd from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This community event will feature free food and drinks, family fun, displays, various vendors and music. Henry County families will have the opportunity to meet with local public safety professionals and elected officials to get to know them, ask questions and learn more about the services they provide. For more information contact Sgt. Jimmie Spence at 770-288-7141 or Captain Chuck Simmons at 770-288-8215. henrycounty-ga.org
Animal Care & Control’s “Operation Cool Down” is Heating Up With warm temperatures upon us, Henry County Animal Care & Control is once again stepping up patrols to be on the lookout for pets left in hot cars. To combat this distressing trend, Henry County Animal Care & Control is now in its fifth year of implementing “Operation Cool Down,” and will be employing Oscar, the Hot Dog mascot to remind people not to leave their pets in hot vehicles. Any animal that is found unattended in a vehicle, that is in distress, will be removed from that vehicle by Animal Care and Control officers by whatever means necessary, as permitted under Henry County Ordinance. Violators of the ordinance may face fines up to $1,000 or 60 days in jail. Although since the implementation of Operation Cool Down, calls have been reduced a little each year, Supervisor Vince Farah, Henry County Rabies Control Officer, said that the temperature inside a car on a hot
Connecting Henry Hosts 5K on June 11 Connecting Henry, Inc. is hosting a 5K race themed Unity in the Community on June 11 beginning at 8 a.m. near Shiloh Baptist Church and McDonough First United Methodist Church, just off the Square in McDonough. Registration for the race will open at 6:45 a.m. on June 11 and close at 7:45 a.m. Those who wish to pre-register can do so online at Eventbrite.com. The registration fee for the 5K race is $30 on the day of the race and $25 if you pre-register online. The registration fee for the 1 mile race is $25 on the day of the race and $20 if you pre-register online. There is a group discount of $5 off per person for pre-registered teams of six or more. For more information email Suzy at suzy@getsetgrow.com or visit www.getsetgrow.com.
day spikes higher than what the barometer reads on the outside, for example, on a 90-degree day, temperatures inside a car can quickly reach up to 120 degrees. Farah said officers from Animal Care & Control will be patrolling parking lots for animals that are left in vehicles and they won’t be giving warnings, they will be writing citations. “With more than 160 days of hot weather on average, we will be out daily to ensure that pets are not left in hot cars to suffer and possibly die,” said Farah. Officials at Henry County Animal Care and Control advise residents to keep their pets at home if their pets cannot be with them at all times. In addition, owners should make sure that their pets have a constant source of clean, drinkable water at all times and have adequate shelter from the heat. For more information about Henry County Animal Care & Control, please visit www.hcacc.org.
Free Lunch for Children During Summer at All Henry County Library Branches Knowing that children rely on provided school lunches, the Henry County Library System will be stepping in while school is out to serve free meals to children Monday through Thursday at various times at all five library branches, starting June 1, 2016. There are no income or registration requirements; any child under the age of 18 may come to any Henry County Library System branch to eat. Meal times at the McDonough and Cochran Library will be from 1-2 p.m. Meal times at the Fortson, Fairview and Locust Grove Library will be from 12:30-1 p.m. The Fortson Library will also be serving snacks from 4-5 p.m. and the Fairview Library will be serving snacks from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
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June 2, 2016
Fire Department Offers Summer Time Safety Classes The Henry County Fire Department is offering free safety classes during the summer months. A new program titled 101 Days of Summer Safety was developed by the departments Fire and Life Safety Educators, to remind citizens to stay safe while having fun in the sun. The program dates run from the 28th of May, Memorial Day weekend, until the 5th of September, Labor Day weekend. The program targets adolescences through senior adults and centers around eight summer related topics. Classes are being offered to all community groups, social and religious organizations, and homeowners associations throughout Henry County. The Henry County Fire Department participates in a variety of community activities and performs numerous public relations details throughout the year.
Our mission is to take fire and life safety messages to the citizens, and continue to develop education programs based on their individual community needs. Any organized group wishing to participate in the 101 Days of Summer Safety Program can contact the fire department’s Community Relations Division at 770288-6621 or 770-288-6619 for further information. Schedule your event with us and help keep your community safe this summer. All classes are open to the public. The 101 Days of Summer Safety Program will be available through the Henry County Library System on select dates during the month of July. Registration is not necessary and there is no charge to attend the classes. For the full class schedule, please log on to www.henrycounty-ga.org.
Henry County Fire Department Looking For Emergency Workers Job fair set for Friday, June 3 With competitive pay and benefits, a superb team and an opportunity to grow your career, the Henry County Fire Department is searching for Certified Paramedics and Firefighter Paramedics to fill fifteen openings. Emergency medical workers are in high demand, and the Henry County Fire Department is holding a job fair to recruit for paramedic positions. The department will hold a job fair highlighting the new Paramedic pay scale and benefits package. The new base salary for a starting Paramedic will be $43,723.74 plus available overtime and benefits. The new increase will be effective beginning July 1, 2016. Potential candidates for hire will have the opportunity to engage in one-on-one question and answer sessions henrycounty-ga.org
with the Fire Chief and Training Chief, as well as view the latest, advanced medical equipment deployed by the HCFD. The job fair will be held at the Henry County Training Division located at 100 Ronnie Stewart Drive, McDonough, Georgia 30253. The meetings will last for one hour, and start at 9am on Friday, June 3rd. For further information please contact the Henry County Fire Department at 770-288-6600.