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One of the roles of a newspaper is to be a mirror for the community. Last week, The Banks County News mirrored something that was unflattering to some people in the community. The story and editorial last week about the events following the funeral of a local teen who died in a traffic incident set off a wave of discussion in Banks County. In ... [Full Story »] 

A Poole Road resident reported the theft of several items earlier this month. The resident said someone took a boat trailer, a dog box, two push mowers, two house trailer wheels, a trailer hitch, a truck tool box and several other “metal” items from his property. The resident gave the responding deputy the name of a possible suspect. The ... [Full Story »] 

Baldwin’s new mayor, Mike Kelley, was sworn in at the city council meeting Monday night. Interim Mayor Ray Holcomb reported that the mayor’s election results have been certified and that Kelley received the most votes with 122. The breakdown for the other candidates was: Tom Loudermilk 11; Jerry Neace, 57; and Mark Reed, 14. After Holcomb ... [Full Story »] 

Banks County Department of Family and Children Services Director Kenny Jarvis said at last Wednesday’s monthly meeting that the office is being impacted by state budget cuts. County directors are looking at a two-day layoff each month and social services staff members are facing a one-day layoff each month, Jarvis said. “We anticipate cuts ... [Full Story »] 

A large crowd of teenagers and some adults gathered in front of the home of Tyler Bush just hours after his funeral Friday to cheer on cars drag racing down Sims Bridge Road. The drag racing was apparently a “tribute” to the Banks County teen, who died on Sept. 9 when he fell while trying to run along side a jeep. Jennifer Schmid reported ... [Full Story »] 

Mike Kelley won the mayor’s race in Baldwin Tuesday with 122 votes. Jerry Neace had 57 votes; former mayor Mark Reed had 14 votes; and Thomas Loudermilk had 11 votes. Some 204 of the town’s 1,023 voters cast a ballot in the called election. “I want to be mayor of Baldwin because I care enough about our community and our quality of life to ... [Full Story »] 

The City of Homer approved a $457,000 budget at its Sept. 9 meeting, which is up over last year’s budget of $427,100. A final public hearing on the budget was held before the council meeting. There were no public comments at the hearing. The council approved the budget unanimously. In other business at the meeting, the council: •approved a ... [Full Story »]