Top Stories - Topics from November, 2008
Foster mom indicted in baby's death
Wendy Osborne, 29, Nicholson, was indicted Monday by a Jackson County Grand Jury on two counts related to the Sept. 2 death of 9-month-old Jessica Scovil. Osborne was indicted for involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct in the death of Scovil, who was in foster care at the Osborne home at the time of the incident. Scovil died of heat ...
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Fire destroys house in South Jackson
A fire whipped by gusty winds destroyed a large 4,000 sq. ft. two-story home on Jefferson River Road Tuesday. Several Jackson County fire departments responded to the blaze, which happened about midday. The fire happened at 8825 Jefferson River Road in South Jackson. The house was listed for sale in September and was reportedly built in 1976.
Jefferson looks at water, sewer rate increases
Some major water and sewer rate increases are being considered by the Jefferson City Council to help balance the 2009 budget, which is expected to be tight due to fewer tap fees being sold.
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The Party's Over - Dragons fall to Lovett 34-24
The 2008 football season came to an end Friday night for the Jefferson Dragons, as they fell to the Lovett Lions 34-24 in the second round of playoff action. Despite the loss, it was a dream season for the Dragon Nation, as Jefferson went 11-1, winning their first region title since 1977. The game was tight from the beginning, with Jefferson ...
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Developer’s Braselton lawsuit tossed; judge cites lawyers' 'misconduct'
Barrow County Judge David Motes has dismissed a 2007 lawsuit filed against the Town of Braselton by the developers of a high profile commercial project in Barrow County on Hwy. 211, saying the developer’s lawyers had engaged in judicial “misconduct.”
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Stork no longer welcome at BJC; hospital to quit delivering babies Dec. 9
Trying to shave its operating deficit, BJC Medical Center is closing its labor and delivery services, leaving three doctors scrambling to make alternative arrangements for patients.
“December 9 is the absolute last day we will deliver a baby,” announced CEO Jim Yarborough.
The cutback includes closing Commerce Women’s Clinic, a hospital-owned OB practice run by Dr. David Sauls, whose contract with BJC expires Dec. 9. The move will also bring to an end the delivery of babies by doctors Bob Marshburn and Beth Sullivan.
Marshburn of Medical Center Family Practice understands the problem.
“It’s tough to keep an OB wing open with the nurses and high-tech equipment if you’re not delivering a volume of babies that justifies it,” he said.
Both Marshburn and Sauls also predicted that closing the OB service at BJC will lead to cases where women show up at the emergency room in labor.
“You can have the EMS divert, but you’re always going to have somebody who just drives up in labor,” Sauls said. “You’re bound by laws. You can try to transfer them, but if you can’t find a hospital to accept them, you have to deal with it here.”
Yarborough said closing the OB unit could trim the hospital’s deficit by $500,000 to $750,000, Yarborough explained.
“We can no longer sustain OB services based on reimbursements,” said Yarborough, who added that the hospital would have to deliver 300 babies a year - with an appropriate Medicaid mix - to break even. Last year it delivered 66.
The move eliminates 12 positions at the hospital, but Yarborough speculated that some of those employees will be absorbed into other positions where vacancies exist.
BJC was struggling financially before the current economic slump hit. It lost its general surgeon and has seen its percentage of indigent care and charity care cases rise as the economy worsened.
“We’re having to cut costs,” said the CEO. “We can only cut so much staff until we cut services. We’ve had to cut a service that is not self-supporting.”
“December 9 is the absolute last day we will deliver a baby,” announced CEO Jim Yarborough.
The cutback includes closing Commerce Women’s Clinic, a hospital-owned OB practice run by Dr. David Sauls, whose contract with BJC expires Dec. 9. The move will also bring to an end the delivery of babies by doctors Bob Marshburn and Beth Sullivan.
Marshburn of Medical Center Family Practice understands the problem.
“It’s tough to keep an OB wing open with the nurses and high-tech equipment if you’re not delivering a volume of babies that justifies it,” he said.
Both Marshburn and Sauls also predicted that closing the OB service at BJC will lead to cases where women show up at the emergency room in labor.
“You can have the EMS divert, but you’re always going to have somebody who just drives up in labor,” Sauls said. “You’re bound by laws. You can try to transfer them, but if you can’t find a hospital to accept them, you have to deal with it here.”
Yarborough said closing the OB unit could trim the hospital’s deficit by $500,000 to $750,000, Yarborough explained.
“We can no longer sustain OB services based on reimbursements,” said Yarborough, who added that the hospital would have to deliver 300 babies a year - with an appropriate Medicaid mix - to break even. Last year it delivered 66.
The move eliminates 12 positions at the hospital, but Yarborough speculated that some of those employees will be absorbed into other positions where vacancies exist.
BJC was struggling financially before the current economic slump hit. It lost its general surgeon and has seen its percentage of indigent care and charity care cases rise as the economy worsened.
“We’re having to cut costs,” said the CEO. “We can only cut so much staff until we cut services. We’ve had to cut a service that is not self-supporting.”
Teen pregnancy crisis in Jackson
Jackson County’s teen birth rate is higher than the teen birth rates in Europe, Mexico, the United States, Georgia and surrounding counties. Although most Jackson County adults (88 percent) feel that unmarried teens should not be sexually active, 70 percent of students in the local schools are sexually active by their senior year. In addition ...
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Republicans buck national trend, dominate local counties: Madison sheriff ousted, Barrow commissioner falls, Banks rep loses
Details of Tuesday's election results from Banks, Barrow, Jackson and Madison counties:
Banks County
Barrow County
Jackson County
Madison County
Banks County
Barrow County
Jackson County
Madison County
LIVE BLOGGING: Tuesday night balloting results
Results from Banks, Barrow, Jackson and Madison counties:
Banks County
Barrow County
Jackson County
Madison County
7:45 p.m. State is reporting early results from Oglethorpe County with Sen. Ralph Hudgens having a heavy lead. Other counties not reporting yet.
8:10 p.m. All three state amendments, including the TAD amendment which is being promoted by Braselton leaders, are receiving a heavy "No" vote in early statewide results.
8:17 p.m. Early results have Jackson County US Representative candidate Bobby Saxon trailing incumbent Paul Broun 65% to 35%.
8:36 p.m. State is reporting Jackson County has 7 of 18 precincts reporting for the presidential race with McCain leading the county 2,058 to Obama's 670.
8:50 p.m. Early results in Banks, Barrow, Jackson and Madison hold few surprises so far. In Banks County, long-time incumbent Democrat state representative Jeanette Jamieson is trailing Republican challenger Michael Harden 1,869 to 1,113. She is also trailing in Franklin and Stephens counties.
8:59 p.m. With 2 of 5 district precincts reporting in Barrow County, incumbent county commissioner Bill Healan is trailing Republican challenger Steve Worley 555 to 375.
9:11 p.m. In Madison County, the race for sheriff is very close with 6 out of 14 precincts reporting; incumbent Clayton Lowe is leading by less than 50 votes over challenger Kip Thomas.
9:22 p.m. It doesn't pay to be a Democrat in Banks, Barrow, Jackson and Madison counties.... Republican lead in most races 2-1 or 3-1. The only exceptions with about half the votes cast are the race for sheriff in Madison County where incumbent Democrat Clayton Lowe has a very small lead and the tax commissioners race in Banks County where incumbent Margaret Ausburn has the lead. In the BOC District 3 race in Barrow County incumbent Democrat Bill Healan is trailing by a small margin to Republican Steve Worley in a race Healan was expected to carry easily. More precincts to come on that race, however.
9:35 p.m. Looks like longtime Democratic state Representative Jeanette Jamieson will fall to Republican challenger Michael Harden. The District 28 House seat appears to be solidly Republican now, based on the returns so far tonight. If the trend holds, the state will lose one of its most colorful legislators.
9:40 p.m. Madison County incumbent sheriff Clayton Lowe has just fallen behind challenger Kip Thomas with 9 of 14 precincts reporting. Thomas is the Republican in the tight race.
9:45 p.m. One of the few local Democrats to fare well so far tonight has been incumbent Madison County tax commissioner Louise Watson who has a comfortable lead over Republican challenger Kathy Stamps.
9:46 p.m. BANKS COUNTY COMPLETED: McCain led Obama 5,114-1,026; Chambliss led Martin 4,264-1,512; Broun led Saxon 4,455-1,503; Harden led Jamieson 3,826-2,243; Ausburn (the only winning Democrat) led 3,474-2,568; and Brown led Kenedy 4,055-1,861. The BOC change passed 4,070-1,869.
10:05 p.m. Worley continues to lead Healan in the Barrow County in the District 3 BOC race, but absentee votes are yet to go. This race could be very close at the end.
10:15 p.m. In the Madison County sheriff's race, challenger Thomas leads incumbent Lowe by a thin 71 votes with 13 of 14 precincts reporting.
10:30 p.m. With 76% of state precincts reporting, all three Constitutional Amendments are failing, but the TAD amendment (#2) is very close.
11 p.m. MADISON COUNTY COMPLETE: Thomas defeates incumbent Lowe for sheriff 5,576-5,505. More results at www.MadisonJournalTODAY.com.
11:01 p.m. CNN CALLS BARACK OBAMA THE WINNER OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
11:27 p.m. With one precinct left, it appears that Steve Worley has upset incumbent BOC District 3 commissioner Bill Healan with a 56%-44% lead. Jud Smith held a 3-1 lead over James B. Bonnemer, Sr.
Banks County
Barrow County
Jackson County
Madison County
7:45 p.m. State is reporting early results from Oglethorpe County with Sen. Ralph Hudgens having a heavy lead. Other counties not reporting yet.
8:10 p.m. All three state amendments, including the TAD amendment which is being promoted by Braselton leaders, are receiving a heavy "No" vote in early statewide results.
8:17 p.m. Early results have Jackson County US Representative candidate Bobby Saxon trailing incumbent Paul Broun 65% to 35%.
8:36 p.m. State is reporting Jackson County has 7 of 18 precincts reporting for the presidential race with McCain leading the county 2,058 to Obama's 670.
8:50 p.m. Early results in Banks, Barrow, Jackson and Madison hold few surprises so far. In Banks County, long-time incumbent Democrat state representative Jeanette Jamieson is trailing Republican challenger Michael Harden 1,869 to 1,113. She is also trailing in Franklin and Stephens counties.
8:59 p.m. With 2 of 5 district precincts reporting in Barrow County, incumbent county commissioner Bill Healan is trailing Republican challenger Steve Worley 555 to 375.
9:11 p.m. In Madison County, the race for sheriff is very close with 6 out of 14 precincts reporting; incumbent Clayton Lowe is leading by less than 50 votes over challenger Kip Thomas.
9:22 p.m. It doesn't pay to be a Democrat in Banks, Barrow, Jackson and Madison counties.... Republican lead in most races 2-1 or 3-1. The only exceptions with about half the votes cast are the race for sheriff in Madison County where incumbent Democrat Clayton Lowe has a very small lead and the tax commissioners race in Banks County where incumbent Margaret Ausburn has the lead. In the BOC District 3 race in Barrow County incumbent Democrat Bill Healan is trailing by a small margin to Republican Steve Worley in a race Healan was expected to carry easily. More precincts to come on that race, however.
9:35 p.m. Looks like longtime Democratic state Representative Jeanette Jamieson will fall to Republican challenger Michael Harden. The District 28 House seat appears to be solidly Republican now, based on the returns so far tonight. If the trend holds, the state will lose one of its most colorful legislators.
9:40 p.m. Madison County incumbent sheriff Clayton Lowe has just fallen behind challenger Kip Thomas with 9 of 14 precincts reporting. Thomas is the Republican in the tight race.
9:45 p.m. One of the few local Democrats to fare well so far tonight has been incumbent Madison County tax commissioner Louise Watson who has a comfortable lead over Republican challenger Kathy Stamps.
9:46 p.m. BANKS COUNTY COMPLETED: McCain led Obama 5,114-1,026; Chambliss led Martin 4,264-1,512; Broun led Saxon 4,455-1,503; Harden led Jamieson 3,826-2,243; Ausburn (the only winning Democrat) led 3,474-2,568; and Brown led Kenedy 4,055-1,861. The BOC change passed 4,070-1,869.
10:05 p.m. Worley continues to lead Healan in the Barrow County in the District 3 BOC race, but absentee votes are yet to go. This race could be very close at the end.
10:15 p.m. In the Madison County sheriff's race, challenger Thomas leads incumbent Lowe by a thin 71 votes with 13 of 14 precincts reporting.
10:30 p.m. With 76% of state precincts reporting, all three Constitutional Amendments are failing, but the TAD amendment (#2) is very close.
11 p.m. MADISON COUNTY COMPLETE: Thomas defeates incumbent Lowe for sheriff 5,576-5,505. More results at www.MadisonJournalTODAY.com.
11:01 p.m. CNN CALLS BARACK OBAMA THE WINNER OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
11:27 p.m. With one precinct left, it appears that Steve Worley has upset incumbent BOC District 3 commissioner Bill Healan with a 56%-44% lead. Jud Smith held a 3-1 lead over James B. Bonnemer, Sr.
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