News from BarrowJournal

News from BarrowJournal - Topics from May, 2011

County can't redirect SPLOST funds now

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Tuesday, May 31. 2011

Barrow County commissioner Steve Worley said he had hoped for relief from legislation allowing cities and counties, with voter approval, to use SPLOST proceeds collected for projects such as the cultural arts center that have not been built for county debt reduction. But he was both surprised and disappointed to learn that prior to passage, the ... [Full Story »]

Annex to be rennovated

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BarrowJournal

Tuesday, May 31. 2011

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night decided not to raze the 20-year-old courthouse annex in downtown Winder but instead to remove the mold and to restore the building. In a pair of votes, the commissioners agreed to invest about $425,300 to replace the building’s badly leaking roof and to remediate the mold problem. The ... [Full Story »]

Barrow schools hold first charter training session

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BarrowJournal

Monday, May 30. 2011

While summer break may be here for students, training to convert Barrow Schools into a charter system starts now, and there is a lot of work ahead for school leaders, parents, business leaders and community members who want to be involved in local education. Current school leaders discussed that concept in Friday at the initial training session ... [Full Story »]

Memorial Day Service planned in Winder on Monday

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BarrowJournal

Sunday, May 29. 2011

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1187 and its Ladies Auxiliary will host a Memorial Day celebration and flag dedication Monday beginning at 9 a.m. at Rose Hill Cemetery in Winder. Patriotic music will be performed from 9-10 a.m. with the ceremony beginning after that. A special dedication will be presented to family members of Winder’s Lance ... [Full Story »]

Orr pleads nolo to misdemeanor charges

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BarrowJournal

Friday, May 27. 2011

Former Barrow County Emergency Services lieutenant Todd Orr on May 26 pled nolo in connection with the Christmas Day 2010 shooting accident that seriously wounded his pregnant daughter. But the Barrow County District Attorney’s Office decided not to prosecute Orr for the felony count of child cruelty and misdemeanor count of reckless conduct ... [Full Story »]

Storms hit trees, power lines Thurs. night

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BarrowJournal

Friday, May 27. 2011

Thunderstorms moved through Barrow County Thursday night causing numerous trees and power lines to fall. This created a very busy night for public safety officials in Barrow. “Once the storm moved into Barrow calls started immediately into Barrow County Emergency Services 911 Center,” commented Deputy Chief John Skinner. “The majority of ... [Full Story »]

Winder business caught selling fake items

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BarrowJournal

Friday, May 27. 2011

A clothing store in Downtown Winder was caught this week selling fake merchandise after an undercover officer purchased a fake item. Winder Police Department executed a search warrant on Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. at Flashy-n-Classy located at 83 North Broad Street and discovered that the store contained inventory consisting of counterfeit ... [Full Story »]

Firefighter fired for abuse charges

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BarrowJournal

Friday, May 27. 2011

The firefighter who was arrested in April for slapping his wife no longer works for Barrow County Emergency Services. Bobby Ray Garmon, 36, of Red Oak Way in Winder was terminated last week from his position as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. In a May 17 termination notice, Emergency Services Chief Dennis Merrifield told Garmon ... [Full Story »]

Auburn parks and leisure approves recommendation for sports equipment

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BarrowJournal

Friday, May 27. 2011

The city of Auburn’s Parks and Leisure Commission approved Tuesday to recommend the purchase of equipment that would complete the installation of the new pony league ball field at Parks Mill. Newly hired Parks and Leisure Director Gary Schussler supplied the board with three quotes for an above-mount bench, a 4-row 40-seat bleacher set, poly ... [Full Story »]

Tax hike is confusing; no GOP presidential candidate yet

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BarrowJournal

Friday, May 27. 2011

The prospect of a large tax rate hike in Barrow County looms, but exactly how that will affect individuals is impossible to tell at this point. While the county government is looking at a 5-mill hike, some 48 percent, you have to look a little deeper to really figure out how that might hit property owners. Property values in Barrow County have ... [Full Story »]

Entries from May 2011