Sunday Edition October 20, 2019 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER $1.50 Development authority approves $39M in bonds for warehouse project BY JAMES SWIFT $5 million to Loloi, Inc. for the ed the cost of the facility to be over a fi ve-year hiring period. JAMES SWIFT/DTN [email protected] acquisition of equipment for its around $30 million. “Obviously, these bonds are sole- The Development Au- roughly 647,000 square foot dis- “We also have a grant in connec- ly the responsibility of the compa- thority of Bartow Coun- Members of the Development tribution center, which sits on a tion with some of their equipment ny,” Pettit continued. “There is no ty approved $39 million Authority of Bartow County 59-acre tract in between Pee- for the inside, the racking for the City/County pledge in connection in taxable revenue voted unanimously to approve ples Valley Road and the KOA inside, and we’re still working with with the repayment of these bonds. bonds for the Loloi, Inc the issuance of up to $39 mil- Kampgrounds site. them to complete that,” Pettit said. It has the standard language in it re- warehouse project off Cass-White Road on Fri- lion in taxable revenue bonds for The Dallas, Texas-headquar- Cartersville-Bartow County garding indemnity to the Authority day morning. Pictured, a warehouse project off Cass- tered home furnishings designer Department of Economic Devel- … I will be fi ling these bond doc- Loloi, Inc president and White Road Friday morning. and wholesaler broke ground on opment Executive Director Me- uments with the court on Monday, owner Amir Loloi at last Authority legal counsel H. the project in July 2018. Amir linda Lemmon said she expects assuming that you approve it.” year’s groundbreaking Boyd Pettit, III said one bond Loloi, the owner and president of the distribution center to bring ceremony for the distri- resolution would provide up to the company, said he anticipat- about 198 jobs to the community SEE LOLOI, PAGE 8A bution center. Local Motel closure organization emphasizes observes THE DISPLACED affordable Domestic housing County Violence concerns commissioner throughout Awareness responds Bartow Month to Budgetel BY JAMES SWIFT evictions [email protected] BY MARIE NESMITH [email protected] Of the many ethical, legal BY JAMES SWIFT and moral questions raised by In the midst of Domestic [email protected] the mass eviction of hundreds Violence Awareness Month, of Bartow County residents at Christian League for Battered The official tourist accom- the Budgetel Inn off Carson Women’s staff and supporters modation permit suspension Loop last week, perhaps the continue to “shine a spotlight” notice filed by the Georgia most pressing is one that hasn’t on this pressing issue. Along Department of Public Health grabbed the headlines or stirred with the nonprofi t’s second an- Tuesday that resulted in the up social media clatter. nual Candlelight Vigil being mass eviction of hundreds of Lost amidst the bickering presented Tuesday, the Rock the residents at the Budgetel Inn over who to blame for the dis- House fundraiser will take place off Carson Loop plainly ex- placement and the sometimes in November. plains why the motel was in- self-congratulatory celebration “Our fi rst priority is to ensure definitely closed. of community relief efforts re- safety, then shelter, resources/ DPH representative Victor mains one central question that referrals, legal advocacy, chil- Abercrombie lists three code county, school, state and even dren/teen services and tran- violations that, ultimately, led nonprofi t leaders have been quility,” said Zanett Ellington, to the displacement of dozens somewhat reluctant to address: community relations coordi- of families: unapproved cook- just why were nearly 100 chil- nator for Christian League for ing equipment — specifically dren and their families living in Battered Women, which oper- citing hot plates, toasters and an extended-stay motel in the ates the Tranquility House Do- crockpots — not providing fi rst place — in some cases, not mestic Violence Center. “We are services on a weekly basis/fur- just for months, but for years at able to provide these services nishings not being kept up and a time? from grants and community infestation of roaches/flies. “From my perspective, if it participation. Even though peo- Yet on the motel’s previous highlights anything, it ampli- ple don’t understand or think it tourist accommodation inspec- fi es the fact that these folks are doesn’t affect them, the plight of tion report, Abercrombie gave there because they don’t have domestic violence is real and we the motel a passing score of anywhere else to go,” said Bar- still need everyone’s help. Ev- 84. Indeed, in an evaluation of tow County Community Rede- eryone deserves the right to live “areas of critical public health velopment Coordinator Patrick a life without violence. risks” dated Feb. 27, the only Nelson. “Even trying to fi nd “We received the fi nal count noncompliance issue cited was temporary housing and things from Georgia Coalition Against a repeat violation for pests. is challenging, and all of the ob- Domestic Violence, which stat- Per that report, Abercrombie stacles that come along with it.” ed that 84 lives were lost from observed roaches in sever- Such mass displacement is Oct. 1, 2018 - Sept. 30, 2019, in al rooms, additionally noting hardly a new sight for Good the state of Georgia due to do- that he “observed pest control Neighbor Homeless Shelter mestic — intimate partner — records, but excess household Executive Director Jessica Mit- violence and two of those beau- items and food present.” cham. She told The Daily Tri- tiful lives were here in Bartow The motel fared even better on bune News that, month-in and County.” the previous inspection. On May month-out, the local nonprof- Now in its third location, 16, 2018, the DPH gave the es- it has to turn away about 250 Christian League for Battered tablishment an even higher tour- people seeking housing due to Women was established in 1985. ist accommodation score of 93. RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS space limitations. Hundreds of residents were displaced when the Georgia Department of Public Health SEE CLBW, PAGE 2A SEE COMMISSIONER, PAGE 6A closed down the Budgetel Inn off Carson Loop last week. SEE HOUSING, PAGE 6A White Elementary School students write 404 letters for Bert’s Big Thank You campaign BY DONNA HARRIS serves to receive a letter of grati- crease from the 236 we received ing at White in 2015. [email protected] tude on Thanksgiving Day,” The in 2018,” said fi rst-grade teacher “That fi rst year, it was only Bert Show website said. “We Jenna Ray, who coordinated this my kindergarten class that par- Students at White Elementary want to give our troops a ‘Big year’s campaign with special ed- ticipated,” she said, noting she School understand the signifi - Thank You’ with a little taste of ucation teacher Rhonda Bryson. had organized the campaign “for cance of what America’s mili- home this Thanksgiving.” “I was blown away,” she said. many years before that” at her tary men and women are doing The campaign has resulted in “It made me feel proud that so former job. “They had so much for their country. more than a million handwrit- many kids would take the time fun, and I wanted to share it with And they appreciate it. ten letters of gratitude from Bert to help make someone else feel the other classes at the school. For the fi fth year, the pre-K Show listeners getting into the special, cared for and import- In previous years, I’ve also part- through fi fth-grade students par- hands of every serviceman and ant.” nered with English teachers and ticipated in Bert’s Big Thank woman who were away from Bryson said she was “proud of students at Cass High School to You, a holiday letter-writing their families during the holi- our teachers and students for the write letters as well.” campaign started several years days, the website said. enthusiasm and kindness they Her relationship with mem- SPECIAL ago by Q99.7 deejay Bert Weiss At WES, students broke the put into seeing these letters writ- bers of the military is what fu- Students in Jenna Ray’s fi rst-grade class at White Elementary to thank the country’s troops for school’s previous record set last ten.” eled Ray’s desire to take part in School show off the holiday letters they wrote to servicemen their service. year by voluntarily writing 404 Ray said she brought the the letter-writing project. and women as part of Bert’s Big Thank You letter-writing cam- “Every single soldier deployed letters between mid-September Bert’s Big Thank You project paign. outside the United States de- and Oct. 11, “a signifi cant in- with her when she began teach- SEE LETTERS, PAGE 5A INSIDE TODAY Partly VOLUME 73, NO. 144 Obituaries ............................. 2A Classifieds............................ 4B sunny U.S. & World .........................4A Around Town ....................... 1C High 76 www.daily-tribune.com Blotter ................................... 7A Entertainment ...................... 7C Sports ................................... 1B Cancer Awareness .............. 1D Low 58 2A Sunday, October 20, 2019 • www.daily-tribune.com Local The Daily Tribune News ContactUs OBITUARIES The Daily Tribune News tactical team and competed in a quiet room and enjoyed hav- day, October 22, 2019, at 3:30 his uncles, Jesse Hopper and Address: Jordan D. Towns several SkillsUSA competitions ing a good time with his friends pm from NorthPointe Church, Brandon Hopper. 251 S. Tennessee St.