News from BarrowJournal

News from BarrowJournal - Topics from August, 2009

County budget coming to a head; BOC wants public input

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Wednesday, August 12. 2009

Faced with a $2.2 million revenue shortfall for FY2010, the Barrow County Board of Commissioners declined to make any decision this week on how to balance the county budget. Instead, the board decided to ask the public to decide between raising taxes, or making cuts in services – cuts likely to come in the sheriff’s office and jail ... [Full Story »]

County selling water to towns at a big loss

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BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 12. 2009

The city of Winder makes enough profit from its water sales each year to operate its government. But Barrow County’s government is losing thousands of dollars annually because it is selling water wholesale to Winder, Auburn, Braselton, Statham and the Barrow County Water Authority for about half of what the water costs the county. In a ... [Full Story »]

Sentence given in prom party death

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BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 12. 2009

More than two years after their 18-year-old son died at a prom party, the parents of Leland Martin Jr. last week for the first time laid eyes on the woman whom they hold at least partly responsible for his death. The heart-wrenching encounter took place late in the afternoon of Aug. 6, minutes after 41-year-old Barbara Ann Michael of Auburn ... [Full Story »]

Winder police bust Cumming couple

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BarrowJournal

Friday, August 7. 2009

Winder narcotics officers today seized a pound of marijuana in an undercover operation that resulted in the arrests of a Cumming couple. Holly Ann Smith and Aaron Smith were both charged with sale of marijuana and sale of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, according to a Winder Police Department press release. The Smiths allegedly brought ... [Full Story »]

EDITORIAL: Manager is no magic bullet

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BarrowJournal

Thursday, August 6. 2009

There’s a lot of discussion in Barrow County over changing the county government to a “professional” county manager system. Frustration over the county’s current leadership and financial situation has given a strong push toward changing the government’s structure. It may be that Barrow should change its government. But if the ... [Full Story »]

Two sheriff’s investigators demand raises

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BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 5. 2009

Two investigators with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office have enlisted the legal services of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association Inc. in order to get large raises they say they were promised. In a July 17 demand letter to county chairman Danny Yearwood, an association lawyer claims Human Resources Director Norma Jean Brown ... [Full Story »]

Auburn planning staff raises despite downturn

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BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 5. 2009

While the counties in which it is situated – Gwinnett and Barrow – are facing large budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2010, the city of Auburn is planning to trim spending while giving employees pay increases of 2.5 percent. At a budget work session Monday night, the city staff presented a $3.5 million spending plan that is roughly $100,000 ... [Full Story »]

IBA delays action on realtor’s request for listing

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BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 5. 2009

At a joint meeting of the Winder-Barrow Industrial Building Authority and the Joint Development Authority early Tuesday, a leading real estate firm’s request to begin marketing an IBA-owned property at the intersection of Hwy. 316 and Hwy. 53 went nowhere. Jerry Maynard of Maynard & Bartlett Realty Group LLP asked the IBA to allow his ... [Full Story »]

Entries from August 2009