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C hristmas M e s s a g e s 22021 021 Christmas Messages Inspirational messages of the season from area pastors and spiritual leaders - see beginning Page 9
StarNews monthly traditional print publication / StarNews Online daily local news
DECEMBER 12, 2021 • VOLUME 27 NUMBER 12
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Carroll County Soup Kitchen works at closing 2020 Census data: the gap on hunger with an all-volunteer staff: County commission SPONSORS
more helping hands this holiday would be appreciated
by Wayne J. Reynolds According to feedingamerica.org, 1,279,310 Barnes Store people are facing hunger in Georgia, which is one in eight. This sobering statistic indicates you CR&I Insurance probably have a friend or neighbor who may be Hightower Family Funeral Homes hungry on a daily basis. John Thornton Cadillac Buick GMC For three days a week year round, volunteers at The Carroll County Soup Kitchen, Inc, work to Jordan Truck Sales address the problem of hunger in Carroll County. Marsh & McLennan Agency The Soup Kitchen is all-volunteer: no one is paid. O2 Plus During the recent month of October, they served
- see beginning Page 32
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1,802 hot meals, an increase of 23 meals over September. The energetic volunteers delivered 453 sacks of nutrition - and within each sack were 4 meals - for a total of 1812 meals. They picked up 18,502 pounds of bread products which included breakfast items and sweets, and distributed it to 17 other giving organizations throughout West Georgia and East Alabama. The Soup Kitchen began in 1982 as an outreach program of St. Margaret’s Episcopal See ALL-VOLUNTEER page 3
Carroll County Soup Kitchen volunteers are shown above steadily handing out large prepared bags of food on a recent Wednesday. Due to CoVID, recipients stay in their vehicles and bags are handed to them. Photo by Wayne J. Reynolds
Southwire acquires Alpharetta software company: OBI Partners “OBI will serve as a foundational element for development of digital services beyond utility” from press release Southwire announced the acquisition of OBI Partners, Inc. of Alpharetta, Georgia - a digital solutions provider focused on electric utilities to enhance digital services, provide utility solutions and accelerate innovation. OBI is recognized for its portfolio of software-as-a-service (SaaS) and
unique suite of advanced analytics and modules designed to extract, aggregate and optimize electrical grid data into intelligent information for utility operators and managers. OBI will serve as a foundational element for the development of digital services beyond utility at Southwire. See SOUTHWIRE page 21
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See proposed commission map page 38
by Janice Daneil The Carroll County Board of Commissioners met for a work session on Thursday, December 2, 2021. All commissioners were present with the exception of District 3 Commissioner Tommy Lee. Numerous items of business were discussed to be grouped into a “consent agenda” to be considered for a single vote
Phase I of broadband project begins with Carroll EMC customers
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County population officially at 119,148 Six commission districts to remain as equal as possible: 19,858 residents, or so, per district
See COMMISSION page 38
Carroll Tomorrow’s small business incubator building and property sold to a Carrolltonbased private business from press release Carroll Tomorrow, a private/public economic development agency (founded 2001) announced Nov. 3, 2021, it finalized the sale of Burson Center building (365,904 sq. ft.) and property (8.4 acres) to Carrolltonbased business Crescent Kayaks. Sale price was not disclosed. According to county records for that address: 2021 valuation at $1,064,250. In 2004, the property and building that became The Burson Center was donated to Carroll Tomorrow by owner and area physician Dr. John Burson. The center was a business incubator and resource center, assisting the start up of approximately 100 businesses in seventeen years. Crescent Kayaks is owned by James Derbecker and is currently located at 205 Industrial Court, Carrollton, was founded in 2009.
district lines adjust
SCOTT EVANS
Crossbeam to assist with 800 miles of fiber broadband over next 2-3 years from press release In June 2020, Carroll EMC and SyncGlobal of Bremen received a grant from the USDA’s Broadband ReConnect Program to bring broadband to rural areas in West Georgia and East Alabama. Along with capital investments and other actions, this project has progressed on schedule. Most recently, SyncGlobal created a new residential broadband company, Crossbeam, and will begin construction of the rural fiber network in West Georgia. The first phase of the residential project unites SyncGlobal/Crossbeam with Carroll EMC to deliver fiber broadband to Carroll EMC members. Phase 1 of this project is a 24- to 36-month network buildout totaling more than 800 route miles of fiber. When complete, Phase 1 will make high-speed broadband available to nearly 10,000 locations across 200 square miles in parts of See BROADBAND page 23
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wishing you a very merry
An altogether magical time. Lights sparkling on the downtown square. Concerts and carols. The aroma of freshly baked treats in the air. A warm cup of cocoa in your hands. The perfect gift found in a unique shop. A wave and heartfelt season’s greetings from a neighbor - or a stranger - passing by on the sidewalk. Raising a glass of good cheer with friends. ‘Tis the season to celebrate Christmas in Carrollton.
Check out our calendar of Christmas concerts, e v e n t s a n d m o r e at c a r r o l lt o n g a . c o m
www.starnewsgaonline.com ALL-VOLUNTEER from front page Church when some members realized an elderly friend was eating cat food because her monthly Social Security (SSI) check wasn’t enough to cover food for the entire month. They began serving soup and sandwiches during the last week of the month because, at that time, pensions and SSI checks were delivered on the third of the month. The Soup Kitchen outgrew that space and moved over to Tabernacle Baptist Church in 1985. In 1989, they moved again, this time to a building owned by Southwire Company that had previosuly housed the Tastee Grill restaurant. When Southwire needed that space in 2004, they worked with Soup Kitchen leaders to find another location. The Richards family and Southwire spent $700,000 to buy and renovate the property and building at 345 Beulah Church Road in Carrollton. The Carroll County Soup Kitchen has operated from that location since. “We are able to accomplish this each month due to the extraordinary efforts and commitment of our volunteers,” said Thomas Arnold, chairman of the Soup Kitchen Board. “In October, we had 136 volunteers. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we serve hot meals from 11 a.m. to twelve noon in a drive-through arrangement. We also have volunteers who deliver to shut-ins twice a month.” Arnold is visibly proud of the work his fellow volunteers faithfully carry out, “Others like ‘The Bread Man’ Ridley Thrash pick up the bread products from Bimbo Bakeries in Temple and then distribute it where needed. Many of these volunteers, most who are retired, have been doing this for twenty years. It takes a lot of time and commitment, but we are so proud of what we accomplish each month.” Over the years, with a generous grant from
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Walmart.com and others, the Soup Kitchen has adds, “The food we serve is a combination of food back in the pantry. “When I asked why grown from serving just one week a month to food we purchase and donations. For example, she was putting items back, she said her grandthree times a week. “We are the only group in our local Publix has food drives twice a year. It children wouldn’t eat that vegetable, but she Carroll County serving a hot meal,” Thomas produces 10 to 13 thousand pounds of food and wanted someone else to have it who needed it. states. it all stays here feeding our residents in need. We see that type of giving back on a regular On those three days each week, they provide That is just another example. And our volunbasis. They aren’t takers, they are also doing hot meals to up to 150 cars per day, using a dif- teers produce great delicious meals. Today, we their part.” ferent group of volunteers per day, generally are serving meatloaf, creamed potatoes, green The Soup Kitchen will have its only fundnine to 12 people. Each person has an assignbeans, cobbler, and a drink. In addition, today, raiser of the year, the Empty Bowls, the last ment, and they operate like a well-oiled each car will receive 16 pieces of chicken for Sunday in February at the Ag-Ed Center in machine - ready to deliver, as vehicles queue them to cook as we received a large donation Carrollton. It is sponsored by the Carrollton up quickly. of chicken!” Artists Guild. There will be live music, a silent During a tour of the facility, Thomas pointed Another long time vounteer is Sue auction, and guests will be served a bowl of out the vast myriad of donations - freezers, McBrayer - the ‘Bag Lady’ - who is also board soup, bread, and a bottled drink. This is the vans, food, even the building - that was secretary. The Soup Kitchen maintains two 17th year of this fundraising event. donated by large and small local companies, food pantries among the 15 food pantries Thrash also explains, “We businesses, restaurants, churches, organizaaround Carrollton for residents to donate or ask that you inspect food tions, students, and individuals. The long, pick up food. One day, Sue saw a See DONATE page 17 long list of donors is a testiment to the regular soup kitchen attendee magnitude of the generosity of the there picking up a meal and community. some groceries, but she Thomas pointed to the three news was putting cans of vans that they use to deliver to shut-ins. “These vans were made possible by a large bequest from an individual through her will, and the second from funds of the Empty Bowls fundraiser. When we went to Scott Evans Chrysler to discuss, Scott Evans offered that if we did buy two vans, he would donate a third van!” Thomas continued, “A new walk-in freezer was made possible by Pilgrims Community Grant. For every large, generous donation we receive, dozens of small donations of money or food are received that also make all this possible! And any meals that are left over, we take to the women’s Shown above are a few of The Carroll County Soup Kitchen’s long time volunteers. Left to right shelter, so everything is used and are “The Can Man” Randall Parian; “The Bag Lady” and board secretary Sue McBrayer; “The nothing is wasted.” Bread Man” Ridley Thrash; and board chair, Thomas Arnold. Photo by Wayne J. Reynolds ‘The Can Man’ Randall Parian
Merry Christmas Cton City Council Jim Watters Jim Watters
Carrollton City Council Ward 3 jwatters@carrollton-ga.gov 770-851-3668
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14
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Tanner Health Systems coming out of CoVID strong, and moving forward with the next new senior living concept CEO Loy Howard on CoVID: “worst is behind us” and doesn’t expect another surge The Birches on Maple in Carrollton to offer “comprehensive senior living” by Wayne J. Reynolds the community and their help during the past “When I recruit staff to our community, it is one and half years!” hard to describe specifically why they should Howard went on to explain that the expancome live in our community,” began Loy sion of the intensive care units under Dr. Bill Howard, long time president/CEO Tanner Waters was vital during the CoVID struggle. Health Systems. “You really need to live here “We were taxed like never before.” to truly appreciate our community, making Howard said he believes and prays that the these lifelong friendships. This really is a spe- worst is behind us, and doesn’t expect another cial place.” surge. Several times, he expressed his appreciaHoward was the invited speaker to the tion of the hard work of Tanner providers and Rotary Club of Carrollton on November 9th. hoped the audience would thank them if they “We need to make sure our community has had the opportunity. “These providers are worn what it needs to grow and prosper. Our research out. Please keep in mind when the last surge hit at Carroll Tomorrow shows that we need strong us a couple of months ago, these providers had education and strong healthcare. Healthcare is been at this for over one anda half years workone of the cornerstones of a great community.” ing 12 to 14 hour shifts, and dealing with losing He shared that, forty years ago, Tanner had patients. We don’t know what it has been like limited services, but Tanner Health Systems to walk in their shoes.” today has five hospitals: Behavioral Health in He reviewed the timeline of CoVID events Villa Rica as well as Tanner Medical Center, in this area that started in March 2020. He also Tanner Medical Center East Alabama in mentioned the need for behavioral health care, Wedowee, Tanner Medical Center in which increased during CoVID and is still sigCarrollton, and Higgins General Hospital in nificantly unmet and an area for expansion. Bremen an geographical area that covers “But, even during CoVID we continued to 300,000 citizens. Tanner Health Systems plan for the future - the next generation in employs 350 physicians covering 34 speciali- healthcare for our community. For decades, for ties, with 3500 employees. Tanner Medical example, we have been working on expanding Group contains 30 practices. and offering comprehensive cardiovascular “These practices allow us to cover areas like services. Cardiovascular disease is significant Bowdon and Tallapoosa,” Howard continued. and way above average here in our service “The success of Tanner begins at the commu- area. Cardiologists say, “Time is muscle!’ High nity level. We now are becoming a true quality cardio care is paramount particularly in regional center, but we will still remain a com- the first hour in a cardiac event when you need munity hospital. This commitment was of immediate care.” importance in the fight against COVID. It was Howard explains that building a comprehenone of the most difficult tasks we have faced in sive heart care program has been a twenty year healthcare. I also want to express our apprecia- process and begins with those “stars” who tion for the great feedback we received from See LOY HOWARD page 20
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New president/CEO chamber and Carroll Tomorrow speaks on moving forward with desired growth and better jobs while preserving our agricultural heritage CEO Karen Handel: “We have something special here. I hope my enthusiasm comes through!” by Wayne J. Reynolds and boost of our events!” she exclaimed. “We On November 16, Karen Handel, President will again be hosting ‘Coffee and and CEO of Carroll County Chamber of Conversations’ and ‘Business After Hours’ to Commerce and Carroll Tomorrow spoke at the provide more networking for small businesses Rotary Club of Carrollton. She began, “I’m as well as a series of workshops. We will offer thrilled to be a part of this community. My hus- Leadership Pipeline Development, partnering band Steve and I have been overwhelmed with with the Small Business and Development kindness and the welcoming we have Center to help small businesses and entreprereceived.” neurs. We will have a new program, ‘EmerIn a long and diverse career, Handel has ging Leaders’ for those in new leadership posiworked extensively in both the private and tions either in new businesses or in a new posipublic sector. In the private sector, she has tion with existing businesses. We will be more worked for eye-care company Ciba Vision and active in tourism and conventions as we will the international accounting firm KPMG. She partner with them more.” served as president and CEO Handel announced they “We want to control our will of the Greater Fulton County again be hosting Chamber of Commerce as destiny by finding industries monthly membership well as Senior Vice President breakfasts including the we want, not having to of public policy at Susan G. accept every industry that January 11th Kick Off Komen for the Cure, a charBreakfast with Carroll ity focused on fighting breast we might not want,” Handel County Chair Michelle cancer. In the public sector, Morgan presenting the said. “We need to be she has held a variety of posi- proactive in marketing what State of Carroll. In tions including in United February, she, along with we have to offer. . . . States House of others, will be at Carroll We need to also elevate County Day at the state Representatives from 2017 to 2019 and as Secretary of our legacy companies like Capitol. State of Georgia from 2007 Handel said that Carroll Southwire, DieTech, Miniat, Tomorrow began at a time to 2010 and Fulton County Yachiyo, and Magna. Board of Commissioners when the county was facing from 2003 to 2006 .She took challenges including multiResearch has shown over at the chamber and ple industries closing (late the’importance of place’ Carroll Tomorrow in July, 1990s) while experiencing like elevating schools and residential growth. The having been hired in June. Handel spoke on the difcommunity came together healthcare. Healthcare ference between the Carroll and formed Carroll has done that here.” County Chamber of Tomorrow. “Since then we Commerce and Carroll Tomorrow. “They are have had 1.5 billion in capital investment, partner organizations. The chamber is Carroll’s 10,000 new jobs, and 100 new start-up compalargest business association providing nies. Moving forward, it is an exciting time resources and programs to promote small busi- and the big question is how do we leverage the nesses and entrepreneurs and help them be growth that is coming; enhancing our quality profitable, while Carroll Tomorrow is the eco- of life and focusing on the quality of new jobs. nomic development department and chief mar- How do we retain and attract top talent while keting agent for the county and its cities. preserving our agricultural heritage and our “The chamber had a difficult year, not being unique charm?” able to go out in the community or interact She announced that after the Rotary meeting with members [CoVID]. But, still thanks to the she was headed to a Carroll Tomorrow retreat hard work of the staff, we brought in 75 new to finalize their 5 year strategic plan. She went members and we now have 550 members. And on to outline four points in the 5-year plan we have a 91% retention rate, which is above Carroll Tomorrow will be focusing on: 1) the national average.” attracting new companies, 2) supporting exist“Moving forward we need to up our game, ing industries, 3) aligning and retaining talent, serving the business community with a reboot
See CHAMBER page 20
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Youth Cattle Handling Championship
The Carroll County Cattlemen’s Association held their first Youth Cattle Handling Championship contest held November 4, 2021 at the Carroll County Ag-Ed Center in Carrollton. Four teams consisting of three students each represented their schools by working three feeder cattle through a holding pen into a chute and properly catching each animal in a head gate. The team develop a cattle processing plan and then had to properly administer vaccines, dewormer, and ear tags during the allotted time. The first place winners were Bowdon High School team members Adam Stone, Josh Summers, Kaleb Chambers and FFA Advisor Richie Farrow. The event was judged by UGA Beef Specialist Jason Duggin and UGA Youth Livestock Specialist Dylan Davis. The event was adopted from Virginia Tech’s Youth Cattle Working contest. The Carroll County Cattlemen’s Association is the local chapter of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and meet on the third Thursday of the month at the Carroll County Ag-Ed Center. New members are always welcome. Photo and information submitted by Paula Burke, Carroll County Extention Agent
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Christmas Messages 2021
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When you say Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, you have proclaimed His Purpose
Kelly Runels PASTOR Holy Ground Baptist Church 1355 US-27 North, Roopville, GA 30170 770-854-HOLY (4659) “To Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. To Teach and disciple God’s people.To Spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by supporting missions outreach around the world.” “A Church on the Old Path”
An obscure line in Matthew 1:25 sets the course for the greatest story ever told! Identified in that simple statement is the name of all names that have changed the course of all humanity. Acts 4:12 (KJV) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Gaither penned “Tyrants have tried to wash it from the face of the Earth with the very blood of those who claimed it. Yet it still stands.” What name is this? Who has such power and influence? JESUS! That obscure line in Matthew 1:25 records the fact that Joseph “called his name Jesus”! What is in that name? The name of Jesus… The name JESUS is CONFIRMATION. His Purpose is confirmed. Why did Jesus Come? Why is there a Christmas? The
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404-656-7872
Name Jesus clarifies this truth. Jesus means “The LORD Saves” or the “THE LORD IS SALVATION”. To save us, that’s why Jesus came. When you say Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, you have proclaimed His Purpose. He is a Saviour. His Position is confirmed in his name. In Matthew 1, we learn three words identifying our Saviour. In addition to JESUS, we are introduced to CHRIST and EMMANUEL. All of these are generally known names of the Christmas Child, but how do they connect? What does this mean to us? In simplicity, JESUS is His NAME. This common name given to our Lord speaks of his humanity; God became flesh in the person of Jesus. Born to a virgin in a Bethlehem manger, He became what we are so we could become what He is. CHRIST or ‘anointed one’ represents His office or position. He is God’s representative on earth. Frankly, He is God on earth. Lastly, EMMANUEL is mentioned-- ‘God with us’. This is the accolade of His Title. Why is he deserving of his position? Our society might refer to The Honorable Judge Smith. The name identifying the person is Smith, the office or title is Judge and the accolade is ‘honorable’. The judge got the position because of his honor. With our LORD, he is EMMANUEL CHRIST JESUS. Jesus is His name, Christ is His title and because He is Emmanuel, God with us, He is deserving of that title. This confirmation also includes a Path. Jesus is the name used to approach him. Men don’t generally pray to Emmanuel or Christ, but rather to Jesus. The one tempted in all points as we are yet without sin. The one that
lived among us and understands us. The one that is a compassionate high priest on our behalf. How wonderful to know that you and I can approach Him. Man could never approach God. His sins had placed a divide between the Creator and the Creation. But when GOD as Jesus Christ crossed that divide and became a man – the Creator became as His Creation. In doing so, He bridged the gap back to God. The Old Testament saint was separated from God by a veil in the temple. You and I are separated from God by our sins and the veil of our own flesh. Now we are made nigh, brought close in the Cross of Christ! Man can approach God for Salvation by approaching His Son Jesus Christ. That was
all made possible over two thousand years ago when a babe was born in a stable, laid in a manger and slept on the straw. Angels declared the great glory revealed below Luke 2:11 (KJV) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Do you know the Lord today? Although born as a child, he is no longer a child. He’s a Saviour. Our Lord lived a perfect life, died a substitutionary death, satisfied the demands of God the Father and now sits on the throne. A relationship with Christ can be yours when you admit you are a sinner and need salvation, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and call upon Him in faith, repenting of your sins and asking Him to forgive and save your soul. Will you take Christ this Christmas?
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Christmas Messages 2021
The promise of Mary’s little baby coming to fruition
Derick Newton REVEREND
Last Shall Be First Ministries 113 Commons Way #305 Villa Rica, Georgia 30180 678-360-5032 lastshallbefirstministries@gmail.com “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” MATTHEW 20:16 KJV
8 Shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem. They were taking turns watching their flock during the night. 9 An angel from the Lord suddenly appeared to them. The glory of the Lord filled the area with light, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. 11 Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city. 12 This is how you will recognize him: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”13 Suddenly, a large army of angels appeared with the angel. They were praising God by saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those who have his good will!”15 The angels left them and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.”16 They went
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quickly and found Mary and Joseph with story is valid, you have to make an uncom- some lowly, overworked and overlooked the baby, who was lying in a manger. 17 fortable journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem Agriculture employees (shepherds) to be When they saw the child, they repeated what and worse, turn an animal stable into a mater- Ambassadors for Christ. They were busy they had been told about him. 18 Everyone nity ward. working the fields, preparing the offerings who heard the shepherds’ story was Taxes aren’t always bad. Sometimes taxes (sheep) and while working the overnight shift amazed.19 Mary treasured all these things help do wonderful things. In this instance, it had an amazing encounter with the Angel of in her heart and always thought about was due to a tax increase by a bad leader that the Lord, heard some choir music from The them.20 As the shepherds returned to their made a promise from GOD that seem impos- Heavenly Host and receive the good news flock, they glorified It is like when I watch my favorite sible become possible. about the birth of the Messiah. WHAT A and praised God for This story doesn’t comes BLESSING!! everything they had black and white TV show again and to pass according to To Witness of Christ is an amazing seen and heard. again. I know how it ends, but I prophesy with a tax hike story. The Shepherds told the story of the Everything happened witness something new each time. from a greedy and Christ child. It was amazing to share what the way the angel had wicked leader. (This is they had seen and heard first hand. They had I will share with you some new the same leader that returned to the fields with their hearts full of told them. learnings I have witnessed. When I think of the would meet the Magi joy and praise that they had an encounter Christmas Story, it is when Christ was a with the Promised One. not the vision of Ralphie with his tongue toddler). So, as I witness this Christmas story to you, stuck to a frozen pole that comes to mind. If you want something done, ask people I hope you receive it with praise and thanksNeither is it the Miracle that took place on who are busy. GOD sent HIS angel to visit giving for the Christmas Season!! 34th Street. The Christmas Story that I enjoy most is the passage from Luke Chapter 2. It is in this story that the promise of Mary’s little baby coming to fruition. The more that I enjoy this passage, the more times I learn something new. It is like when I watch my favorite black and white TV show again and again. I know how it ends, but I witness something new each time. I will share with you some new learnings I have witnessed. What is planned for you doesn’t not work the way that we planned. Mary was told about her baby, but I am sure she did not plan for it to happen the way it happened. Imagine telling the story to your fiancee of how you conceived a baby at your cousin’s house by the Spirit of God after and Angel (between Verizon and Waffle House) told you that you were going to give birth to the Messiah. Additionally, when your betrothed learns from an angel that the your www.rwbtax.com
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State Representative Tyler Paul May this Christmas fillSmith your homes with the peace and joy of Christ
Merry Christmas! Georgia State Representative, District 18 18 Capitol Square- Suite 408 CLOB Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Office: 404-657-1803
District Address: 3002 Cashtown Road
Bremen, Georgia 30110
Christmas Messages 2021
The hope and love of God is real
Ben Bonner LEAD PASTOR Catalyst Church 1103 N Hwy 113, Carrollton, GA 30117 678-664-1237 iamcatalyst.net
This season may be raw for you, and can sometimes seem unreal, but the hope and love of God is for real. Even through tragedy, division, and disappointment, God’s love remains. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)-Matthew 1:23. God is with you when you’re picking up the pieces of your life and nothing makes sense. He is with you when you’re lonely, living in shame and insecurity and you lose yourself. He is with you when you’re holding back and pushing others away. He is with you when bitterness causes you to be cold and callous. He is with you when you have to say goodbye too soon or your body is sick and aging. Every mistake, every moment, and every tear, God is with you. He sees you, he loves you, he’s interested and invested in you. He didn’t just say it, he proved it! How? CHRISTMAS! Jesus came to connect and draw close to you. He came to experience what we
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experience: betrayal, loss, stress and tragedy, You have hope so take God up on that hope. not done and you aren’t either. all of it. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus when “For a child is born to us, a son is given to No matter what this holiday season looks he said, “There was nothing beautiful or us. The government will rest on his like for you, my prayer is that you will let the majestic about his shoulders. And he will love and presence of God and the promise of The Scriptures teach us that God appearance, be called: Wonderful Christmas fill your heart and flood every part became a human. It says, “So He nothing to attract Counselor, Mighty of your life. His presence will change your us to him. He was God, Everlasting life if you let it. could be our merciful and faithful despised and The heavens cried out on Christmas, high priest” and “since he himself has Father, Prince of rejected— a man of Peace”. “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth gone through suffering and testing, he sorrows, This is Jesus. This is peace, good will toward men.” Don’t close is able to help us when we are being God’s heart. This is God out or push him away. acquainted with deepest grief.” tested.” This is the heart of God and how much he loves Jesus said, “Come to me.” You are loved Jesus didn’t you. This hope and and not alone. Christmas is the proof and the hope of Christmas. He is good come to earth with promise isn’t just for Christmas is for real. and He is with us. a security detail or some day in the distant Follow us on Facebook or Instagraman army. He wasn’t impressive or future. It’s for today and everyday. Catalyst Church of Carrollton extravagant. He was, and is, the King of Jesus promised, “I’m with you always, even Check us out on Youtube or Listen on Kings, but he didn’t come to earth as a king to the end of the age.” The good news is God Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Just search that first Christmas. He came as a baby. He is in it with you and fighting for you. God is “Catalyst Church of Carrollton” was vulnerable and open and he did it to love and relate to us. Christmas is love, and what happened on Christmas is love. The Scriptures teach us that God became a human. It says, “So He could be our merciful and faithful high priest” and “since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” This is the heart of God and the hope of Christmas. He is good and He is with us. God is for you, he is in your situation and he is in you. The Apostle Paul wrote, “this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you Voted Best Salon! assurance of sharing his glory.” Get off the couch and rewrite your history. Quit living in default mode. Quit going through the motions. Quit living scared and suspicious. Quit overworking, overthinking, and overcompensating. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what Tues & Wed: 9am-6pm•Thurs: 9am-8pm Fri. 9am-5pm•Sat: 9am-3pm God has prepared for those who love Him.”
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Christmas Messages 2021
Why Christmas?
Justin Richards SENIOR PASTOR Bowdon Baptist Church 205 Mill Street, Bowdon, GA 30108 770-258-3967 www.bowdonbaptist.org www.facebook.com/bowdonbaptist “Bowdon Baptist Church is a community of believers who seek to follow Jesus Christ through worship, instruction, fellowship, evangelism, and service. We want to be the place where you can believe, belong, and be loved.”
Every year we come to a season of wonder for the Christian. We have yet another opportunity to think about our heavenly Father’s wonderful plan to save the world. His plan was to send His only Son to be born of a virgin, to walk this Earth as a humble servant, and to die for you and for me to pay the penalty for our sins. Oh, the wonder of it all! This year at Bowdon Baptist Church, we will look at the question: Why Christmas? I hope you can join us at Bowdon Baptist Church each Sunday this month as we investigate the powerful answers that the Lord provides. If you can’t join us in person, check us out online at bowdonbaptist.org, Facebook, or YouTube. You can download
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place where the sacrificial lambs in the first our app through any of the app stores and at-migdal-eder/#e7y2JHxh2j4CVAc1.99) join us on the journey to answer the The advent of Jesus is a miraculous century were born very well could have been important question: Why Christmas? account. Hundreds of prophecies were the place where Jesus, the final and perfect Years ago, I ran across a passage in the fulfilled when Jesus was born: How He sacrificial Lamb, was born! The birth of Jesus book of Micah in the Old Testament. There would be born, when He would be born, and is amazing. Studying the scriptures helps us is a great Messianic prophecy WHERE He would be see even more depth into the account. My prayer for all of us this Christmas is found in Micah 4:8, “And born! All these parts of his God had a plan, you, O tower of the flock, life were foretold years that we are even more amazed by the birth of hill of the daughter of Zion, and that plan was fulfilled before he was born. God Jesus. As we sing all of these great carols of with the birth of Jesus. to you shall it come, the had a plan, and that plan the season, I hope that we see them in a former dominion shall was fulfilled with the birth different light. God had a plan, he worked Oh, the wonder of it all! come, kingship for the of Jesus. Oh, the wonder of out that plan, and now it is our calling to go and tell the world about the fulfillment of daughter of Jerusalem.” it all! A quick little word study from this verse Another miraculous part of this prophetic God’s plan with the coming of Jesus into our reveals the Hebrew phrase “migdal eder”. account is what Micah prophesied, “And you, world. Have you lost the awe and wonder of Translated into English, the phrase reads O tower of the flock (migdal edar), hill of the “tower of the flock.” You might ask, “Yeah. daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the Christmas? There are so many things that vie So, what’s the big deal?” When we sing former dominion shall come, kingship for the for our affections. Things that dull our “Away in a Manger”, many of us think about daughter of Jerusalem.” Migdal Edar, the See JUSTIN RICHARDS page 17 some type of stall behind a crowded inn. The idea here is that there is a special place just “24 YearsandSteelBuilding” outside of Bethlehem proper where special lambs were raised in caves which had been formed in the rocky hillside. Bill Blankschaen wrote: “Here’s the theory in summary. There was a place just outside of Bethlehem city, but still within the region commonly known as Bethlehem, where Passover lambs were kept by specially trained and purified shepherds. The lambs were born in this “tower of the flock” known as Migdal Eder under the watchful eye of the shepherds who would then inspect and either certify •Garages them for use as sacrifices in the temple or •Barnes designate them to be released for common Carports use. The new lambs would, according to •Horseman some sources, even be wrapped in special Structures swaddling clothes once certified.” •RV Covers (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithwalker Always VETERANS Discounts s/2012/12/was-jesus-born-away-in-a-manger-
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This year, look up and be encouraged by the promise of God
Brad Horton PASTOR Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 235 Mt. Carmel Church RD, Temple, GA 770-562-4049 mcbctemple@gmail.com www.mcbaptistchurch.net “We believe in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture in faith and practice.”
Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even those outside of Christianity likely recognize this fact, but unfortunately, the recognition of Christ being born has slipped into the back of the line in our culture. It is more about gifts, days off and holiday greetings, but it is the culture we live in. We should not be surprised by this. As we sing songs of joy and celebration, even among believers, there may be other issues that hinder our worship. Such as, this may be the first Christmas without a loved one. It is a tough time. But for a believer, our joy isn’t in this world. So, as we gather to celebrate the joyous birth of Christ and the ultimate atoning sacrifice for our sin, we can also stop to remember that it is that very hope that gets us through the tough trials in this life. In John 18:36, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this
James 1:2-3 is the premier verse on joy. It which are not seen; for the things which are world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; expresses joy beyond human suffering. seen are temporal, but the things which are but, as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you not seen are eternal.” We see the sufferings encounter various here and yet we can rejoice because we do not This verse has been Having a proper view of life from a trials.” Verse 3 begins have to focus on what is temporal but what is a stronghold for me when times of Biblical perspective helps us move forward with “knowing” and eternal. Our mindset is not on the pains of uncertainty arise. through trials. The Christmas celebration because our true joy is the curse on earth, but on heaven. 2 a future joy set on Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if the The birth of Christ of the birth of Christ does just that. How God, we endure and earthly tent which is our house is torn down, brings about this hope. It is much can such an event bring about joy through know God works all we have a building from God, a house not t o g e t h e r made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” more than gifts. It tough times? Because our joy and hope are t h i n g s (Romans 8:28). Friends, do not be overcome with the is hope beyond not based upon earthly means. As you gather this temporal weakness of human life. Look up, human comprehenseason with family and be encouraged by the promise of God this sion and what all people everywhere need to hear today - the friends, the pain, heartache and sadness of the year. The birth of Christ is the reason we greatest Christmas gift is the hope of eternal loss of a loved one is real. In 2 Corinthians rejoice. He came to atone. He came to save. 4:18, Paul describes the joy in the midst of He came to impute His righteousness to us. life. Having a proper view of life from a Biblical suffering in ministry, “While we look not at And it is for this reason we endure to the end, perspective helps us move forward through the things which are seen, but at the things even in the midst of suffering. trials. The Christmas celebration of the birth of Christ does just that. How can such an event bring about joy through tough times? Because our joy and hope are not based upon earthly means. In Matthew 2:10, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Notice the emphatic pronouncement with words that describe joy: “exceedingly” and “great”. Both bring a huge exclamation for what kind of joy they experienced. I am not naive concerning the sadness that we humans feel when we begin the first holiday gathering without a loved one. This is part of the curse - death, but it is the only way to heaven, aside from the return of Jesus. How are we to respond Biblically in our sadness? First, we recognize our brevity of human life is real. Coming behind that 234 Maple Street • Carrollton thought is the truth of God’s promise, He has HOURS: Mon.-Fri.-8:00-5:00 • Closed Sat prepared a place for us (John 14:2-3).
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Christmas Messages 2021
People and traditions may change, but the true meaning of Christmas does not
Keith Runels PASTOR Bethel East Baptist Church 20831 County RD 87, Woodland, AL 36280 334-499-2498
I love this time of year. It’s Christmas time. I can remember when I was a child, the excitement of Christmas morning, going to my grandparents on Christmas Eve for our family get togethers, and Christmas morning spent with my other set of grandparents. I remember the old fashioned chocolate layer cake with real chocolate icing, which seemed to be about an inch thick. Oh, how we take time for granted. The old hymn “Precious Memories” has a lot more meaning these days than ever before. It’s Christmas time and precious memories flood my soul. My grandparents, my parents, and many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins are no longer here with us. However, their memory will forever be etched in my heart and mind. Not only do people change, but sometimes the old traditions of Christmas change. In years past, we all knew Christmas was near when classics like “Rudolph the red nosed reindeer” or “Frosty the Snowman “programs were on. “Jingle Bells “and” Here comes Santa Claus” were the popular Christmas songs. These days” Elf” seems to
be the movie of choice and “Santa baby” the was so right. Christmas is the birth of Jesus. hit song of this generation. “A child is born; a Son is given” the child is Some of you will remember getting the born speaks to the humanity of Jesus but a Sears and JCPenney’s catalogs in the mail. We son is given speaks to the deity of Jesus. My would go through those catalogs to make our friends, I believe that a baby was born. I own Christmas list. believe that baby was We see the dual natures of God, God. Our parents would drop us off with the his humanity and his deity because The birth of Jesus grandparents and friends he was 100% man and 100% God. indicates his humanity to go Christmas shopping Jesus was the God man. Without had a beginning. But his or to see Santa Claus as son is given, says that the virgin birth, there would be no Jesus, the person already they would say. Now, you don’t even deity, just a birth of humanity. was in existence when have to leave home, just his birth occurred. In order online and it will be delivered in one to other words, Jesus existed before his three days. Ye, sir, people and traditions may incarnation. Jesus did not begin when he was change, but the true meaning of Christmas born, he existed eternally before he was born. time never changes. The ‘born’ part only concerns his Now, I love the lights, the songs and the manifestation in the flesh. The ‘given’ part idea of Santa Claus, but Christmas is so much more than all these things put together. Christmas is about a Saviour being born to save the world from their sins. Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season. It’s Christmas time, a time to celebrate and a time to worship our Saviour Jesus Christ. I want to encourage you to slow down and maybe even stop and remember the true meaning of Christmas. One of my favorite scriptures about Christmas is found in Isaiah 9:6. Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied his birth. Isaiah was foretelling of the first advent of Jesus long before we see the incarnation of Jesus in Bethlehem born of a virgin in a lowly stable some 2000 years ago. Preacher Huelett Chandler said this about Isaiah: “It was like a captain of a sinking ship, looking across the distant waves and seeing an www.AllensFlowersGifts.com oncoming vessel of rescue”. Brother Chandler
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covers all eternity. The gift had to exist before it was given. Jesus was the only person who ever walked on earth who was older than his mother. It was Jesus who made the stars that shined down on Mary. It was Jesus who made the air that filled the lungs of Mary. He made all that’s been made with a word of omnipotence, he made it. We see in God’s word the humanity of Jesus as he slept in the ship and his deity is seen in his stopping a storm on the sea when he awoke. We see his humanity as he wept at Lazarus’ grave and his deity as he called Lazarus forth from the grave. We see the dual natures of God, his humanity and his deity because he was 100% man and 100% God. Jesus was the God man. See KEITH RUNELS page 17
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Christmas Messages 2021
Our light of forgiveness
Jamie Biddle COUNCIL PRESIDENT LAY MINISTER Grace Lutheran Church 101 Somerset Place, Carrollton, GA gracelutherancarrollton@gmail.com www.gracelutheranofcarrollton.org j.b.h.biddle@gmail.com “Grace Lutheran Church is a sanctuary church where truly ALL are welcome.”
The culmination of the Thanksgiving holiday ushers in a most wonderful beginning for someone of the Lutheran faith. The Sunday immediately following Thanksgiving marks the beginning of our liturgical year, which is founded upon over 500 years of tradition, with the four-week observance of Advent. The word advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, which literally means “I arrive.” During these four weeks of Advent, Lutherans faithfully await the “arrival” of our Lord in two forms: a symbolic anticipation of the birth of Christ, as well as the literal anticipation of His eventual return. As German Lutheran pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, once stated, “The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.” During Advent, our sanctuary at Grace is
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adorned with the traditional blue, from the after His birth, also guides us as followers of whom we meet on an everyday basis. We, being imperfect, yet forgiven, followers of paraments hanging on the walls, and draped Christ today. across the altar and the lectern, to three of the There are a plethora of thoughts that come Christ are called to love our neighbors withfive Advent wreath candles. And speaking of to the forefront of our minds concerning the out preconditions, and also care for the fatherless and widowed. the advent wreath and the weekly lighting of light of Christ. We, being imperfect, yet forgiven, followits candles, each singular All too often, howAdvent leads us to Christmas ever, we are culpable for ers of Christ, should wholeheartedly welcome candle represents the themes of Advent: hope, and the color of blue throughout neglecting those themes the stranger, care for the poor and the infirm peace, love, and joy. our church gives way to the color of Advent and the maj- without preconditions. We are called not to While it is seemingly a esty of light during the promote division due to political, social, or very festive time for our of white. . . Our Chrismon tree, Christmas season. theological differences. Rather, we are called, church, as baptized fol- located next to the Baptismal font Perhaps it is a result of, on this and every Advent and Christmas sealowers of Christ, the color in the rear of the nave, is adorned as Bonhoeffer claimed, son, to be the hands and feet of Christ so that blue prompts us to celebeing “imperfect,” as our others will see His light through us. in white and gold Chrismons, May the light of Christ Jesus be with you brate the imminent arrival minds tend to anxiously which are ancient symbols for of the Christ child, who worry about the “hol- all during this Advent and Christmas season! Grace Lutheran Church is a member of the came into this world to iday rush.” We should Christ and His ministry. usher in hope, peace, love, take moments, as follow- Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and joy through the promise of salvation. We ers of Christ, to share His light with others See JAMIE BIDDLE page 17 remember this promise throughout our liturgical year in our weekly observance of communion during our worship services. Advent leads us to Christmas and the color Sanitize•Disinfect•Refurbish of blue throughout our church gives way to the color of white. Parapets and vestments are changed. Our Chrismon tree, located next to the Baptismal font in the rear of the nave, is adorned in white and gold Chrismons, which are ancient symbols for Christ and His ministry. Advent songs such as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” also give way to Christmas songs such as “Joy to the World!” The color of white represents the light that Christ’s birth brought to a dark world, which fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them the light has shone” (Isaiah 9:2, ESV). That same light that led the three wisetruettjustus@gmail.com men baring gifts for the Christ child 12 days
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www.starnewsgaonline.com DONATE from page 3 donations before you bring them, making sure that it has not expired and is something people can eat. We would prefer pop top cans, and meals in a can like Dinty Moore Stew, as an example, are greatly appreciated. We believe if you won’t serve it in your home, don’t ask us to serve it either! If you have a donation please just bring it by Monday, Wednesday, or Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and we will gladly unload your donation. If it is a large donation, please call or email, we will make special arrangements.” They plan to go back to inside dining when CoVID rates reduce more. “We think people not only enjoy sitting down for a meal, but fellowship as well, and in some cases, a warm place,” Thomas said. “We also will be serving on our regular schedule until December 17th. We will close for two weeks and reopen January 3rd.” “We get donations from everywhere and from all ages,” Randall explained. “During Carrollton High School’s Homecoming, different classes competed against each other to get JAMIE BIDDLE from page 16 (ELCA), Southeastern Synod, and actively serve the people of the Carrollton area through its outreach with the Atlanta-area Hunger Walk, the Carroll County Soup Kitchen, The Open Hands Ministry, the men’s and women’s shelters of Carroll County, and by faithfully sharing the gospel of Christ to those most in need of His message of hope and love. For more information about our Christmas Eve service, or about our 10:00 a.m. Sunday worship (and Zoom) services, please contact Pastor O. Dennis Mims at 770.834.9286. We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. JUSTIN RICHARDS from page 12 amazement of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I want to encourage you to go back and look at the numerous prophecies about Jesus. I want to encourage you to be reminded about the real reason that we celebrate Christmas; the intentionality of His plan to restore us unto Himself. Isaiah wrote, “ The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2). That is what we need to change the world in which we live today. We need the light of Jesus to shine into this dark world. We need Christmas! Oh, the wonder of it ALL! Merry Christmas from the Bowdon Baptist Church Family! KEITH RUNELS from page 14 Without the virgin birth, there would be no deity, just a birth of humanity. The birth of Jesus was no ordinary birth, but the most wonderful, the most miraculous birth that ever took place from the beginning of the world for it was the incarnation of the God of the universe in a little babe. It was the result of the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit as he begot in the womb of the virgin Mary, the great God of creation himself. Jesus grew into a man. Jesus had an earthly ministry for three and a half years. At the age of 33, Jesus climbed on an old rugged cross. He was nailed to that cross, but it wasn’t nails that held him there - it was his love for you and me. At any time, Jesus could have called the angels to come down and get him. However, because of his love, he gave his life, shed his blood. He paid the price for our sin debt. It’s Christmas time, it’s about the birth of our savior. My prayer and desire is that you know him as your Saviour and Lord. God bless you and Merry Christmas to everyone.
different household items. Because of the students’ efforts and the school’s involvement, we will also be distributing toilet paper, shampoo, and tooth brushes to those in need.” If you wish to donate or have questions email ccsoupkitchen345@gmail.com, mail to P.O. Box 2457, Carrollton, GA 30112, or 770-214-5055. For more information visit carrollcountysoupkitchen.org or on Facebook. “I hope everyone realizes what an amazing community we live in,” Sue added in conclusion. “We sincerely appreciate all donations regardless of size. They all help make this effort possible. Today, I speak for those who don’t have a voice in thanking each and every one of you whose donations allow these local residents to have this food. If you know someone who needs our help make sure they are aware of the services we offer.”
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Christmas Messages 2021
A reason to celebrate this Christmas
John Lemmings PASTOR Journey Fellowship Baptist Church 409 Center Point Road, Bremen, GA 30110 770-537-2300 johnlemmings316@gmail.com “We exist to help people begin a journey with Christ who live to make a difference locally and globally.”
The birth of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest miracles to ever occur. God Himself took on human flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was born in a place where the animals of those staying in a public shelter were kept. No one in that sleepy village of Bethlehem realized the significance of what had happened, except, to a certain degree, the Child’s parents. The Bible states in Luke 2:6-7, “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Immanuel, God with us, is born! This excitement was proclaimed to an unlikely group of people, shepherds. Shepherds of that day were known to be uneducated, unskilled, dishonest, and
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The shepherd’s went with haste to unreliable. Many viewed them at the bottom rose again on the third day and is alive. rung of the social ladder. They were not The Word of God tells us that if we will Bethlehem to see firsthand the birth of Jesus allowed to testify in court and were confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and Christ. Think about the peace, joy, and considered ceremonially believe in our wonder of that night. They were so moved The Word of God tells us that if we heart that God has that they returned, glorifying and praising unclean. He sought out the poor, the lowly, the will confess with our mouth that Jesus is raised Jesus from God for all the things that they had heard and afflicted, and the outcast Lord and believe in our heart that God the dead we can be seen, as it was told to them. Let’s celebrate this Christmas with the of society. has raised Jesus from the dead we can be saved. Will you good news that a Savior is born, died on a Jesus came not for the turn from your healthy, but for those saved. Will you turn from your sins and sins and place your Cross, and resurrected the third day. I would like to invite you to the Journey who are sick because of complete trust in place your complete trust in the sin. Jesus ministered to resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ today? the resurrected Fellowship Baptist Church Christmas Adult those that everyone else Savior, Jesus Musical, The Thrill of Hope, on Sunday, The night I was saved I simply called out Christ today? December 12th at 6:00 p.m. looked down on. The church is located at 409 Center Point It was to these to God and asked Him to forgive me The night I was shepherds the saved I simply Road,. Bremen, Georgia 30110. For more pronouncement was made that a Savior had called out to God and asked Him to forgive information please visit our website at been born. It was to these shepherds that the me of my sins and I placed my faith in Jesus journeyfbc.com Have a Merry Christmas! sky was filled with an angelic host praising Christ as my Savior and only hope to heaven. God and saying: “Glory to God in the COMMERCIAL SERVICES RESIDENTIAL SERVICES highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward Building men!” Luke 2:14. House Luke 2:11 states, “For unto you is born this Dumpster Area Deck Sealing day in the city of David a Savior, which is Parking Decks Deck Cleaning Christ the Lord.” There is reason to celebrate Restaurants Driveways this Christmas and it is because a Savior was Gum Removal Pool Area born for you! We need a Savior. Drive Thrus Painting Why? Because the Bible says that there is Shopping Center Lawn Care no one righteous enough to go to heaven red Concrete u without a Savior. We have all sinned against s In God, broken His law, and are guilty before & d Him. The wages of our sin is death, which is nse separation from God forever if you are not e c Open 7 days a week! Li saved. to 2000sq ft Oh, friend, we have great news to share Call 770.947.3499 CLEANED for and reason you can celebrate this Christmas. www.dannyspressurewashinc.com God demonstrated His love for mankind by ONLY $125.00 sending His unique, one of a kind Son to this With Coupon Only. Some restrictions may apply. earth to die a sacrificial death on the Cross to Offer Ends January 16, 2022 pay for mankind’s sin. He was buried and
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Carrollton City Council fills open positions: arts commission, visitors bureau, food service by Janice Daniel City of Carrollton mayor and council met November 1, 2021, 6:00 p.m. at the Public Safety Complex, Court/Council Chambers, 115 West Center Street, Carrollton, for a regular monthly meeting. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Cason, and the Invocation was offered by Mayor Pro Tem Jacqueline Bridges. There were no citizens comments, and the prior month minutes were approved.
Public’s help requested in reporting monarch butterfly sightings this winter
from press release Last winter, volunteers from across the Southeast and Gulf states provided more than 5,800 observations of monarch butterflies. This winter, the partnership of universities, agencies and other organizations called Monarchs Overwintering in Southeastern States is requesting the public’s continued involvement in reporting sightings. Sonia Altizer, a University of Georgia ecology professor and director of Project Monarch Health, said the information can help scientists determine if these iconic but declining butterflies “can overwinter as non-breeding adults in the southern U.S. and how this might affect future population numbers.” The monitoring will also help document how winter-breeding activity might be affecting the annual migration to Mexico. Understanding migration and overwintering behavior is crucial to conserving monarchs, a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Thousands of monarchs stream across the South each fall on their way to wintering grounds in central Mexico. In the spring, this eastern population of the butterfly returns to the U.S. and Canada to breed. But not all monarchs migrate to Mexico. Volunteer observations over the past two decades have helped scientists better understand how and why some monarchs breed throughout the winter in the southern U.S. Scattered reports also suggest that some monarchs can overwinter in coastal regions in a non-breeding state, similar to their wintering behavior in Mexico. The goal this winter is to collect more data for a growing partnership that has expanded to include organizations such as Florida Natural Areas Inventory and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. The public is encouraged to report monarch sightings from Dec. 1st - March 1st in Georgia,, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Observations are entered in Journey North’s online data portal, where they are transformed into real-time mapping visualizations of monarch migration and breeding. Journey North is an organization designed to engage people across North America in tracking wildlife migration and seasonal change. How to participate: Step 1: Create a free account at journeynorth.org/reg Step 2: Learn how to report monarch sightings at journeynorth.org/monarchs. Step 3: From Dec. 1st - March 1st, submit monarch observations at journeynorth.org/sightings.
In the business portion of the meeting, Assistant City Manager David Brooks presented a Site Plan Amendment Request for 125 Maple Crossing, but the applicant requested this item be tabled until next month in order to allow for more information and to address a few concerns. The request to table was approved unanimously by council. In an Arts Commission appointment, Brooks informed council that Josh Bird resigned from the Arts Commission. Brooks recommended Angela Stephens to fill the remainder of Bird’s appointment which will go through June 30, 2023. Appointment was approved unanimously. There were two appointments made for the Carrollton Area Conventions & Visitors Bureau: Beth Parsons to finish the term of atlarge member Daryl Johnson through remain-
ing term to June 30, 2023, and Chris Duffey to finish the term of food service position of Jacob Skelton, through remaining term to June 30, 2022. These appointments were approved unanimously. Lastly, Resolution 14-20-21 was presented to council, a resolution to authorize the Chief of Police of Carrollton to provide requested aid outside his normal territory, under the Georgia Mutual Aid Act. This Act provides the rules for, in such a case, who is in charge, who is insured, who gets paid what, etc. At present, the Chief of Police of Newnan has made this request. The Resolution was approved by council unanimously. Mayor Betty Cason spoke on programs in Carrollton to help raise awareness and advocate for Mental Health, which she said goes along with the Homeless Awareness Month of
November. She announced that the purple lights and ribbons are to remind everyone of the problem of homelessness. She also thanked April Saunders for all the wonderful downtown events during October which helps merchants and brings people to Carrollton. She urged everyone to check Carrollton’s Facebook page to find out about more events, such as Small Town Business Day, which encourages everyone to support local businesses as much as you can, since they have had such a hard time going through COVID. The Mayor also mentioned the unveiling of Stewart Martin Memorial Drive. Mr. Martin took office in Carrollton in the 1930’s at the age of 26, the youngest Mayor in the United States at that time. There being no further business, meeting was adjourned.
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West Georgia Memorial Park is official location for 2021 “National Wreaths Across America Day” December 18th
from press release National nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) announced that West Georgia Memorial Park in Carrollton, Georgia, will be joining in the effort to support the mission to “Remember, Honor, and Teach” as an official location for 2021. This is the first year that the cemetery will participate in this national event. The cemetery, located at 4194 Carrollton Villa Rica Highway (off Highway 61), will join more than 2,500 participating locations across the country to “Remember, Honor and Teach” on Saturday, December 18, 2021. Wreaths Across America started as a gesture of thanks that has grown into a national movement of dedicated volunteers and communities coming together to not only remember the nation’s fallen and honor their service, but to teach the next generation about the sacrifices made for us to live freely. This year, there will be more than 2,500 participating locations placing wreaths on National Wreaths Across America Day – Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 – with more than two million volunteers coming together.
The goal for West Georgia Memorial Park is to raise enough funds to place 155 veterans’ wreaths on the headstones of all the local heroes laid to rest there, to ensure that the individuals who served to protect the freedoms of our country never be forgotten and to bring the community together in patriotic commemoration. “We are forever grateful for the thousands of supporters who dedicate their time and effort to fulfilling our mission on a local level,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “These individuals and their communities know the value of remembering the fallen, honoring those who currently serve and teaching the next generation about the sacrifices made for our freedom every day, and without their continued support, Wreaths Across America would not exist.” Those interested in volunteering for Wreaths Across America, or sponsoring a wreath for West Georgia Memorial Park, are invited to visithttps://wreathsacrossamerica.org/GAWG MP to learn more. National Wreaths Across America Day is a free, non-political, community event open to all people.
CHAMBER from page 6 and 4) strengthening our quality of place. “We want to control our destiny by finding industries we want, not having to accept every industry that we might not want,” Handel said. “We need to be proactive in marketing what we have to offer. We need to also elevate our legacy companies like Southwire, DieTech, Miniat, Yachiyo, and Magna. Research has shown the’importance of place’ like elevating schools and healthcare. Healthcare has done that here.” [See page 4 for article on Tanner Health Systems and CEO Loy Howard]. Handel continued, “Our schools are among the best in the state with graduation rates of 91%. Post high school, we have that covered with West Georgia Technical College,
University of West Georgia, and the Career & College Academy. We must get graduating students to stay and grow here.” In the question and answer portion of the presentation, she stated the county’s infrastructure for growth was in good shape but needed to get more access to available land and that there was a need for another office park. She also mentioned that The Burson Center had been sold [see story front page]. Concluding, Handel said, “We have something special here. I hope my enthusiasm comes through!” For more information, carroll-ga.org or call 770-832-2446. They are located at 200 Northside Drive in Carrollton. The Rotary Club of Carrollton meets Tuesday at noon at Sunset Hills Country Club. www.carrolltonrotary.com
LOY HOWARD from page 4 work every day in this field: Dr. Christopher Arant, Dr. Shazib Khawaja, and Dr. Charles Rouse among other physicians. He mentioned the contributions of Dr. William Rogers who has been on staff since 1983. “The cardiovascular department is very strong,” Howard commented, “and needs only to add bypass surgery to complete the department.” “We are actively searching for a cardio thoracic surgeon who can perform these bypass surgeries. It is all about the team. They make it happen. They are the ones who answer your phone call at night. I think of it is ‘old time medicine.’” Dr. Robert Guyton, who is considered the “father of bypass surgery” in Georgia, is assisting in the development of the bypass program. Guyton assisted Kennestone Hospital in developing their program among other hospitals. Howard projects that the program will be opening in January 2023 and is anticipating doing about 200 bypass surgeries a year. “We are always listening and talking to the community, and one area we heard about was more senior care options and, specifically, with seniors who want to be active. So, we are giving you a new approach to senior living: a senior living facility affiliated with a health
system. We are going to build The Birches on Maple in Carrollton at the intersection of the 166-Bypass with Maple Street near City Station and CVS,” Howard shared. “We are in the process of acquiring 40 acres and also the shopping center there as well. It is a comprehensive senior facility with independent living, assisted living, memory care, and now active senior living where residents 55 and up can purchase homes there. “There will also be a community center and we hope to have a Green Belt Spur. It gives seniors every opportunity to enjoy each year however they can. It gives seniors options.” Howard spoke on the already opened The Birches at Villa Rica. - which does not have the active senior living component - but is already 75% occupied. He invited all to visit. It is located off I-20 in Villa Rica. He also announced that he anticipated adding a third facility after The Birches on Maple in Carrollton is completed, perhaps in Bremen, he added. Concluding his presentation with the short summation: “There is a lot going on at Tanner!” For more information on Tanner Health System: tanner.org Rotary Club of Carrollton meets Tuesdays at Sunset Hills Country Club. carrolltonrotary.com
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City Villa Rica’s “Ghost Train” rides have “best season ever”: approaching $50,000 in revenues by Janice Daniel The Mayor and City Council of Villa Rica met on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at the Holt-Bishop Justice Center Municipal Courtroom, 101 Main Street, for their work session and monthly meeting. In the absence of Mayor Gil McDougal, Mayor Pro Tem Michael Young preside. With the exception of two items of business, all items on the work session agenda were placed on a consent agenda to be approved in the regular meeting. The Invocation was offered by Pastor Chad Williams of High View Church. The Pledge of Allegiance was let by Officer Kyle Letourneau, who joined the Villa Rica Police Department in 2019, after six years in the U. S. Army where he is a Reservist.
Villa Rica mayor now authorized to participate in opiod litigation settlements
by Janice Daniel A Special Called Meeting of the Villa Rica Mayor and City Council was held Tuesday, November 30th, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. for the purpose of handling two items of business. First, to adopt a resolution to be bound by the MOU (M of Understanding) between the State of Georgia and certain local government entities, and to authorize the mayor to execute any and all documents required to participate in the National Distributor and J&J Settlements of the Opioid Litigation. This was approved by council unanimously. Secondly, to consider and discuss the re-districting map presented to the City of Villa Rica by the State of Georgia reflecting the 2020 Census numbers. Councilman Michael Young acknowledged that in the next two years substantial growth in Ward 4 and the Fuqua area in Ward 1 may result in the city having to re-do this map in the future. Mayor Gil McDougal stated that the city can re-draw the district map at any time and the staff at the State Capitol is available to help with determining population numbers if massive growth occurs in one or more areas. With this being the case, council decided to wait for a more detailed map, one that shows street names, etc., to better determine what action needs to be taken. Having had a motion to remove the Executive Session from the agenda, and there being no further business, this meeting was adjourned.
SOUTHWIRE page 19 “The marketplace is demanding intelligent solutions to their electrical distribution needs, and through the acquisition of OBI, Southwire will do just that,” said Tom Courtney, vice president of Services. “We are very excited about the suite of solutions provided by OBI and the added value we will bring to our customers.” “We are extremely excited to welcome OBI Partners to the Southwire family. OBI’s skills, tools, and expertise, coupled with Southwire’s full suite of wire and cable solutions, will provide the critical operational intelligence and solutions needed to support the growing need for grid reliability and resilience,” said Norman Adkins, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Wire and Cable. “OBI’s unique service offering will further expand Southwire’s role as a key resource to our utility partners.” OBI Partners, Inc: obipartners.com
Under Ceremonial Presentations, President Clint Chance of the Evening Villa Rica Lions Club in partnership with the Golden Lions Daytime Club, presented Police Chief Michael Mansour with a check for $1,000 for the Villa Rica Police Department’s annual “Shop with a Cop” Christmas Program. Employee Kay Sweetalla was recognized for 15 years of service with the City of Villa Rica. Councilmember McPherson thanked the Friends of the City Cemeteries, who voluntarily maintain the three city cemeteries by planting flowers, keeping the green space clean, and doing restoration work that is needed, as well as keeping record of those interred in the cemeteries. Ron Johnson, Planning & Zoning Specialist, presented a proposal for an amendment to
Section 9.03(2) of the Villa Rica Zoning Code to clarify the design standards within this subsection in order to clean up language as it relates to single-family attached developments. This ordinance has a single design standard section for both townhome and apartment developments, and certain regulations within the section either do not apply to townhome developments or would apply standards most often seen for multi-family apartment developments, such as orientation and scaling requirements, thus causing multiple townhome developments to apply for relief through variance applications. Section 9.03(2)(c) would allow townhouse developments to orient garage openings towards the street or city roads. This proposed amendment was denied by the Council 3-2, resulting in section 2(c) remaining unchanged.
Section 9.03(2)(d) would allow the Community Development Director to have discretion to determine which offset feet between buildings shall apply and may grant exception to this subsection should topographic, orientation or other site conditions make the distance required impractical. This proposed amendment was approved unanimously by the Council. Section 9.03(2)(e) would allow a 5-foot push-pull orientation of buildings, changed from 20 feet, and this proposed amendment was approved unanimously by the Council. Finance Director, Jennifer Hallman, presented three budget amendments to the Council. One was the $1,000 donation (Shop with a Cop) to the Villa Rica Police Department. One was a CID replacement vehiSee CITY OF VILLA RICA page 23
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Page 22 December 12, 2021
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Pregnancy Resource Center is recipient of Standards for Excellence Institute’s Seal of Excellence from press release Pregnancy Resource Center is a recipient of the Standards for Excellence Institute’s Seal of Excellence for successfully completing their rigorous accreditation program. Pregnancy Resource Center voluntarily opened itself up to analysis by a “jury of its peers.” The peer review team examined Pregnancy Resource Center for compliance with the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector, in areas including Mission, Strategy and Evaluation; Leadership: Board, Staff, and Volunteers; Legal Compliance and Ethics; Finance and Operations; Resource Development; and Public Awareness, Engagement, and Advocacy. The Standards for Excellence Institute evaluates fundamental values such as honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability, all of which are inherently important in the nonprofit world. Pregnancy Resource Center’s programs and services, management, fundraising and financial practices were subjected to in-depth examination. Karmen Stamps, Executive Director of Pregnancy Resource Center said, “This process toward accreditation has been a labor of love for PRC. One of our core values is to remain above reproach. Our leadership four years ago felt this was a great path to journey down to stay above reproach in the eyes of all of our stakeholders-clients, donors, board, staff, volunteers, and community leaders. Anyone wanting to be served by this organization or to help serve, can do so with a peace of mind knowing that PRC is operating under the highest standards possible for a non-profit. PRC is a great organization to be involved in and having this seal further proves that point.” “Working towards accreditation has provided PRC the opportunity to analyze and gauge every operational aspect of PRC against the highest level of excellence. Achieving accreditation helps those who work with, donate to, and receive services from the PRC know this is a center that is detail oriented in every aspect of its operation, providing the very best services in accordance with the established benchmarks of excellence” says Ingrid Williamson, Chair of the Board. The Standards for Excellence Institute is committed to raising
A celebration ceremony was held for Pregnancy Resource Center and their board members on November 30, 2021 at their Carrollton location. the level of principled and responsible practices within the nonprofit sector. The Institute offers a model for organizations to implement in their operating plans so they can gain a deeper understanding of their effectiveness, improve their decisionmaking and minimize risks. Nonprofits that adhere to the principles and practices of strong nonprofit management and governance can become formally accredited under the Standards for Excellence® program. A recent university study of 102 nonprofit organizations that have received the Standards for Excellence accreditation compared with peer organizations of similar size and industry examined the impact of becoming accredited. Significant findings found that the process is associated with an increase direct public support. Researchers found that nonprofit organizations’ stakeholders will react positively to organizations earning the Standards for
Oak Mountain Academy student/athlete earns gold and more at Central American Gymnastics Championship special to StarNews by Katie Kilgore Oak Mountain Academy, admissions /marketing Oak Mountain Academy sophomore Carlos Peralta Rolka, recently competed in The Central American Gymnastics Championship in San Salvador, El Salvador representing the country of Nicaragua. Rolka won several medals: Oro (gold) in Pommel Horse and Parallel Bars, Plata (silver) in High Bar and Vault, and Bronce (bronze) in Rings and in the AllAround competition. This was Rolka’s first international competition. (Usually, this competition serves as a qualifying meet for the Junior Pan American Games, however due to the pandemic and his age, he did not qualify.) How does a fifteen-year-old juggle the academic demands required from being an Oak
Mountain Academy student while also training for such events as the Central American Gymnastics Championship? Carlos stated, “My teachers are flexible with my assignments and adjust according to my training and competition schedule or I wouldn’t be able to compete at this level.” Rolka currently spends about 24 hours each week in the gym with his trainer, Felippe Mendonça and teammates at Roswell Gymnastics, a long drive his parents gladly do for him. Carlos stated, “I generally sleep during the drive so that I can rest after my training workout and then I stay up late into the evening to complete my schoolwork – sometimes until two or three-o’clock in the morning.” Patrick Yuran, OMA Head of School, stated, “Carlos is an extremely talented individual both in the classroom and the athletic arena. He is disciplined, determined, and dedicated to overall excellence. It is an honor to count him among our OMA family of faith and scholarship.” When asked what his next goal would be next after such success at the Central American Gymnastics Championship, Carlos said, “I want to work towards qualifying for U.S. Junior Shown above left is OMA sophomore Carlos Peralta Rolka the National Team when I with his coach Felippe Mendonça. See OMA page 23
Excellence accreditation by allocating more resources to the nonprofit. The Standards for Excellence program provides a structured approach to improved operations and quality management, delivering years of benchmarking and best practices to organizations’ leadership, and a “Good Housekeeping”-type seal of approval to outside stakeholders, indicating that the organization is performing as promised after comprehensive evaluation by practitioners and industry experts. Pregnancy Resource Center is a 501(c)(3), charitable nonprofit that serves Carroll, Haralson, and Heard Counties by providing free medical services by trained professionals. The mission of Carroll Sav-A-Life, Inc./Pregnancy Resource Center is “to serve those facing unintended pregnancies in the West Georgia area by providing compassionate medical services, evidenced-based resources, and education that encourages healthy life skills.” pregnancyrc.com
Carroll EMC
www.starnewsgaonline.com BROADBAND from front page Carroll, Haralson, and Heard counties. Construction is starting now, with initial customer activations slated to begin in the second quarter of 2022. Residential internet will be initially offered at metro-level speeds of 150 Mbps, 350 Mbps, and 1 Gbps. As internet capacity CITY OF VILLA RICA from page 21 cle proceeds of insurance claim, last was approval to pay a one-time $1,000 pay supplement to full-time certified public safety officers. All three of these budget amendments were approved unanimously by council. The remaining business of the meeting was approval of the consent agenda items from the work session, consisting of several items regarding human resources, such as a Great Place to Work employee survey, a new Wellness Program through Tanner Healthcare, the 2022 health insurance premiums, and 2022 employee holidays. Consent agenda item #1 was to instruct the City Attorney to develop an ordinance change to allow PTVs (personal terrain vehicles) to travel city streets posted with up to 35 m.p.h. speed limits, which two citizens expressed opposition to during the Public Hearing. Other items included IT department requests which would give greater protection against breaches of security and replace antiquated systems, purchase of LED bulbs and fixtures for all city facilities, and a request for approval of Premier Outdoor Movies to display at the VPlex. Police Chief Mansour presented a request for the purchase of six new 2022 Police Pursuit Vehicles and all the related items needed to equip them, such as radios, in-car cameras and body-cams, etc. A request was also made for the purchase of a 2022 Ford Escape for use by the Criminal Investigation Division. Under “utilities” several already-budgeted equipment purchases were requested for the North Plant, the West Water Reclamation Facility, and a Hydra-Stop Valve Inspection with Insertion Valves that can be inserted without stopping the water flow. Permission was also requested to purchase water from the Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority for 30 days at a cost not to exceed $45,000, for the purpose of water system testing. All items on the consent agenda were approved unanimously by the council. City Manager Barber reported that a number of projects are still on-going, and that residential development requests are coming in almost every day. He also mentioned the community program that is trying to organize help for the homeless population in woods and around the city, and encouraged everyone to go to these meetings which are discussing mental health, crisis intervention, and other ways to deal with the homeless besides putting them in jail. Mr. Barber stated that the isolated efforts of various churches, food banks, etc. need to somehow coordinate with each other on a database that keeps track of what people have received and how often. Councilmember Leslie McPherson commented that many homeless people are broken at a much deeper level than being homeless, that some don’t even want a home, and their issues are much more difficult and complicated to deal with. It is a problem all cities are trying to figure out how to handle. On a good note, City Manager TomBarber reported that Pine Mountain Gold Museum’s Ghost Train rides had the “best season ever” with season revenues approaching $50,000. With there being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
demand grows, the fiber network will scale to meet the need. “Establishing this fiber infrastructure is perhaps the single most important step to ensure our community can grow and thrive in decades to come,” said Kyle Williamson CEO of SyncGlobal. “Crossbeam internet service will be lifechanging for many in the area who have little or no access to the internet.” SyncGlobal Telecom, headquartered in Bremen, GA, is a registered phone company and internet service provider serving businessclass customers since 2001. Across its fiber network, SyncGlobal provides high-speed internet, voice service, Ethernet transport, colocation, and managed cloud services. Key vertical markets include education, healthcare, and local government.
OMA from page 22 turn 16 this summer and then towards the U.S. National Team after that.” Coach Felippe Mendonça was asked about a possible future for Carlos in the sport of gymnastics. The coach said, “Gymnastics is a long , hard road and difficult to predict. However, if he continues in this path, I can say with confidence, that his career will be very bright and he will get to the highest competition available to the junior program, and, hopefully, senior program.” Coach Felippe also shared what he considers a special trait of Carlos making his coaching experience more enjoyable, “Carlos has a stubborn personality, which stands out to me. Stubbornness is a great thing in gymnastics when it is directed and guided. As a coach, I like to ‘use’ the stubbornness to learn a new
StarNews December 12, 2021
Page 23
skill and/or perfect an old one, which creates a never give-up kind of style in the end.” OMA Athletic Director, Steve Gillispie commented, “We are extremely proud of Carlos and his accomplishments! He is an elite athlete in his sport and is achieving great successes on an international level. He presents himself with character and class.” Rolka has been a student at Oak Mountain Academy since 2019, transferring early in his 8th grade year. Carlos and his family, Dr. J. Salvador Peralta and Christine Rolka, older sister, Ana, and younger brother, Alex, reside in Carrollton. Carlos’ parents stated, “We are proud of Carlos’ hard work and dedication to school and the sport he loves so much.” Carlos and Alex both currently attend Oak Mountain Academy and Ana graduated from OMA with the class of 2021.
SOUTHWIRE
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COMMENTARY
The warmth of a fire - in your heart
Nearly all of us have probably and comfort and guidance, in this cold experienced a time when the weather world. was cold - and we stood around a fire, Your family - are you there for SUSAN M. HORN crackling and giving out that unique, them? Can they depend on you for the welcoming glow and warmth. It EDITOR/PUBLISHER warmth and comfort and guidance draws us in, we want to get as close they need? Do you readily give of ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: GRAPHICS DESIGNER: DISTRICT 5 as we can, warming ourselves from yourself, your time, your efforts, your WAYNE REYNOLDS SHERRY REYNOLDS Carroll County the cold outside. The fire’s heat and desires. . . to help them fulfill theirs? COMMISSIONER REPORTERS: JANICE DANIEL WAYNE REYNOLDS light, it just eradicates the cold and Do you regard their happiness above Our goal is to produce a quality newspaper, locally oriented and designed with the readers’ the dark that surrounds us - and we ereynolds@carrollcountyga.com your own? Are you selfish or selfless? interest in mind. Letters to the editor are welcomed and should include a signature, could stay huddled around it, pro- 770-851-6215 Do you focus on getting or giving? address/email addrees, phone number. Liability for an error will not exceed the cost of the space occupied by the error. We welcome reader input, ideas and criticisms. Your right to No - I’m not trying to persuade you Is your effort expended on getting tected and comforted from the read this newspaper is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. to give more money to charities or get what you want - before someone else elements. Published monthly. Periodical postage paid permit #16154 Carrollton GA. As we think of this holiday season, your name in the paper for all to see gets it? Or is it on ensuring that someDelivery mail/carrier $20 per year. $30 out of county. Send address changes: P.O. I ask myself these questions, so will how generous you are with donations, one else gets what they want - and Box 680, Carrollton, GA 30112. lay them out as points to ponder: I or promote taxing people to provide you’ll be the happiest if that happens? P.O. Box 680 Carrollton, GA 30112 suehorn.starnews@gmail.com © 2021 Palindrome Enterprises wonder if our heart is like the little more handouts! Instead, the point is What truly brings you joy? Do you cell: 770-301-1275 dba StarNews / StarNews Online campfire? Does it dispel the darkness much more basic and fundamental. try to get ahead of everyone else A future for newspapers as we look straight into 2022: and provide warmth from the cold It’s simply about what’s inside you when the light turns green - or do you me at the core, and what ema- allow someone else to get the better “Yellow Journalism” versus “White Paper Journalism” surroundings? Or, is there no differ- and ence in the temperature and reflection nates or flows from our heart to spot - and find joy in it? Or, what the heck happened over the last 130 years? of our heart from the cold environ- others. I ask myself these questions. and This past November 17th, I opened ment that surrounds us? If you blend Others who are right there with not only in the holiday season. I often my regular Editor & Publisher email in with the darkness and the cold you, who depend on you - not others think of the verse in James 1:27, (enews@editorandpublisher.com) to that’s out there, how can someone who are miles or nations away, but which says, “Pure and undefiled religread a top headline that made my head come to you and be warmed and first - those right there with you, who ion before God and the Father is this: immediately cock to one side as I said brightened by your heart? need to depend on you for warmth See ERNIE REYNOLDS page 28 out loud to absolutely no one around: ‘uh. . . what?’ The headline read: “White paper offers revenue ideas for The rise of China is the most foris already thought to have eclipsed the publishers: 50 Ways to Make Media midable challenge that American forEDITOR/ U.S. According to Pew Research PUBLISHER Pay”. I misread that as a white eign policy faces. With its population Center surveys from 2019, Europeans newspaper, as in white-owned, as E&P often publishes stories on black- of nearly 1.5 billion people and its and Australians were more likely to owned newspapers and their unique struggles. Well, I GTSed “white paper” rapid growth, China has transformed view China than the U.S. as the (googled that s...) and learned what so many of you readers already knew: itself into an economic and political PROFESSOR world’s leading economic power. In Definition of white paper: A white paper is an in-depth report or guide powerhouse. We face other chalIndiana University South Korea, Japan and India, majoriabout a specific topic and the problems that surround it. It is meant to lenges, of course. Among them, terCenter on ties saw the United States as more educate readers and help them to understand and solve an issue. The goal rorism, a turbulent Middle East, a Representative powerful. Government of a white paper is to inform and persuade based on facts, not to tell nuclear-armed unpredictable North But China’s poor record on stanpeople why your product is the best and why they need to buy it now. Korea, climate change, and in rela- approach advocated by the U.S. and dards of behavior handicaps its global So, my mind began to ponder on this thought that there are SOME papers tionships with many friends and our allies. leadership. Its aggressive actions in out there that have the “goal is to inform and persuade based on facts”. My adversaries around the globe. But, The United States has been the the South China Sea worry its neighmind then began to wander (for every up quark there is a down quark, and China has emerged as a unique, world’s leading nation largely bors. It has stifled dissent, doubled for every charmed quark there is a strange quark) that there are papers out strong, and sometimes hostile because of the strength of our econ- down on its control of Hong Kong there that do NOT have the goal to inform based on facts. Newspapers, that competitor. omy. We still have the largest GDP, at and cracked down on media. Its treatdo NOT have the goal to inform based on facts. Then my mind wandered In a relatively short time, China has over $20 trillion. China the second, ment of the Uighur minority led U.S. deeper toward those scary thoughts about today’s cable television news and built world-class cities, become a far ahead of Germany, Japan and the officials to accuse it of genocide. internet news that do NOT have the goal to inform based on facts. global leader in technology and lifted United Kingdom. Some observers China’s lack of transparency and Yellow journalism is a term first used in the 1890s coined by Erwin hundreds of millions out of poverty. think China’s economy will surpass accountability and its propensity for Wardman, editor of the New York Press to describe his competitors. This Its autocratic, centralized model for America’s by the middle of this currency manipulation make it probwas a writing style in which reporters were allowed/encouraged/paid to governing and the economy sharply century. lematic for businesses. According to write in the New York World newspaper owned by Joseph Pulitzer and the contrasts to the open, democratic In some parts of the world, China See LEE HAMILTON page 28 New York Journal owned by William Randolph Hearst. Wikpedia summarizes this writing/ reporting style: “use of scare headlines in huge print, often of minor news; lavish use of pictures; use of faked interviews; misleading headlines, pseudoscience; a parade of false Google just suffered a major defeat worth the cost -- and have won big. In learning from so-called experts; emphasis on full-color Sunday supplements in its legal battle with Sonos. A judge three cases this past year, juries [think of today’s cable news’ Sunday mornings back-to-back ‘news ruled that Google infringed on five of awarded small firms more than $1 programs’]; and dramatic sympathy with the ‘underdog’ against the Sonos’ audio patents. If the ruling is billion. system”. Erwin Wardman looked around at the newspapers that were upheld, Google could pay hundreds In August, Apple was ordered to experiencing great rises in circulation (while his newspaper was not), of millions and face a ban on importpay PanOptis $300 million over 4G recognized clearly why, and called them out on it. Sensationalism, ing everything from Pixel smarttechnology infringement. Last year, a exaggerated news, and scandal mongering sell. It’s always the sizzle, not the phones to Nest speakers. PRESIDENT court ordered the company to pay $1 steak. Today, it also oozes out in the forms of clickbait, fake news, and Institute for Liberty billion to VirnetX, a VPN patent This isn’t a trivial development. It’s tabloid news. So, yellow journalists then were identified as separate from the latest in a string of lawsuits Andrew.Langer holder. Last October, a federal court “real” journalists. They were called out for their unprofessionalism and intended to stop Big Tech from pilfer- @instituteforliberty.org ordered Cisco to pay nearly $2 billion publicly shamed (who were very happily collecting their paychecks from ing from smaller companies. In recent For a long time, giant technology to Centripetal Networks, a cybersecuthe execeedingly wealthy publishers named Pulitzer and Hearst). years, Big Tech firms have increas- firms like Apple figured they could rity firm. Fast forward 130 years. Yellow journalism is now the norm. Newspapers ingly infringed on smaller rivals’ IP theft has the potential to put a that write based on facts are not. America went from having the average IP. Those smaller firms have Google just suffered a major defeat dent into Big Tech’s bottom lines. citizen able to identify newspaper manipulation, to today, when most started fighting back. Now, the in its legal battle with Sonos. . . This Cisco’s payout cost it 4% of its Americans do not have a clue they are being blatantly used and their belief largest tech companies could face isn’t a trivial development. It’s the annual revenue. Apple recently systems cruelly and successfully twisted (depression is on such a rise). Big tens of billions in damages. latest in a string of lawsuits intended threatened to pull out of the media, big tech, and big government are viscious and evil, and are to blame. If Big Tech executives conUnited Kingdom entirely rather to stop Big Tech from pilfering Like a professional white paper, today’s newspaper needs to return to tinue, their firms could suffer than face a $7 billion patentfrom smaller companies. presenting only facts that allow readers to reach true and educated decisions irreparable financial and reputainfringement fee in British courts. about their community and government. Yellow Journalism needs to go the tional damage. Stealing rivals’ IP is freely prey on smaller competitors, Even if big firms can weather the way of one of those tv house total makeovers and become what I am no longer merely unethical -- it’s a who wouldn’t have the financial fire- financial penalties, the reputational coining today as “White Paper Journalism” - which is insulting as it is what business decision so disastrously power to fight back. That’s no longer damage is considerable. Congreswe in the newspaper industry are supposed to be doing already. Shame to short-sighted that it constitutes a the case. sional committees regularly haul those who are not. Looking straight into 2022, I am not hopeful. Small firms have decided suing is See ANDREW LANGER page 28 breach of duties to shareholders.
ERNIE
“Not just what happened, but what matters”
REYNOLDS
SUE
HORN
U.S. - China relationship is a tremendous challenge
LEE
HAMILTON
Is Big Tech bad at business?
ANDREW
LANGER
Page 26 December 12, 2021
StarNews
COMMENTARY
www.starnewsgaonline.com
Our governor risks defeat by ignoring his campaign promises on illegal immigration
D.A. KING
PRESIDENT The Dustin Inman Society
404-316-6712 2615 George Busbee Parkway Suite 11 - Box 333 Kennesaw, GA 30144-1981 DA@TheDustinInmanSociety.org
That Governor Brian Kemp has a reelection challenge is not news. The fact that much of it concerns Georgia’s illegal immigration crisis and Kemp’s broken promises on that topic is not likely to be in “the news.” As noted by the liberal Atlanta Journal Constitution at the time, Kemp’s first TV ad in the 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary cited Americans who had been killed by illegal aliens and portrayed him as “tough on illegal immigration.” During that summer, Kemp went on to pledge to end sanctuary policies in Georgia and to create a registry of criminal aliens. Many observers, including this one, attribute
then-President Trump’s final decision to anniversary of sixteen year-old Dustin Inman’s endorse Kemp in the primary to his pro- death by illegal immigration. Dustin was killed enforcement claims on illegal immigration. when an illegal alien plowed into the back of “As governor, conserthe Inman family car vative businessman Brian A note to Republicans: Gov. Kemp stopped at red light in Kemp will create a com- has created a situation in which you Ellijay. The working prehensive database to have a much better chance of class American famtrack criminal aliens in convincing him to honor his limited ily was on their way Georgia. He will also 2018 campaign promises on illegal to the north Georgia update Georgia law to Mountains for a streamline deportations immigration than seeing angry and much-anticipated from our jails and pris- alert pro-enforcement independents Father’s Day weekons” went the detailed voting for him if he doesn’t. end of camping, fishpromise Kemp made on ing and fun. his 2018 campaign website. Never mind that The force of the horrible crash put Billy and governors have no authority to deport anyone. Kathy in lengthy comas. When they woke up, One can only imagine the howls of outrage they were informed their only child was gone in the liberal medai if Kemp had pledged to forever. And because of the brain and spinal push legislation to give illegal aliens instate tui- injuries to Kathy inflicted in the crash, she tion and then silently betrayed that promise. would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Perhaps the Kemp TV ad from 2018 that Then came news the illegal alien who best illustrates his apparent contempt for GOP caused this horror-show nightmare had escaped voter’s intelligence and memory was the now local police custody and was likely back in his famous TV hit in which he told us “I got a big native Mexico - and that he had been released truck in case I need to round up criminal ille- after contact with local law enforcement multigals and take ‘em home myself. Yep, I just said ple times before killing Dustin. that.” The Inman family was destroyed because an In total, we refer to Kemp’s empty promises illegal alien was allowed to cross our border, on illegal immigration in Georgia as “the Big given a job, and repeatedly sent on his way by Truck Trick.” American law enforcement. This fading year marked the twenty-first Billy passed in 2019 and Kathy this year.
Both were in their mid-fifties. Reflecting the outrage and sentiment of many conservative independent voters, retired federal immigration agent and pro-enforcement conservative Robert Trent has distributed an open letter expressing his own anger at Kemp’s “Big Truck Trick.” From the Georgia coast, Trent, former ‘number two’ at Brunswick’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), says he may not vote for Kemp in 2022. He is not alone. Gov. Kemp won the 2018 General Election with a thin margin of 54,723 votes out of 3,939,328 cast. After such adamant and clear pro-enforcement campaign promises, what must the level of arrogance and commitment to the special interest groups that oppose immigration enforcement be to risk a loss to the Democrats in 2022 by ignoring those promises and the safety of trusting Georgians? A note to Republicans: Gov. Kemp has created a situation in which you have a much better chance of convincing him to honor his limited 2018 campaign promises on illegal immigration than seeing angry and alert proenforcement independents voting for him if he doesn’t. D.A. King is president Dustin Inman Society and proprietor of ImmigrationPolitics GA.com. He is not a member of any political party
What would the Chattahoochee River say about the mining operation proposed for her shore?
SYBIL
ROSEN THOMAS
River Rambles syllabil@aol.com Here’s a Christmas gift for the river that goes in your stocking, too. A cause for celebration - and a cautionary tale (I suppose all the best gifts have a touch of irony in them). When I began to write these River Rambles close to two years ago, I didn’t know where they would lead. Across the months ,certain themes have echoed: questions about the legal rights of rivers and the ways in which we can give the Chattahoochee her voice. What would she say, for instance, about the mining operation proposed for her Carroll County shore? In a sense, the river’s legal rights and her
voice are one and the same thing, though we don’t often get a chance to see, through the unfolding of real events, how these two braid together, much as the meandering waters of Snake Creek are woven into the swift Chattahoochee current. This Christmas story, Ramble Readers, is about a federal judge who gave our river her voice by protecting her legal right to flow. It is a tale of three administrations and one rock quarry. Our story begins during the Obama years when the Clean Water Rule expanded environmental protections to nearly 60% of the nation’s watersheds, including the Chattahoochee and her confluence with the Flint and Appalachicola Rivers. The Trump administration rolled back many of these protections, a change in policy said to affect hundreds of thousands of creeks, marshes and wetlands, the watery webs that feed into our riversheds. Known as the Dirty Water Rule, the Trump policy scaled back the Clean Water Rule by
limiting the number of waterways that could be came down on the side of six federally-recogfederally regulated. It reduced clean water pro- nized Native American tribes who were suing the tections for states Fortified by these re-established Environmental like Georgia that Protection face severe drought. protections, the EPA can once again The rollbacks left demand that projects like Carroll County’s Agency (EPA) and the Army our water vulnerpotential rock quarry undergo stringent Corps of able to polluters seeking shoreline environmental review. . . Would the county Engineers for failure to protect developments - is be in this predicament if the river their tribal this beginning to protections offered by the Clean Water waters. sound familiar? Rule had been enforced at the time the (Side note Projects like the about the EPA: A potential rock permit to mine was originally sought? friend who quarry which today still threatens our county’s portion of the river. worked for the agency in the early 2000s told In the May 2020 StarNews, I wondered about me then that environmental protections had the demise of these protections in a River already been so de-regulated, there was “nothing left to protect.”) Ramble entitled, “Do Rivers Grieve?” Evidence in the recent Arizona case revealed Happily, good news awaits (to go in your stocking). This past August, Rosemary that the EPA ignored its own findings, eschewMarquez, a U.S. District Judge in Arizona, ing research which proved the healthy flow of tossed out the Dirty Water Rule. Her ruling See RIVER RAMBLES page 28
Help get the word out about the Medical Amnesty Law, and help save lives
JASON
SWINDLE SWINDLE LAW GROUP, P.C. Each year, I have at least two clients die from a drug overdose. Notifying a mother that her son is dead is an experience that I would not wish on anyone. When someone is having a drug overdose, others who witnesses it are frozen with fear. This reminds me of the scene in the film Pulp Fiction when the young person was overdosing and no one wanted to call 911. Fear prevented the call. This law takes away that fear and gives overdose victims a second chance at life.
Georgia loses more than 1,000 people each year to drug overdoses. The purpose of the new law is that it will help reduce these premature deaths and offer an opportunity for treatment to those struggling with addiction. In 2014, Georgia decided to address the issue of widespread overdoses. House Bill 965, Georgia 9-1-1 Medical Amnesty Law (MAL) was passed by overwhelming majorities in the state House and Senate and was signed by Governor Nathan Deal on April 24, 2014. The law went into effect immediately and provides that anyone seeking medical assistance for themselves or someone else for a drug overdose cannot be charged with a drug violation if the evidence of the drug violation results “solely from seeking such medical assistance.” More specifically, this law provides protection for people who call 911 and seek medical assistance for someone experiencing a
drug or alcohol-related overdose. The caller and the victim cannot be arrested, charged, or prosecuted for small amounts of drugs, alcohol, or drug paraphernalia if the evidence was obtained as a result of seeking medical assistance. The law also increases access to the opioid overdose “antidote” naloxone, also called Narcan. Narcan is an effective, non-addictive prescription medication that reverses opioid drug overdose. The timely administration of naloxone can reverse the effects of opiates such as heroin and opioids like hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone and others. Victims of opioid overdose who receive naloxone in time are less likely to die or suffer long-term brain or tissue damage. Under MAL, a unit dose of naloxone can be delivered either by the intranasal or intramuscular route using a specified applicator.
Phycisians may prescribe naloxone to a family member, friend, or other person in a position to assist someone at risk of opioid overdose, and to first responders, harm reduction organizations, and pain management clinics. The law further allows for a naloxone prescription to be issued to members of the public at large who are themselves at risk or who are in a position to assist a person at risk. Additionally, the bill establishes limited civil and criminal immunity for medical professionals who prescribe naloxone and laypeople who administer it to a person suspected of suffering from an opioid overdose. The bill also provides limited immunity from certain underage drinking offenses for minors who seek help in the event of an alcohol overdose. See MEDICAL AMNESTY page 28
COMMENTARY
www.starnewsgaonline.com
StarNews December 12, 2021
Page 27
Accepting God’s love for you
KELVIN KEITH
Millennials Christian Ministry (MCM)
kkeith@mcmempowered.org There has been a lot of media coverage concerning teenagers experiencing anxiety and depression. Many young girls find themselves spiraling into deep depression because of not measuring up to the body ‘standards’ they see on Facebook’s Instagram. In a revealing article written in the Wall Street Journal (September 15, 2021) “Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic For Teen Girls, It’s Research Shows”, the writers of this article go into great detail of Instagram’s negative influence on teen girls. They highlight one teenage girl who has to see a therapist for a eating disorder she developed. She clearly states that her eating disorder can be attributed to her time spent on
Instagram. This young girl joined the platform at 13 years. of age. She eventually came to the point of watching 3 hours a day entranced by the perfect bodies of the fitness influencers posted on the app. She said, “When I went on Instagram, all I saw were images of chiseled bodies, perfect abs and women doing 100 burpees in 10 minutes.” The wisdom of the Bible tells us that this is an unwise choice to make: comparing ourselves to other people for vain purposes. In II Cor. 10:12 (NLT), the scripture clearly says “…they are only comparing themselves with each other using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant.” As the meaning of this verse relates to this column, these young girls will never be satisfied with their effort to look flawless as the images they see on social media. They will try to the harm of their health, in many cases, to obtain that perfect physique for social acceptance. It is perfectly fine to stay in great shape by means of maintaining a healthy diet and exercising routinely. We see in the Bible IIIJohn I:2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” God does not have a problem with you
exercising and eating correctly to maintain good health. The problem comes when you compare your body to a person onInstagram, Tik Tok, or any other social platform, who, in your eyes, is perfect. We see once again in the Bible how this situation is pronounced, in II Kings 17:15 (KJV) it reads, “…and they followed vanity, and became vain…” In The Atlanta Journal-Constitution issue of (Sunday, October 3, 2021) the story-line is about cosmetic surgery. The title of the article is, “BrazilianButt Lifts” (BBL) with the subtitle being,”One of the most popular cosmetic surgeries,moving fat to the behind, can also be one of the deadliest.” The writer for this article interviewed a young lady concerning what was her ideal for a perfect body. She didn’t hesitate to say that the cartoon character Jessica Rabbit was her choice for a perfect body shape. She said, that she “loved the hourglass look, the small waist, the nice, beautiful hips.” A July 2017 report by the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation in Aesthetic Surgery Journal noted that one to two out of 6,000 BBLs resulted in death, the highest mortality rate for any cosmetic surgery. The November 16, 2021 issue of the Wall
Street Journal contains an interesting story of young boys struggling with eating disorders. The article entitled,”When Boys Fall Prey To Eating Disorders”. Writer Julie Jargon states that doctors are seeing a rise in boys experiencing eating disorders. Once again the medical community is observing a connection of eating disorders tied to boys watching social media platforms. Jargon goes on to say, “Doctors and university researchers say social media is a contributing factor in boys body issues. They experience body image comparisons on social media just as girls do.” Instagram was cited as the main platform for boys to start on this downward trend to eating disorders. Why not accept God’s Love for you as you are. God puts it this way in theBible, in Jer. 29:11 (KJV), “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” In other words, accept God’s unconditional acceptance and love for you and release the pressure of trying to fit into a conditional acceptance situation that does not have your best interest at heart. Be blessed.
say about how and where such a thing will happen. Size, and with some luck, Climate, will usher the beginning of a period of epic growth as Georgia takes her place in 21st century America. Atlanta “knows” this and is preparing. Otherwise, it could not fully capitalize on its next opportunity. This is a mixed blessing for us, down-river. Don’t forget what they did to the Chattahoochee in past expansions. In spite of the legal demands and her efforts to clean it up, Atlanta is paying fines and we should not eat the fish, still, some 50 years later. When Atlanta went through an earlier expansion, places like Gwinnett County became uncontrollably glutted with developers, so that when there came a time that residents needed and demanded Parks, those residents paid many millions for ball fields and such. There is some insight that we can get by a comparison of Gwinnett in 1980 with Gwinnett today. Also, we can compare the 1980-Gwinnett with 2020-Carroll. This is worthwhile to us because population stats show that Carroll today is comparable to Gwinnett in 1980. We can get an idea of how Carroll will grow under a similar “Atlanta expansion”. The counties are comparable in size and in population density, and their county seats are also comparable, in the same manner. In other words, Gwinnett in 1980 looked like Carroll in 2020, and the same goes for the county seats, Lawrenceville in 1980 and Carrollton in 2020. I’m reasoning that under similar forces of expansion we could expect Carroll’s growth to follow patterns similar to that of Gwinnett. Simply put, though the city of Lawrenceville’s population density rose, it was nothing compared to Gwinnett County’s rise in population density; maybe a difference by a factor of 5! In other words, under similar pressures, i.e. an expansion driven and largely dictated by real estate enterprises, under which the rural aspect of Gwinnett County got gobbled up by suburban life, Carroll County will see a similar pattern of growth. Over time, my impression is that after Gwinnett’s real estate chaos, her planners and administrators reacted well and wisely. But it has cost them. Today’s county budgets are
some 50 million dollars for Carroll, and about 30 times more for Gwinnett, about 1.5 billion. I am assuming that whatever the Parks and Recreation budgets, they scale in similar manner. I present all of this as Food for Thought. Now, let’s get into another piece of history and real estate development and planning. In that story, also, preserving Nature was never in the picture, but the planning and its execution were perfect... for them. NYC, where I grew up, is famous for the grid-like layout of its streets. That plan was drawn up soon after George Washington died. The city’s commissioners approved the plan by about 1810. (Back then NYC’s population was greater than that of Carrollton today, but not much greater.) That generation of Americans was made up of the children of the revolutionaries. They seem to have carried on in a very public-spirited way. Take De Witt Clinton and the Erie Canal. It connected the city of Buffalo, Gateway to the new mid-West, with the Hudson River, and therefore to NYC. The canal was such a huge and enriching success that the rapidly growing NYC was able to make good use of its rectangular grid streetdesign. Mr. Clinton had been mayor of NYC when the street design was first adopted. He was governor of New York State when digging of the Erie Canal was begun. Again, my impression is that NYC reacted very well to the results of the changes it had wanted. But, later, there was a tremendous expense in money, along with a total erasure of memory of what was actually lost to its version of Progress. Some 50 years after the Erie Canal, NYC’s continued explosive increase of population (20-fold, or more than a million people) caused the need for much of the rectangular grid to be devoted to a Green Space, which is called Central Park, a perfectly rectangular lawn with ponds. This time, the landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, grandson of a revolutionary, was the key player. Olmsted later came to Atlanta and designed Druid Hills, and that charming, memorable style of combining nature and urban living was carried on by his sons. The Olmsteds’ influence extends to Ansley Park, Morningside, Piedmont Park, and even the section of Ponce
de Leon as it goes by Emory and into Decatur. Margery and I had the pleasure of living, for several years, in the middle of one of the last virgin forests of Atlanta, when we lived near Emory, off Houston Mill Rd. For a while, after our move, we commuted from Whitesburg to Emory. Now, imagine the carriage ride from that old downtown Manhattan to that new Central Park. Today, it takes the same time to travel from Emory to Whitesburg! Whether we like it or not, Carroll’s location on the Chattahoochee, puts us all in charge of a good deal of very valuable and desirable real estate. Our county is changing and we are hardly aware. Consider that Carroll County is rated as the top cattle county in Georgia. But, of some 55,000 property tax bills that were sent out this year, only 81 were for parcels that are greater than 200 acres. Also, there has been a sudden rise in the number of large parcels that are to be subdivided; 140, so far this year. This last detail is apparently what has farmers in the Roopville area so upset these days. During the past months, our District 5 county commissioner has been quite vocal about this issue. On Black Dirt Road, our problem is that of a proposed rock quarry on the river. My perception is that economic interests seem to be trying the tactic of hair-splitting interpretations of our zoning codes, often contradicting the intentions of our Comprehensive Plan. For instance, in our neighborhood, such an issue started with an ambiguity in the wording of the code for “Agricultural” zoning. That case is in court. I believe that such issues are getting strong attention because some of our smaller communities are finding their voice. That development, in itself, may have profound effect in the life of this county. So, these two examples, Manhattan (NYC) and Gwinnett, are illustrations of what we do not want (in my opinion), even though the corrective measures and end-results were wellplanned, well-executed, and well-financed. Carroll County is richly endowed with natural features that will certainly get polluted, or buried and forgotten. NYC and Gwinnett had them. These features will be invaluable as the See BILL BOURIS page 28
Profit through policy and planning
BILL
BOURIS digi@mindspring.com On behalf of my neighbors of the Whitesburg area, we send Season’s Greetings to the readers of the Star News! Among the lower 48 states, Alabama has the least number of state parks, 22 of them, and New York has the most, 1416 of them. Of the lower 48, New York also has the largest state park, the Adirondack State Park, at 6 million acres. The total number of acres that Alabama has in its state park system is some 48,000. Proportionately, Carroll County with its local parks is far ahead of Alabama! In 1894 New York State amended its constitution and said that the Adirondacks would be forever wild. “Forever Wild” has become the working title for many non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. whose purpose is to restore and preserve acres in as natural a state as possible. Alabama has its “Forever Wild” offices in Montgomery. That organization, the Forever Wild Land Trust, the FWLT, is based on an amendment to Alabama’s constitution. Their motto is “Every Alabamian has the right to hunt”. One of FWLT’s projects is a walking trail in Dothan. In its second year of operation, the Dothan Eagle reported that almost 28,000 hikers had come to Dothan for the trail, and many were from across the line in Georgia. Also, there had been a $5 return in goods and services for every $1 invested. I think these considerations offer some interesting possibilities for Carroll’s future. Of the quadrants that surround Atlanta, ours, the south-west quadrant, is the last one that Atlanta and its myriad operations and interests can expand to. Something like a 6-lane I-385 might just cross our county. Even if we didn’t want it, I don’t think the county could prevent that from happening, but we can have lots to
Page 28 December 12, 2021
StarNews
www.starnewsgaonline.com As if through her actions the riversheds were declaring: We have an intrinsic right to clean living conditions; to freedom from assault; to a health, safety, and well-being that cannot be taken away for human profit. The replacement policies offered by the Biden Administration will protect clean drinking-water supplies for millions of Americans and countless other living beings who also need a voice. The current head of the revitalized EPA, Michael Regan, has stated that the new policies will ensure water quality without overburdening small farmers who use tributary waters for irrigation. The Judge’s ruling reflects her understanding
LEE HAMILTON from page 25 the Global Business Council, the U.S. remains the most attractive country for foreign direct investment while China is No. 12. Chinese leader Xi Jinping calls the shots, having amassed more personal power than any head of state in the country since Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s and, of course, Mao Zedong before that. Recently, the ruling Communist Party gave Xi full credit for China’s rise and set the stage for him to win a third five-year term as the country’s leader. How should the U.S. respond to China? First, we can’t neglect the home front. As Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass put it in the title of his book “Foreign Policy Begins at Home.” When we struggle to deal with our own problems, we weaken our position for world leadership. Moreover, we need to invest in the knowledge economy, including education from pre-K to graduate studies; fund technology and innovation; and strengthen the social safety net. The
of the interdependence between humans and stringent environmental review. It fills me with rivers. She recognizes the latters’ health as our a kind of glee to imagine the rigorous process own, since theirs are the waters we drink and needed to calculate the potential harm to play in, and from their eddies come the fish we watershed, wildlife and neighboring humans, long to eat again. Judge Marquez’s decision all co-existing within a rural setting. The slow sharpened the blueprint for taking care of our pace of testing and surveying, not to mention freshwater supply long-term. the mounting expense, would no doubt chip Nationally, its impact was immediately felt. away at any profiteer’s enthusiasm and In Georgia, a proposed titanim mine a few patience. miles from the edge of the Okefenokee Understanding that the propsed quarry’s National Wildlife Refuge was put on hold, legal issues focus largely on zoning - still, it pending federal approval. does make one wonder: Would the county be in (Here comes the cautionary tale.) Fortified this predicament if the river protections offered by these re-established protections, the EPA can by the Clean Water Rule had been enforced at once again demand that projects like Carroll the time the permit to mine was originally last and them first, getting more joy out of County’s potential rock quarry undergo sought? seeing them fulfilled than satisfying our own recognize the natural resources of our area as desires - wanting no recognition or payback, BILL BOURIS from page 27 just completely happy seeing them happy. 21st Century progresses toward its date with extremely valuable, if not irreplaceable, and so If such love can emanate from our individual environmental cataclysm. Whatever we can must be used accordingly. Such public statelives, it can give warmth and comfort and preserve will give us, along with our surround- ments make a basis in policy, which in turn guidance to each of our families. And our ings, health and wealth. And, the fewer of our gives the rest of us, especially our planners, a families can then know the warmth of selfless neighboring counties who do not see the wis- compass to be used in future actions. While there is time in which we can choose love to reflect to others - even miles or nations dom of this “savings and investment account” away. the more competitive Carroll County will be in to do so, why not get ahead of the Next Great “God is love and he who abides in love those Natural and those Economic markets. Development, and have some beneficial conabides in God, and God in Him. Love has been Years ago we had a Chairman who gambled on trol of our future? perfected among us in this: that we may have acquiring many “acres-in-nature” for the boldness in the day of judgement; because as County, based on his observation of what had MEDICAL AMNESTY from page 26 Pharmacists are also permitted to dispense He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear been happening in Gwinnett. That acquisition in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because is looking more and more to have been a wise Narcan under that prescription. The physician, pharmacist, and person administering naloxone fear involves torment.” (I John 4: 16-18). investment. I hope warmth, not fear, fills your heart - and But, today, I’m saying it can be the basis for are immune from civil, criminal, and I hope you and I both will grow in loving what an incredibly important safeguard. I am aware professional liability as long as they act in good God loves and as God loves. We’ll have a heart that budgets and taxes need to be considered, faith and in compliance with the applicable that’s different from our surroundings - because but I am insisting that our natural resources be standard of care. Perhaps most importantly, God’s love will warm our hearts - more than a a fundamental part of that picture. While we MAL expands access to Narcan by authorizing campfire in the cold! can still choose to do so, that aspect should trained first responders, including law never be ignored, since we have a good inven- enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel to administer the medication. recently approved infrastructure bill, which tory of natural features. Young people are dying in our community as We need a more thorough clarification of our provides funding to repair and improve roads, bridges and public transit and to expand broad- codes. But more importantly, we need a state- a result of drug overdoses. Please share this band internet, is an important, but not suffi- ments from our representatives and leaders that information so that more lives can be saved. cient, step. Also essential is maintaining a firm and straightforward relationship with China, one that puts American interests first. President Joe Biden spoke with Xi in September and met virtually with him this month. These high-level conversations are essential to managing the competition between the U.S. and China and preventing it from veering into conflict. This is the most consequential relationship in Merry Christmas and Happy New Year the world right now, and we’ve got to get it right. The U.S. and China have many common We offer: interests – addressing climate change, trade, preventing terrorism, reducing conflict. There Free Inspections, 24 Hour Emergency Tarp Service, Licensed and Insured, are many issues on which we disagree, someShingle Roof Install Storm Damage Repair, Historic Restoration times strongly. To avoid conflict and enhance the quality of life of our citizens, we need to work with China whenever we can and oppose it whenever we must.
ANDREW LANGER from page 25 executives into their chambers for hearings about anti-trust and privacy infractions. Consumers increasingly regard Facebook, Google, Apple, and Amazon with distaste. If politicians and customers learn these companies’ profits rest on persistent theft, their reputations will take a pounding. Big Tech executives have a duty to their shareholders. Executives who turn a blind eye - exposing their firms to immense legal and reputational risk -- will eventually find their morally questionable decisions reflected in share prices. Shareholders, rank and file employees, and other stakeholders should hold executives to account. It’s in the interest of investors to pressure Apple and others to settle cases and hash out licensing agreements. If Big Tech starts operating within the bounds of IP law, they’ll prime the entire sector
for success. Consumers and shareholders should want both small and large firms to thrive. Smaller firms develop software, applications, and hardware that often end up in consumer-facing products. But when the big guys bully the little guys, pillage their best ideas without paying, the little guys have no incentive to innovate. It’s time for Big Tech to stop patent theft. Andrew Langer is President of the Institute for Liberty (IFL) (since 2008) This piece was originally published in TechCrunch. IFL works on a variety of issues: promoting and protecting small business, linking trade and prosperity, tilting against the regulatory state. The organization’s core is to promote freedom and individual rights. Langer has testified before Congress many times. He was principal regulatory affairs lobbyist for the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s largest small business association.
RIVER RAMBLES from page 26 small waterways influences the well-being of the larger channels into which they braid. Judge Marquez wrote that the Dirty Water Rule contained “serious errors in policy replacing standards for dredging and filling waterways,” rollbacks she described as having “fundamental, substantive flaws.” Under the Dirty Water Rule, 76% of water bodies reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers did not qualify for federal protection. More than 300 projects did not require a permit. And that is how, in penning her decision, Judge Marquez became the voice of freshwater. ERNIE REYNOLDS from page 25 to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” You know what’s special about orphans and widows, and what is special when we benefit and help them in “their trouble”? They have lost and have less. When we benefit and give to them, it is an indication that we are okay giving to someone who cannot give back or benefit us! They have lost - and it is out of love, not out of expecting payback or recognition, that we give to them. It’s one thing to give to someone who can later favor us or benefit us or propel us, or to donate and get our name in the paper for how good we are, promoting ourself. But, pure love does not regard that nor want it. Pure love is selfless. Pure love simply gets joy from benefitting others - and so it gives, without thought of getting payback or recognition. I hope each of our families can greatly benefit by having us in them. I hope we selflessly take care of them - putting ourself
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Give yourself some ‘paychecks’ for retirement
FRED
O’NEAL FINANCIAL ADVISOR
During your working years, you’ve probably met the costs of living through your salary. But once you retire, where will the money come from? Is there a way to give yourself a “paycheck” for retirement?
There is indeed – but you’ll have to do a good job of managing your available income sources. Here are some moves that can help: Accept dividends and interest payments. Instead of automatically reinvesting all your dividends and interest payments into your portfolio – which is an excellent strategy for building wealth – you might want to begin receiving these payments as part of your income. Keep in mind, though, that companies can lower or discontinue dividends at any time. However, it’s also true that some companies have consistently
Carroll County marriage licenses
paid, and even increased, dividends over many years, and even decades. Choose an appropriate withdrawal rate. Once you’re retired, you’ll likely need to begin withdrawing from your investment accounts. But you’ll need to avoid taking out too much early in your retirement – you don’t want to risk outliving your portfolio. For many people in their mid-60s, a 4% annual withdrawal rate is a good starting point, but everyone’s situation is different, and your ideal rate will depend on several factors: your
NOVEMBER 1-30, 2021
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December 12, 2021 Page 29
age, the size of your portfolio, other sources of income, and so on. Once you turn 72, you’ll be required to take at least a minimum amount from your traditional IRA and 401(k), but you can choose to withdraw more, if necessary. Maximize your Social Security. You have significant control over the amounts you’ll receive from Social Security. You can begin taking these payments at age 62, but they will be much larger if you wait until your full retirement age, which will likely be between 66 and 67. (You will receive the maximum amount if you wait until you reach 70.) So, if you think you have enough income from other sources, you might decide to delay taking Social Security – but if you need the money, you may not be able to wait. And here’s something else to think about: If your spouse had considerably higher earnings than you did, you may be eligible for spousal benefits. Consider an annuity. You might want to consider purchasing an annuity that provides lifetime payments. Some annuities are even indexed for inflation, meaning payments will increase or decrease each year, keeping pace with the Consumer Price Index. Annuities are not suitable for everyone, though, so, before investing in one, you should consult with a financial professional who is familiar with your situation.* Finally, don’t rule out the possibility of earned income. Just because you’ve retired from your full-time job doesn’t mean you can’t work in some capacity, perhaps by doing some part-time work or consulting or even opening your own small business. Look at all these ideas when thinking about putting together an income plan for your retirement. You may find that your diligence will pay off.
Fred O’Neal, financial advisor, Edward Jones, 410 College Street, Carrollton, GA 770-832-2141
Carroll County pistol permits
Number of Weapons Carry Permits applied for: NOV. 1- 30, 2021: 294
Carroll County jail population
(The Jack T. Bell Detention Center, 1000 Newnan Road, Carrollton) Total population as of DECEMBER 1, 2021: 420 Males: 379 Females: 41
Carroll County prison population
Total population as of December 1, 2021: 243 Capacity: 246 Males: 100%
The Carroll County Correctional Institute is a separate entity from the Carroll County Jail (which houses males and females on a temporary basis)
Carroll County cattle receipts
Carroll County Sales Barn 225 Sales Barn Road, Carrollton November 29, 2021: 628 November 22, 2021: CLOSED November 15, 2021: 949 November 8, 2021: 878 November 1, 2021: 710
Carroll County births November 1- 30, 2021: Tanner Medical Center, Carrollton: Girls: 44 Boys: 56 Tanner Medical Center, Villa Rica:� Girls: 25 Boys: 29
Page 30 December 12, 2021
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Urn on the shelf
ELLEN & SCOTT
McBRAYER JONES-WYNN FUNERAL HOME As we find ourselves in the midst of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, many of us will be reminded that several of our loved ones will be dearly missed during these times especially. For many, the thought of visiting the loved ones at a cemetery or memorial ground will cause us to take a trip to the special location to visit the memories that we hold so dear. Still, in other instances, the holiday season may bring on some not so comforting realities that our loved ones are not in a final resting place, and the urgency to satisfy that creates a clear and present need. The most common situation where this circumstance would occur is regarding cremation and an urn. Families sometimes find themselves safely placing their loved ones on a shelf
in a closet until they can find or make time to take action and come up with a plan or resolution that is “best” for their world. In reality, the solution of an urn on a shelf is a short lived remedy and eventually creates a moment in the future that forces someone else in the family to take custody of the urn. A crossroad is essentially created there in that moment. Here are some potential questions that are created at this crossroad, along with possible solutions that could prove to be ultimately the most beneficial of decisions for your family. Q: Can I bury an urn? A: Yes…in fact you can bury an urn in its own grave space, or you may even potentially be able to use an existing grave space where a loved one is currently buried. We refer to this as a Second Right of Inurnment. Some cemeteries allow this, and it proves to be a very viable answer for families. Q: Can I keep some of the cremated remains and bury the rest? A: Again, the answer is yes, unless your religious affiliation discourages that action (i.e., Catholicism).
Carroll County Department of Public Health
Q: Can I have a graveside ceremony to honor my loved one’s life and give them a proper burial? A: Yes… you can have a service that suits your family’s needs, whether that means you want a large, full-blown tribute where you invite all the family and friends to the event, or whether you choose to keep the ceremony very simple and only invite a small, private group of family members and best friends. Remember, even though the service is designed to remember the loved one, its purpose is to provide healing to the living family and friends who are left behind. The mindset of what is considered to be healing can vary greatly, and that is perfectly fine. Grief looks a little bit different to everybody, but it needs to be approached in the healthiest way possible. Q: It’s been five years since my loved one passed away. Have I waited too long to bury the urn and have a small service? A: No, you haven’t waited too long at all. As a matter of fact, now is the absolute best possible time that you could have a service. Others in your family and friend circle need the “cl-
osure” and sense of togetherness that a service provides just as much as you do. So, be brave and take that step of courage that will lead to a healthy, dignified solution for your family. Q: Is burying the urn my only option when it comes to selecting a final resting place or location? A: No, it’s not the only option. Families can also choose from various above ground niche options that are found in a mausoleum or columbarium. Some mausoleums offer stone front niches (urn sized spaces in an above ground structure) along with glass front niches. The stone front niche features a bronze nameplate, while the glass front niche visibly displays one or more urns through a protective glass window. If your family is facing some of these challenges, we hope that you will find peace of mind and clarity on what’s best for your needs. Scott & Ellen Wynn McBrayer Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory www.jones-wynn.com Meadowbrook Memory Gardens www.MeadowbrookMemoryGardens.com
To view complete inspection details: dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health
restaurant health inspections scores
100 previous 100 11/08/2021: Oak Grove Montessori School 180 Oak Grove Rd Carrollton 100 previous 99 11/23/2021: Tanner Medical Center Food Truck 705 Dixie St Carrollton 100 previous 96 11/23/2021: West Georgia Nutrition 104 W Perennial Dr Temple 100 previous N/A 11/19/2021: Backyard Kitchen 130 Baker Industrial Ct Villa Rica 100 previous N/A 11/04/2021: Kristi’s Southern Eats 422 Newnan St Carrollton 99 previous 95 98 previous 98 11/15/2021: Captain D’s 203 Cooley Drive Villa Rica 11/09/2021: Jack’s Family 91 US Hwy 27 Bypass Bremen 97 previous 93 11/04/2021: Big J’s 40 Villa Rosa Road Temple 96 previous 100 11/16/2021: McDonald’s 1303 Maple Street Carrollton 96 previous 95 11/10/2021: Waffle House #1750 543 N Hwy 113 Temple 95 previous 99 11/19/2021: Bojangle’s 750 Hwy 61 Villa Rica 95 previous 93 11/09/2021: McDonald’s 2001 Alabama Avenue Bremen 94 previous 94 11/02/2021: Johnny’s New York Pizza 1670 Hwy 27 S Carrollton 94 previous N/A 11/15/2021: Hardee’s 161 Commerce Drive Villa Rica 93 previous 92 11/19/2021: Wrightway BBQ 1003 Alabam Avenue Bremen 92 previous 98 11/08/2021: Longhorn 1155 Bankhead Hwy Carrollton 92 previous 83 11/19/2021: Jerry’s Burgers 820 Dallas Hwy Villa Rica 89 previous 96 11/22/2021: Chipolte Mexican Grill 814 S Park St Carrolltob
Violations: Observed unlabeled chemical bottles. Corrected on-site. Walls, ceilings, and floors found with food debris stains and build-up. Front door has gap of light at bottom when fully closed. Replace weather strip. 11/15/2021: Irish Bred Pub 210 Adamson Square Carrollton
89 previous 90
Violations: Observed mold build-up on drink nozzles and on baffle at ice machine. Repeat violation. Grease build-up on equipment. Walls have dust build-up. Floor tiles have cracks in kitchen/low grout. Back door has gap of light when fully shut. 11/02/2021: Jerry’s Country Kitchen 328 Bankhead Hwy Carrollton 87 previous 96 Violations: Observed walk-in at 47F holding chicken at 43F, bacon at 34F, jalpeno at 43F, greens at 46F, pork at 50F, cheese at 46F. All foods held over a 4 hour period out of temp should be discarded. Heavy grease build-up on wall and outside of baking sheets. Floor stiles cracked in areas in kitchen. Ceiling vent return rusted with dust debris build-up. Clean and refinish. Repeat violation. 11/16/2021: Chopsticks Brothers 120 Cunningham Dr Carrollton 87 previous 91 Violations:Observed pans of raw chicken and raw beef stored above ready to eat
foods. Observed mold build-up in ice machine. 11/03/2021: Subway 231 Carrollton Street Temple
87 previous 91
Violations: Walk-in cooler compressor leak causing water to drip on boxes of spinach and prepped turkey containers. Corrected on-site. Front door of store has large gap at bottom allowing light to show throught. Replace wwather stripping to prevent entry of pests. Repeat violation.
tourist accomodation inspections scores 11/16/2021: Courtyard by Marriott 180 Barnes Ave Carrollton 99 previous 94 Violation: Ice machine has mold build-up on baffle on level 2 ice machine. Clean ice machines more often to prevent build-up. New violation. 11/18/2021: Quality Inn 1077 Alabama Ave Bremen 95 previous 94 Violation: Annual gas inspection expired. Have gas inspection performed ASAP 11/18/2021: Motel 6 35 Price Creek Road Bremen 93 previous 88 Violation: Trash accumulation on walksways, stairwells, and behind ice machine in guest laundry room. Repeat violation. 11/30/2021: Carroll Inn 1485 N Hwy 27 Carrollton 92 previous 91 Violations: Chipped bathroom tiles in room 105. Caulk around edges to avoid sharp pieces sticking out or replace tiling. Walls with stains in room 105 abd bathroom has yellow staining on ceiling. Furniture has some debris and scrapes. 11/18/2021: Hampton Inn 102 S Cottage Hill Road Carrollton 90 previous 89 Violations: Annual gas fired equipment inspection report could not be produced. have inspection ASAP. Repeat violation. Mold build-up in gaffle of first floor ice machine. Mattesses observed with stains. 11/12/2021: Super 8 Motel 881 S Park St Carrollton 89 previous 86 Violations: Pillows observed with stains and linens had some debris present. Clean. Do not re-use overly soiled mattresses and pillows. Some walls have patches but need repainting in laundry room. Baseboards need replacing in bathrooms where missing and there are gaps between walls and floor. 11/17/2021: Rodeway Inn 160 Centennial Rd Carrollton 74 previous 84 Violations: Observed live raoch and other bugs ants around door leading to outside in room 107. Have room serviced for pest control. Bathroom vents clogged with dust and mildew observed on ceiling. Grounds have trash everywhere that needs to be cleaned. Linens stained and covered with hair. Filter dirty and full in room 115. Drapes and curtains in room 115 are torn and stained.
Page 31Page December 12, 2021 S2019 tar NSews 16 August 11, 11, 2019 Star News www.starnewsgaonline.com News ews www.starnewsgaonline.com Ntar ews www.starnewsgaonline.com ar N www.starnewsgaonline.com Page 16 August tar Nwww.starnewsgaonline.com ews www.starnewsgaonline.com
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Our funeral home offers a warm, comfortable, familyCREMATION SERVICE & CREMATION SERVICE & CREMATION SERVICE && CREMATION SERVICE &oriented CREMATION SERVICE environment with Funeral Directors Undertakers Funeral Directors & Undertakers Funeral Directors & Undertakers Funeral Directors &&Undertakers Funeral Directors & Undertakers traditional architecture and tasteful interior decor. Our facilities accommodate all types of funerals and memorials large PERSONALIZED FUNERAL CREMATION SERVICES PERSONALIZED FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES Ga WEST PERSONALIZED FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES PERSONALIZED FUNERAL &&CREMATION SERVICES 1011 Topaz Lane VillaVilla RicaRica Ga Ga Villa PERSONALIZED FUNERAL & CREMATION WEST GEORGIA MEMORIAL aaGa and small, public orSERVICES private. WEST GEORGIA MEMORIAL 1011 Topaz Lane GEORGIA MEMORIAL LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED WEST GEORGIA MEMORIAL WEST GEORGIA MEMORIAL LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED Douglas Chapel VillaVilla LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED Rica Chapel Douglas Chapel LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED RicaRica Chapel Douglas Chapel Douglas Chapel Villa Rica Chapel Villa Rica Chapel Douglas Chapel Chapel 548 Newnan 206South South Carroll Road Villa Rica, Ga30180 30180 4194 Carrollton-Villa Rica Highway 206 206 SouthSouth Carroll RoadRoad VillaVilla Rica,Rica, Ga 30180 4194 Carrollton-Villa Rica Highway South Carroll Road VillaVilla Rica, GaGa 30180 41944194 Carrollton-Villa RicaRica Highway Carroll Road Rica, Carrollton-Villa Highway Carroll Ga GA 30180Street 4194 Carrollton-Villa Rica Highway 206206 P.O. Box 1321 Carrollton, Georgia Carrollton, 30117 770-942-2311 P.O.P.O. BoxBox 1321 Carrollton, Georgia 770-459-3694 770-942-2311 P.O. P.O. Box Box 1321 Carrollton, Georgia 1321 Carrollton, Georgia 770-459-3694 770-942-2311 770-942-2311 1321 Carrollton, Georgia 770-459-3694 770-942-2311 770-459-3694 770-459-3694 Phone: (770) 832-7056 770.836.1336 770.836.1336 770.836.1336 770.836.1336 www.jones-wynn.com 770.836.1336 www.jones-wynn.com www.jcollinsfuneralhome.com www.jones-wynn.com www.jcollinsfuneralhome.com www.jones-wynn.com www.westgeorgiamemorial.com www.jones-wynn.com www.jcollinsfuneralhome.com www.almonfuneralhome.com www.jcollinsfuneralhome.com www.westgeorgiamemorial.com www.westgeorgiamemorial.com www.westgeorgiamemorial.com www.westgeorgiamemorial.com www.jcollinsfuneralhome.com forcomplete complete obituary listings daily gofor to: www.starnewsgaonline.com complete obituary listings daily go go to:to: www.starnewsgaonline.com for complete obituary listings daily go to: www.starnewsgaonline.com for obituary listings daily go to: www.starnewsgaonline.com for complete obituary listings daily www.starnewsgaonline.com
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age 71, Tiffanee Tiffanee Dawne “Tiff” Cook, Master Danny Joe Jones, Jr., Master Jerry Scott Shedd, age 53, Shirley F. “Tiff” Alexander, ageage 71,71, Tiffanee Dawne “Tiff” Cook, Danny Joe Jones, Jr., 71, 71, Dawne Cook, Jerry Scott Shedd, age 53,53, age Tiffanee Dawne “Tiff” Cook, Master Danny JoeJoe Jones, Jr., Master Danny Jones, Jr., Shirley F. Alexander, Tiffanee Dawne “Tiff” Cook, Jerry Scott Shedd, age Jerry Scott Shedd, age 53, Master Danny Joe Jones, Jr.,53, Jerry Scott Shedd, Bernard “San” Hardin, age 70, born February 10, Martha “Elaine” Agan, age 79, born June 13, 1942, Ronnie William Raiden, age8, 71, born age May 10, 947, died age 45, born October 12, 1973, age 2 months, born May 16, 2019, died Monday, July 8, 2019 born November 27, 1947, died born October 12,16, 1973, ageage 2 Monday, months, born May 16, 2019, dieddied age age 45, 45, born October 12, 1973, died Monday, July 2019 47, born October 12, 1973, age 2age months, born May 16, 2019, age 2 45, months, born May 2019, born November 27, 1947, died age 45, born October 12, 1973,died July 8, 2019 died Monday, July 8, 2019 2 months, born May 16, 2019, died Monday, July 8, 2019 1951, died Friday, December 3, 2021 died Friday, July 12, 2019 died Tuesday, November 30, 2021 died Thursday, July 4, 2019 died Thursday, November 18, 2021 1950, David Ronald Simpson, age Sunday, July 14,2019 2019 died Friday, July 12, 2019 died Thursday, July 4, Simpson, 2019 dieddied Friday, July 12, 2019 David Ronald Simpson, ageage Friday, July 12, died Thursday, July 4,12, 2019 died Thursday, July 4, 2019 2019 Sunday, July 14, 2019 died Friday, July David Ronald age David Ronald age died Thursday, July 4,Simpson, 2019 David Ronald Simpson, age 62, James James B. Dean, age 92,62, “Ray” Harrison, age70, 85,“Marjorie” born November 13, “Marjorie” Nell Lovvorn, age 70, born July 21, 1948, died July Dwight Bishop, Jr., age James B.James Dean, age 92,age Tina Lynn Chambers, ageage 59,age of Jr., Bremen, born on“Marjorie” Floyd W. Rivers, age 85, born October 8, 1936, Nell Lovvorn, age 62, 62, B. Dean, 92, 70, born July 21, 1948, died July age James B. Dean, 92, “Marjorie” Nell Lovvorn, age Nell Lovvorn, Dwight Bishop, age 62, James B. Dean, age 92, born July 21, 1948, died July 70, born July 21, 1948, died July “Marjorie” Nell Lovvorn, age 70, born July 21, 1948, died Julydied 956, died born September 02, 1926, died 86, born August 3, 1932, died 09, 2019 born September 28, 1956, died born September 1926, died 1936, died Tuesday, November 30, 2021 86, born August 3, 3, 1932, died dieddied bornborn September 02, 1926, died 09, 2019 56, September 02, 1926, died 86, born August 3,02, 1932, died 86, born August 3, 1932, died born September 28, 1956, died born September 02, 1926, died November 23, 1962, died Thursday, November 25, 09, 2019 09, 2019 Thursday, November 4, 2021 86, born August 1932, died 09, 2019 Wednesday, July 3, 2019 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 Zellie Fred Sprewell, age 94, Tuesday, 9,2019 2019 Wednesday, July 3,10, 2019 Wednesday, July 10,Sprewell, 2019 Wednesday, JulyJuly 3,July 2019 Zellie Fred Sprewell, age 94, Wednesday, 3, Wednesday, July 10, 2019 Wednesday, July Tuesday, July 9, 2019 Wednesday, July 3, 2019 2019 Zellie Fred Sprewell, age 94, Eva “Lavern” Lynch McIntosh Holcombe, born Zellie Fred age 94, Wednesday, July 10, 2019 Zellie Fred Sprewell, age 2021 Anna M. Roberts, age 83, of Bremen, born on94, Bonner, Barry Barry Bushon Dickerson, age Andra Dixon McGill, age 76, born February 28,age 1925, died Donald Brasseal “Don” Bonner, Barry Bushon Dickerson, age Andra Dixon McGill, 76, nner, Bushon Dickerson, age born February 28, 1925, died ””Bonner, Barry Bushon Dickerson, age Andra Dixon McGill, age 76, Andra Dixon McGill, age 76, Donald Brasseal “Don” Bonner, Barry Bushon Dickerson, age born February 28, 1925, died born February 28, 1925, died Andra Dixon McGill, age 76, born February 28, 1925, died October 18, 19, 1933, died Wednesday, November July 17, 2021 Elizabeth Lowery Chapell, agedied 93, bornborn February 25, 1938, died Friday, November 26, 2021 943, died 68,Helen born September 7, 1950, October 1941, died Saturday, 27, 2019 age 76,76, born 05, 1943, died 68,October born September 7, 1950, died born October 18, 1941, died dieddied 68, born September 7,June 1950, died Saturday, July 27,27, 2019 943, 68, born September 7, 1950, died born 18, 1941, died born October 18, 1941, died age born June 05, 1943, died 68, born September 7, 1950, died Saturday, July 27, 2019 Saturday, July 27, 2019 born October 18, 1941, died Saturday, July 2019 Leoma Maxine Evans McClure, age 69, bornLance May 9, Walker,Martha 19 Friday, July 19,died 2019 February 27, 1928, Tuesday, November 30, Wednesday, 2021 Maggini Stenger Setter, age 87, born Wednesday, July 17, 2019 Daniel age 40, Wednesday, July 10,10, 2019 Friday, July 19, 2019 Wednesday, July 17,Walker, 2019 Friday, July 19, 2019 Daniel Lance Walker, ageage 40,40, 9 Friday, July 19, 2019 July 17, 2019 July 17, 2019 Wednesday, July 2019 Wednesday, Friday, July 19, 2019 Daniel Lance 40, Daniel Lance Walker, age 40, Wednesday, July 17, 2019 age Daniel Lance Walker, age 53, Bobbie Jean Dodderer, age 84, 1952, died Monday, November 22, 2021 Eugene Parker Mullis, Jr., age born September 18, 1978, died Homer Scott Craft, age 55, born February 4, 1966, John D. Brown, Jr., age 53, Bobbie Jean Dodderer, age 84, December 12th, 1933, died November 4th, 2021 Eugene Parker Mullis, Jr., age 53, 53, Bobbie Jean Dodderer, age 84, born September 18, 1978, died age Bobbie Jean Dodderer, age 84, Eugene Parker Mullis, Jr.,Jr., age Eugene Parker Mullis, age John D. Brown, Jr., age 53, Bobbie Jean Dodderer, age 84,born September 18, died born September 18,1978, 1978, died Eugene Parker Mullis, Jr., age born September 18, 1978, died died July born July 9, 1935, died Monday, 70, born December 31, 1948, died Sunday, July 21, 2019 born August 18, 1965, died July born July 9, 1935, died Monday, Mary Frances “Frankie” Morse, age 77,July born April 8,31, 70,70, born December 31, 1948, died JulyJuly bornborn July 9, 1935, died Monday, Sunday, July 21, 2019 died July 9, 1935, died Monday, died Thursday, November 25, 2021 Lynda Bishop Walton, age 74,2019 born November 19, 70, born December 31, 1948, died 70, born December 31, 1948, died born August 18, 1965, died July born July 9, 1935, died Monday, Sunday, 21, 2019 Sunday, July 21, 2019 born December 1948, died Sunday, July 21, July 22, 2019 Monday, July 8,died 2019 Deborah “Debbie” Ann West, 22,2019 2019 July 22, 2019 July 8,“Debbie” 2019 JulyJuly 22, 2019 Deborah “Debbie” Ann West, 22, 1944, Friday, November Monday, 26,Monday, 2021 Monday, July 8, 2019 July 8, 2019 22, 2019 July 22, 2019 Deborah West, Deborah Ann West, July 8,“Debbie” 2019 Ann Jane Ann Talbot Dillard, age 91, bornage May 16,Monday, 1930, Deborah “Debbie” Ann West, 1947, died Friday, December 3, 2021 ps Bryce, Anna Marsella Fazio, Randy Lee Nichols, age 66, age 58, died July 22, 2019 Marie Elizabeth Phillips Bryce, Anna Marsella Fazio, age Randy Lee Nichols, age 66, yce, Marsella Fazio, age age 58, died July 22, 2019 s Bryce, Anna Anna Marsella Fazio, age Randy LeeLee Nichols, age 66, Randy Nichols, age 66, Marie Elizabeth Phillips Bryce, Anna Marsella Fazio, age age 58, died July 22, 2019 age 58, died July 22, 2019 Randy Lee Nichols, age 66, age 58, died July 22, 2019 Arley Spoonemore, age 36, born died Tuesday, November 30, 2021 Ruth Bridges White, age 99, born August 5, 1922, 14, 1929, 85, born born on born Jan 1, 1934, 1934, died born June 24, 1953, died Friday, Wallace Allen Worthan, age ageage 89, September 14, 1929, 85, born Jan 1,died 1934, died born June 24,24, 1953, died Friday, 929, 85, 85, born on Jan 1, 1934, died Wallace Allen Worthan, ageage 14, 1929, on Jan 1, died born June 24,on 1953, Friday, born June 24, 1953, died Friday, 89, born September 14, 1929, 85, born on Jan 1, 1934, died Wallace Allen Worthan, age Wallace Allen Worthan, age born June 1953, died Friday, Wallace Allen Worthan, December 13, 1984, died November 12, 2021 2019 Monday, July 8, 2019 Grace Meredith Martin Edmiston, age 94, died died Wednesday, November 17, 2021 July 26, 2019 56, died Monday, July 15, 2019 died Saturday, July 20,20, 2019 Monday, July 8, 2019 July 26, 2019 Monday, July 8, 2019 56, died Monday, July 15, 2019 019 Monday, July 8, 2019 JulyJuly 26, 2019 26, 2019 died Saturday, July 2019 Monday, July 8, 2019 56, died Monday, July 15, 2019 56, died Monday, July 15, 201956, died Monday, July 15, 2019 July 26, 2019 age 80, Harris Harris Nell Griffin Jennings, JudiGriffin E. Petty,Jennings, age age 67, born April 1, Carol 1954, died Sunday, Ara Bell D. Sanders, 79, Judith Chapman, age 55, Saturday, November 27, 2021 Cecil Clyde Whittenburg, age 68, born August 13, Earl Wayne Carden, ageage 80,80, Harris Ara BellJudith D. Sanders, ageage 79, 80, 80, Nell Griffin Jennings, Carol Judith Chapman, age 55,55, age Harris Nell Griffin Jennings, AraAra Bell D.Nell Sanders, 79,79, Bell D. Sanders, age Earl Wayne Carden, Harris Nell Griffinage Jennings, Carol Chapman, age Carol Judith Chapman, age 55, Ara Bell D. Sanders, 79,55, Carol Judith Chapman, age 38, died age 83, died Tuesday, July 2, born August 06, 1939, died July born June 24, 1964, died Sunday, November 7, 2021 born October died age 83,83, died Tuesday, July 2, born August 06, 1939, died July Elizabeth Louise “Betty 29, Lou” Skidmore Griffith, age dieddied age age 83, died Tuesday, July 2, 2, born June 24, 1964, died Sunday, 38, 83, died Tuesday, July 1953, died Wednesday, November 17, 2021 born August 06, 1939, died July born August 06, 1939, died July born October 29,1938, 1938, died age died Tuesday, July 2,born June 24, 1964, died Sunday, born June 24, 1964, died Sunday, born August 06, 1939, died July born June 24, 1964, died Sunday, 2019 Friday, June 28, 2019 24, 2019 July 7, 2019 24, 2019 2019 Floreta Barrow Phillips, age 87, born December July 7, 2019 2019 24,24, 2019 2019 Friday, June 28, 2019 November 2019 July 7,2019 2019 July 7, 2019 26, 82, born May 24, 1939, died Tuesday, 2,2019 2021 24, July 7, 2019
1933, died Wednesday, December 1, 2021
StarNews
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APRIL 11, 2021 • VOLUME 27 NUMBER 4
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“In” on Adouble double dose offun?…..YES! fun?…..YES! Get A double dose of fun?…..YES! AThis double dose of fun?…..YES! Asummer dose of A double dose of fun?…..YES! Disney cruisers will enjoy not one, ThisThis summer Disney cruisers will enjoy not one, This summer Disney cruisers will enjoy not one, Thisbutsummer Disney cruisers will enjoy not one, summer Disney cruisers will enjoy not one, two stops at Castaway Cay! What makes but two stops at Castaway Cay! What makes but two stops at Castaway Cay! What makes but two stops at Castaway Cay! What makes but two stops at Castaway Cay! What makes Everything Castaway Cay so special? There are uniquely Castaway Cay Cay so special? There are are uniquely Cay soCay special? Thereadults, are uniquely Castaway so for special? There are uniquely Castaway so special? There uniquely rofessionalCastaway designed areas kids, and families! ***Magical Vacation Planner is afamilies! professional onal ofessional designed designed areas for kids, adults, and families! ***Magical Vacation Planner is a professional areas for kids, adults, and families! designed areas for kids, adults, and designed areas for kids, adults, and families! e ultimate Explore theconcierge island by bike,that choose a new water service provides the ultimate erate ultimate Explore Explore the island by bike, choose a new waterwater concierge service that provides the ultimate the island by bike, choose a new water Explore the island by bike, choose a new water LOCAL! Explore the island by bike, choose a new guests adventure, customer soak up service the sunexperience on a white sandy for sandy guests adventure, soaksoak up the on aonwhite sandy sguests adventure, soak soak up the a on white sandy adventure, upsun theon sun a white customer service experience for guests adventure, up sun the sun a white sandy Carroll County Mental Health Advocates ask the public to help be their “missing link”
by Janice Daniel The Carroll County Mental Health Advocates will be hosting their 2nd annual community event “Miles for Mental Health - Running Over the Hurdles Together” 5K and 1-mile Fun Run on Saturday, May 15th, 2021, at the Greenbelt at Hobbs Farm, 1147 Rome Street, Carrollton, Georgia. Registration begins at 2:00 pm, Fun Run begins at 3:00 pm, and 5K Run begins at 4:00 pm. Proceeds will benefit the Carroll County Mental Health Advocate programs. Additional information can be obtained at the Carroll County Mental Health Advocates office at 306A Bradley Street, Carrollton, Georgia 30117, phone 770830-2048. The story of the CCMHA is one of true commitment to their mission. In 2008, then Carroll County Probate Court Judge, Betty Cason (now Mayor of Carrollton) brought together a group of concerned citizens for a con-
WGTC announces new president
LOFCR: Local Option Face Covering Requirement Governor removes mask mandate, eliminates ban on large gatherings, reduces social distancing to 42 inches in some cases, moves mask wearing decision to the local levels
Dr. Julie Post will begin job April 16th Effective for time frame of April 1st through April 30th from press release eliminated (but “strongly encouraged” by the by Sue Horn Dr. Julie Post, Vice President of Student Affairs On Thursday, April 1, 2021, Governor Brian governor) and replaced with a Local Option Face at Gwinnett Technical College, has been selected Kemp signed three executive orders, of which Covering Requirement (LOFCR) giving a city, at the next president of West Georgia Technical one (temporarily) eliminates the year long CoVid county, or other government entity the authority College (WGTC), as announced by Technical large gatherings ban and any remaining to continue to impose the requirement of wearing College System of Georgia Commissioner Greg sheltering-in-place for the time period April 8th a mask “when not able to maintain Social Dozier. She will begin her duties at West Georgia though April 30th. And although the mask wear- Distancing from non-cohabitating persons”. Tech April 16, 2021. Pat Hannon has been interim ing requirement has been (temporarily) elimiSocial distancing has been reduced from 6 feet president of West Georgia Tech since Dr. Scott nated at the state level, it was moved to a local to 3.5 feet (42 inches) of separation between Rule retired as President December 31, 2020. level decision. Specifically, for the time period seating/parties at restaurants, bars, and movie See WGTC NEW PRESIDENT page 8 April 1-30, 2021, the mask mandate has been See LOCAL OPTION FACE COVERING page 5
A scant 0.039% of Carroll County voters SPLOST Referendum island participated beach, and soin much more! Everything
island beach, and so much more! Everything nations, various Disney destinations, islandisland beach, andtraveling so much more! Everything beach, and soto much more! Everything s, nations, island beach, and so much more! Everything traveling to various Disney destinations, by Sue Horn 85,888 you need for a perfect day at the beach is e resorts. you need for a cruise The March 16, 2021 Carroll you you need for afor perfect day at the beach is and all-inclusive perfect day theatand beach is resorts. you needeven for aanvacations, perfect the beach isresorts. ts. need a perfect resorts. County SPLOST (Special Purpose day at the beach is cruise vacations, all-inclusive included, all youatday can eat buffet lunch! www.starnewsgaonline.com Local Option Sales Tax) passed by included, eveneven anwithallanonly you can can eat buffet lunch! included, even even an allan youall buffet lunch!lunch! included, you can eat buffet an 81% margin included, all3,368 you eat3,368 buffet lunch! Contact mecan foreat your FREE, citizens participating. Of those, Contact me for your FREE, Contact me for your FREE, Contact me for your FREE, 0.039% VOTEDme for your FREE, Contact to SEND A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION no obligation quote no commission obligation quote County approves no obligation quotequote no obligation no obligation quote Number of Carroll County citizens voted in the Nov. 2020 Election
See
page 19
Number of Carroll County citizens who voted in the March 2021 SPLOST Referendum
send to: amendment increasing spending by Becky Gentry $191,433 to match extra revenue Becky Gentry Becky Gentry Becky Gentry Becky Gentry STARNEWS Travel Agent See FUNDRAISER page 7
Georgia Labor Department issued more in unemployment payments in last 12 months than prior 82 years
by Sue Horn At the 3:00 p.m. Thursday, April 1, 2021 Special Called Meeting of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, an amendment was passed 6-0 (one commissioner was
absent) to increase the budget by $191,433 to match increased revenues. Three categories received the bulk of the cash: $53,000 has been assigned to increased “salaries”; See $191,433 page 11
Travel Agent Travel Agent Travel Agent680 Carrollton, Ga 30112 Travel Agent P.O. BOX
404-291-1187 Name 404-291-1187 404-291-1187 404-291-1187 1911-2019: $20.024 Billion paid 404-291-1187 2020 alone: $20.218 Billion paid magicalvacationplanner.com Address b.gentry@magicalvacationplanner.com gicalvacationplanner.com magicalvacationplanner.com Life going forward, and out of the pandemic b.gentry@magicalvacationplanner.com Zip $10 Senior Citizen $20
CoVID-19 statistics for Georgia and Carroll County one year: March 23, 2020- April 5, 2021
from press release The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) recently surpassed a major milestone in the organization paying claimants more in the past 12 months than in all of the combined years that GDOL has been in existence. Georgians have received $20.218 billion in unemployment insurance (UI)
As pandemic restrictions have eased (3.5 feet now for some social distancing/mask use encouraged but not mandated), civic clubs are returning to more normal functioning, including the Carrollton Kiwanis Club who recently hosted Carroll County’s fire chief Tim Padgett. See story page 6. Photo by Sue Horn
GEORGIA CARROLL COUNTY As of APRIL 5, 2021: As of APRIL 5, 2021: 856,340 total confirmed cases 7,271 total confirmed cases 16,749 total deaths 129 total deaths Estimated state population: 10.6M Estimated county population: 122,000 Death total represents Death total represents 0.00158% of population 0.001% of population Source: Georgia Department of Public Health dph.georgia.gov/covid-19
See $20.218 BILLION page 27 DON’T MISS AN ISSUE! READ DIGITAL MONTHLY
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CARROLL COUNTY, GEORGIA’s ONLY LOCALLY OWNED / LOCALLY OPERATED NEWSPAPER
StarNews monthly traditional print publication / StarNews Online
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APRIL 11, 2021 • VOLUME 27 NUMBER 4
Carroll County Mental Health Advocates ask the public to help be their “missing link”
WGTC announces
daily local news
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LOFCR: Local Option Face Covering Requirement
new president www.starnewsgaonline.com Dr. Julie Post will begin job April 16th from press release Dr. Julie Post, Vice President of Student Affairs at Gwinnett Technical College, has been selected at the next president of West Georgia Technical College (WGTC), as announced by Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Greg Dozier. She will begin her duties at West Georgia Tech April 16, 2021. Pat Hannon has been interim president of West Georgia Tech since Dr. Scott Rule retired as President December 31, 2020. See WGTC NEW PRESIDENT page 8
Governor removes mask mandate, eliminates ban on large gatherings, reduces social distancing to 42 inches in some cases, moves mask wearing decision to the local levels Effective for time frame of April 1st through April 30th
to subscribe to StarNews, send $20 for FULL ONE YEAR subscription! ($10 for senior citizens) to:
by Janice Daniel The Carroll County Mental Health Advocates will be hosting their 2nd annual community event “Miles for Mental Health - Running Over the Hurdles Together” 5K and 1-mile Fun Run on Saturday, May 15th, 2021, at the Greenbelt at Hobbs Farm, 1147 Rome Street, Carrollton, Georgia. Registration begins at 2:00 pm, Fun Run begins at 3:00 pm, and 5K Run begins at 4:00 pm. Proceeds will benefit the Carroll County Mental Health Advocate programs. Additional information can be obtained at the Carroll County Mental Health Advocates office at 306A Bradley Street, Carrollton, Georgia 30117, phone 770830-2048. The story of the CCMHA is one of true commitment to their mission. In 2008, then Carroll County Probate Court Judge, Betty Cason (now Mayor of Carrollton) brought together a group of concerned citizens for a con-
eliminated (but “strongly encouraged” by the by Sue Horn On Thursday, April 1, 2021, Governor Brian governor) and replaced with a Local Option Face Kemp signed three executive orders, of which Covering Requirement (LOFCR) giving a city, one (temporarily) eliminates the year long CoVid county, or other government entity the authority large gatherings ban and any remaining to continue to impose the requirement of wearing sheltering-in-place for the time period April 8th a mask “when not able to maintain Social though April 30th. And although the mask wear- Distancing from non-cohabitating persons”. Social distancing has been reduced from 6 feet ing requirement has been (temporarily) eliminated at the state level, it was moved to a local to 3.5 feet (42 inches) of separation between level decision. Specifically, for the time period seating/parties at restaurants, bars, and movie April 1-30, 2021, the mask mandate has been See LOCAL OPTION FACE COVERING page 5
STARNEWSAparticipated scant 0.039% of Carroll County voters in SPLOST Referendum
P.O. BOX 680 Carrollton, Ga 30112
by Sue Horn The March 16, 2021 Carroll County SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) passed by an 81% margin with only 3,368 citizens participating. Of those,
Name Address
See 0.039% VOTED page 19
Georgia Labor Department issued more in unemployment payments in last 12 months than prior 82 years
by Sue Horn At the 3:00 p.m. Thursday, April 1, 2021 Special Called Meeting of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, an amendment was passed 6-0 (one commissioner was
Zip
from press release The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) recently surpassed a major milestone in the organization paying claimants more in the past 12 months than in all of the combined years that GDOL has been in existence. Georgians have received $20.218 billion in unemployment insurance (UI)
3,368
Number of Carroll County citizens who voted in the March 2021 SPLOST Referendum
County commission approves amendment increasing spending by $191,433 to match extra revenue
See FUNDRAISER page 7
1911-2019: $20.024 Billion paid 2020 alone: $20.218 Billion paid
85,888
Number of Carroll County citizens voted in the Nov. 2020 Election
$20
$10 Senior Citizen
Life going forward, and out of the pandemic As pandemic restrictions have eased (3.5 feet now for some social distancing/mask use encouraged but not mandated), civic clubs are returning to more normal functioning, including the Carrollton Kiwanis Club who recently hosted Carroll County’s fire chief Tim Padgett. See story page 6. Photo by Sue Horn
absent) to increase the budget by $191,433 to match increased revenues. Three categories received the bulk of the cash: $53,000 has been assigned to increased “salaries”; See $191,433 page 11
CoVID-19 statistics for Georgia and Carroll County one year: March 23, 2020- April 5, 2021 GEORGIA
As of APRIL 5, 2021: 856,340 total confirmed cases 16,749 total deaths Estimated state population: 10.6M
CARROLL COUNTY
As of APRIL 5, 2021: 7,271 total confirmed cases 129 total deaths Estimated county population: 122,000
Death total represents Death total represents 0.00158% of population 0.001% of population Source: Georgia Department of Public Health dph.georgia.gov/covid-19
Page 32 December 12, 2021
StarNews www.starnewsgaonline.com
Empty Stocking Fund Special Section
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StarNews www.starnewsgaonline.com
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CARROLLTON EMPTY STOCKING Supporting Needy Children in Carrollton Since 1946 Special Thank You To The Following…..
StarNews Hightower Family Funeral Homes Carroll Realty & Insurance Marsh & McLennan Agency John Thornton Cadillac ProSource Utility Contractors Hamilton Foundation Samantha Hernadez Craig George O2 Plus Annette Jones Rob Cason Adriana Rocha
Times-Georgian Security Solutions Barnes Store Carroll EMC Jill Duncan Deron & Deborah Brown Jim Ingram Ben Amoson Family Greg and Jan Walker Jennifer Ingham Alex Roush Steve Depaola Kristi Chastain
Everyone who purchased tickets for the cash raffle Hosted by: Carrollton Evening Sertoma Club
Page 38 December 12, 2021
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COMMISSION from front page (hand vote) at the upcoming regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 7th. Also, for the first two hours of the Thursday afternoon four hour work session, the board heard sales presentations by insurance companies. A consulting broker, Theron Gay (hired by the county previously for this and numerous other brokerings and mediations over the past decade), interviewed insurance company applicants to narrow choices for the board. The county chairman has the authority to make this final choice for county employees, usually (not always) an annual decision. Also, of importance, the commission was asked to consider approving the draft of the Redistricting Map for the six Carroll County Commission District requesting that its Local Legislative Delegation have such Redistricting Plan introduced as local legislation at the 2022 Regular Session of the Georgia General Assembly, providing for an effective date and for other purposes. This map is the result of the 2020 Census population distribution. Carroll County now officially has a total population of 119,148 residents. The first item of importance was concerning a Request for Annexation of Parcels #134-0339 and #134-0049 from the County into the City of Carrollton for development of a 122-lot residential subdivision. The applicant is McDowell & Associates for 53 acres in District 4, currently vacant and currently zoned Agricultural. The Future Land Use Map of Carroll County, prepared in 2018, has the land future use listed as Residential (1-acre minimum). McDowell & Associates would be building houses on one-quarter-acre lots. As required by Georgia law, the City of Carrollton has notified Carroll County of the proposed annexation and the board of commissioners has the opportunity to object if the board believes the proposed annexation may create issues with potential land use or providing services (the burden of infrastructure demands related to the proposed change in zoning or land use). The commission has thirty (30) days to take one of four actions: - vote to have no objection to the proposed annexation. - vote to object to the annexation by stating the objection is based on a material increase in burden on the county - take no action, thus having no objection, as in Item #1 - offer a commission-defined alternative Staff recommends that the county object to the proposed annexation based on “a material increase in burden” as listed above. County Community Development Director Ben Skipper recommended the objection should be based on the fact that the county should maintain the character described in the Carroll County Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2018, which requires residential lots to be at least one acre. Skipper also noted that Spring Road, which leads to the property, is a dirt road in poor condition which would be a considerable cost to the county to pave. In the event that the City of Carrollton approves the annexation request over the county’s objection, Skipper recommended two commission-defined alternatives: 1. that the City of Carrollton include Spring Road in its annexation, brings Spring Road up to city standards, and bring the intersection of Spring Road and Old Newnan Road up to the standard of a city intersection. 2. require the developer to maintain the one-acre lot minimum as outlined in the Carroll County Zoning Ordinance in order to maintain the character outlined in the Comprehensive Plan of 2018. This requirement greatly reduce
the number of homes proposed from 122 to approximately 50. If the county objects to the proposed annexation outright, the City of Carrollton would have the right to take the matter to the state for mediation. There is an official opinion that the state’s mediation rulings tend to favor municipalities over county governments. However, currently there is a resolution supporting reform to Georgia’s Annexation Dispute Resolution law, which the Carroll County Board has the opportunity to vote on at their next meeting. This resolution would urge the Georgia General Assembly to follow the recommendation of the 2021 House Study Committee on annexation, and adopt meaningful reforms to Georgia’s annexation dispute resolution law during the 2022 legislative process. This resolution, if passed, would “better balance the oftentimes conflicting interests among counties, cities, incorporated and unincorporated citizens, and developers seeking different land uses through annexation.” The issue is being addressed at the state level, and Carroll County has an opportu-
nity to weigh in on the decision to be made. Continuing at the work session, the month ending 10/31/21 Financial Update was presented by Alecia Searcy, finance director, as follows: • revenues for the month of October 2021 were $19,366,000, or 32.7% of budget, and expenditures were $19,225,000, of 32.34% of budget. • sales taxes were up 7% YTD compared to last year, building licenses and permits going strong and the economy is still maintaining a good pace, according to Searcy. A consent agenda was prepared on the remainder of the business before the Board. This consent agenda would compile all items into a single vote to be taken at Tuesday, Dec. 7th regular meeting. The consent agenda consisted of: 1. Approval for Carroll County to act as Administrator and Fiscal Agent for the entire Coweta Judicial Circuit in connection with the State of Georgia’s ARPA Grant to the Judicial Branch, and prepaying certain expenses from the grant in an amount up to $500,000 (to be
reimbursed) and receiving a 10% administration fee for this task. Chief Judge, John Simpson, presented this request to the board. 2. Acceptance of the State of Georgia’s Pay Supplement Grant for Public Safety Officials and First Responders who meet the criteria under Governor Kemp’s grant. Carroll County had a total of 321 employees who qualify for this grant for $1,000 each, with volunteer fireman receiving $300 each, for a total cost of $351,426.83, including required employer tax match. 3. An Intergovernmental agreement with the City of Temple to approval ARPA Subrecipient funds to cover 45% of the cost to replace a Grit Removal System at the Temple Waste Water Treatment plant, not to exceed $121,500. Commissioner Chance stated that this is a long-term fix and not just a patch-up of their system, and also stated that Commissioner Lee (absent), whose district this is in, is in favor of the agreement. 4. Request for replacement of portable radios used by all public safety and support See COUNTY GOVERNMENT page 39
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Southwire promotes Norman Adkins to CEO; Brandon Moss named president of tools, components from press release As the company continues to pursue its ambitions to grow as a diversified electrical business, Southwire announced that it is making organizational changes to align with its strategic plan. Effective January 1, 2022, Norman Adkins will be named President of Wire and Cable and Chief Operating Officer (CEO) for Southwire. Adkins and his team will be focused on accelerating growth in Southwire’s core wire and cable business. In this role, he will lead Southwire’s wire and cable commercial teams and oversee all of Southwire’s wire and cable operations and supply chain management, including metals. “2021 has been and will be an incredibly successful year for Southwire because of the efforts of our team,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO. “As we continue to pursue our strategic plan, we are focused on growth pathways with meaningful initiatives that will get us there. By promoting Norman into this role, he will now be able to even more closely connect our commercial
and operations efforts and maximize our ability to best serve our wire and cable customers.” Adkins joined Southwire in 1998. Since that time, he has led teams across the organization in both the commercial and manufacturing space including International, Adkins Energy, OEM, Electrical Distribution and Retail, among others. Within Adkins’ team, Kathleen Edge will continue to lead Southwire’s wire and cable operations teams as EVP of Operations and will remain focused on continued growth and improvement in areas including safety, Lean culture and the company’s nearly one-billiondollar investment into modernization. Charlie Murrah will expand his role within this team to now serve as EVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer
and will lead supply chain efforts for the entire company, including metals. “I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to come together as one wire and cable organization,” said Adkins. “As we align our operations and commercial teams, we are building on our momentum, and we will continue to Moss be fast, flexible and focused on growing our core business.” Continuing to align with Southwire’s strategic growth pathways, Brandon Moss will be named President of Tools, Components and Assembled Solutions. In this role, he will continue to lead commercial and operations teams within TCAS and will focus on how Southwire is developing solutions to support accelerated growth of this business. Moss joined Southwire in 2007 and was integral in the launch of the company’s tools business and
its subsequent growth into components, assembled solutions and other adjacencies. The company will also begin to place an elevated emphasis on creating a meaningful service business in prioritized platforms to best serve customers in the electrical industry. “It is a great time to be at Southwire,” said Stinson. “I continue to be proud of all we have done and continue to do to Unite as ONE Southwire to serve each other, our customers and our communities. I look forward to this transition as we continue our momentum into the new year.” Southwire Company, LLC is one of North America’s largest wire and cable producers. Southwire and its subsidiaries manufacture building wire and cable, metal-clad cable, portable and electronic cord products, utility products, OEM wire products and engineered products. In addition, Southwire supplies assembled products, contractor equipment and hand tools. For more on Southwire’s products, its community involvement and its vision of sustainability, visit www.southwire.com
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of $438,928.00 to be paid out of SPLOST 2021. These trucks are for the public works department, fire department, parks department, community development department, commissioner’s office, and recreation department. The vehicles currently in service will be either handed down to other departments within the county, or turned over for auction. 7. Consideration to approve the Redistricting Map and accompanying
Resolution Approving the Redistrict Plan, requesting that its Local Legislative Delegation have such Redistricting Plan introduced as local legislation at the 2022 Regular Session of the Georgia General Assembly, providing for an effective date and for other purposes. This map is the result of the 2020 Census population distribution. Lastly, the following appointments were proposed to the Board:
- Carroll County Board of Elections and Registration - Seth Hobson - Pathways Center Community Service Board - Judge Edie Haney - Carroll County Water Authority - Trey Wiley by Commissioner Chance, Bobby Holcombe by Commissioner Lee, and Amanda G. Smith by Commissioner Fuller. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
agencies with Carroll County on W.A.R.R.S. with new Motorola radios at a cost of $1.65M ($1,651,572.1) The hand-held radios now being used were purchased in 2006. The new radios are expected to be “better” water and dust resistant, will meet all FCC requirements, and have a 5 year warranties. 5. Charles Pope of Public Works reported that G-DOT has additional monies left on their LMIG funding assistance and, with a 30% match required from the county, they would pay for re-striping and pavement markings on up to 62.01 miles of various roadways throughout Carroll County, including re-striping of center lines and edge lines with thermo-plastic (a much higher quality material than paint), and up to 40 stop cross boards. 6. Consideration to approve purchase of 13 trucks from Don Rich Ford at a total bid price
New Year’s Day adventures at state parks: “First Day Hike” from press release On New Year’s Day, park rangers across the country are inviting Americans to start 2022 with inspiring First Day Hikes. In Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites, more than 40 guided treks will encourage friends and families to connect with nature and each other. Outings range from a kid-friendly stroll through Mistletoe State Park’s campground, a three-mile hike through Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon,” and even a night hike at Reed Bingham State Park. During winter, hikers will notice interesting tree shapes, small streams and rock outcrops that are normally hidden by summer’s foliage. Many guided hikes are dog-friendly, and visitors are welcome to bring picnics to enjoy before or after their adventure. First Day Hikes are listed on GaStateParks.org. For guests who want to celebrate New Year’s Eve surrounded by fresh air rather than fireworks, Georgia’s State Parks offer cozy cabins, heated yurts, lodge rooms and modern campsites. Fireworks and sparklers are not allowed in state parks, making them a peaceful choice for the holiday. For reservations, call 1-800864-7275 or book online at GeorgiaStateParks.org.
Chance and McPherson continue to bring interesting and relevant speakers to present at Guardians of Liberty Forums
Two area elected officials are continuing their quest to help citizens become better informed through a series of open forums on a variety of governmental topics. The most recent Guardians of Liberty Forum was held Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at Uncorked on Main, downtown Villa Rica. The hosts for these forums are Leslie McPherson and Clint Chance. Although both are elected officials, their status is not part of the forum which is also not affiliated with any political party or platform. Forums are open to the public to attend and engage in discussion. Tuesday’s speaker was a U.S. Marine, D.A. King, who spoke on illegal immigration. He is a nationally recognized authority on illegal immigration and president of the Georgiabased Dustin Inman Society, which is an IRS 501C(4) non-profit corporation that King founded in 2005. He describes himself and his organization as “pro-enforcement” on immigration. He is also the editor and proprietor of ImmigrationPolitcsGA.com. Including drafting and lobbying for passage, D.A. has been assisting Georgia legislators with legislation aimed at illegal immigration under the Gold Dome since 2005. He says he is proud that many measures he worked on over the years are now state law. He wants us to know that there is a serious problem with enforcement of those laws. The Dustin Inman Society (DIS) is named after a Woodstock youth killed by a sixteen year-old illegal alien in 2000. D.A. says he is “pleased the far left hates him and DIS”. King said DHS estimates Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than Arizona and more illegal aliens than green card holders. “Illegal immigration has been at crisis levels in the Peach State for nearly two decades” says D.A. - “but the liberal media has done a spectacular
Shown above left and right are Leslie McPherson, Villa Rica City Council member and Clint Chance, Carroll County District Commissioner, at the most recent Guardians of Liberty Forum held November 30, 2021, at Uncorked on Main, downtown Villa Rica. Shown center is D.A. King, who spoke on illegal immigration. job of keeping the public out of the game.” D.A. has been to the U.S. - Mexico border many times. He has been an invited witness in Congressional hearings and has appeared as an immigration expert on virtually all national TV and radio networks, including Univision, CNN, MSNBC and NPR. He has been the subject of news articles in national outlets, including the Wall St. Journal, Bloomberg, L.A. Times, Governing magazine, National Journal, the Washington Post and has been profiled on the front page of the New York Times. In addition to the AJC, D.A. has had his
commentary published in many of these outlets and has an archive on Breitbart News. “Trump was the most pro-American president on immigration since Dwight Eisenhower,” said D.A. “The ‘Biden Regime’ is made up of open borders Marxists who are illegally moving much of the third-world into the U.S. with a solid plan to create a permanent Democrat voter majority. Ask me about illegal immigration and voter integrity in Georgia.” The Dustin Inman Society, 2615 George Busbee Parkway, Suite 11 (Box 333) Kennesaw, Georgia 30144. 404-316-6712. NewDustinInmanSociety.org
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