News from BarrowJournal

Mayors to county: 'Cut our taxes'

Posted by

Wednesday, August 26. 2009

It appears that no one wants to pay the full cost of serices provided by the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office in the upcoming fiscal year. On top of recent comments by County Chairman Danny Yearwood concerning possible cuts to sheriff’s funding, the mayors of four local municipalities with city police departments are asking that their ... [Full Story »]

COLUMN: New program beneficial to students

Posted by

BarrowJournal

Monday, August 24. 2009

The new JROTC program, available to students in the Barrow County School System for the first time this year, is likely one of most positive courses added by officials in many years. The program has a long list of advantages while the list of disadvantages is, well, pretty non-existent to be honest. The program, with its structured, military ... [Full Story »]

Man convicted in crossbow murder

Posted by

BarrowJournal

Thursday, August 20. 2009

A Bethlehem man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the 2008 murder of his sleeping mother with a crossbow. After two days of deliberations, a Barrow County jury of nine men and three women convicted Rodney George Thompson of felony murder and aggravated assault. The jurors remained in the courtroom for the sentencing, which took place ... [Full Story »]

Man sentenced to prison for using Auburn computer to threaten FBI

Posted by

BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 19. 2009

A 24-year-old man who earlier this year used one of the city of Auburn’s public library computers to threaten to destroy all of the FBI buildings in the United States was sentenced today to a year in prison. Michael Robert DeJong, formerly of Buford, also was sentenced to 10 additional months for committing the Feb. 4 offense while on ... [Full Story »]

School system to host two meetings on charter system

Posted by

BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 19. 2009

The Barrow County School System will host two town hall meetings concerning a change to a charter school system. The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday with the second being Monday. Both meetings will be from 7-9 p.m. at the Barrow County Professional Development Center (PDC) at 179 West Athens Street in Winder. School officials said ... [Full Story »]

Worley: Departments need to cut more

Posted by

BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 19. 2009

Barrow County commissioner Steve Worley said this week that he believes the county budget can be cut more. The county is facing a $2.2 million deficit for FY2010. *** County Chairman Danny Yearwood has called a special meeting of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, to work on the FY2010 budget. The meeting is ... [Full Story »]

EDITORIAL: Time to make decision on budget

Posted by

BarrowJournal

Friday, August 14. 2009

The upcoming Barrow County FY2010 budget is perhaps the most important in the county’s history. After several years of growing the county’s bureaucracy and greatly expanding county debt, declining revenues this year put the county into a financial tailspin. If county leaders don’t get the upcoming year’s budget right and stop the ... [Full Story »]

LETTER: Yearwood has 'shaken up' government

Posted by

BarrowJournal

Wednesday, August 12. 2009

Dear Editor, Barrow county commission chairman Danny Yearwood has done exactly what I expected him to do when I voted for him. He has shaken up Barrow county government. I don’t know Mr. Yearwood, but I have met and spoken with him and I do believe that he has the best interest of Barrow County at heart. He has been criticized for not ... [Full Story »]

County budget coming to a head; BOC wants public input

Posted by

BarrowJournal

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

Posted by

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 »]

News from BarrowJournal

MainStreetNews