Clayton Kierbow, age 47, Carroll County School System Board of Education member, died August 27, 2023.
Kierbow, Whitesburg resident, represented District 4 since 2017.
“We are so grateful for the wonderful work Mr. Clayton Kierbow did in his six years on the school board,” said board chair Bryant Turner.
State automatically decreases monies to schools when local property values increase
Dr. Bernice Brooks: “ inflation is driving citizens out of their homes - if SPLOST were to go away, what would we do?
story by Janice Daniel and Sue HornThe Carroll County School System’s Board of Education voted to lower the 20232024 millage rate to 17.0 mils from 17.5 mils at its August 21, 2023 board meeting. This millage rate decrease is the fifth millage rate decrease for Carroll County taxpayers since 2011 when the rate was 19.6 mils.
Board Chairman Bryant Turner put this millage reduction into a financial perspective explaining what that means for the board as they face expenses going forward: the state decreases its monies to schools systems as local property values increase.
Chairman Turner said, “It is important for taxpayers to know that the state reduces the funding to Carroll County Schools when the tax digest increases [which occurred the past two years in Carroll County with the steep across-the-board property appraisal increases], so we will be seeing a decrease in state funding over the next two years. The state
See REDUCED TAX page 13
Statewide coalition of concerned parents and citizens formed to protect the fundamental rights of parents to direct the education of their children
story and photos by Wayne J. Reynolds
‘The property tax increase will be devastating for low to modest income families,” Jennifer Shunn, Director of Habitat for Humanity
from press release
The Tanner Medical Foundation has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees: Anil A. Dhople, MD, board-certified radiation oncologist at Tanner Radiation Oncology; Mandy Baeumel, senior vice president of people and culture, for the Southwire Company; and Julie Parrish, realtor with Metro West Realty.
Noelle Kahaian, president/co-founder of Protect Student Health Georgia, and paralegal for the Child & Parental Rights Campaign was featured speaker at the recent Guardians of Liberty meeting.
On Tuesday evening, August 22, 2023, The Guardians of Liberty held their monthly meeting with approximately 35 in attendance at Uncorked on Main, downtown Villa Rica. This non-politically aligned and informal group has the goal to educate the public on local government through a variety of speakers, including elected officials, candidates, attorneys, and special groups of all kinds. Talks are informal and usually involve question and answer periods.
Noelle Kahaian opened her talk with the clear and straightforward statement, “I do not support transgenderism.”
Tuesday’s agenda included several points of interest: candidates for the upcoming November 7th General/Special Election, and the featured speaker Noelle Kahaian, presi-
When completed, this will be the only park in the State of Georgia that is fully and completely accessible to all persons of all ages and abilities
“AAA Park” will meet seven principles of “Inclusive Playground” design qualifying as national demonstration site and will be listed on National Registry of Parks
story by Wayne J. Reynolds
Connie McNiel had a vision, and more importantly, a fierce unwavering determination to see that Carroll County citizens could have a recreational park that was completely accessible for people of all ages with all disabilities.
“I moved to this area just before the pandemic and found there were no parks that were completely accessible,” Connie said. “Safari Park in Carrollton, for example, had only one access ramp in the entire playground. So, once you enter the playground structure, there is no exit for someone in a wheelchair if another mobility device is entering via that ramp.
“I worked with Make a Wish for over 20 years plus I have a grandchild with a disability, so I know what a struggle it can be for them. So I decided to explore
The Tanner Medical Foundation Board of Trustees is made up of community and business leaders across the region who are work together at enhancing healthcare access and services. The Tanner Medical Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting the services of Tanner Health System through the community’s philanthropic efforts.
“Each of our trustees brings with them their own unique skills and areas of expertise, I am excited to see how our new members will leverage their strengths and passion to help forward our mission and goals,” said Nichole Fannin, executive director for Tanner Medical Foundation.
Dhople earned his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, completed his internship in internal medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and worked residencies in
See TANNERNEWTRUSTEES page 17
The first “Annual Blues is Alright Rhythm and Blues Festival” Sept. 16th
Our funeral homes are all owned and operated by the same local family the Hightowers. Our top priority is to provide the best, most dignified, and quality service to our friends and families. Our staff is committed to providing support, compassion, information, and direction as needed to all members of our community, their families, and friends who are dealing with loss and grief.
dent and co-founder of Protect Student Health Georgia, who is also a paralegal for the Child & Parental Rights Campaign.
Leslie McPherson, one of the two co-founders of the Guardians of Liberty (Carroll County Commissioner Clint Chance is the other co-founder) opened the meeting by announcing she was running for mayor of Villa Rica, therefore resigning as the Ward 3 Villa Rica Council member. McPherson is one of four candidates who qualified for the seat. Also in the running are Incumbent Mayor Gil McDougal, attorney Mac Pilgrim, and firefighter/EMT Kendrick Davis.
“I will not vote for an omnibus spending bill. They are full of pork and earmarks. I will not raise the debt ceiling. Drew Ferguson voted to raise the debt ceiling 5 out of 6 times. I will not do that.
“I am not going to be supported by the super pacs. Drew Ferguson is. He has raised over $600,000 the first half of this year and not one penny has come from the 3rd district. We need to put conservative republicans in office in the 3rd district and I want to be that guy!”
“State law also says that the sex-ed curriculum should be picked primarily from non-teaching parents. Have any of you ever been asked to be on this committee? . .
.Everything should be available for review by everyone who asks - and it is not! . . Sex-ed, by the way, is required by law, but I think it belongs in the home. As a parent, you can opt out of sex-ed if your child brings the letter home for you to sign.”
Jim Bennett was introduced as a candidate for United States Georgia Congressional District 3, which includes Carroll County, currently held by Drew Ferguson. Bennett spoke briefly on his platform, “I am not a ‘liberal Republican’. In my responsibilities at Carlyle, I never moved any jobs to China. That is a fact. I am a Republican with backbone. I don’t run from anything. I will not run away and hide from social issues.
“We are losing the culture war. Ferguson is horrible on social issues. I challenge you to find where he has said anything about abortion. He doesn’t say what he means on education. I don’t want any child left behind. I want parents to decide where their children go to school and I want the money to follow the children. They are your children, not the state’s children.
Jim Bennett has lived in the 3rd District since he was a toddler, he said, and currently lives in the Bowdon area. He was a police officer for seven years and then worked for Trintex/ Carlisle Corporation for 21 years. He has been retired since 2016. “I am unning for many reasons. However, I’m tired of being betrayed and the rule of law must be restored immediately. We are currently living under the rule of power and that must stop.”
Featured speaker Noelle Kahaian first spoke to the Guardians of Liberty group two years ago. She is president and co-founder of Protect Student Health Georgia, a statewide coalition of concerned parents and citizens formed to protect the health and innocence of children in school and the fundamental rights of parents to direct the education of their children free from harmful indoctrination. They are independent of any political party, religious organization, or political action committee and are a registered 501(c)(4) organization
Additionally, Kahaian is a Paralegal for the Child & Parental Rights Campaign, a nonprofit public-interest law firm founded to defend parent’s rights to shield their children from the harms of gender identity ideology.
Kahaian opened her talk with the clear and straightforward statement, “I do not support transgenderism.”
She then spoke on public school systems Comprehensive Sex-Ed (CES) curriculum details, “There are problems in the schools. Let’s begin by seeing if Carroll County Schools are compliant with state law, which states that all curriculum must be posted on their school website including sex education.
“State law also says that the sex-ed curriculum should be picked primarily from nonteaching parents. Have any of you ever been asked to be on this committee? No? Everything should be available for review by everyone who asks - and it is not!
“Sex-ed, by the way, is required by law, but I think it belongs in the home. As a parent, you can opt out of sex-ed if your child brings the letter home for you to sign.”
Kahaian said the most important concept about Comprehensive Sex-Ed to understand is its foundation, “The root of CSE can be traced to none other than the fraud bug scientist Dr. Alfred Kinsey. His theory that children are’sexual from birth’ was based on his participation in the sexual abuse and torture of children as young as five months old, calling it ‘research’. Grooming children with sexualized materials of Comprehensive Sex-Ed leaves them easy targets for sexual abuse and trauma.”
A loophole in law allows obscene material in both public and school libraries, she said. “Every child in Georgia deserves a safe classroom and library free of obscenity. Providing sexually explicit materials in schools and
Georgia pastor Kevin Williams sees what he describes as a spiritual shift that is bringing the Bible back to the Bible Belt. “People are searching for truth,” he said the day after 220 students in Carroll County surrendered their lives to Christ. “We’re living in a time that the Bible warns about, when people will be calling wrong right and right wrong. We’ve reached a point where people are saying enough is enough. It’s like a switch has flipped and things are going back the right direction.”
The result has been large numbers of Georgians turning to Christ in communities all over the state, including the astonishing move
of God during “Gridiron Day” Thursday, August 10, 2023, among high school football players, cheerleaders and band members in Villa Rica and Roopville. Georgians are also seeing a renewed boldness among Christians to proclaim Jesus, including Christians who hold prominent positions in the world of athletics. David Rocker, who played Auburn University and Los Angeles Rams, shared the gospel with hundreds of students at Roopville Road Baptist Church, Carrollton, during “Gridiron Day”.
At the same time on the other side of Carroll County in Villa Rica, Rich Wingo, who played five seasons for the Green Bay Packers after finishing his college career at the University of
from press release
While the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is tracking a slight rise in new COVID cases/hospitalizations, numbers remain relatively low. As of August 19, 2023, Carroll County had 14 new hospital admissions of confirmed COVID in the prior week. Carroll County’s transmission level is considered less than 10%, which is classified as “low,” according to the CDC. In both percentage change and raw terms, nationwide and local hospitalizations remain far below their pandemic-era peak.
According to the DPH District 4 Risk Coordinator/Public Information Officer, Natalie Shelton, “New variants are circulating, and more are anticipated to emerge. Just how much they spread is largely dependent on how well we take precautions to prevent ourselves and others from getting sick. We’re going to see fluctuations in COVID activity, especially in the summer as people travel, gather for weddings, go to concerts, and then as our children
have gone back to school. The fall months will bring the traditional flu season, along with other respiratory illnesses like RSV and COVID, and we may then see ups and down in activity due to holiday gatherings, for instance.”
The new variant, EG.5, which has been nicknamed “Eris,” is the dominant COVID variant spreading in the U.S. Early data indicates Eris may be more easily transmissible than some other variants, but it does not appear to cause a more severe disease. The CDC says the current COVID vaccine is effective against Eris, and Eris infections are picked up by COVID tests.
District 4 Public Health’s county health departments, which includes Carroll County, offer COVID vaccines, self-test kits, and PCR testing with no out-of-pocket costs to individuals. If a patient has insurance, the health department may bill the company for administrative costs. To schedule an appointment: www.district4health.org/make-an-appointment or call 800-847-4262.
Alabama, told hundreds of students gathered at First Baptist Church of Villa Rica about Jesus. Rocker and Wingo’s messages were strikingly similar: only Jesus can satisfy people’s deepest longings. Bryant Turner, executive pastor at Roopville Road and chair of the Carroll County Board of Education, said his church got involved in “Gridiron Day” for the first time this year after seeing how effective it has been at First Baptist Villa Rica over the past decade. Like Williams, Turner is seeing the pendulum swinging back to Biblical truth, especially among teens.Turner talked about a conversation he had with a student who will be attending the University of Southern California on an athletic scholarship.
“He had every award and medal you could get, president of every club in his high school,” Turner said. “Yet, he said he felt a void.” Turner told him, “We were all born with a huge
void in our hearts that can only be filled with Jesus.” That young man bowed his head and prayed to receive Christ and felt complete satisfaction. “I have finally filled the void in my life,” he told Turner.
At Roopville Road, 70 students prayed to receive Christ on Thursday, as did 150 students at Villa Rica.
Tim Williams, missions director in the Carroll County Baptist Association, said many of the 800 students and coaches in the two churches Thursday night were already committed Christians.
“I think a lot of kids are seeing that they’ve been fed a line that success can make you happy,” Tim Williams said. “The truth is Christ is the One who makes the difference. These kids are getting that. I haven’t heard of 220 kids getting saved on a single night in a long, long time. This is huge.”
Dr. Jody Matthews graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1992 with a degree in Physical Education. A football injury to his cervical spine which caused excruciating pain led him into the Chiropractic field. He went to Life University and graduated in March 1998. Dr Matthews has been serving the West Georgia / East Alabama area since 1998.
Dr Mathews utilizes advanced spinal correction and chiropractic adjustments utilizing "state of the art" chiropractic techniques. Never in the history of chiropractic care have chiropractors been able to provide the level of help and expertise that is available today. Many of the newest chiropractic techniques are actually safer, more comfortable and more effective than ever before. As a chiropractor who cares about utilizing the most advanced chiropractic techniques, Dr. Matthews has years of training, expertise and experience in helping patients get pain relief for back pain, neck pain, headaches, and other related conditions originating from the spine.
Dr Matthews has implemented the latest state-of-the-art research and technology in spinal and postural regeneration.
•Chiropractic Biophysics
•Diversified and AK
•Spinal Adjustment
•On-Premise State of the Art Digital X-Ray Facility
• Leander Flexion Distraction Table
•Rehabilitation Equipment
•Power Plate Pro 5 - Whole Body Vibration / Acceleration Training
•Wobble Chairs
•Intersegmental Traction Beds
“Chiropractic
Fred O’Neal to pay homage to his late father Charlie W. O’Neal with the first Annual “Blues is Alright” Rhythm and Blues Festival at Legends Park, Carrollton
from press release
Local businessman Fred O’Neal will pay homage to his late father, Charlie W. O’Neal, with a free concert Saturday September 16, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at Legends Park in Carrollton. This will be the first “Annual Blues is Alright Rhythm and Blues Festival”. Fred’s father, who passed away in 2013, would have been 90 years old this year. The music dedication to him pays tribute to his love for music.
“My dad was an avid blues music fan and performed with his own blues band, the Passion Seekers, up until his death,” said Fred.
Charlie O’Neal earned his chops for music as a part of his tough upbringing. Being reared in rural Mississippi in the 1930s as a person of color provided the backdrop for his emotional tie to this genre of music. As Charlie would often share, he and his mom - who was 12 years old at his birth - “were not homeless, they just did not have anywhere to live”. His earliest recollections were of the two of them going from relative to relative to seek shelter. The impact of his teenage mom’s struggle for existence moved him to take extreme measures.
By the time he was 14 years old, Charlie O’Neal was able to bribe one of the older women in the neighborhood to assist him in moving his age up to 18 - the age that allowed him to enter the United States Army. It took officials an entire year to determine that he was too young to enter the military and the granted him an honorable discharge at age 15.
By the time he was 14 years old, he was able to bribe one of the older women in the neighborhood to assist him in moving his age up to 18 - the age that allowed him to enter the United States Army. It took officials an entire year to determine that he was too young to enter the military and the granted him an honorable discharge at age 15. He did re-enter the military at the legal age and served his country for three years.
Charlie spent his post military years in maintenance as a millwright, a profession he learned in the Army. A millwright maintains the mill’s machinery. Along the way, Charlie also worked various odd jobs simultaneously as a mechanic, plumber, and carpenter.
He met his wife of nearly 60 years, Lamargie Glenn, a Heard County, Georgia, native, and together they raised three children.
Charlie could escape into Blues Music, getting lost in the virtues of B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters as he would retreat to his favorite place - the studio that he built in his basement to channel his music heroes while singing and strumming along.
His personal brand of wisdom came from some of his famous sayings:
“Every tub has to sit on its own bottom” “Feed them with a long-handled spoon”, and Fred’s personal favorite is “No matter how good it is or how bad it is, nothing lasts for ever”.
The concert will feature national performing artist Regina Troupe as headliner who has toured with such artists as Peabo Bryson, Celine Dion, and Kenny G.
Joining her will be Chris Pitts, an exceptionally gifted guitarist and singer from Memphis, Tennessee who has captivated audiences with his many genres including Blues, Country, Rock and R&B Soul.
The “Blues is Alright Rhythm and Blues Festival” is free of charge. Fred invites the community to bring their lawn chairs and come out and enjoy! Legends Park is located at 215 Fourth Street, Carrollton.
Mayor Cason’s passion is helping people and serving the community. She has served in leadership positions in many organizations with a purpose of helping others. She was a founding member of the Carroll County Mental Health Advocacy Program and has served as president of the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association and Georgia Council of Probate Judges. Betty has served on the boards of directors of the Georgia Municipal Association and the Judicial Council of Georgia and was vice-chair of Carroll County Family Connection. She has been chair of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Academy and Strategic Planning Committee, and the Carroll County Mental Health Advocacy Board. She
certified municipal finance officer, certified probate court judge and an economic development finance specialist.
On Thursday, August 17, 2023, the Mayor and Council of the City of Carrollton met for their monthly work session, and to vote on some items since this meeting was advertised as a voting meeting. Councilmember Brett Ledbetter absent. Present were Mayor Betty B. Cason, Council Member Jacqulene Bridges, Council Member Jim Watters, and Council Member Bob Uglum.
In the first order of business, a motion was made by Uglum to rollback the City of Carrollton Millage Rate from 4.49 mils to 4.082 mils for the 2023 calendar year. Watters seconded the motion. Motion passed 2-1. Watters and Uglum voted to reduce the tax. Bridges voted against. Mayor Cason abstained.
In other business, City Engineer Tommy Holland detailed the Canterbury Drive Culvert
Replacement Project, stating that the project will replace about 45 linear feet of 30-inch reinforced concrete pipe which is currently failing underneath Canterbury Drive, with a 42-inch double-barreled HDPE pipe. Council voted unanimously to award the bid for this project to Carl Owen Construction, LLC at a price of $185,000. This company had the lowest bid as well as the highest final score.
City Engineer Holland then gave a Capital Project Update on the water treatment plan settling pond project, which is on schedule for completion next summer (2024). He said the Lake Carroll Park Phase 2 project should have the boardwalk completed mid-October, and the North Park Street Bridge project is slated for transferring the movement of lanes at the beginning of September. He said that project is currently estimated to be completed in the fall
of next year. Holland said city staff is preparing bid documents for the Midtown Water Park project which should go out in the next month or so, and added that the Longview Pickleball Court project is also slated to be bid out in the next month. He advised that the 2023 Aslphalt Paving Bid had an addendum issued extending the bid opening date to August 29th.
Rezoning Requests were presented by Community Development Director Erica Studdard. On Myrtle Street (0.46 acres) Parcel C02 0270008, applicant would like to split the lots to build two new single-family homes. Planning Commission recommended approval with the condition that the petitioner shall provide driveway access to the adjacent property to the east. At 424 Dixie Street (Parcel C06 0010016) applicant wants to put an art-tattoo studio, and the Planning Commission approved
with four conditions, which will be listed at the Regular Monthly Meeting in September, when these two items will be voted on by council.
Grants Manager Hayley Beaver advised council that the police department would like to apply under the Community-Based Violence Intervention Eligibility Allowance section of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to implement a program to reduce gang recruitment in elementary and middle school neighborhoods in the City of Carrollton. This request requires Mayor and Council review. City Manager David Brooks detailed city projects underway, including Gateway signage and 2024 Amphitheater scheduling.
Mayor and Council went into Executive Session. fter they returned to Open Session, no further business was discussed and meeting was adjourned.
On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners met for a regular monthly meeting. All members were present, Commissioner Danny Bailey by telephone. Commissioner Clint Chance offered the Invocation. Commissioner Tommy Lee led the Pledge of Allegiance. No one spoke during the Public Comments portion of the meeting.
Community Development Director Ben Skipper presented a rezoning request made by MonTonSon Development, LLC, for approximately 14.2 acres at 1121 West Villa Road.
These are 12 parcels in Land Lot 165 of the 6th District, Commission District 3. Requested rezoning is from Manufactured Home Subdivision to “industrial zoning” for the purpose of building climate-controlled storage warehouses and storage spaces for RVs.
Approval was given by the Planning & Zoning Commission.
A representative from MonTonSon Development, Brett Harmon of Carrollton, along with Doug Dickinson, presented their plans to the commission and also answered questions about their proposal. There will be no truck parking, a six-foot privacy fence will surround the perimeter, security lights will be pointed down (not out), cameras will cover the property in all areas, and people with RVs stored there will each have a specific code which will allow them access to the property during the night. Approximately 40% of the property, that portion located at the back, will be gravel, but the front portion will be paved and the entrance will have a rock or stucco marker. The office and storage buildings will also have rock and stucco incorporated into the vertical metal material. The applicant pro-
poses to install cul-de-sacs at both S. Van Wert Road and W. Villa Road to control access to the facility, so the only way in or out will be from Highway 78. Applicants pointed out that there is 200 to 300 feet of commercial properties in front of their proposed business, and the area along the back has been listed as residential in the Future Land Use map. No one spoke in opposition of this project. Request was approved 7-0.
The Multi-item Consent Agenda that was prepared at the prior Thursday work session was read and approved unanimously.
Linda Blanchard, CHINS Team Coordinator, was at the meeting to ask for consideration of approval of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) Grant for fiscal year 2023 that was awarded to the Carroll County Juvenile Court. The grant will be used for psychological evaluations and counseling for juveniles that do
not have health insurance. The county government will pay the money up-front and be reimbursed by the Grant. This request was approved unanimously.
Public Works Director Danny Yates presented consideration of a Resolution finding that a portion of West Villa Road measuring 1.131 acres more or less, lying in Land Lot 166 6th Section of Carroll County, has ceased to be used by the public to the extent that no substantial public purposes are served. He asked the commissioners authorize the abandonment thereof, authorizing the chairman to dispose of the abandoned property for all purposes. A legal ad must be published in the legal organ and a Public Hearing must be scheduled and held before this item can be completed.
There being no further business, meeting was adjourned.
the option of a completely accessible park for the disabled, no matter their age or ability. The idea of ‘All Ages & Abilities Accessible Park’ was born.”
How important is this type of park?
According to the 2020 Census, in Carroll County 10.6% (13,206) out of the population of 124,592 people have a disability. “And you and I could add to that statistic with an accident or medical challenge at any time,”said McNiel.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires access to public recreation spaces as our civil right. However, meeting ADA standards for a park does not make the park fully accessible for all disabilities.
“So, in 2021, I began contacting people, the chamber of commerce, the government - anyone who would listen - and started having meetings. I met with Carrollton Mayor Betty Cason and City Manager David Brooks and they mentioned property at Hobbs Farm in Carrollton might be a possibility,” she said. “I also met with Jonathan Hardesy and David Derbecker of Superior Recreational Products. They were immediately on board and became deeply involved!”
McNiel and Hardsey made their presentation to the Carrollton City Council this past April and with the assistance of Mayor Cason and City Manager Brooks, council approved providing the land at Hobbs Farm for the park, which is located just off north Highway 27 (before the Ingles shopping center). Once built, the city will maintain the park, but all funding for the construction will be raised through private donations.
The plan for the AAA Park is to have access ramps that are double in width and providing enough space for two-way travel on the ramp, so individuals can come and go at the same time. The surfacing will be a rubber surface
with playground turf.
“Which means there will be no wood chips at all, even in the landscaping, because wood chips are dangerous. You can get one wood chip on a surface and if someone tries to go over it, they could actually get stuck with an accident,” Connie said. “There will be additions made to the existing bathrooms to include two electric powered, adult-sized changing tables. There will be two pavilions for meeting areas as well as a music garden and a merrygo-round. And it will give children from all backgrounds and abilities an opportunity to bond with one another - increasing awareness!”
“Superior Recreational Products here in Carrollton,” Connie continued, “will design and build the park. Jonathan and his staff have been tremendous and made all the difference in making this a reality. They have donated approximately 35% of their cost as their way of giving back. You may remember in 2018 they had a huge fire and the community rallied to help them - now they are
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires access to public recreation spaces as our civil right. However, meeting ADA standards for a park does not make the park fully accessible for all disabilities.
giving back!” Jonathan added, “As a company, Superior Recreational Products is proud to partner with the City of Carrollton to bring a fully accessible playground to our community in which we live, work, and play. The proposed spot at Hobbs Farm will be for everyone, regardless of age and ability. Furthermore, when the proposed site is finally completed, it will be a destination site and attract
17
story by Janice Daniel
The Mayor and Council of the City of Carrollton met for a regular meeting Monday, August 7, 2023, at City Hall.
The highlight of the meeting was Mayor Cason presenting the “Key to the City” to Harry Preston, owner of Harry T’s Car Wash. She shared that Preston has given job opportunities to a lot of young people in the Carrollton area, and also, for over 30 years, has given free car washes to all police cars with no charge to the city. She said that Preston is a dedicated citizen in the community who makes many contributions, and is also a great supporter of the University of West Georgia. The mayor said, “Harry’s just a good friend.”
A rezoning request was presented by Erica Studdard to recommend approval with conditions for applicant Ronna Bush, on behalf of her business, Anchor Fitness, to rezone .45 acres at 527 Cedar Street, Tax Parcel C05 0090016, from R-10 (single-family residential) to Non-Residential PD (Planned Development), in order to expand the footprint of Bush’s existing business, and also alleviate cut-through traffic from Bankhead Highway. The request from the Planning Commission was approval contingent upon the following condition: No freestanding signs or backlit box-cabinet signs are permitted on site. No one was present to speak against, so council approved it unanimously.
Studdard requested, and council approved unanimously, that council transmit the 2023 Comprehensive Plan to the Three Rivers Regional Commission. Commission has 30 days to have the Department of Community Affairs review it, then it will come back to council for final approval.
With no further business to attend, the meeting was adjourned.
At the Monday evening, August 7, 2023 City of Carrollton regular meeting of mayor and council, Harry Preston, owner of Harry T’s Car Wash and Lube, was presented a key to the city by Mayor Betty Cason, in appreciation for his decades of operation in Carrollton and the jobs his business has provided. Preston was also recognized for his support of the Carrollton Police Department, donating free detailing services for police vehicles and supporting local programs like Shop with a Cop. Harry T’s Car Wash and Lube is located at 730 Bankhead Highway, Carrollton (770-836-1515).
Shown above left to right: Council member Bob Uglum, Council member Jacqulene Bridges, Harry Preston, Mayor Betty B. Cason, Council member Brett Ledbetter, and Council member Jim Watters.
The Mayor and Council of the City of Villa Rica met on August 29th, 2023 at 6 p.m., at a Special Called Meeting for the 3rd and final Public Hearing on the millage rate. Council voted to reduce millage rate from 6.250 to 5.822. Also, council set the date for a Special Election same as General Election on November 7th to fill theWard 3 seat vacated with the resignation of Leslie McPherson who is running for the mayoral seat.
At the 2nd Public Hearing held August 22, 2023, Finance Director Jennifer Hallman, gave a slide presentation that showed Villa Rica’s changes in total digest for both Douglas and Carroll counties (City of Villa Rica is located in both) combined is a $165,390,406 increase (including exemptions) or 19.28% over 2022. Of this number, 8.18% is due to inflationary growth and 11.10% is new growth. Using the state’s required calculation of a “rollback” millage rate to offset any inflationary increase to the digest resulted in a rollback rate of 0.428. 2022 Millage Rate for Villa Rica was 6.250, so subtracting 0.428 from 6.250 results in a 2023 Rollback Millage Rate of 5.822 mils.
During Public Comments, citizen Leslie McPherson said, “we really should consider rolling back” and said that other cities around Villa Rica are going with the rollback number or at least not raising the millage rate.
At the 3rd hearing, several citizens spoke out against keeping the same millage rate or not raising it. Peg Taylor of 2120 Osprey Cove asked council to please vote for the rollback number. She said small businesses are failing and homeowners are having to find ways to “tighten our belt, I’m sure you guys are pretty smart enough to save $438,000.”
Stephanie Warmoth said the Fair Market Value of her home was $241,000 in 2020, and in 2023 it jumped to $436,000. She said she had her home appraised last year and the value was $330,000. “We are paying taxes in an inflated market,” and that small businesses are still trying to dig out of the hit from COVID, and now a double-hit from taxes.
Doug Lang of 262 South Carroll Road said that even though he lives in a small home and $50 or $60 a year “we could afford”, but people whose taxes jumped up to $1,100, for them it’s really a “kick in the shin.” Many people are suffering. “It just seems the wrong thing at the wrong time,” but he added directly to Mayor Gil McDougal, “raising taxes during an election year is a pretty gutsy move.”
Charlotte Evans of 640 Clearview Street said that she and her husband live in a small home, nowhere near what the average home assessed value is, and their taxes jumped by $400. “A lot of people are really struggling to pay for basic life necessities. There are ways to save money, and putting it all onto the citizens may not be the best idea.” She asked council to rollback.
Barbara Jean Brown, 511 Punkintown Road, said people used to want to be inside the City limits of Villa Rica. “It’s time to think about the community folks,” she said. She said that some towns in the surrounding area have rolled back their taxes, and urged Villa Rica to do the same.
Christy Chastain of 237 Berkley Drive also talked about the cumulative effect of property tax increases. She said the Fair Market Value of her house went up $15,000 in 2020, $27,000 in 2021, $40,000 in 2022, and $66,000 this year. “That’s absurd,” she plainly stated. “Taxing on these inflated values doesn’t make a lot of sense. When we’re having hard times we have
to tighten our own budget, making cuts to save money. What are y’all doing to save money?”
Mayor McDougal encouraged those who believe their home is overvalued to file an appeal with the county, to look at the information the county uses to assess their home. The mayor also pointed out that the way property is assessed is regulated by the State of Georgia, and it’s not done at all at the city level. He said that he spoke with the head of the Tax Assessor’s Office [Chief Appraiser Hubert Sparks], who told him that Carroll County “still has not met the threshold for state valuations.”
Mayor McDougal also pointed out “our city is growing, and the tax digest helps set the millage rate. We have reached the point to where the new growth is exceeding the inflationary numbers. It is the impact of inflationary growth that impacts the taxpayer the most. By continu-
ing to grow carefully, we hope to lighten the load on taxpayers of the city. Therefore, I am recommending today that this Council of Villa Rica rollback the millage rate to 5.822 and we will find a way to cut $438,000 out of the 2024 Budget.”
The mayor’s statement was met with applause from the audience and agreement by the council who voted unanimously to rollback Villa Rica’s Millage Rate to 5.822.
The Public Hearing was adjourned, and the mayor and council went on to an item of business: resolution to call for a Special Election for Ward 3 Council seat due to the resignation of Leslie McPherson to run for the mayoral seat, and to set qualifying dates for this election. The Special Election will run concurrently with the General Election on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Meeting was adjourned.
Also, council sets date for Special Election same as November 7th General Election: Special Election for Ward 3 seat vacated by Leslie McPherson who is running for mayor 770.456.8358
Tax bills are going out the beginning of October.
In March of this year Governor Brian Kemp along with the General Assembly of the State of Georgia enacted the Homestead Tax Relief Grant (HTRG) program, in accordance with O.C.G.A. §36-89-1. This is a One-Time tax reduction program for all eligible homeowners who have an approved Homestead Exemption in plane on their primary place of residence.
Property owners will receive the tax relief grant in the form of a $18,000 reduction in the assessed value of their homestead property. Therefore, the tax reduction amounts will vary amongst property owners.
Rental Properties and Non-Homestead properties will not be eligible for the Tax Relief Grant.
For more information visit the Department of Revenue website at: https://dor.georgia.gov/2023-property-tax-relief-grant.
The tax commissioner’s office has moved to 997 Newnan Road, Carrollton, GA for the new administration building to be built at 423 College Street.
will also reduce our funding because we voted to lower the millage rate. That’s just the way the system works. Taking these factors into consideration is what led us to this rollback rate.”
This 2023-24 lower millage rate will reduce the average Carroll County homeowner about $58 per year.
At the Monday, August 7th board meeting, the first Public Hearing on the millage rate was held. The Assistant Superintendent of Finance Delene Wolfe presented the basic information as to how the millage rate is calculated. She said there were more than 16,000 students in 23 schools now in the Carroll County School System.There are two College & Career Academic programs.
“It’s not just about all your slides, about whether or not your employees have health insurance, or your employees have the ability to have their Georgia Teacher Retirement System. This is about people being able to afford groceries, this is about them being able to afford to go to work” -
Jennifer Shunn, Director of Habitat for Humanity
student in the county school districts is that the board is not taking into consideration the learner’s home situation, “When students do not have proper shelter, then they are less likely to have decent grades; they’re more likely to leave school because they need to help out at home; and fortytwo percent of your students are already in a situation where their families are struggling.
“It’s not just about all your slides, about whether or not your employees have health insurance, or your employees have the ability to have their Georgia Teacher Retirement System.
See 17.0 MILS page 25
The FY2024 Proposed Budget of $179,400,000 ($179.4M) is a $14,200 increase over the FY2023 Budget. The county’s Digest of Property Values increased from $2.8 billion in 2023 to $3.5 billion in 2024, about 52% due to inflation and 48% due to new builds or remodels. The Property Digest drives the millage rate.
Wolfe said 85% of the Proposed School District FY24 Budget is for personnel, and 15% for operations.
The priorities are for instruction and learner achievement, building for anticipated enrollment growth, and retention of staff by making their salaries closer to the average in the state.
According to Wolfe’s information, Carroll County is now the third fastest growing school district in Georgia. She said the board has voted to lower the millage rate in 2011, 2016, 2017, and 2022.
Other information Wolfe presented was that Carroll County was the 6th lowest in investment per student in the State of Georgia as of 2022, comparative to schools with 10,000+ students. She also said that the Digest and Millage Rate increases result in an increased Local Fair Share, and Local Fair Share increases result in decreases in state funding for that county (called Equalization Funding), even though this equalization decrease occurs two years after the increase in Local Fair Share increases.
At the present time, the Carroll County School District has the 11th highest dollar allotment in state equalization.
Wolfe also informed the board that the tax increase due to home inflation would cause a $229.22 annual increase for a homestead property in Carroll County with an assessed value of $300,000 (which is the average). For nonhomestead property in Carroll County the average tax increase would be $177.84.
The impact of lowering the millage rate would be larger class sizes per teacher, and a higher rate of teachers leaving Carroll County for higher pay at another county, as well as fewer support services for learners, etc.
Speaking during the Public Hearing, Jennifer Shunn, Director of Habitat for Humanity, said the property tax increase will be devastating for low to modest income families. She said that in breaking the average of $177.84 down into 12 months, the impact on a low income family could affect whether they could buy that tank of gas they need to get to work to provide for their family. She emphasized a tax increase will put great stress on families already struggling to buy groceries and other necessities in the current inflationary ecomony, and that lowering the millage rate - even a little bit - could help people stay in their homes.
Her response to the needs that will be met per
Following each received score of 100 SATISFACTORY during AUGUST inspection: Super 8 881 S ParkStreet Carrollton 100
8/18/2023: Hotel Casa 180 Centennial Road Carrollton 85 Unsatisfactory
Violation: Both gates not self-closing. Free chlorine reading at 0ppm. Observed cloudy water. pH reading less than 7.2/oh levels.
8/01/2023: Wyndham Fairfield Plantation 1602 Lakeview Pkwy Villa Rica 81 Unsatisfactory
Violation: Observed cloudy water. Observed hand rails and ladder coming loose. Pool risk sign required by the State of Georgia missing.
8/02/2023: Venue 598 S Park Street Carrollton 80 Unsatisfactory
Violation: Free chlorine reading at 0ppm.
8/02/2023: Quality Inn 700 S Park Street Carrollton 80 Unsatisfactory
Violation: EMERGENCYPHONE CONNECTS TOFRONTDESK THENTO911/ POOLPHONEMUSTCONNECTDIRECTLYTO 911. Chlorine level at 0ppm.
8/16/2023: Arbor Bend 200 Industrial Boulevard Villa Rica 80 Unsatisfactory
Violation: Free chlorine reading at 0ppm. No daily record keeping on site/ facility is responsible for checking pool chemicals twice a day logged for future records.
8/15/2023: Wildwood Apartments 540 S Carroll Rd Villa Rica 78 Unsatisfactory
Violation: Both gates not self-closing. Free chlorine reading at 0ppm. Grab hand ladder loose. No daily record keeping on site. Pool chemical must be checked twice a day and recorded for future records.
8/16/2023: West Woods 1321 LovvornRoad Carrollton 75 Unsatisfactory
Violation: Pool gates not self-closing/self-latching. Flow meter not reading accurately. Daily record keeping not up to date. Facility is responsible for testing pool chemicals at least twice a day. Keep daily records logged.
8/03/2023: Quality Inn 128 Hwy 61 Connector Villa Rica 70 Unsatisfactory
Violations: Free chlorine reading at 0ppm.
Violation: Observed phone box has an active bee hive/was unable to dial 911. Observed ph reading less than 7.0. Grab hand rail still loose. Pool risk signs required by State of Georgia is missing. Relabel pipes with directional flow. Flow meter stuck, not reading accurately. Daily records log missing/ pool chemicals must be tested daily and looged for future records.
problems.
The effect on health plans
678-821-3508
marcy@be
With lawmakers and regulatory authorities intensifying their scrutiny of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the country, there is potential for you and your employees to reap benefits. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) play a vital role in the realm of health insurance by forming contracts with insurers and selfinsured employers to manage the costs of medications.
Recent reports have raised doubts about the extent to which these influential entities truly assist employers, health plans, and policyholders in saving money.
Moreover, allegations have surfaced that PBMs tend to retain a substantial portion of the savings they generate, rather than passing those savings on to their clients and individuals enrolled in health plans.
Consequently, PBMs have become subjects of investigation by various state attorneys general, as well as more recently, by regulatory bodies and the Congress. There has been bipartisan introduction of legislation aimed at enhancing transparency within these covert organizations and ensuring that payers receive a larger share of the rebates and other cost reductions generated by PBMs. Virtually every health plan maintains some form of arrangement with a PBM, meaning that any alterations in their operational practices could potentially lead to reduced pharmaceutical expenses for patients.
PBMs function as intermediaries, serving as intermediaries among insurance companies, self- insured employers, drug manufacturers, and pharmacies. Their stated objective is to manage pharmaceutical costs for both employers and individuals enrolled in health plans.
In general, PBMs establish agreements with insurers (or self-insured employers) and pharmacies. They impose fees on health plans for overseeing their prescription drug claims and formulate lists specifying the prices pharmacies are compensated for each drug.
Frequently, the amount the health plan pays for a particular drug surpasses the sum the pharmacy obtains for it. The PBM captures the difference between these two amounts. A significant critique of PBMs is their use of obscure contracts that obscure costs from both health plans and pharmacies. This is achievable because the health plan lacks insight into the PBMs arrangements with pharmacies and drug companies. Additionally, the plan remains unaware of the intricate details of the PBMs agreements with its competitors.
Spread Pricing – A PBM charges health plans more than it pays the pharmacy for a medication and retains the difference in cost.
Rebates – PBMs receive rebates from drugmakers in exchange for the PBM giving their products preferred status and greater market share on the plan formularies.
Clawbacks – These are remuneration fees that pharmacies that dispense Medicare Part D (outpatient) drugs must pay PBMs, which can charge these fees long after a pharmacy has filled a prescription.
As of May 8th, there were four new measures on PBM reforms that were passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. All bills aim to make PBMs more transparent and would eliminate several practices observers say are causing most of the
There is a robust inclination within Congress to control PBMs, and should any of these proposed bills be enacted, they would probably introduce heightened regulation and transparency to the sector. Although the response of PBMs and the potential adjustments to their methodologies remain uncertain, these legislations hold the possibility of diminishing expenses for employers through decreased premiums, as well as for employees through lowered out-of-pocket costs.
Transparent PBM
Imagine a scenario where an employer is
diligently striving to offer comprehensive health coverage for their employees. They’ve chosen a health plan that involves a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) to help manage prescription drug costs. However, hidden behind complex contracts and opaque dealings, this PBM is retaining a significant portion of the cost savings generated from negotiated drug prices.
In this situation, the lack of transparency becomes a major obstacle. The employer remains unaware that the PBM isn’t passing on the full extent of the savings to their health
plan. Consequently, employees who rely on this coverage might still be facing higher outof-pocket costs for their medications, despite the employer’s efforts to provide quality benefits.
Having a transparent PBM becomes imperative in this context. With clear insight into the PBMs operations and its dealings with drug manufacturers and pharmacies, employers can ensure that the intended cost savings actually reach their employees. Transparent PBMs empower employers to make informed decisions about their benefit plans, optimize savings, and provide more meaningful healthcare coverage for their workforce.
For further information on how you can obtain a transparent PBM within your health plan, contact Inoventive Benefits Consulting today at 678-821-3508.
. . . allegations have surfaced that Pharmacy Benefit Managers tend to retain a substantial portion of the savings they generate, rather than passing those savings on to their clients and individuals enrolled in health plans.
To view complete inspection details: dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health
Following
during an AUGUST inspection:
8/04/2023: Carrollton Chophouse 206 Rome Street Carrollton 83 previous 100
8/30/2023: Front Porch 501 Mitchell Avenue Bowdon 81 previous 99
Violations: Observed food in cooler and freezers from unapproved source. All food must be purchased from approved sources.
8/22/2023: El Tapitios Mexican 40 Villa Rosa Road Temple 74 previous 83
Violations: Observed raw shrimp stored directly next to lettuce. Observed chemicals stored on top of reach in freezer. Observed employee pulling chicken off the bone not wearing proper hair restraint. Observed dry food not in original packaging.
8/14/2023: Domino’s Pizza 594 Highway 61 Villa Rica 70 previous 83
Violations: Person in Charge (PIC) not Serve Safe Certified. Person in Charge could not answer questions. Most current inspection report is not posted. Observed multiple areas throughout the restaurant with debris build up on the walls. Repeat violation. Observed low grout in dishroom area/have grout built back up to avoid pests. Observed multiple TCS foods holding temperature above 41 degrees. Observed two employees wash hands/both weashed hands improperly. Observed light at the bottom of the rear entrance door/replace threshold and weather strip to prevent pests.
radiation oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he was chief resident. Dr. Dhople and his wife, Pamela, live in Carrollton with their daughters.
Mandy Baeumel has more than 15 years of experience at Southwire in multiple roles and areas, including people and culture (formerly human resources) for commercial, operations, and corporate functions; talent management; and corporate communications. She earned a
“AAA PARK” at HOBBS from page 10
users from beyond Carrollton and Carroll County.” Jonathan said that Superior Recreational Products is an “industry leader in designing and manufacturing top-tier commercial playground equipment, shade structures, and site furnishings” For more than 30 years, their company has been committed to delivering an easy way to create safe, engaging, and durable environments.
Construction does not have a set date to begin as the community must reach their budget of $2.5 million for the entire project.
“It is a massive project and, when completed, will be the only park in Georgia that is fully and completely accessible. The park structures and design concepts of this park meet the seven principles of Inclusive Playground design, which qualifies as a national demonstration site. The park will be listed on the national registry of parks upon completion. I think this is a project that you and everyone will be so very proud of!”
“Now, as a community, we must work together to finance this remarkable park. The city has done their part! Superior Recreational Playgrounds have done their part. Now it is our turn. If you know someone who can help at their business or corporation, please let them know to join this project. If you are part of a civic club or church, you can help as a private donor. When we reach our goal, the construction will begin.”
The AAA Park Project is a 501(3)(c) organization established through the Community Foundation of West Georgia which is facilitating community donations towards the project.
Those who would like to donate: https://cfwg.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund ?funit_id=2716.
Individuals who would like to donate via check can make it payable to Community Foundation of West Georgia for AAA PARK.
There are also options for sponsors to contribute at various tiers including diamond, platinum, gold, silver, and bronze; names of giving groups’ members will be displayed with company logo and name in various areas in the park. For more information visit their page on Facebook: All Ages and Abilities Accessible Park, reach Connie at 423-364-5595 or email at info.aaapark@gmail.com
Connie and her husband Matt own Precise Janitorial Supply in Carrollton.
bachelor’s in mass communications from the University of West Georgia and holds multiple human behavior certifications. Baeumel is a Society for Human Resources Management Senior-certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Project GIFT volunteer, LINK mentor, and volunteer through several local organizations and causes. Baeumel resides in Roopville with her husband, Jim, and three children.
Julie Parrish currently serves on the vestry for Saint Margaret’s Episcopal Church and the board for the Carroll County Emergency Shelter. She also served consecutive terms on the West Metro Board of Realtors. Parrish is a University of Georgia graduate in the class of 1990. She is married to Bill Parrish, and they share two children.
Tanner serves the healthcare needs of west Georgia and east Alabama. To learn more about Tanner or Tanner Medical Foundation, visit tanner.org
You’re not alone.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 40% of Americans report feeling tired during the day.
Feeling tired, fatigued or sleepy during the day is a common sign of sleep apnea, which is a serious conditions that occurs when your breathing is interrupted during sleep. And without intervention it can lead to a number of health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
That’s why we now offer a free, online sleep quiz that can help you determine your risk for sleep apnea.
Knowing your risk is the first step to better sleep.
Visit tanner.org/sleepquiz to find out if you’re at risk today.
Risk factors for sleep
apnea include:
• Being over the age of 50
• Being a male
• Being diagnosed or treated for high blood pressure
• Having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35
• Having a neck measurement of 16 inches or more
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“Nobody is talking about repealing the 14th Amendment, or taking away anyone’s citizenship. Nor must we amend the Constitution. But the court needs to clarify the extent of birthright citizenship. It should do so as a part of a clear and meaningful policy concerning immigration, naturalization, and citizenship that is consistent with the core principles and highest ideals ofthe United States.” -
GEORGIATECH
Beta Theta Pi
tpittman4787@comcast.net
name. The 14th Amendment put some teeth into the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which gave black men the ability to be self-governing citizens with access to both state and federal legal systems. The Act brought an end to the laws which kept them from forming contracts, being employed, and owning property.
Section One consists of three broad and sweeping clauses:
I read The Washington Post’s August 28, 2023 print edition news story concerning Fox News’ published online digital news story (a month prior) that claimed a fallen Marine’s family had to cover the $60,000 cost of transporting her remains home. This story was not true. Her family did not incur any financial cost. U.S. Marine Corps challenged the Fox News online story. Fox News said it apologized to the family for its “erroneous article”, and then Fox simply .... removed ..... the online published digital story ..... and then..... did nothing. No retraction story or correction story was published. No apology was published to their online readers. The false story was simply Unpublished.
Unpublishing The (Online) News is a frightening fact. The ability to easily and immediately do a “un-do” or “re-do” encourages a carelessly lazy approach to (online) reporting. The ability to erase a false story from sight does not erase the falsehood from the minds of innumerable online readers who carry that story forward. And, please note: erasing is not a retraction.
I wonder what the current percentage is for unpublishing online news? Probably high. There’s no downside for doing that. I wonder what the current percentage is for online news organizations to post retraction, correction, or apology stories? Probably low, as the downside for admitting mistakes - caused by your not reporting and/or editing responsibly - is quite high. Your reputation, which directly relates to income loss or gain, can be damaged. And competitive online news organizations too often scramble to be the first to publish in order to build that reputation, working furiously to beat out others and claiming ‘wins’ by posting first, literally by minutes. And, why care if what’s hastily and prematurely published has an error, or two, or isn’t true at all? Just go in and edit it later, or unpublish it.
Unpublishing the online news is a serious threat to the Freedom of the Press. In the physical print world - what I dub “Forever In Print: Professional Reporters And Editors At Work” a published newspaper on newsprint - if an error does publish, a retraction or corrected story along with an apology is expected in the next physically published edition after said error is discovered. Physically printed news has a far greater standard for accuracy than online news publications. Once a newspaper prints, it is there, forever, in print. There’s a copy out there somewhere ready to be read, again. Libel and slander are far easier to prove in a court of law if the proof is physically in the hands of the libeled and slandered. Yes, we in the newspaper print industry take the utmost care in reporting and editing.
Thank you, thank you to new and renewing subscribers!: The StarNews subscription drive continues! Inotice that the “Two Years for $35” is our most popular choice for new and renewing subscribers. I extend heartfelt appreciation! Some of you I mention here today: Denise Shackleford, Evelyn Green, Carter Graff, Daniel Denney, Lois Ebensberger (thank you for your note!), Jean Wright, The Whitesburg Public Library, Bruce Lyon, Sharon Tisinger, Mary Watson, Bianca Forber, Dan H. Williams, Jackie Pate, Ann Crowell (thank you for the kinds words, Mrs. Crowell), Larry Baswell, Randa Harris, Betty Jane and Roger Landers (thank you for the nice note and encouragement, Mr. and Mrs. Landers), Virginia Kendricks, Frank Jones, James Oakes, Robert Lyle, E.A. Head, Gary Castleberry, Bob Rhodes, James C. Williams, Nancy Parker (thank you so much for the compliments!)and Shirley Spannknebel - out of space to mention others - THANK YOU! Please subscribe to support the only locally owned and operated newspaper in Carroll County,Georgia. With this edition, the StarNews masthead includes a new tagline (slogan): “AFREEINDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IS VITAL TO A FREE COUNTRY”. Yes, it is. To subscribe, see mail-in box on Page 24.
Matthew SpaldingDirector of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation
The 14th Amendment of the Constitution appears frequently in political talking points on issues that are far away from the original intent, like the right to privacy, abortion, voter discrimination, gender affirmation, and even the national debt. Section Three may even be used in the near future to keep the Republican Presidential frontrunner out of the 2024 election. However, only looking
at Section One of the five sections today.
Any legislation that is broad and sweeping needs to be evaluated in the context of the historical setting and comments by the original authors. After the Civil War (I may address that title later) and the ratification of the 13th Amendment, some southern states had yet to recognize black Americans as citizens. Southern constructs such as the “Black Codes,” “Jim Crow Laws,” and “agrancy Laws” were meant to keep black Americans enslaved in everything but
1. The Privileges and Immunity Clause: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.
2. The Due Process Clause: “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...”
3. The Equal Protection Clause:
See TRAVIS PITTMAN page 23
Here are a few items from the “what you likely didn’t see in ‘the news’” file from someone who studies immigration related matters and the organized crime of illegal immigration every day.
It seems New York City public schools don’t know what the plan is from Biden’s Department of Education Plan to handle nearly twenty thousand “migrant” children. Apparently, there are about that many kids in temporary housing who are enrolled in the city school systemthe overwhelming majority of whom are ‘asylum seekers.’ Most have no vaccination records.
It’s a view of what’s coming all over the country. Public school systems in America are about to experience the cost of Biden’s open borders, after the arrival in the last few months of hundreds of thousands of migrants with kids and unaccompanied minors allowed to cross the border with Biden’s illegal parole.
D.A.
KING
PRESIDENT The Dustin Inman Society 404-316-6712
Providing classrooms, lunches, aides, and services will require a plan. And it looks like there is no planmerely blind power driving the open borders agenda to fill the country with future Democrat voters. By the way, the oft-used term ‘asylum seekers’ was concocted by the left to avoid use of the term “illegal alien”same for “migrants.”
The topic of schools and illegal immigration brings to mind the latest “school choice” bill (SB233) pending in the Georgia House. The language of the bill does not exclude illegal alien “parents” from filing an application or participating in the administra-
tion of the proposed new state grant. Most conservative Georgians do not want illegal aliens to be able to apply for any non-federally mandated benefit, direct the destination of state funds, be reimbursed for out-ofpocket expenses, or serve on a “parent review” committee that would judge eligible expenses. Readers may want to ask about it.
August statistics from the Georgia Department of Corrections tell us that there are 1547 “criminal illegals” with ICE detainers in the state prison system: 181 of them are there for murder in Georgia; 166 are there because they were convicted of rape in Georgia; and 348 for child molestation in Georgia. See the entire list at NewDustinInmanSociety.org. Not all of the illegal aliens in the system have detainers.
For the curious, my friends at the respected immigration sanity group NumbersUSA in Washington have a
See D.A.KING page 23
PRESIDENT American Tort Reform Association
GASTATE DIRECTOR
National Federation of Independent Business
Governor Brian Kemp announced recently that legal reform will be a top priority of his administration moving forward. The governor astutely pointed to the ease of filing abusive lawsuits causing insurance premiums to surge. This shift burdens
hardworking Georgians and threatens the state’s economic well-being.
Kemp’s announcement is a welcome step, considering the alarming trajectory that’s led Georgia to earn the undesirable title of the number one ‘judicial hellhole’ in the nation for the first time.
Georgia’s been on the American Tort Reform Foundation’s annual list since 2019, but catapulted to the top after a jarring $1.7 billion verdict against Ford Motor Company last year.
Georgia in personal injury and wrongful death cases, totaling more than $3 billion.
The Ford Motor Company case is a stark reminder of how antiquated laws can tip the scales of justice.
nuclear verdicts were reported in Georgia in personal injury and wrongful death cases, totaling more than $3 billion.. . .The Ford Motor Company case is a stark reminder of how antiquated laws can tip the scales of justice.
Ethically questionable events marred the entire trial, while a dated Georgia law restricted the jury from accessing crucial evidence – including the fact that seatbelts weren’t worn properly.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident. Rather, it’s emblematic of a larger trend toward high-dollar, “nuclear” verdicts – those exceeding $10 million – occurring more frequently. From 2010 to 2019, 53 nuclear verdicts were reported in
In a separate case last year, the Georgia Supreme Court still refused to repeal the law, saying it was a matter for the Legislature to address.
However, the legislative response has been far from satisfactory. Despite the escalating need for legal
See NEED LEGISLATION page 22
“Unpublishing The
News” versus “Forever In Print: Professional Reporters And Editors At Work”
“Not
SUSAN M. HORN EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Duanehack46@gmail.com 470-370-2452
A little more than halfway through 2022, a Federal Appeals Court allowed a new Georgia law to take effect that was proposed and presented to reduce the number of abortion in the state to be cut in half. HB 481, “The Heartbeat Bill”, is a six-week abortion ban, except in certain situations. Physicians practicing medicine in the State of Georgia would be prohibited from offering abortion services to pregnant women if a “fetal heartbeat” is present, which typically occurs in the 6th week of pregnancy.
According to obstetrics specialists, at about 6 weeks of gestation, the embryo has a tiny tube
digi@mindspring.com
Adam Smith, the “father of modern Capitalism”, and David Hume, arguably the greatest philosopher of the Enlightenment, were life-long friends. When Hume was about to die, he asked Smith to be his literary executor and no one else. I’m almost done reading a book that describes that friendship.
According to this book, “The Infidel and the Professor” (Hume is the Infidel) it was during their lifetimes that the Scottish university system transformed itself from a status of obscurity to that of being the best in the world. (Incidentally, to my mind, this unique achievement also relates to the writing that is in the PBS
that will eventually become part of the heart. The tube starts to flutter at about 6 weeks and modern ultrasound machines augment the flutter and both doctors and patients have the ability to recognize the sound in this early stage of the development of the heart.
The exceptions to that law are rape and incest, which were never part of Georgia Law in the past, and represent less than 1% of all recorded pregnancies in Georgia.
Despite having HB 481 now part of Georgia Law, the latest reports released from Georgia’s Department of Health (DPH) are eye-opening.
The number of abortions in 2022 that occurred on Georgia residents TICKED UP for the 5th consecutive year! This bill was highly acclaimed as reducing abortions. Why has the number of abortion increased for the 5th year in a row after the enforcement began in the state once the physician can detect cardiac activity?!
Recently released records by DPH shows 35,401 abortions were performed on Georgia
comedy series, “Hamish Macbeth”, for in each case there is a very very strong sense of community and attendant wisdom...but I digress! My apologies.)
About two weeks before Hume died, he received a visitor, the great essayist and fellow Scotsman, James Boswell. Boswell and Hume both lived in Edinburgh. But, they were not close friends, probably because Boswell, who represented the traditional society of Scotland, particularly the religious side, had often written with contempt for those new philosophical ideas that allowed for religious doubt, skepticism, even atheism, and Hume had been of that persuasion. So why did Boswell want to visit the dying David Hume? Today, we are likely to answer that question with something like “... he did it out of morbid curiosity”, but Boswell was driven by an interesting reason.
Boswell had heard that Hume, who, instead of anticipating and even dreading the moment when he’d meet his Maker, as all Christians did, was quietly reading, studying and having friends visit him for a last time. Such behavior
River Rambles
syllabil17@aol.com
Getting to know the Chattahoochee River through these River Rambles has opened my eyes to the lives of all rivers. So I would be remiss in not writing this month about the rivers of Albania (that’s not a typo; I mean Albania, not Albany), which I had the great good fortune to visit for the month of July.
Occupying a southwest corner of the Balkan peninsula, Albania is bordered to the south by Greece, to the east by Macedonia, to the north by Kosova and Montenegro, and along its western coast by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, which belong to the greater Mediterranean Sea.
A steep, mountainous country (in Albania you are always walking either up or down), with ranges plunging directly into the sea, Albania lies on the boundary of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. Only slightly larger than the state of Maryland, it has a population
residents in 2022, a rate 10.4 abortion per 1,000 females between the ages of 15 and 55.
That is 416 more abortions than the previous year’s recordings of 2021, which were 34,988 per DPH. The is an increase from the 2021 numbers of 10.3 per 1,000 females, or 1.1% increase over 2021! In addition, the number of abortions Georgians received in other states jumped from 287 in 2021 to 4,604 in 2022, a 6% increase!
The numbers are shared between states though a national agreement, but since it is not required, not all states participate - meaning the actual numbers ARE LIKELY HIGHER than reported! An example, the Atlanta Constitution has reported that a number of Georgia residents travel to Florida to get abortions, which have less restrictive laws than Georgia, but Florida does not share data with other states.
Planned Parenthood and other abortions facilities in both Columbus, GA and Augusta, GA are setting appointment and abortion records at their respective facilities. Why
was shocking and Boswell took it upon himself to verify. His observations during that visit were soon written and recorded so that other Christians could have confirmation of the rumor. According to Boswell, the non-believer Hume was calm and of good spirit.
Soon after Hume’s death, Adam Smith published a eulogy for his friend which unleashed a storm of reactions from various Christian writers. This lasted for years, and typically Adam Smith was the object of that vitriol, probably payback for the eulogy.
would that be? Because like Georgians who are traveling to less restrictive states for abortions, our neighboring states, SC and AL, who have more restrictive laws concerning abortions, are flocking to Columbus, GA (from AL) and Augusta, GA (from SC) for their abortion procedures.
So, did HB 481 deliver to the message we all heard from its’ authors and legislators that supported the Bill? That HB 481 would reduce and be a path to eliminating abortions in Georgia? You make the call. I don’t think so! But there is a silver lining to HB 481 that we must not overlook. The “Heartbeat Bill” did change Georgia laws’ definition of “Natural Person” to now include “babies in the womb.” This change now recognizes Personhood at the moment of fertilization. This has been a goal of Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) since its inception in the early 1970s and West Georgia Right to Life (WGRTL) since we became a Chapter here in West Georgia almost 20 years ago. The
See DUANEHACK page 22
the foundation for any social discourse. It makes me wonder if the great achievement of the Scottish universities, mentioned earlier, was also a product of such a society.
His observations during that visit were soon written and recorded so that other Christians could have confirmation of the rumor. . . non-believer Hume was calm and of good spirit. Soon after Hume’s death, Adam Smith published a eulogy for his friend which unleashed a storm of reactions from various Christian writers.
The text and author’s notes for this episode are very engaging, especially because neither side, Christian or agnostic, presented ignorant or unreasonable arguments. It seems that at least on some level of society, reason and reasonableness were part of
It’s worth mentioning, that Hume had been permanently rejected for faculty status by the university system early in his life, because of his views on religion. But that rejection did not cost him from becoming one of the greatest philosophers, recognized and praised, both at home and abroad, sought after by such people as our own Benjamin Franklin and France’s Voltaire. Franklin and his son were Hume’s house guests, at least twice. Voltaire hosted Hume for several months.
See BILL BOURIS page 22
of about 4 million (they think; the country has remote highlands where the census still does not reach).
For this traveler, wild Albania will always be remembered as a land of blues: A cloudless cerulean sky, a wash of shimmering mist at its watery hem; a vast sea painted with an astonishing palette of indigo, cobalt, aquamarine, turquoise, slate-blue, and a pale iridescent azure, each vibrant hue responding to the depth of the water, the sunlight, and the wind; and of course the rivers, which are also, amazingly, many shades of blue. The land is, in fact, crisscrossed by rivers which flow from the high mountains through steep gorges before making their way through the plains to the sea.
The rivers I saw varied from a soft baby-blue in the rushing streams of the north to shades of peacock in the narrow river gorges to a sizzling neon aqua in a geologic phenomenon known as the Blue Eye. There are two Blue Eyes in Albania, north and south; the one we visited was in the south, not far from where we were staying in the coastal town of Qeparo (CHUHpar-oh). A popular tourist draw, the Blue Eye can be reached by a drive off the main road through forested countryside for several wisting miles before arriving at a parking lot and gate. Then follows a long (but completely worth it)
walk to the wondrous underground spring set in thick woods. Here, frigid water shoots up powerfully through a pool so deep – more than 45 meters [147 feet] below the surface – its bottom has never been reached nor fully explored.
At the surface, the pool assumes a curious shape, lapis lazuli at its center with electric sapphire encircling it, like the pupil and iris of an eye. Oaks and oleander grow on the banks, fringing the pool and the streams that emanate from it. Further on, there’s a place to swim in the freezingly cold water where the fast current, buoyed by the momentum of the Blue Eye underwater fount, will carry you along its shallow channel. The day we were there was very hot, and though my feet turned instantly to blocks of ice, the temperature and swiftness of the water were startling and refreshing.
Weeks later, traveling to Thethi, the main outpost of the northern Albanian Alps, we took a ferry down Lake Komani, a narrow serpentine aterbody set between sheer cliffs whose stone feet dangle in the water and within the dark caves brooding at the base of the rock. The ride boasts of breathtakingly high waterfalls, but that day, between the heat and the drought, the falls were dry. The water of Komani is a deep luminous jade. On a side trip up the Shala River, we were also dazzled by the
diaphonous teal of those sparkled waters. Here golden eagles soared above the crags, a sight we’d been waiting for, since the Albanian people themselves call their country Shiperia (SHIP-ah-REE-ah, phoneticly translated from the Albanian word Shqitje), meaning “Land of Eagles.”
Though I diligently sought an explanation for why the water of Albania has such a pleasingly blue array, no one answer alone sufficed. Some believe a bedrock of limestone, particularly in the elevated north, contributes to the color. Others maintain that the clarity of the icy waters rising from deep aquifers in the remote, largely unpeopled mountains is free of the usual obscuring factors so familiar to us here –hydroelectric dams, wastewater, commerce, and human recreation. Still others simply smile and throw up their hands to exclaim, “That’s Shqitje!” I prefer the latter explanation.
Today, many of Albania’s rivers, especially those that flow through the plains, have been tamed to bring electricity to its people. Yet there remains a purity and a magic – some ineffable confluence of latitude, light, and land – that render the water and the rivers unforgettably blue, drenching the soul in the cold clear mysterious pool of an Albanian Blue Eye.
“The Infidel and the Professor”: ‘age’ appropriate
also struggling. 2023: Now at age 29, he has cycled through Georgia’s criminal justice system from 2015 through his recent last release from jail. It is only a matter of time before he gets arrested again. He is not alone in his cyclical situation.
age, to staff and maintain the prisons and provide all prison services, according to a 2015 report by the Vera Institute of Justice. Why are we not putting at least half of this money toward the treatment of the mentally ill.
Owens said, “From intake to discharge, we are committed to getting our detainees the help they need so they never have to walk back through our doors again.”
“At this time, it really got us thinking: How is it this person has come to jail to get active for (mental health) services?” - Sheriff
Ray Scifres - Hockley County, Texas
West Georgia 2018: A client, who has a dual diagnosis of mental illness and addiction, would like to stop using cocaine. He also needs help with some of the other issues that feed into why he uses this drug and others. He has schizophrenia and other serious mental health disorders. He also has untreated autism that he has struggled with his whole life. He learns in a non-verbal way. His psychiatric care takes place in jail or prison. The crowded environment makes his condition worse. He is so ashamed about his situation that he leaves his son with family rather than a mother who is
Jails / Mental Health Facilities: Georgia has 159 counties. I would bet that all 159 sheriffs would agree that jails should not be mental health institutions. Jails are for punishment and pre-trial detention; not mental health care. The Fulton County jail’s former medical administrator, George Herron, estimated that as many as 60 to 80% of people incarcerated in the county’s jail system suffer from psychiatric disabilities, leading him to characterize the Fulton County Jail as “the new mental health hospital.”
The Fulton County Jail is called Georgia’s largest de facto mental health facility because of the high prevalence of mentally ill detainees. Often, they have no place else to go until a crime is committed.
Cost of Incarceration: One way to calculate the average cost per inmate is to take the total state spending on prisons and divide it by the average daily prison population. Georgia spends over $20,000 on each inmate annually, on aver-
The Future: November, 2022. House Speaker David Ralston is close to passing away. Before he does, he knows that he was a major driving force behind the bipartisan push to address mental health shortages in Georgia. He recognizes that mental health issues affect almost every family in Georgia when he sponsored HB 1013, which passed with unanimous bipartisan support. “Mental health intersects with public safety,” Ralston said. “It drains our economy of productivity. At its most basic level, it allows hopelessness to win the battle for the future and bring pain to those who are left to suffer the consequences.”
Another conservative, Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens, has taken action. He knows that many of the detainees in his facility would not be jailed if they had access to quality mental health services. Last November, the jail added a full time psychiatrist and nurses trained in behavioral health to the detention center’s staff. Cobb’s jail is the first in the state to do so.
Mental Health Courts: Governor Deal’s main legacy is changing the criminal justice; particularly with establishing accountability courts. Most counties have a mental health court. These courts accept mentally ill defendants and monitor their drug screens, medications levels, and provide many more services that reduce the costly recidivism rate.
Georgia is awakening to the financial, public safety and humanity aspects of keeping the mentally ill in jails/prisons. Centuries show that it just does not work. When released, an untreated person with mental health problems will end up in jail again. It is just a matter of time. The good news is that the mental health courts are achieving success. This shows that the visions of Governor Deal and Speaker Ralston are coming to fruition.
Georgians have not yet seen a challenge that we cannot overcome. While progress might be slow, our state will soon lead the country in how to deal with mentally ill people in a way that protects everyone.
Utilizing the arts as a key foundational element in education is more critical today than ever before. In fact, it is the magic ingredient! In an everchanging climate of innovation and technology, educational systems are expected to focus on life skillsets, as well as, mastery of content. It can be a struggle to keep up with the growing demands of skillsets needed in the workforce today if we continue with traditional methods of instruction. According to the Department of Labor the number one reason people are unemployable or unable to keep
employment is due to the lack of soft skills and the ability to problem solve. Utilizing arts programming as a vehicle for instruction can provide the solution for addressing both weak areas in our schools. According to Susan Sclafani, US Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education in the US Department of Education, “Our old factory model of school won’t prepare young people for employment that expects them not only to have a positive work ethic, to get to work on time, to be there and do what’s right - but also to be analytical, to be problem solvers, to use technology and be able to communicate in oral and written form.” Strategic and effective arts programming can serve as the vehicle to teach soft skills, problem solving, and other much needed skills to be today’s innovator in tomorrow’s workforce.
Stating what some would consider to be the obvious is necessary when writing an article on the importance of arts in education. That being
I took 9 year old Dominic and 7 year old DeMario, my great-nephews, to Fernbank Museum of Natural History - on reptile day. We entered the exhibit hall and I secured our places in the long, winding line. Wide-eyed and animated, the boys, like the other children, could barely contain their excitement.
the link between data and improved academic performance. A recent report by the Arts Education Partnership revealed that students exposed to the arts are more often proficient in reading, writing, and math. Researchers used this data to look at the positive impact of the arts on academic performance. In 2016 the Guggenheim Museum conducted a study on art education, and it revealed a link between arts education and literacy skills. Soon after, The Center for Arts Education published a report linking arts programming to improved graduation rates.
Through the exploration of music, dance, theatre, painting, sculpting, and designing students utilize their creative mind to engage their analytical mind. Utilizing the arts as a vehicle for academic instruction allows the student to create, analyze, make meaning and connections - then re-create, analyze, make meaning and connections - repeat. In doing so they arrive at this special place of understanding
persistent. He didn’t know it, but I understood that I was being challenged. Again.
It was me, myself and I vs. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And my team was losing.
“I’m scared.” “How can you encourage them to do something that you won’t do?”
“But I’m really scared.” “Be the example.”
where learned information is retained through an experience.
Many art forms require collaboration to arrive at a final product. The participants work together, share responsibility, negotiate, compromise, and learn various leadership skills through the process of creation. For example, if mounting a spring musical is the vehicle for collaboration, the producer, stage director, musical director, and design team members will all need to collaborate effectively to produce a successful musical production. The team members will be expected to contribute expertise, share concepts/ideas, meet timelines and deadlines, produce product in their given area, and release ownership over some of their “good” ideas and adopt someone else’s “better” ideas for the greater good of the production. They will receive positive and negative feedback from their peers in an effort to improve, outcomes will be measured for suc-
See PATRICK YURAN page 22
Maybe I was four.
I was definitely no older than five.
I was youthful. And unsuspecting.
From the yard, I had crossed the carport and opened the screen door. As I popped into the house, I announced, “There’s a big worm out there.” My family, either curious or suspicious, moved toward the door. Looking out, their intrigue turned to intensity. Mama may have screamed. Daddy definitely scurried. Turns out that it was no big worm at all; it was actually a big snake and it was lying right in front of our side door. Oblivious to any potential threat, in my innocence and naiveté, I had stepped right over it to get into the house. I don’t know; maybe it was then and there that I learned to be afraid of snakes. They call it ophidiophobia.
But despite this fear, a couple of months ago
We passed the lizards. We admired the tortoises. Dominic ooohed and DeMario aaahed as we came to case after case of snake after snake, each one appearing bigger than the last. And then we reached the python. This one, unlike the other reptiles, was uncaged and slithering in the hands of its handler. The handler invited the boys to touch it. I stepped back, but encouraged them forward. “They’re boys,” I thought. “They’re little men. They shouldn’t be afraid.” Unnerved, the boys reached out and grasped the python.
Then the handler looked squarely at me. I looked warily back at him. And I knew.
“You should touch it too,” he said. “No, I shouldn’t,” I countered. “Come on,” he continued. I mentally noted that I hadn’t heard him urge anyone else this way. He’d let aaaallllll of the other families just keep on going. Pet and pass. Pet and pass. Until us. He just kept on pressing. It wasn’t obnoxious or pushy, just
“It’s scary looking.” “Let them see you do it scared.”
“I can’t do it.” “Teach them about fear.”
And so then, with a final “Yes, God,” I forfeited. I stepped up to the table beside the boys and reached for the snake. Nerved, I put my hand around the python. And I kept it there.
When we proceeded to move down the line, on to the next, the lady behind us stopped me to get my number. She had taken a picture and wanted to send it to me. “I couldn’t have done it,” she exclaimed. “You must have touched a snake before.” “No,” I said. “I haven’t.” Shocked, she said, “You’re so brave.” And with that, my phone pinged, signaling the delivery of the pictures. Little did she know that in my reluctant obedience, I didn’t feel brave at all.
A couple of hours later, over ice cream in the café, the boys and I talked about conquering fear. But it wasn’t until the next day, as I talked
to DeMario’s father, that I realized the power of the moment and the significance of the day. DeMario waited patiently and listened intently as I told his dad about our adventure. And when I finished, he boldly added, “And you conquered your fear!” And with that one exclamation, I realized that I hadn’t lost at all; it had most definitely been a win-win day.
Now, the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they
See REWA PRESSLEY page 25
reform, the General Assembly failed to pass a seatbelt evidence admissibility bill and remains relatively stagnant on this front, leaving their constituents to grapple with the consequences of lawsuit abuse.
Georgia’s annual “tort tax” of $1,213 per person and the loss of nearly 124,000 jobs each year to excessive tort costs harshly illuminate the severity of the situation.
Premises liability cases have witnessed exorbitantly high verdicts, particularly in lawsuits blaming and holding businesses liable for the criminal conduct of others on their property. A June ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court underscored the gravity of this issue. The case involved CVS Pharmacy and a plaintiff, who was not a customer, who was shot during a criminal act in CVS’s parking lot. The verdict extended the scope of liability for property owners by embracing an overly broad test for “foreseeability.” The court’s decision means juries must now evaluate the “totality of circumstances relevant to the premises.” This new standard raises concerns about expanding liability to crimes occurring even near the premises and is likely to disproportionately impact small busi-
BILL BOURIS from page 20
ness owners operating in high-crime areas. Unfortunately, the repercussions of these decisions directly reverberate in the lives of
Georgia’s vulnerability is further exacerbated by third-party litigation financing. . . provide loans to plaintiffs in personal injury suits in exchange for a percentage of their awards.
back mass torts litigation or provide loans to plaintiffs in for a percentage of their awards. These thirdparty groups have a clear financial stake in the outcomes of litigation they’re investing in, yet aren’t required to disclose their involvement. This means potentially exploitative financing ventures are permitted to operate with no regulatory oversight.
Regrettably, practice in the legal system the General Assembly has failed to address.
Governor Kemp’s perilous path is commendable, and his initiative deserves our support. Yet, the responsibility to foster change doesn’t rest solely on his
shoulders. State legislators in Wisconsin and West Virginia recently required disclosure of consumer litigation financing while Florida
practices of some plaintiff’s lawyers who seek to abuse the system.
As the gateway to change opens with commitment, the General Assembly will need to take bold steps, bearing in mind that justice is not a privilege for the let’s forge a legal landscape that makes equitable access to justice a
But, those were the days of the Age of Enlightenment (1700s). Today, a dear one’s dying is just as significant as in the past. It is also true, our understanding of human nature is such that most of us do not attach the same kind
DUANEHACK from page 20
Bill also expands Personhood for preborn babies by extending Georgia state income tax exemptions for dependents to “babies in the womb!”
Georgia is the first state in the nation to have accomplished these additions to law through the Heartbeat Bill. We are thankful for these steps in recognizing the babe in the womb as a person, but that’s not enough! We must continue to be advocates and mandate that the babe in the womb, who is now recognized as a person, should have the same right to life as you and I have come to enjoy! All lives matter, both born and unborn.
PATRICK YURAN from page 21
According to Albert Einstein, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
cess, and future work on musical productions will be dependent upon the overall success of their contributions to the creative team on the current musical production. Sound familiar… This process is not unlike most leadership teams in the professional arena. The soft skills and problem-solving abilities needed to serve on a top performing leadership team in a professional setting are the same. The above description of mounting a musical production is similar to many other collaborative settings in the arts arena.
The arts in general provide us with the magic ingredient necessary to develop many academic and professional skills needed to be successful in the world today. Research shows that arts programming in schools improves academic performance and creates a collaborative environment similar to many professional settings. In short, education without art is simply school. Art is education. According to Albert Einstein, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
of importance to the behavior and thoughts of a dying person as did people like James Boswell, David Hume, and Adam Smith. Unlike those individuals, we do not easily assume that the dying must behave one way or another. We live in a different Age.
And, having lived through the Industrial Age and being well into the Information Age, our society is giving our children the problems of this Age to solve. After all, none of us has escaped the influence of the work of computer programmers. One might say, if you will excuse the pun: Programming is appropriate.
As for Scotland, like I mentioned earlier, tune in on “Hamish Macbeth”. To my delight, I have found an entertaining and comical version of the remnants of that Scottish Age of Enlightenment!
"Nobody is talking about repealing the 14th Amendment, or taking away anyone's citizenship. Nor must we amend the Constitution. But the court needs to clarify the extent of birthright citizenship. It should do so as a part of a clear and meaningful policy concerning immigration, naturalization, and citizenship that is consistent with the core principles and highest ideals of the United States."
Matthew Spalding Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation
D.A.KING from page 19
terrific article up that addresses the alleged “worker shortage.” The headline should create more curiosity: “Industries crying about labor shortages keep getting busted suppressing wages.” I hope you will read it at NumbersUSA.com.
From the “Babel, Tower of” department: It’s not on the list yet, but the Georgia Department of Driver Services is moving forward with adding Dari to the list of languages offered for the drivers license test. It’s part of the “number one for business” agenda. Currently, the road rules part of the knowledge exam is available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean,
TRAVIS PITTMAN from page 19
The portion of the first clause that says “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is the fork in the road for the political left and right. The immigration picture in 1866 was far away from the present-day situation, several laws have been passed to clarify, and court decisions made reflecting the historical meaning of the phrase. The emancipation of blacks was the issue at the time. Immigration was uncontrolled since settlers were needed to make American expansion possible. The original understanding referred to political and national allegiance. The author of the original provision, Jacob Merritt Howard of Michigan, pointed out that the jurisdiction language “will not of course, include foreigners.”
In 1898, the Supreme Court expanded the
Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese. And English. Dari, also known as Dari Persian, is a variation of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. By the way, remember the nervous thrill on your way to the DDS office to take the driving test to get your driver’s license when you were in in high school? When Koreans who have a Korean driver’s license move here, they are not required to take the DDS road test. We allow Korea to tell us they are qualified to drive on Georgia’s roads and interstates. It’s good for business. (I hope you are not missing my sarcasm.)
Here is a headline from Florida regarding the effects of the illegal immigration bill Gov. DeSantis signed there: “Migrants leave Fla.
constitutional mandate, holding that the children of legal, permanent residents were automatically citizens. The court has never held that the clause gives citizenship to children of temporary visitors, much less of illegal residents.
due to new immigration law.” The sub-headline could easily be “Enforcement works!”
Georgia Republicans should insist Governor Kemp enforce similar laws already in place here. A note for anyone who may want to donate to a well-connected, Democrat-tied, anti-enforcement lobbying group this month. The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials Inc. (GALEO) is celebrating their twentieth anniversary of activism this month.
GALEO was founded by former Georgia senator Sam Zamarripa in 2003 and has been operated by former Democrat fundraiser Jerry Gonzalez since then. Zamarripa is known for being one of the pioneer bankers in granting mortgage loans to illegal aliens through use of the ITIN issued to illegals by the IRS. That was before his United Americas Bank was closed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was named Receiver.
Gonzalez has a long history under the Gold
Dome of lobbying against immigration enforcement bills. But he may be best known by in-the-loop conservatives with long memories for angrily screaming at the diminutive Rep Katie Dempsey (R- Rome) at a panel discussion on use of the E-Verify system before security escorted him out of Rome’s Coosa Country Club. Gonzalez is vehemently against use of E-Verify. Voter ID, too.
Using the logic of the left, the Due Process Clause would have us give rights to visiting Saudi parents who procreated the Taliban fighter Yasir Hamadi, captured when fighting U.S. soldiers 20 years later in Afghanistan.
The Equal Protection Clause’s broad interpretations have been numerous, giving us the “Right to Privacy,” abortion on demand, and gender identity policies.
The broad nature of the 14th Amendment should give us pause. As seen in Roe v. Wade and other court decisions, the language can be interpreted to give the federal government vast powers never intended by the framers. The solution is at the beginning of this article: Mathew Spalding’s quote.
Lawn
Proven Conservative Leadership Re-Elect JIM WATTERS Carrollton City Council • Carrollton Resident Since 1976 • Carrollton High School Graduate 1987 • B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology - Kennesaw State University • MBA - University of West Georgia • Ward 3 Councilmember Since 2012 12 YEARS OF KEEP CARROLLTON SAFE. VIBRANT. PROSPEROUS. NOVEMBER 7 VOTE Lake Carroll
“This is about people being able to afford groceries, this is about them being able to afford to go to work. This is about, if they blow a tire, can they af ford $30.00 for another used tire? Because they’re not buying four tires at a time.
Board Member Dr. Bernice Brooks stated that she had three points she wanted to stress, “First, inflation is driving citizens out of their homes; second, student/teacher ratios will impact how we keep teachers, regardless of the benefits they have; and lastly, “I want us to envision the future… we need SPLOST. If that were to go away, what are we going to do?
“For us, the big picture is we’re humans first, and we’re supposed to care and love on each other, and if we’re going to educate the children correctly, we need to also make sure
All Carroll EMC offices will be closed Wednesday, September 13, for employee training. During this time, make payments at the kiosks, through the automated phone payment system (770-832-3552), online at carrollemc.com or via the free Carroll EMC mobile app. To report a power outage, call 770832-3552 (Option 1) or report it online at carrollemc.com or through the Outage Pal app.
realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. -Genesis 3:1-10 NIV
Eve. She was youthful and unsuspecting too. The only voices that she’d likely ever heard were God’s, Adam’s and her own. Imagine her surprise as the serpent began to talk to her, as it began to speak her language. Innocent and naïve, she would have had no concept of deception. She had no idea that the serpent’s speech was venomous, that its lies were poison to her body, to her soul, and to her spirit. She had no idea that disobedience to God’s truth was death. Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” -Genesis 3:13-15 NIV
Before setting out on a hike recently, the guide said something to the group that, because I was preparing my heart for this post at the time, really struck me. Simple yet sage, he said, “Snakes don’t strike unless they feel threatened. They’re more afraid of us.” And there in the mountains, I thought back to the Garden. What did mankind possess that threatened the serpent? And then, as my mind wandered back to the mountains, I wondered, “What do I possess that makes Satan afraid of me?”
that what’s happening at home doesn’t make the situation worse. It’s not enough just to say what are the needs of the learner. It’s what’s going to happen in the household of that learner if we don’t take this into consideration,” said Shunn Board Member Dr. Bernice Brooks stated that she had three points she wanted to stress, “First, inflation is driving citizens out of their homes; second, student/teacher ratios will impact how we keep teachers, regardless of the benefits they have; and lastly, “I want us to envision the future…when it comes time for SPLOST, if we don’t look at this thing from a different perspective…we need SPLOST. If that were to go away, what are we going to do? . . We need to look at the future when it comes to SPLOST.”
The 2nd Public Hearing was held the same day that evening, where Jennifer Shunn spoke again; no one else spoke.
The 3rd Public Hearing was held August 21st, after which the board took a vote. Vote was approved to lower the millage rate to 17.0 mils.
life like an uninvited guest? Or is it a frequent visitor to your home? Does it often lie in wait at the door of your heart?
It’s been over 40 years since my daddy killed that snake at our doorstep. I don’t remember what he used to kill it, but frankly, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that he loved his family enough to eliminate what threatened us and our home. What matters is that he protected us.
So often, as Christians, we’re either in agreement with or intimidated by the serpent. There are many times when the enemy’s voice sounds strikingly familiar - it has the pitch and timbre of my own. The language of timidity, anxiety, worry and dread are not foreign; I can speak them fluently.
So often, as Christians, we’re either in agreement with or intimidated by the serpent. There are many times when the enemy’s voice sounds strikingly familiar - it has the pitch and timbre of my own. The language of timidity, anxiety, worry and dread are not foreign; I can speak them fluently. As one pastor said it, “Sometimes the enemy is the inner me.”
I can be my own worst enemy. It’s kind of ironic that I naturally recoil when I see stories of violence or loss on the evening news, where the activity of the serpent is so obvious; but then I allow the hiss of a negative thought or untruth to burrow in my mind. I pet and ponder.
What about you? Does fear show up in your
It’s been over 2000 years since God, Abba Father, eliminated the threat to His children. Using the wood of Calvary, Jesus’s bruised heel indeed crushed satan’s head, just like Genesis promised us that it would. And the Cross? That does matter. Because of it, by it, we are protected.
But if that wasn’t enough, in Luke 10:19 ESV (emphasis added) Jesus says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” To tread means “to trample; to crush with the feet; to advance by setting foot upon; to pressure with the foot.”
So today, I’m here to encourage you to stop tiptoeing and to start treading. If you feel like everything that can go wrong is going wrong, then tread. Or if it seems like you’re being attacked from every side, then tread. Tread like your life depends on it, because it does. And not just yours, but your family’s as well.
So, how do we do that exactly? How do we tread? By giving, loving, sharing, encouraging, inspiring, listening, caring, praying, praising, believing. By obeying God. By walking in truth. By being the light. By realizing that what God does in us and what He produces through us has the power to intimidate darkness.
Do I plan on petting anymore pythons?
That’d be a hard no. But I can say that instead of fear gripping me, for once, I gripped it. And I’ve learned that sometimes conquering fear is for you, so you can know that you can do it. Other times, it’s for other people, so that when they see you do it, they feel empowered to do it too. Be brave. You’re more than a conqueror.
If you own a small business or are selfemployed, you’ve always got plenty to do, but you can’t forget about the days when you’ll be less busy, that is, when you’re retired. How can you prepare for that time of
your life? One key step is establishing a retirement plan for your business or yourself. And thanks to the 2022 SECURE 2.0 Act, you can now receive tax credits for opening and administering a 401(k), SEP-IRA or SIMPLE IRA. These aren’t the only plans available for small businesses or sole pro- prietors, but they are among the most popular. Let’s look at each of them:
• 401(k) – A 401(k) offers several key benefits: First, any earnings growth is tax deferred, and your contributions can be tax
deductible. (Taxes are due upon withdrawal, and withdrawals prior to age 59 12 may be subject to a 10% penalty.)
If you choose a Roth 401(k), your contributions aren’t deductible, but your earnings and withdrawals will be tax free, provided you meet certain conditions. And a 401(k) offers a variety of investment options.
If you have workers, you’ll need to consider whether to offer matching contributions, which are tax deductible to you, up to the limit of 25% of compensation paid to eligible
employees.
But even if you’re self-employed, with no employees other than your spouse, you can establish what’s known as a “solo” or “owneronly” 401(k). In 2023, you can put in up to $22,500 as an employee, plus a catch-up contribution of $7,500 if you’re 50 or older, for a total of $30,000. Plus, you can contribute an additional 25% of earned income as an employer, up to an overall employee and employer maximum of $66,000 (or $73,500 if you’re 50 or older).
• SEP-IRA – An SEP-IRA may be attractive to you if you’re self-employed or if you own a business but have few or no employees. That’s bec ause you must contribute an equal percentage of your own compensation to every eligible employee. In 2023, you can contribute up to $66,000 or 25% of your income, whichever is less.
• SIMPLE IRA – A SIMPLE IRA is easy to establish and administer. As with an SEPIRA, earnings in a SIMPLE IRA can grow on a tax-deferred basis. If you have employees, they aren’t required to contribute to this plan — but you are. You must match up to 3% of employees’ contributions or provide 2% of their annual salaries, although you do have some flexibility.
If your business goes through a rough patch, you can temporarily decrease SIMPLE IRA contributions to 1% for up to two years out of the previous five. Your contributions to your employees’ accounts are tax deductible, but in in terms of building resources for your own retirement, a SIMPLE IRA may be less appealing because of its contribution limits, which are relatively low compared to a 401(k) or SEP IRA. In 2023, you can put in up to $15,500, or $19,000 if you’re 50 or older.
You should consult with your tax advisor to determine which retirement plan is right for you. Your financial advisor can also help you explore your options. And the sooner you put a plan to work, the better.
Derick Newton is financial advisor, 937B Maple Street, Carrollton, GA 770-832-9515 Article was written by Edward Jones for use by local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Carroll County pistol permits
Number of Weapons Carry Permits applied for: AUGUST 1-31, 2023: 137
Carroll County births
AUGUST 1-31, 2023:
Tanner Medical Center, Carrollton:
Females: 47 Males: 51
Tanner Medical Center, Villa Rica:�
Females: 24 Males: 41
Carroll County cattle receipts
Carroll County Sales Barn
225 Sales Barn Road, Carrollton
August 7, 2023: 518
August 14, 2023: 540
August 21, 2023: 696
August 28, 2023: 496
Carroll County jail population
Total population as of SEPTEMBER 1, 2023: 433
Males: 354 Females: 79
Carroll County prison population
Total population as of SEPTEMBER 1, 2023: 246
Capacity: 246 Males: 100%
“He did everything he could to put our students first, many times attending meetings when we know he was very sick. Our hearts are heavy and our prayers go out to the Kierbow family as our entire board and community mourn with them.”
“Mr. Kierbow was truly dedicated to the students and employees of Carroll County Schools and especially those in his district,” Superintendent Scott Cowart said. “The entire 24STRONG community expresses our heartfelt sympathy to Mr. Kierbow’s family and friends. We grieve alongside them as we fondly remember his many contributions to our schools and community.”
Kierbow had been a Carroll County Fireman for 22 years. Most recently, he was a salesman at Mike Fitzpatrick Ford in Newnan. Services for Kierbow were held Saturday, September 2, 2023, Eastside Baptist Church. Martin & Hightower were in charge of arrangements.
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libraries desensitizes children to sexual ideas, conversations, and conduct. This is a strong component of the grooming process used by sexual predators. Sexually explicit materials have been found in all aspects of school curriculum including literature, history, art, and special projects.
“It cannot be avoided by parents simply opting out of sex education classes. This leaves children even more susceptible to exploitation and abuse, from other minors, and from adults. We need to immediately repeal laws that facilitate sexual exploitation and abuse. The ‘harmful to minors’ laws must be allowed to function as intended without giving exceptions to librarians.”
Kahaian shared that when an “otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind, not the body! And it should be treated as such.”
Noelle Kahaian emphasized those present to get educated and get involved. Complaints and sex-ed op-out forms can be found on her website along with current legislation and issues at www.protectstudenthealth.com.
The Guardians of Liberty meet at Uncorked on Main in Downtown Villa Rica Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on the 4th or 5th Tuesdays of the month.
The group is a non-partisan, Pro American gathering for citizens to learn more about their government and how it affects daily lives locally.
Regular attendees join the group from various surrounding counties in West Georgia.
For more information contact Leslie McPherson at lmcpherson@1791.com
