Elbert County Sheriff Barry Haston is calling it one of the largest marijuana arrests of his administration.

27 Year Old Gregory Lamar Norman was the target of a very lengthy investigation after a previous bust in October of 2009. Deputies were conducting surveillance on Norman prior to a traffic stop on Thursday afternoon, when it was discovered that Norman was carrying 20 pounds of suspected Marijuana in the trunk of his vehicle.

Deputies found ten 1-pound bags of pot, along with another 10-pound brick. The street value of the drug, according to Haston was an estimated $35,000.

Because of the weight of the marijuana found in his vehicle, Norman was charged with marijuana trafficking. He is being held without bond at the Elbert County Detention Center.

All eyes in Elbert County will be on the Superior Courtroom of the
Government Complex this afternoon.

The County Commissioners will vote on amending the Solid Waste Plan to
allow the Plant Granite Waste-to-Energy facility, and if Plant Granite
is consistent with that plan. Two public hearings are scheduled for each
of these issues, before the vote this afternoon.

 
The group Citizens for Public Awareness has come out strongly against
the incinerator project, and will submit signatures collected from its
“right-to-vote” petition to force a referendum on the facility, proposed
by GreenFirst LLC.

Last month, over 100 were relegated to the hallway of the County
Building, because the Meeting Room was over-capacity, causing
Administrator Bob Thomas to change the venue for the hearings.

WSGC will broadcast the Plant Granite Hearings, this afternoon,
beginning at 4:30, and you will hear the Commissioners’ vote live
as it happens.

We will also stream the hearings on our website, wsgcradio.com, click
“listen live.”

Gov. Sonny Perdue's proposal to appoint, rather than elect,  four statewide constitutional officers ran headlong into opposition Friday.

 
Critics from both parties said the plan was unlikely to win the needed two-thirds vote in the Legislature and would consolidate too much power with the state's chief executive.

 
“I have serious reservations about taking power away from the people like this,'' state Sen. Tim Golden, a Valdosta Democrat, said.

 
Perdue's plan would hand the governor the power to appoint the state schools superintendent, labor commissioner, agriculture commissioner and insurance commissioner. Those posts are currently elected. The change would take place in 2014, after Perdue leaves office.  It would require a constitutional amendment, which means that should it receive the needed supermajority in the state Legislature, it would then need to be approved by voters. The plan must also pass muster with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Voting Rights Act, according to the state Attorney General Thurbert Baker's office. 
A spokesman for Baker said Perdue did not seek their counsel on the proposal. 
Georgia's longtime state Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin said Friday that the proposal was a “terrible idea.'' 

“You would not have an independent agriculture commissioner, as I've been,'' said the Democrat, who was first elected in 1969.  “Let the people vote.''

 
State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said the plan would “lessen the voice that parents and educators have.  I am not convinced that less democracy is better,'' she said.  Cox is one of several Republicans who were skeptical. 

House Majority Whip Ed Lindsey called it “very doubtful'' that voters would give up their right to have a say. 

“Traditionally the voters, once they have been given the right to vote on something, they are reluctant to take that right back from themselves,'' the Atlanta Republican said. 
State Rep. Jill Chambers, an Atlanta Republican, called the chances of the Legislature giving more power to the governor “slim.'' 

House Minority Leader DuBose Porter questioned Perdue's timing, saying lawmakers are already more than on-fourth of the way through their legislative session and Perdue has less than one year left in his final term. 

“Why now?'' asked Porter.  “Possibly this is something that should be looked at but there are so many other things -- jobs, transportation -- that reorganizing state government in this way is not a high priority.'' 
Still, the plan has supporters. 

“It's like the president picking his cabinet. The governor should have the same privilege,'' state Sen. Jeff Mullis, a Chickamauga Republican said.  “It might help (the governor) to control the budget better.'' 
Several legislators noted that with schools such a high priority it made sense to have the schools superintendent and the governor reading off the same playbook.

 
Research from Perdue's office found that Georgia is one of only five states that elect a labor commissioner and one of only nine states in which voters select an agriculture commissioner. Twelve other states elect an insurance commissioner. Fourteen vote for state school superintendent. 

-AP story from GNN

The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, announced that VA can now provide health care for more veterans due to changes in eligibility rules. 

The change allows Veterans with incomes exceeding VA means test thresholds by 10 percent or less to receive VA health care.  “This is not only great news for many veterans here locally that can now be enrolled in our outstanding health care system, but also includes rural communities surrounding Aiken, South Carolina and Athens, Georgia, where we have VA outpatient clinics.” stated Rebecca Wiley, Medical Center Director. “We expect this to improve access to timely and quality health care for many more of the 100,000 veterans living in the area,” added Wiley.

Applications will be automatically reconsidered for Veterans who applied for enrollment after January 1, 2009 and were denied due to income levels.  Veterans who applied before January 1, 2009, must reapply to take advantage of the relaxed income restrictions.  Veterans with questions are encouraged to contact the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at (706) 733-0188, extension 3215 or 1-800-836-5561.                

U.S. Congressman Paul C. Broun, M.D. (GA-10) invites students in grades nine through twelve to participate in the 2010 Congressional Art Competition.  Each year, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor a nation-wide high school arts competition.  This competition provides a wonderful opportunity to recognize the artistic talents of high school students from across the nation.  The winning entry that Dr. Broun selects to represent the Tenth Congressional District of Georgia will be displayed for one year in our nation’s Capitol in Washington, D.C.  The first place winner will be invited to a national reception and will also be eligible to receive an art scholarship from Savannah College of Art and Design.

“I invite all students in grades 9 through 12 to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to display their artwork in a national exhibit. The prestigious competition is all about showcasing the rich, artistic talents of our young people, and previous winners have proven that Georgia definitely does have talent.  The halls of Congress need a splash of art, and I know that our local students can come up with the perfect picture ,” said Broun.

For the 2010 Art Competition, all entries must be submitted to one of Congressman Broun's three district offices by Friday, March 19, 2010 .  If you have questions about the competition, contact Jessica Morris at (706) 447-3857.

Click HERE to view competition rules and guidelines, the student release form, and the 2009 winning artwork of Jackson County student, Aaron Edwards.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hartwell Lake Office with the International Mountain Biking Association and the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association recently received the 2010 Challenge Partnership Handshake Award, under a Corps program that provides a source of seed money for worthwhile projects. The Hartwell Project received a $25,000 grant to install a multi-purpose trail in the Paynes Creek Campground area that will enhance mountain biking and recreational activities on the upper portion of Hartwell Lake and increase opportunities for bank fishing, hiking, and bird watching.

Construction is set to begin in the near future. It will not impact regular use of the Paynes Creek Campground Area.

Under the program, the Corps of Engineers partners with an outside organization to share funding to enhance recreation and natural resource management. In this partnership, the Hartwell Project will provide $25,000 through the grant and government funding will be matched by a $20,000 donation from the Biking associations.

They may be in the minority beneath the golden dome---but democratic lawmakers are trying to steer us in the right direction.  It starts with an idea pushed by house minority leader Dubose Porter during the recent candidates debate for governor.

They are throwing their support behind a regional one cent tax for roads, which has died on the vine during the past two sessions.

“You dedicate the fourth penny generated from sales tax of motor fuel, and that gives you a dedicated source to match the Federal dollars,” Porter said.

Members of the Highway 17 Commission  are in favor of the one cent T-SPLOST, as a way to fund the widening of Highway 17 from Toccoa to the Port of Savannah.

-GNN Contributed to this story

A Flood watch has been issued for our area by the National Weather Service. The heavy storm system that has moved thru the Gulf Coast Region will continue to dump large amounts of rain from Stephens and Habersham through Elbert County and on into Abbeville Greenwood and Anderson Counties, until it tapers off late this evening. 2-3 inches of rain is expected in local areas. Flash flooding is possible, as well as localized river flooding.

Christopher Evans, a high school senior, has been named 2010 PAGE STAR Student for Elbert County Comprehensive High School.  The announcement was made by Sandra Brown, Chairman of the Elbert County Chamber of Commerce, local sponsor of the Elbert County STAR program. 

Evans, the son of Luther and Amy Evans, of Elberton, selected Karen Hardy, Challenge Teacher at Doves Creek Elementary School, as his STAR teacher.

The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, in its 52nd  year, is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education. 

The recent arrests of six people believed to be involved in the rash of business burglaries in Elberton are still paying dividends.  Major Allen Lee is with the Elberton Police Department.

“The police department received some information from concerned citizens about a possible location of some stolen merchandise,”  Lee said, “After securing a search warrant, they were able to recover some of the stolen property from the local businesses.”

It turned out that most of the victims had accurate records of their missing equipment

“By having the makes, models and serial numbers of the various items, the officers were able to return the property back to the victims of the crimes.”  Lee said.  “It worked out really good for everybody, and these men and women were arrested and charged with the various felony and misdemeanor charges of burglary and theft by receiving stolen property.”

Lee said it’s a good idea, for both personal and business property to keep an inventory of your items, by make, model and serial number.  Then, according to Lee…

“…you can report it to local law enforcement, and we can enter it in GCIC, which is Georgia Crime Information Center, and if the item is pawned in another town, they run it through the system, the NCIC, the National Crime Information Center.  If it comes back, it will report as stolen, and you get a better chance of getting your property back.”

Lee also recommends digital photos or Polaroids of your valuables.  If you take digital pictures, put them on your computer and burn them to CD yourself.  That way, no one but you sees the pictures.

Elberton Mayor Larry Guest, a Board Member of the Electric Cities of Georgia, has been chosen to serve a three-year term on the American Public Power Association (APPA) Policy Makers Council.

“It’s an honor to be a member of this, and I look forward to working with the other members of this Policy Makers Committee,”  Guest said, “to help cities to be protected from certain legislation, and to enact legislation that will be beneficial to cities.”

The council is made up of 40 members nationally, who either serve on utility boards, or are elected officials in public power communities.  This is APPA’s grass-roots initiative to utilize locally elected officials to carry key messages to Washington.

“It was something I was asked to do,”  Guest said.  “to put my name in the hat.  The Electric Cities of Georgia asked me if I would apply.”

As ECG expands its role in state legislative and regulatory affairs, Guest will provide municipal advice to the ECG staff.  The Mayor says he looks forward to putting Elberton in front of another nationwide audience.

“That has been a key issue with me,”  Guest said, “to try to bring industry into Elberton.  And anytime I can present Elberton and Elbert County in a positive way, that’s what I want to do.”

After serving on the city council for 11 years, Guest was elected Mayor in 2006.  He also serves on the Transportation Committee of the Georgia Municipal Association.

Governor Perdue has introduced something called the Georgia Water Stewardship Act. It's legislation that encourages more water conservation in Georgia. The act would reduce wasted water and includes incentives for increasing water supply and decreasing demand. The move goes hand in hand with the tri-state water wars deadline the summer of 2012. 

Georgia State Patrol reports a fairly safe January on the highways. According to the Washington GA Post of the GSP, they investigated only one crash during the month of January. No injuries, no deaths.

The Washington post issued 46 traffic citations in January. 2 DUI’s, 9 speeding tickets, 11 seatbelt violations, and no child restraint violations were handed out.

The Plant Granite forum Monday night allowed GreenFirst to plead it’s case for the proposed Waste to Energy incinerator off of the Athens Highway. The plant has drawn heavy fire from the group Citizens for Public Awareness and others, primarily because of the lack of information about the facility.

GreenFirst CEO Ernest Kaufmann said that representatives were available to answer questions all along.

“As you know, we were having the meetings on Wednesdays around lunchtime,” Kaufmann said.  “Actually we didn’t have anybody coming to those.”

It is widely believed that Elbert County Commissioners will vote to allow GreenFirst to begin the process of applying for the various permits necessary to begin construction on the facility. If so, Kaufmann reiterated what permitting engineer Bill Hodges said Monday night – that public input throughout the process is not only welcome, it is necessary

“And as we go through the permitting process, this kind of meeting will be occurring more and more.”  Kaufmann said.

GreenFirst intends to build the waste-to-energy incinerator on 220 acres off of the Athens Highway. Citizens for Public Awareness has called for a moratorium on all solid waste projects until an independent feasibility study can be formed and a public referendum is held on any project. CPA has been gathering signatures for a petition to allow the public to vote on the project. That petition will be delivered in advance of Monday’s County Commission meeting.

Work continues in Bon Repos,  Haiti today.

A group of Northeast Georgia missionaries set up a clinic on Monday in the village 15 miles from the capital of Port Au Prince. Eric Lovin with Spirit Led Expeditions explains the indiscriminate destruction left behind by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck three weeks ago.

“When we came through, we went by the US Embassy, and that’s where all the relief trucks are heading into.”  Lovin said.  “But as you drove down the street, you could see that one house was destroyed.  One house was fine, one house was destroyed.”

Lovin’s group includes Jennifer Smith of Elberton, Kirby and Jonathan Phillips, and Dr. Wesley Harris, all of Royston, as well as Med Students from Virginia and Trauma Nurses from Oklahoma.  Their first day working in Bon Repos, Lovin said they treated 100 people at the clinic, some of which sustained injuries in the quake, that never got treated.  Lovin said that the next challenge is deploying water filtration equipment.

“The pastor is consulting with the local families that need a good water source,”  Lovin said “depending on if they live near the river or wherever.  He’s compiling a list for us based on who best needs the filtration equipment.”

Lovin says that some stores have re-opened.  The local pharmacy in Bon Repos has some basic medications available.  The clinic is being powered by a diesel generator, which allows them to sterilize water and provide breathing treatments, but that comes with a heavy cost.

“Diesel right now is costing $27 a gallon, and gasoline is about $38-$40 a gallon,”  Lovin said.  So we’re trying to limit our use of the generating system.”

Lovin says that he has seen amazing acts of resiliency and hope among the devastation in Bon Repos, and an outpouring of assistance, even from previous adversaries.

“Historically, the Dominicans and the Haitians don’t have a great relationship,”  Lovin said.  “But we had a group of Dominicans come over here the first day we were here to bring supplies, and attend church services with us.  It was just amazing to have all these different nationalities that are coming together to help each other.  That’s what it’s all about.”

Lovin said the Spirit Led Expeditions mission in Haiti will continue until Tuesday. He is keeping in contact with the states and writing about his experience on Facebook. For more information about the group, go to www.spiritledexp.com

To listen to the entire interview with Eric Lovin, click here:

At Monday night’s Plant Granite meeting, the 80 or so attendees heard GreenFirst make its case for the Waste to Energy facility.  Permitting Engineer Bill Hodges said that, if allowed, the plant will stand on 220 acres on Ware Road off of the Athens Highway.

However, he was shouted down by many in the crowd when he mistakenly referred to the Athens Highway as “Highway 77,” when discussing whether or not the highway could handle the increased truck traffic.

HODGES:   “The traffic evaluation came in, and the highway can handle that flow and…”

HECKLER 1:  “It’s pretty amazing considering the state thinks we need a by-pass around…”

HODGES (inaudible)

HECKLER 2:  “Ma’am, do not interrupt him.”

HODGES:  “I’m not going to be able to answer questions or…”

HECKLER 1:  “I’m sorry ma’am, he’s not telling you the truth.”

HECKLER 3:  “We’re sorry we’re here.  We looked at the wrong paper.  We live off Highway 72.”

HODGES:  “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry”

(inaudible)

GreenFirst CEO Ernest Kaufmann was not surprised by the resistance.

“It’s really the same blowback that’s been here,”  Kaufmann said.  “I attended one of their meetings earlier.  It’s what we always expect.  I’ve permitted landfills, water plants, transfer stations, and this is just what you expect.”

Next Monday the Commissioners will vote on amending the Solid Waste Plan to allow a Waste-to-Energy facility, and if Plant Granite is consistent with that plan. Two public hearings are scheduled for each of these issues. The hearings begin at 4 PM at the County Government complex. 

County Administrator Bob Thomas told WSGC, that in order to accommodate the expected crowds, the meeting site has moved from the Commissioners meeting room to the Superior Courtroom.

In an investigation by the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, a fugitive from Florida was arrested by deputies on Friday afternoon.  40 year old Rodney O’Neal Dunn is facing charges in Florida of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, after an incident in Florida, where a man was severely stabbed.  Elbert County investigators had been working with Florida law enforcement agencies for Dunn to be apprehended when he came to Elbert County. 

A Fugitive from Justice warrant had also been taken out on Dunn and he is awaiting extradtition back to Florida.

A Bowman man has been arrested on sexual assault charges.  In a press release from Sheriff Barry Haston, Sheriff's Deputies have charged 22 year old Jason Dale Bryant with aggravated child molestation and aggravated sexual battery stemming from an incident involving a young child that occurred this week.  The child did receive medical treatment for her injuries.  Bryant is currently being held without bond at the Elbert County Detention Center.

GreenFirst LLC made its case for Plant Granite to a crowd of almost 80 Monday night at the Elberton Civic Center. GreenFirst is the waste management property developer that proposed the Waste to Energy facility and accompanying private landfill in western Elbert County.

 
GreenFirst CEO Ernest Kaufmann told attendees at the meeting what they could expect from GreenFirst, if next Monday’s County Commission votes go in Plant Granite’s favor.

“We’re going to spend some six million dollars just on engineering and design in the next year and a half for this permit.”  Kaufmann said.  “We’re going to involve the very best people, from a water, from an air standpoint, from engineering,  archeological, natural resources.  They will be the best in their field.”

He said that people are making inaccurate statements about Plant Granite, and attempted to dispel some of them.

“We’re not going to build something that’s going to kill people.  It’s just not going to happen,”  Kaufmann said.  “You got a lot of people running around here saying a lot of things.  There’s no rail being built into this facility.  Everybody keeps saying ‘they’re gonna bring [waste in on rail] from New York and Miami.’  B.S.!”

 
He said no financial involvement would be necessary from the County, the State, or anyone BUT GreenFirst itself. He went on to say that Plant Granite will use a recovery system to cut down on water consumption.

“We’re going to use somewhere between 150,000 and 250,000 gallons of water per day.  Not 700,000.  Not a million.  We’re not taking water from the Broad River.”  Kaufmann said.  “As part of this we’ve asked the county for grants that they will have access to, to bring water down to an industrial park, that, hopefully will be set up on the rest of that five thousand acres down there.  And we’ll get water from there.  We’re not getting it out of wells.  We’re not getting it out of the Broad River.

Next Monday the Commissioners will vote on amending the Solid Waste Plan to allow a Waste-to-Energy facility, and if Plant Granite is consistent with that plan. Two public hearings are scheduled for each of these issues. The hearings begin at 4 PM at the County Government complex.

A group of Northeast Georgia Missionaries in Haiti are on the ground and treating refugees. Eric Lovin is with Spirit led Expeditions.

“It took us a while to get here,” Lovin said. “We had to take a bus ride from the Dominican Republic. We got here [Sunday] afternoon.”

Lovin joins Jennifer Smith of Elberton, Kirby and Jonathan Phillips, and Dr. Wesley Harris, all of Royston, as well as Med Students from Virginia and Trauma Nurses from Oklahoma, to provide medical assistance, water purification systems, and clean-up and logistical support in Bon Repos, a village 15 miles outside of Port au Prince.

Their clinic was set up Sunday in the compound of the local Haitian Pentecostal Church, where refugees took shelter in the aftermath of the quake.

“A lot of the injuries from the earthquake they sustained almost three weeks ago have not eve been treated.” Lovin said. “We were able to see 100 [Monday] and so far we’ve seen between 40 and 50 [Tuesday] morning.”

Because of its distance from the capital, Bon Repos had been cut-off from much of the relief effort, which had focused on the population center of Port au Prince. Lovin said they’re fairly well stocked now, but getting supplies onto the island continues to be a challenge.

“The ministry out of Florida,” Lovin said, “before we got here, their plane actually crashed. So one of their flights is out of commission. But we do have some supplies that have come in. Rice, beans, water.”

Lovin said the deployment of water filtration equipment was to begin on Tuesday, The Spirit Led Expeditions mission will remain in Bon Repos until next Tuesday. Providing clean water, treating the wounded, and helping people cope with their disaster.

“’My cousin was killed, my sister was killed…’ All the way down the line – everybody knows five or six people that have been killed.” Lovin said. “But the one thing they want to pray for is to thank God that their lives were spared, and that their lives were spared for a purpose.”

For information on the Haitian mission, or on how you can help, go to www.spiritledexp.com.

“And it is unanimous. We’d like to welcome you here very much Coach (applause).”

That’s Elbert County School Board Chairman Ben Baker ushering in the Sid Fritts Era at Elbert County High School.

News you heard first on WSGC. Coach Fritts and his wife, Cindy, met an enthusiastic crowd at the School Board Meeting Room.

Before the announcement of Coach Fritts’ appointment, Superintendent Abe Plummer gave an old-fashioned dress-down to those who referred to the search process as back-room and cowardly.

“I totally reprobate that ill-advised and irresponsible statement, that was totally without merit,” Plummer said. “I have never been a coward, and at my age now, I never will be one.”

Fritts brings a career record of 99-23-2 to Elbert County. “99 wins – those are the players’, the 23 belong to me, and then the two – I don’t know who gets the credit, or the blame for those,” Fritts said.

Coach Fritts comes off of five seasons at AAAA Rome City High School, where he amassed a record of 53-8-1, and four consecutive 10-win seasons. Fritts had top ten teams consecutively from 2002-2008 in Georgia, and top ten teams in Tennessee in ‘89, ‘90, and ’93. He brings the “Wing-T” back to Elbert County, with a deliberate, ball-control style.” He says that the Athletic Director position adds a layer of responsibility to the job, a responsibility he embraced at Rome. He was quick to point out the successes of his Rome Programs.

“Our Girls’ Basketball team is ranked number one right now, our cheerleaders finished number two, three or four years back.” Fritts said. “My daughter was part of a semi-final cheerleading program last year. All the while our football program hasn’t suffered. We have a 6-11 [basketball] center at Wake Forest.”

Fritts begins his job on March 29^th.